03.25.25
Du’as for Sleeping
As we get ready for bed after a long day, it’s important to keep remembrance of Allah (SWT) at the forefront of our minds. This can be done by reciting various du’as for sleeping and waking.
It was reported that whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) lay down for sleep at night, he would place his (right) hand under his (right) cheek and supplicate: “Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya. (O Allah, with Your name I die and I live).” And when he woke up, he would supplicate: “Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhee ahyana ba’da ma amatana, wa ilaihin-nushur. (All praise is due to Allah, who gave us life after causing us to die and to Him is the resurrection).” [Hadith | Al-Bukhari].
Here are some du’as for sleeping and waking:
Du’a Before Sleeping
Before you sleep, recite the following:
Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya
اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
O Allah, with Your name I die and I live.
Du’a for Peaceful Sleep
It was reported that when Khalid ibn al-Walid told Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), “I have nightmares,” the Prophet said to him:
“Say, ‘I seek refuge with the complete words of Allah from His anger and His punishment and the evil of His slaves, and from the evil suggestions of the shayatin and from their being present (at death).’
Hadith | Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud
Therefore, you should recite the following if you experience nightmares:
Qul audhu bi kalimati’ llahi’t-tammati min ghadabihi wa iqabihi wa sharri ibadihi wa min hamazati’ sh-shayatin wa an yahdurun.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ
I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from His anger and punishment, from the evil of His servants, and from the madness and appearance of devils.
Du’a for Difficulty Sleeping
If you find yourself tossing and turning during the night, this du’a can be recited:
Lā ilāha illallāhal-Wāḥidul-Qahhār. Rabbus-samāwāti wa ‘l-arḍi wa mā baynahumaal-`Azīzul-Ghaffār.
لا إِلـهَ إِلاّ اللهُ الـواحِدُ القَهّـار رَبُّ السَّـمواتِ وَالأرْضِ وَما بَيْـنَهـما العَزيـزُ الغَـفّار
There is none worthy of worship but Allah, the One, the Victorious, Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the All-Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
Du’a for forgiveness and refuge from evil
The Prophet (ﷺ) is reported as saying that the following supplication is a way for a believer to seek forgiveness from Allah.
He added:
If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.
Hadith | Bukhari
Therefore, you should recite this du’a before sleeping:
Allahumma anta rabbi la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa-ana ‘abduk, wa-ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wawa‘dika mas-tata‘t, a‘oothu bika min sharri ma sana‘t, aboo-o laka bini‘matika ‘alay, wa-aboo-o bithanbee, faghfir lee fa-innahu la yaghfiru-thunaba illa ant.
اللّٰهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِيْ، فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّاأَنْتَ۔
O Allah! You are my Rabb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon.
Du’a for protection from harm
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
He who says in the morning and the evening of each day: ‘In the name of Allah with Whose Name there is protection against every kind of harm in the earth or in the heaven, and He is the All-Hearing and All- Knowing),’ nothing will harm him.
Hadith | Tirmidhi
Recite this supplication three times before sleeping:
Bismillahil-ladhi la yadurru ma’as-mihi shai’un fil-ardi wa la fis-sama’i, wa Huwas-Sami’ul-‘Alim.
بسم الله الذي لا يضر مع اسمه شيء في الأرض ولا في السماء وهو السميع العليم
In the Name of Allah with Whose Name there is protection against every kind of harm in the earth or in the heaven, and He is the All-Hearing and All- Knowing),’ nothing will harm him.
Du’a for the morning and evening
It was reported by Abu Dawood that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
There is no Muslim – or no person, or slave (of Allah) – who says, in the morning and evening: ‘Radhitu billahi Rabban wa bil-Islami dinan wa bi Muhammadin nabiyyan (I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion and Muhammad as my Prophet),’ but he will have a promise from Allah to make him pleased on the Day of Resurrection.
Hadith | Ibn Majah
Recite this du’a three times before you go to sleep as follows:
Radhitu Billahi Rabba wabil-Islāmi dīnan wa bi-Muḥammadin nabiyyan.
رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا
I am pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion and with Muhammad (ﷺ) as my Prophet.
Du’a Upon Waking Up
The following du’a should be recited upon waking up:
Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhee ahyana ba’da ma amatana wa ilayhin-nushoor
الحَمْـدُ لِلّهِ الّذي أَحْـيانا بَعْـدَ ما أَماتَـنا وَإليه النُّـشور
All praise is due to Allah, who gave us life after causing us to die and to Him is the resurrection.
Explore our du’a hub and find out more about essential du’as here.
