Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth and the alternation of the night and day are signs for people of understanding, those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and earth} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 190-191]
1458/1- Hudhayfah and Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went to bed he would say: “Bismik allāhumma ahya wa amūt (In Your name, O Allah, I live and die).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1) Seeking blessings by Allah’s name upon going to bed protects one from all evils.
2) Sleep is a reminder of death and resurrection, so when one goes to bed he evokes in his mind the state of resurrection.
1459/2- ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to him and Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her): “When you go to bed, say 'Allahu Akbar' thirty-three times, 'Subhān Allah' thirty-three times, and 'Al-hamdulillāh' thirty-three times.” In another version, saying 'Subhān Allah' is thirty-four times, and in a third version, saying 'Allahu Akbar' is thirty-four times. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) Remembering Allah Almighty upon going to bed by saying Subhān Allah, Allahu Akbar, and Al-hamdulillāh, as reported in the Hadīth, gives the one who says that strength in his body that enables him to endure his burdens and accomplish his tasks.
2) A man should urge his household to remember Allah Almighty and try to attach their hearts to the Hereafter. In the full text of the Hadīth, it is mentioned that Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) came to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to complain of the hardship she was suffering. So, he said to her and her husband, ‘Ali: “Shall I guide the two of you to what is better than what you asked for? When you go to bed...” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
1460/3- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you goes to his bed, let him dust off his bed with the inside of his Izār (waist wrap worn around the lower half of the body), for he does not know what came unto it after he had left it. Then he should say: ‘Bismika Rabbi wada‘tu jambi wa bika arfa‘uh. In amsakta nafsi farhamha wa in arsaltaha fahfazh-ha bima tahfazhu bihi ‘ibādaka as-sālihīn (In Your Name, my Lord, I place my side (on the bed), and by You I lift it. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it, and if You send it, then protect it with what You protect Your righteous slaves with).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
The inside of his Izār: the side of his waist wrap that touches the body.
1) The sign of success is that Allah Almighty would not entrust you to your own self, and the sign of failure is that He entrusts you to your own self.
2) One of the signs of one’s understanding of the religion is for him to supplicate Allah Almighty persistently to protect him.
3) A slave is encouraged to seek the help of his Lord in all his conditions; when he goes to sleep and when he wakes up, because he can do all this by the help of Allah and not by his own ability.
4) It is recommended to dust off one’s bed in the manner mentioned in the Hadīth before lying in it even if no insects are visible on it, but one should still do so in compliance with the prophetic guidance and for the probability that there are insects on it that he cannot see.
1461/4- ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went to bed, he would blow into his hands, recite the Mu‘awwidhaat, and then pass his hands over his body. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
In another version also narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim: “When the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went to bed every night, he used to cup his palms together, do Nafth (blow) into them, and recite Surat al-Ikhlās, Surat al-Falaq and Surat An-Nās, and then he would wipe with his hands over as much of his body as he can, starting with his head, face and the front of his body. He used to do that three times.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
Linguists said that 'Nafth' means to blow out lightly without saliva.
1) Reciting the Mu‘awwidhāt with Nafth and passing the hands over the front of the body three times is part of the authentic prophetic guidance when going to sleep.
2) The Qur’an has a significant impact on protecting the body by the permission of Allah Almighty. It is a healing to hearts and bodies.
3) One should pursue all the means that help him be safe, which are the recitation of the mentioned Surahs, Nafth (blowing onto the cupped hands without saliva), and passing the hands over the body; and repeating this action.
1462/5- Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: “When you want to go to bed, perform ablution as you do for prayer, then lie down on your right side and say: Allāhumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa alja’tu zhahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, lā malja’a wa la manja minka illa ilayk. Āmantu bikitābik alladhi anzalt, wa binabiyyik alladhi arsalt (O Allah, I surrender myself to You, and entrust my affairs to You, and rely completely upon You, out of hope in You and fear of You, there is no fleeing from You and there is no place of protection and safety except with You O Allah. I believe in Your Book (the Qur’an) which You have revealed and in Your Prophet (Muhammad) whom You have sent). If you should die then (after reciting this) you will die upon the religion of sound disposition (i.e. as a Muslim); and let these words be the last you say (before you sleep).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1) A Muslim should adhere to performing ablution before sleep, lying on the right side, and ending the Dhikr by reciting this supplication in order to comply with the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).
2) The one who abides by this guidance is hoped to die while adhering to the sound disposition of Tawhīd (Islamic monotheism).
1463/6- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to say the following when he went to bed: “Al-hamdulillahi alladhi at‘amana wa saqāna wa kafāna wa āwāna, fa kam mimman lā kāfiya lahu wa lā mu’wī (Praise be to Allah Who gave us food and drink, provided for us sufficiently, and gave us shelter, for there are many who have no one to provide for them or to give them shelter).” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) The slave’s acknowledgment of his Lord’s favor upon him entails that he should show gratefulness to Him for all His favors.
2) Realizing the great favor of Allah in having sufficiency and shelter, for there are so many people who are deprived of these blessings. Definitely, a slave must react to these blessings with showing gratitude in order for them to last and grow.
1464/7- Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to sleep, he used to put his right hand under his cheek and say: “Allāhumma qini ‘adhābaka yawma tab‘athu ‘ibādak (O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the day You resurrect Your slaves).” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, who said that it is Hasan (sound). Abu Dāwūd also narrated it on the authority of Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with him) with the addition that he (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to say this three times.]
1) Placing the right hand under the right cheek is a prophetic etiquette related to sleeping.
2) The greatest thing which a one can ask his Lord for is to protect him from punishment, because whoever is protected from punishment has indeed succeeded and won.
Book of Invocations