The Prayer For Going To Sleep

عَنْ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَتَيْتَ مَضْجَعَكَ فَتَوَضَّأْ وُضُوءَكَ لِلصَّلَاةِ  ثُمَّ اضْطَجِعْ عَلَى شِقِّكَ الْأَيْمَنِ  ثُمَّ قُلْ : اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ  وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ  وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ  رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ  لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ  اللَّهُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ  وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ  فَإِنْ مُتَّ مِنْ لَيْلَتِكَ فَأَنْتَ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ  وَاجْعَلْهُنَّ آخِرَ مَا تَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ

From al-Baraa’ bin ‘Azib who narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whenever you are about to go to sleep, make wudhu’ as you would for prayer. Then lie on your right side and say, ‘O Allah! I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to You and depend on You for Your blessings, both with hope 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 which You have revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent.’ Then if you die that night, you will die in faith. Let those words be your last words (before sleeping).”

Narrated in Sahih Bukhari

Grade: Sahih (authentic)

Reflections:

1. A Muslim should habitually utter zikrullah (incantations in remembrance of Allah). This includes when going to bed, in a state of purity after having made wudhu’ (ablution).

2. A Muslim who retires to bed after making wudhu’ and reciting zikrullah, when he wakes up and asks Allah for all the good in this life and the Hereafter will – if permitted by Allah – have his wishes granted.

Seize the opportunity to wake up at night and pray to Allah.