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The complete bedtime routine
Narrated by Aishah (radiy-Allahu anha)
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا أَوَى إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ جَمَعَ كَفَّيْهِ ثُمَّ نَفَثَ فِيهِمَا فَقَرَأَ فِيهِمَا قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ وَ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ وَ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ثُمَّ يَمْسَحُ بِهِمَا مَا اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَبْدَأُ بِهِمَا عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَوَجْهِهِ وَمَا أَقْبَلَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍWhenever the Prophet went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over them after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times.
Narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiy-Allahu anhu)
إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ لَنْ يَزَالَ مَعَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ وَلاَ يَقْرَبُكَ شَيْطَانٌ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَWhen you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi; a guardian from Allah will remain with you, and no shaytan will come near you until morning.
Narrated by Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari (radiy-Allahu anhu)
مَنْ قَرَأَ بِالآيَتَيْنِ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ كَفَتَاهُWhoever recites the last two ayat of Surat al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him.
Step-by-step
- Lie down or sit up in bed.
- Cup your hands at chest height.
- Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq, and Surah An-Nas, in that order.
- Breathe softly into your cupped hands after each recitation.
- Wipe your hands over your body, starting from the head and face, then the front of the body, then as far as you can reach.
- Repeat steps 3-5 a total of three times.
- Recite Ayat al-Kursi once.
- Recite the last two ayat of Surat al-Baqarah once.
- Say bismillahi tawakkaltu 'ala-Allah and the prophetic sleep du'a (Allahumma bi-smika amutu wa ahya).
- Sleep on your right side, hand under your right cheek, as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught.
The verses
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَThe Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, saying, 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say, 'We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the final destination.' Allah does not charge a soul except with that within its capacity. It will have what it has earned, and it will bear what it has earned. 'Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.'
If you wake from a bad dream
The Prophet (ﷺ) taught: when a bad dream comes, spit lightly three times to your left, seek refuge in Allah from the shaytan three times, change the side you were sleeping on, and do not narrate the dream to anyone. The bad dream is a thread the shaytan dangles; the prophetic response cuts the thread.
If sleep itself is the problem
If you struggle to sleep, the prescription is layered: maintain a consistent sleep window, reduce screen exposure in the hour before bed, finish caffeine by midday, recite the routine above, make du'a for ease. If insomnia persists more than a few weeks, see a qualified doctor; sleep disorders are medical and treatable, and treating them does not contradict tawakkul.
Narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiy-Allahu anhu)
مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءًAllah has not sent down any disease without also sending down its treatment.