The BEST Dua For Going To Sleep

As day turns to night, and you start winding down before bedtime, it's important to connect with Allah (SWT), our Lord and Creator, one final time. One of the best ways of doing this is through supplication or dua.

In the Islamic faith, sleep is considered a minor death, as our souls leave our bodies. Most, but not all souls, are then returned to our bodies in the morning. As a result then of its importance, here are some duas you can recite for going to sleep, which are rooted in the Quran and Hadith of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The best dua for going to sleep 🤲

The most profound supplication for sleep is mentioned in authentic Sahih Bukhari (Book 80, Hadith 21). In this hadith, it was narrated by Hudhaifa that whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) would intend to go to bed, he would recite:

اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

Transliteration: Allahumma bismikka amutu wa ahya

Translation: "O Allah, with Your name I die and I live."

This powerful, short dua is a simple reminder that God is in control of our life and death and we are merely living by His will and mercy. Knowing that Allah is in complete control helps to provide us with some comfort knowing that He has planned everything for us, and knows everything (both good and bad) which will befall us.

Five more things to recite before going to sleep 🗣

1. Surah Al-Ikhlas

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Transliteration: Kul huwallahu ahad. Allahhus samad. Lam yalid wallam yuulud. Wallam yahullahu kufwan ahad

Translation: "Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.'"

This Surah reaffirms tawhid or the Oneness of Allah. There are no partners prescribed to him and He is not born, nor are there offspring associated with Him. God is the Most powerful and there is no equivalent being. This is a central tenet to Islam where Muslims take the Shahadah, confirming the Oneness of Allah.

2. Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

Transliteration: Kul aoudhu birrabil falaq. Min sharri maa khalaq. Wa min sharri ghasiqin itha waqab. Wa min sharrinnaffathati fil ouqud. Wa min sharri hassidin itha hasad.

Translation: Say, O Prophet: "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of whatever He has created, and from the evil of the night when it grows dark, and from the evil of those witches casting spells by blowing onto knots, and from the evil of an envier when they envy."

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ مِنْ شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ

Transliteration: Kul aoudhu birrabin-nas. Malikin-nas. Illa hin-nas. Min sharril wass wassil khan-nas. Allathee you wasswissou fee sodourrin-nas. Minnal jinnati wan-nas

Translation: Say, O Prophet: "I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind, the Master of humankind, the God of humankind, from the evil of the lurking whisperer - who whispers into the hearts of mankind - from among jinn and humankind."

These are the last two Surahs in the Holy Quran and when recited together, can act as a powerful shield to ward off from all forms of evil.

3. Dua for protection before sleep

بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، فَإِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا، بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Transliteration: Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi, wa bika arfa'uhu, in amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfazu bihi 'ibadakas-salihin

Translation: "In Your name, my Lord, I lie down and in Your name I rise, so if You should take my soul then have mercy upon it, and if You should return my soul then protect it in the way You do so with Your righteous servants."

In this hadith which was recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, it was narrated by Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that when anyone goes to bed, he should dust off his bedsheet and then recite the above dua for sleep protection, which affirms Allah as the Most Powerful and the only One capable of raising us up from sleep.

4. Dua for preventing nightmares

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُون

Transliteration: Audhu bi kalimati' llahi't-tammati min ghadabihi wa iqabihi wa sharri ibadihi wa min hamazati' sh-shayatin wa an yahdurun

Translation: "I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from His wrath and from the evil of His servants and from the evil suggestions of the devils and from their presence."

According to Al-Tirmidhi, this hadith was graded as Hasan or fair (versus authentic or Sahih). In this, Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked about what to do if you get a nightmare and he said that if you're frightened by a dream during sleep, you should say the following dua.

5. Dua for salvation on the Day of Judgement

اللَّهُمَّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ

Transliteration: Allahumma qini 'adhabaka yauma tab'athu 'ibadaka

Translation: "O Allah, save me from Your punishment on the day that You resurrect Your servants."

In this hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi, in a narration by Abu Dawud, it was reported that Hafsah said that the Prophet (pbuh) recited the above dua three times before sleeping.