Quick answer: Sahih al-Bukhari reports a short bedtime routine: wudu (ablution), lying on the right side, a supplication of surrender, and the words “Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya”. On waking, the report gives a praise formula about being given life again. Reciting Ayat al-Kursi, the last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah, the three short surahs and the tasbih of Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) are also reported at bedtime.
Du’a is spiritual support. It isn’t a treatment for sleeplessness or any other health problem, and the article doesn’t present it as one.
Wudu, the right side and the du’a of surrender
The Companion al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ gave him a simple sequence. When you want to go to bed, perform ablution as you do for prayer, then lie down on your right side and say the supplication. Sahih al-Bukhari also has a chapter heading on lying on the right side, so the posture is treated as its own point.
إِذَا أَتَيْتَ مَضْجَعَكَ فَتَوَضَّأْ وَضُوءَكَ لِلصَّلاَةِ، ثُمَّ اضْطَجِعْ عَلَى شِقِّكَ الأَيْمَنِ، وَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لاَ مَلْجَأَ وَلاَ مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ، آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ. فَإِنْ مُتَّ مُتَّ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَاجْعَلْهُنَّ آخِرَ مَا تَقُولُ ". فَقُلْتُ أَسْتَذْكِرُهُنَّ وَبِرَسُولِكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ. قَالَ " لاَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ
Narrated Al-Bara bin `Azib:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 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: 'Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa fawwadtu 'amri ilaika wa alja'tu dhahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, la malja'a wa la manja minka illa ilaika. Amantu bikitabik al-ladhi anzalta wa binabiyyika al-ladhi arsalta'. If you should die then (after reciting this) you will die on the religion of Islam (i.e., as a Muslim); so let these words be the last you say (before going to bed)" While I was memorizing it, I said, "Wa birasulika al-ladhi arsalta (in Your Apostle whom You have sent).' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No, but say: Wa binabiyyika al-ladhi arsalta (in Your Prophet whom You have sent)
In plain English, the words say: I submit my face to You, I hand my affairs over to You, I rest my back on You out of longing and awe. There is no refuge and no escape from You except in You. The text then affirms belief in the Book Allah sent down and the Prophet He sent.
It’s said once, after wudu, when the person is already lying down. A bedtime guide notes that the Prophet ﷺ told al-Bara’ to make it the last words said before sleep, and to repeat it if one speaks afterwards.
“Bismika amutu wa ahya” and the words on waking
The shortest du’a in the routine comes from Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him). When the Prophet ﷺ went to bed he would say “Bismika amutu wa ahya”, and when he got up he would say “Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana wa ilaihin-nushur”.
بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا ". وَإِذَا قَامَ قَالَ " الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ ". تُنْشِرُهَا: تُخْرِجُهَا
Narrated Hudhaifa:When the Prophet (ﷺ) went to bed, he would say: "Bismika amutu wa ahya." and when he got up he would say:" Al-hamdu li l-lahil-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana wa ilaihin-nushur
The first phrase means “In Your name I die and I live”. The waking words mean, in the gloss given by one English edition of Bukhari, praise belongs to Allah who made us alive after He made us die (sleep), and to Him is the resurrection. Sleep is treated as a small death and waking as a gift of life renewed.
The Quran draws the same link between sleep and death in Surah az-Zumar (39:42), where Allah is described as taking souls at death and during sleep. Neither report gives a number of repetitions, so the words are understood as said once at each moment.
Ayat al-Kursi at bedtime
Ayat al-Kursi is verse 255 of Surat al-Baqarah. It speaks of Allah as the Ever-Living, to whom neither drowsiness nor sleep applies, and whose knowledge and authority extend over the heavens and the earth.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌۭ وَلَا نَوْمٌۭ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Sahih al-Bukhari reports from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) the instruction to recite it when going to bed. A bedtime guide that lists the sources cites Sahih al-Bukhari 3275 for a guardian from Allah and no devil approaching until morning, and describes reciting it once.
صَدَقَكَ وَهْوَ كَذُوبٌ، ذَاكَ شَيْطَانٌ
Narrated Muhammad bin Sirin:Abu Huraira said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) put me in charge of the Zakat of Ramadan (i.e. Zakat-ul-Fitr). Someone came to me and started scooping some of the foodstuff of (Zakat) with both hands. I caught him and told him that I would take him to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." Then Abu Huraira told the whole narration and added "He (i.e. the thief) said, 'Whenever you go to your bed, recite the Verse of "Al-Kursi" (2.255) for then a guardian from Allah will be guarding you, and Satan will not approach you till dawn.' " On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He told you the truth, though he is a liar, and he (the thief) himself was the Satan
The last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah
These are verses 285 and 286. They affirm belief in Allah, His angels, books and messengers, then end with a prayer asking Allah not to burden a soul beyond its capacity and to pardon forgetfulness and error.
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿285﴾ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ ﴿286﴾
[285] The 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. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." [286] Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and 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."
Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet ﷺ saying that if somebody recites the last two verses of Surat al-Baqara at night, that will be sufficient for him.
مَنْ قَرَأَ بِالآيَتَيْنِ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ كَفَتَاهُ
Narrated Abu Mas'ud: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If somebody recited the last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqara at night, that will be sufficient for him
Scholars have explained “sufficient” in more than one way. The Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths records that it’s said to mean protection from evil and harm, or sufficiency in place of the night prayer (qiyam al-layl), or in place of regular dhikr. The hadith itself doesn’t choose between these readings, so they’re reported here as the views of scholars.
The three short surahs, blown into the hands
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) described a nightly habit. Whenever the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he cupped his hands, blew into them after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, then rubbed them over whatever parts of his body he could reach, starting with his head, face and the front of his body, three times.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُفَضَّلُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، 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 مَرَّاتٍ.
Narrated 'Aisha: Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it 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
The three surahs are chapters 112, 113 and 114 of the Quran. Chapter 112 declares Allah’s oneness; the other two ask Allah’s protection. So the count in this report is three rounds of recitation, blowing and wiping.
The tasbih of Fatima: 33, 33 and 34
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Fatima came to the Prophet ﷺ asking for a servant to help with housework. He offered something he called better: at bedtime, “Subhan Allah” thirty-three times, “Al-hamdu lillah” thirty-three times and “Allahu Akbar” thirty-four times. Ali added that he never failed to recite it afterwards.
أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكِ مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْهُ، تُسَبِّحِينَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ مَنَامِكِ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَتَحْمَدِينَ اللَّهَ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَتُكَبِّرِينَ اللَّهَ أَرْبَعًا وَثَلاَثِينَ ". ـ ثُمَّ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ إِحْدَاهُنَّ أَرْبَعٌ وَثَلاَثُونَ ـ فَمَا تَرَكْتُهَا بَعْدُ، قِيلَ وَلاَ لَيْلَةَ صِفِّينَ قَالَ وَلاَ لَيْلَةَ صِفِّينَ.
Narrated `Ali bin Abi Talib:Fatima came to the Prophet (ﷺ) asking for a servant. He said, "May I inform you of something better than that? When you go to bed, recite "Subhan Allah' thirty three times, 'Al hamduli l-lah' thirty three times, and 'Allahu Akbar' thirty four times. `Ali added, 'I have never failed to recite it ever since." Somebody asked, "Even on the night of the battle of Siffin?" He said, "Even on the night of the battle of Siffin
The three phrases mean “Glory be to Allah”, “All praise is for Allah” and “Allah is the Greatest”. They total 100 recitations. The wording of the reports varies slightly: one narration lists the takbir first, and another says one of the three is said thirty-four times. Readers who want to know which phrase carries the 34 should check the wording of the report with a qualified scholar.
At a glance
| Text | When | How often | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Du’a of surrender (“Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilayka”) | After wudu, lying on the right side | Once | Sahih al-Bukhari 6311 |
| “Bismika amutu wa ahya” | On going to bed | Reports give no number | Sahih al-Bukhari 6312 |
| “Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana…” | On getting up | Reports give no number | Sahih al-Bukhari 6312 |
| Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) | On going to bed | Once, per the guide cited | Quran; Sahih al-Bukhari 3275 |
| Last two verses of al-Baqarah (2:285-286) | At night | Reports give no number | Sahih al-Bukhari 5009 |
| Surat al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, an-Nas | On going to bed, then wiping the body | 3 times | Sahih al-Bukhari 5017 |
| Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar | On going to bed | 33, 33 and 34 | Sahih al-Bukhari 5362; Sahih Muslim 2727 |
What isn’t quoted here
Several bedtime and waking supplications are widely shared online but rest on collections other than the Quran, Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. They aren’t quoted on this page.
The same applies to general etiquette of du’a, such as facing the qiblah or praising Allah before asking. This article covers only the reports found for bedtime, so those points aren’t covered here.
The tools on this site can help with the daily habit around these words: the printable planners and checklists are one place to keep a short bedtime list. Questions about how to apply any of these texts in your own circumstances are best put to a qualified scholar.
Sources
- Sunnah.com: Sahih al-Bukhari 6311, to sleep with ablution
- Sunnah.com: Sahih al-Bukhari 6312, what to say on going to bed
- Sahih-bukhari.com: Book of Invocations
- Sunnah.com: Sahih al-Bukhari 5009, last two verses of Surat al-Baqara
- Encyclopedia of Translated Prophetic Hadiths: last two verses of Surat al-Baqarah
- Sunnah.com: Sahih al-Bukhari 5017, search results
- Sunnah.com: Sahih al-Bukhari 5362, Fatima and the servant
- Sunnah.com: reports of the 33/33/34 tasbih
- DeenUp: Dua before going to sleep
- FivePrayer: Duas before sleep