The Prophet ﷺ had a beautiful bedtime routine of remembrance. Sleep is called "the minor death" — these supplications place your soul in Allah's care until He returns it to you at dawn.
The Prophetic bedtime routine: Make wudū. Lie on your right side, right hand under your right cheek. Recite Āyat al-Kursī, the last two verses of al-Baqarah, and the Muʿawwidhāt (blowing into your palms and wiping over your body three times). Then say the comprehensive bedtime dua. These were the last words of the Prophet ﷺ each night.
Bismika Rabbī waḍaʿtu janbī, wa bika arfaʿuh, fa-in amsakta nafsī farḥamhā, wa in arsaltahā faḥfaẓhā bimā taḥfaẓu bihi ʿibādaka ṣ-ṣāliḥīn.
In Your name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and in Your name I raise it. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it. And if You release it, then protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6320, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2714.
Dua 3
I submit my soul to You
At bedtime — the last thing the Prophet ﷺ said before sleeping
Allāhumma aslamtu nafsī ilayk, wa wajjahtu wajhī ilayk, wa fawwaḍtu amrī ilayk, wa aljaʾtu ẓahrī ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, lā maljaʾa wa lā manjā minka illā ilayk, āmantu bi-kitābika lladhī anzalt, wa bi-nabiyyika lladhī arsalt.
O Allah, I have submitted my soul to You, turned my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You, and leaned my back against You — out of hope and fear of You. There is no refuge and no escape from You except to You. I believe in Your Book which You have revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6311, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2710.
If you die that night, you die upon the fitrah. Make these the last words you say.
Allāhumma innaka khalaqta nafsī wa anta tawaffāhā, laka mamātuhā wa maḥyāhā, in aḥyaytahā faḥfaẓhā, wa in amattahā faghfir lahā, Allāhumma innī asʾaluka l-ʿāfiyah.
O Allah, You have created my soul, and You take it. To You belongs its death and its life. If You give it life, then protect it. And if You cause it to die, then forgive it. O Allah, I ask You for well-being.
Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa l-Ḥayyu l-Qayyūm. Lā taʾkhudhuhu sinatun wa lā nawm. Lahu mā fi s-samāwāti wa mā fi l-arḍ. Man dha lladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idhnih. Yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum. Wa lā yuḥīṭūna bi-shayʾin min ʿilmihi illā bi-mā shāʾ. Wasiʿa kursiyyuhu s-samāwāti wa l-arḍ. Wa lā yaʾūduhu ḥifẓuhumā. Wa huwa l-ʿAliyyu l-ʿAẓīm.
Allah — there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Quran 2:255. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5010.
A guardian from Allah will protect you all night long, and no devil will come near you until morning.
Āmana r-rasūlu bimā unzila ilayhi min Rabbihī wa l-muʾminūn. Kullun āmana billāhi wa malāʾikatihī wa kutubihī wa rusulih. Lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min rusulih. Wa qālū samiʿnā wa aṭaʿnā, ghufrānaka Rabbanā wa ilayka l-maṣīr. Lā yukallifu llāhu nafsan illā wusʿahā. Lahā mā kasabat wa ʿalayhā mā ktasabat. Rabbanā lā tuʾākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭaʾnā. Rabbanā wa lā taḥmil ʿalaynā iṣran kamā ḥamaltahu ʿala lladhīna min qablinā. Rabbanā wa lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih. Waʿfu ʿannā, waghfir lanā, warḥamnā. Anta mawlānā fanṣurnā ʿala l-qawmi l-kāfirīn.
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say: “We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return.” Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. It will have what it has earned, and it will bear what it has earned. “Our Lord, do not take us to account if we forget or make mistakes. Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with that which we have no ability to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
Quran 2:285–286. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5009.
Whoever recites the last two verses of Sūrat al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him.
Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Qul huwa llāhu Aḥad. Allāhu ṣ-Ṣamad. Lam yalid wa lam yūlad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥad.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. And there is none comparable to Him.
Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Qul aʿūdhu bi-Rabbi l-falaq. Min sharri mā khalaq. Wa min sharri ghāsiqin idhā waqab. Wa min sharri n-naffāthāti fi l-ʿuqad. Wa min sharri ḥāsidin idhā ḥasad.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak. From the evil of that which He created. And from the evil of darkness when it settles. And from the evil of those who blow on knots. And from the evil of an envier when he envies.
Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Qul aʿūdhu bi-Rabbi n-nās. Maliki n-nās. Ilāhi n-nās. Min sharri l-waswāsi l-khannās. Alladhī yuwaswisu fī ṣudūri n-nās. Mina l-jinnati wa n-nās.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind. The King of mankind. The God of mankind. From the evil of the retreating whisperer. Who whispers in the breasts of mankind. From among the jinn and mankind.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5017.
Cup your hands together, blow into them, recite each of the three surahs, then wipe over whatever you can of your body. Do this three times.
There is a surah in the Quran, thirty verses, which intercedes for a man until he is forgiven — Tabāraka lladhī bi-yadihi l-Mulk.
Dua 10
Bedtime tasbīḥ
Before sleeping
×33
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ
Subḥāna llāh.
Glory is to Allah.
×33
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
Al-ḥamdu lillāh.
All praise is for Allah.
×34
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu Akbar.
Allah is the Greatest.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5362.
Fāṭimah came to the Prophet ﷺ asking for a servant. Instead, he taught her: “When you go to bed, say SubḥānAllāh 33 times, al-ḥamdu lillāh 33 times, and Allāhu Akbar 34 times. That is better for you than a servant.”
Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Qul yā ayyuha l-kāfirūn. Lā aʿbudu mā taʿbudūn. Wa lā antum ʿābidūna mā aʿbud. Wa lā ana ʿābidun mā ʿabadtum. Wa lā antum ʿābidūna mā aʿbud. Lakum dīnukum wa liya dīn.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Say: O disbelievers. I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I worship what you worship. Nor will you worship what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is mine.
Quran 109:1–6. The Prophet ﷺ used to recite this along with Ikhlāṣ before sleeping (the "4 Quls" bedtime practice).