Dua Before Sleeping — Authentic Bedtime Duas & Adhkar from the Sunnah

Every night, sleep takes our soul out of our hands for a while. Allah describes sleep as a kind of death:

“Allah fully takes away the souls (of the people) at the time of their death, and (of) those who do not die, in their sleep. Then He withholds those on whom He had decreed death, and sends others back, up to an appointed term. Surely, in this, there are signs for a people who ponder.” (Quran 39:42)

This is why the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ never treated bedtime as an empty routine. He ended every day with wudu (ablution), with the Quran on his lips, and with short, powerful duas that hand the soul back to its Creator. Below are the authentic bedtime duas and adhkar (remembrances), exactly as he ﷺ taught them — the duas with their Arabic text, transliteration, meaning and source, so you can build the same nightly fortress for your family. Many of these are also part of the evening adhkar that protect a believer from Maghrib until Fajr.

1. The Prophet’s Own Bedtime Dua — “Bismika Allahumma”

The shortest and most famous dua before sleeping is the one the Prophet ﷺ said every single night as he lay down:

بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

Transliteration: Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya. Meaning: “With Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.” Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that whenever the Prophet ﷺ intended to go to bed, he would say these words, and when he woke up he would praise Allah for returning his life. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6324 — Sahih) Al-Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the same dua in the wording “Allahumma bismika ahya wa bismika amut” — “O Allah, it is with Thine Name that I live and it is with Thine Name that I die.” (Sahih Muslim 2711 — Sahih)

He ﷺ would also rest his hand under his cheek as he said it: Hudhayfah reported that when the Prophet ﷺ went to bed at night, he would put his hand under his cheek and then say, “Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6314 — Sahih) If you learn only one dua before sleeping, learn this one — it takes five seconds, and it places your “death” of sleep and your “life” of morning both in Allah’s name.

2. Dust Your Bed and Lie on Your Right Side

Before lying down, the Sunnah begins with the bed itself. The Prophet ﷺ said: “When any one of you goes to bed, he should take hold of the hem of his lower garment and then should clean (his bed) with the help of that and then should recite the name of Allah for he himself does not know what he left behind him on his bed, and when he intends to lie on bed, he should lie on his right side and utter these words:

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبِّي، بِكَ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لَهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Transliteration: Subhanaka Allahumma Rabbi, bika wada’tu janbi, wa bika arfa’uh, in amsakta nafsi faghfir laha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfazu bihi ‘ibadakas-salihin. Meaning: “Exalted is Allah (He is free from imperfection), my Lord. It is with Thine (grace) that I place my side (upon the bed) and it is with Thee that I take it up (after sleep), and in case You withhold my being (if You cause me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if You keep (this process of breathing on), then protect it with that with which You protected Your pious servants.” (Sahih Muslim 2714 — Sahih) This dua turns the simple act of lying down into complete trust: whichever way the night ends — waking or dying — you have already asked Allah for mercy and protection.

3. Make Wudu Before Bed — The Long Dua of Surrender

The most complete bedtime instruction the Prophet ﷺ ever gave was his advice to Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him): “Whenever you go to bed, perform ablution like that for the prayer, lie on your right side and say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لاَ مَلْجَأَ وَلاَ مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ، اللَّهُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ

Transliteration: Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilayka, wa fawwadtu amri ilayka, wa alja’tu zahri ilayka, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayka. La malja’a wa la manja minka illa ilayka. Allahumma amantu bikitabikal-ladhi anzalta, wa binabiyyikal-ladhi arsalta. Meaning: “O Allah! I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to You and depend upon 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 (the Qur’an) which You have revealed and in Your Prophet (Muhammad) whom You have sent.” The Prophet ﷺ then said: “Then if you die on that very night, you will die with faith (i.e. or the religion of Islam). Let the aforesaid words be your last utterance (before sleep).” (Sahih al-Bukhari 247 — Sahih) The same instruction and dua are recorded in Sahih Muslim as well. (Sahih Muslim 2710 — Sahih) Notice the pattern: wudu, the right side, then words of total surrender. Ending the day in a state of purity, with your last words being faith in Allah, His Book and His Prophet ﷺ, is the best possible preparation for the night — and for whatever comes after it.

4. Ayat al-Kursi — A Guard Appointed Over You Until Morning

One night, a thief who had been caught stealing from the Ramadan charity told Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) a secret before he was released: “Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi from the beginning to the end… (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no satan will come near you till morning.” The next day the Prophet ﷺ confirmed it: “He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar… It was Satan.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311 — Sahih)

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Meaning: “Allah: There is no god but He, the Living, the All-Sustaining. Neither dozing overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. Who can intercede with Him without His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them; while they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Kursiyy (Chair) extends to the Heavens and to the Earth, and it does not weary Him to look after them. He is the All-High, the Supreme.” (Quran 2:255)

Think about what this verse says to a person about to sleep: you will sleep, but He never sleeps; you will be unaware of everything, but He misses nothing. Reciting it is handing over the night watch to the One who never needs rest.

5. The Last Two Verses of Surah Al-Baqarah

After Ayat al-Kursi, continue to the end of the same surah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “If somebody recited the last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqara at night, that will be sufficient for him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5009 — Sahih) Abu Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) confirmed the same promise: “Anyone who recites the two verses at the end of Surah al-Baqarah at night, they would suffice for him.” (Sahih Muslim 807 — Sahih)

These two verses (2:285–286) end with a dua that Allah Himself taught us, word for word:

“Our Lord, do not hold us accountable, if we forget or make a mistake, and, Our Lord, do not place on us such a burden as You have placed on those before us, and, Our Lord, do not make us bear a burden for which we have no strength. And pardon us, and grant us forgiveness, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord. So then help us against the disbelieving people.” (Quran 2:286)

“Sufficient for him” — the promise stands in the Prophet’s ﷺ own words: recite the two verses at night, and they will suffice for you. Two verses, less than a minute, and the whole night is covered.

6. The Three Quls — Blow Into Your Hands and Wipe Over Your Body

‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) described what the Prophet ﷺ did every night without fail: “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.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017 — Sahih)

The three short surahs are:

• Surah Al-Ikhlas (112) — the declaration of Allah’s absolute Oneness
• Surah Al-Falaq (113) — seeking refuge from the evil of creation, darkness and envy
• Surah An-Nas (114) — seeking refuge from the whisperer who whispers into chests

Cup your hands, recite the three, blow lightly into them, and wipe over your head, face and body as far as you can reach — three rounds. This is one of the most beloved parts of the nightly routine to teach children, because they can see it, copy it and feel part of it.

7. A Long Dua of Refuge — “Allahumma Rabbas-Samawati…”

For the one who wants a fuller supplication, the Prophet ﷺ used to command his companions to say this comprehensive dua when going to bed:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبَّ الأَرْضِ وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، رَبَّنَا وَرَبَّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ، فَالِقَ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى، وَمُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ أَنْتَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهِ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الأَوَّلُ فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَكَ شَىْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الآخِرُ فَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ شَىْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَىْءٌ، وَأَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ فَلَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَىْءٌ، اقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ وَأَغْنِنَا مِنَ الْفَقْرِ

Transliteration: Allahumma Rabbas-samawati wa Rabbal-ardi wa Rabbal-‘arshil-‘azeem, Rabbana wa Rabba kulli shay’, faliqal-habbi wan-nawa, wa munzilat-Tawrati wal-Injeeli wal-Furqan, a’udhu bika min sharri kulli shay’in anta akhidhun binasiyatih. Allahumma antal-awwalu falaysa qablaka shay’, wa antal-akhiru falaysa ba’daka shay’, wa antaz-zahiru falaysa fawqaka shay’, wa antal-batinu falaysa dunaka shay’, iqdi ‘annad-dayna wa aghnina minal-faqr. Meaning: “O Allah. the Lord of the Heavens and the Lord of the Earth and Lord of the Magnificent Throne, our Lord, and the Lord of everything, the Splitter of the grain of corn and the date-stone (or fruit kernel), the Revealer of Torah and Injil (Bible) and Criterion (the Holy Qur’an), I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of everything Thou art to seize by the forelock (Thou hast perfect control over it). O Allah, Thou art the First, there is naught before Thee, and Thou art the Last and there is naught after Thee, and Thou art Evident and there is nothing above Thee, and Thou art Innermost and there is nothing beyond Thee. Remove the burden of debt from us and relieve us from want.” (Sahih Muslim 2713 — Sahih) It gathers everything a person worries about at night — harm from any creature, and the two burdens of debt and poverty — and places all of it before the Lord of everything.

8. A Short Dua for Forgiveness at Bedtime

The Prophet ﷺ also used to say, as he laid himself down:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي، وَأَخْسِئْ شَيْطَانِي، وَفُكَّ رِهَانِي، وَاجْعَلْنِي فِي النَّدِيِّ الأَعْلَى

Transliteration: Bismillahi wada’tu janbi. Allahummaghfir li dhanbi, wa akhsi’ shaytani, wa fukka rihani, waj’alni fin-nadiyyil-a’la. Meaning: “In the name of Allah, I have laid down my side for Allah. O Allah! forgive me my sin, drive away my devil, free me from my responsibility, and place me in the highest assembly.” (Sunan Abu Dawud 5054 — Sahih) Ending the day by asking forgiveness for the day’s sins is the perfect bookend to beginning it with gratitude.

9. And When You Wake Up

The Sunnah does not end at sleep — it completes the circle at waking. The same hadith that taught the bedtime dua teaches its morning partner. When the Prophet ﷺ woke up, he would say:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ

Transliteration: Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana, wa ilayhin-nushur. Meaning: “All the Praises are for Allah Who has made us alive after He made us die (sleep) and unto Him is the Resurrection.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6324 — Sahih) From there, the day begins with the morning adhkar — you can follow them step by step in our complete morning and evening azkar guide.

Common Questions

Do I have to make a fresh wudu before sleeping? Making wudu before bed is the Sunnah the Prophet ﷺ instructed in the hadith of Al-Bara’ (Bukhari 247), and sleeping in a state of purity is recommended. But the duas and verses themselves can be recited whether or not you have wudu — do not abandon the routine on a night when you are too tired for wudu; say the duas, and return to it the next night.

What if I wake up frightened in the middle of the night? ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: if anyone is alarmed in his sleep and says upon waking — “There is no god but Allah alone Who has no partner, to whom dominion belongs, to whom praise is due, and who has power over everything (omnipotent). Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah” — and then says, “O my Lord, forgive me,” and prays, his prayer will be answered. (Sunan Abu Dawud 5060 — Sahih)

In what order should I say all of this? A simple order that follows the hadiths above: (1) make wudu and dust your bed, (2) lie on your right side, (3) the three Quls with blowing and wiping, three times, (4) Ayat al-Kursi, (5) the last two verses of Al-Baqarah, (6) the long dua of surrender (make it your last words). The short dua “Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya” can be said at any point as you settle. If you are very tired, the minimum is the Prophet’s short dua in section 1 — something every night is better than everything once a month.

Can I recite these over my children? Yes — parents commonly recite Ayat al-Kursi and the three Quls over their children at bedtime and blow over them, following the Prophet’s ﷺ practice of blowing after reciting the Quls (Bukhari 5017). Teaching children the short dua “Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya” is the easiest first step, and our library of Islamic duas has many more duas for children with meanings.

Conclusion

The dua before sleeping is not one dua — it is a whole nightly routine the Prophet ﷺ left for us: wudu, the right side, Ayat al-Kursi standing guard, the last verses of Al-Baqarah sufficing, the three Quls blown over the body, and last words of surrender. Those last words would leave a person upon the fitrah if the night became his last. None of it takes more than a few minutes. Start tonight with the short dua of section 1, add one piece each week, and within a month the Sunnah of sleep will be the most peaceful habit of your day.