دُعَاءُ قَبْلَ النَّوْم
Dua Before Sleeping: Arabic Text, Transliteration, Meaning, and the Bedtime Sunnah
At a Glance
Sahih al-Bukhari 6324, narrated by Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman
As the last words on your tongue before sleeping
Entrusting the soul to Allah through the night
Ayatul Kursi, the three Quls, and Tasbih Fatimah
Sleep is the little death, the hours when the soul is returned to Allah until He sends it back at dawn. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) understood this deeply, and he taught his companions to close their eyes with Allah’s name on their lips. The most famous of these bedtime duas is a single short sentence preserved by Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman in Sahih al-Bukhari. Below is the dua with full Arabic text, transliteration, English and Urdu meanings, plus the complete Sunnah bedtime routine.
The Bedtime Duas in Arabic
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya.
In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.
تیرے نام سے اے اللہ! میں مرتا ہوں اور جیتا ہوں۔
Sahih al-Bukhari 6324 • the Prophet’s last words before sleeping
اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ، آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ
Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk, wa fawwadtu amri ilayk, wa alja’tu zahri ilayk, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilayk, la malja’a wa la manja minka illa ilayk, amantu bikitabikal-ladhi anzalt, wa binabiyyikal-ladhi arsalt.
O Allah, I submit myself to You, entrust my affairs to You, and turn my back to You for protection, 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 revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You sent. (Make these your last words, and if you die that night you die on the natural state of faith.)
اے اللہ! میں نے اپنی جان تیرے سپرد کر دی، اپنا معاملہ تیرے حوالے کر دیا، اور اپنی پشت تیری طرف لگا دی، تیری رغبت اور تیرے خوف کی وجہ سے۔ تیرے سوا کوئی جائے پناہ اور نجات کی جگہ نہیں۔ میں تیری اس کتاب پر ایمان لایا جو تو نے نازل کی، اور تیرے اس نبی پر جو تو نے بھیجا۔
Sahih al-Bukhari 6311 • Sahih Muslim 2710
بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، فَإِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Bismika rabbi wada’tu janbi wa bika arfa’uh, fa-in amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tuhfaz bihi ‘ibadakas-salihin.
In Your name, my Lord, I lie down, and in Your name I rise. If You take my soul, then have mercy on it, and if You return it, then protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.
تیرے نام سے اے میرے رب! میں نے اپنا پہلو بستر پر رکھا اور تیرے نام سے اسے اٹھاؤں گا۔ پس اگر تو میری جان روک لے تو اس پر رحم فرما، اور اگر اسے لوٹا دے تو اس کی حفاظت فرما جیسے تو اپنے نیک بندوں کی حفاظت فرماتا ہے۔
Sahih al-Bukhari 6320 • Sahih Muslim 2714 • say it after dusting the bed
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also taught three protective practices for the bed. Recite Ayatul Kursi (Al-Baqarah 2:255) before sleep, and no devil will come near you until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311). Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas three times each, blowing into cupped hands and wiping them over the body (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). And say SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 34 times, the Tasbih of Fatimah, while lying down (Sahih al-Bukhari 5361).
Meaning Explained
Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya is only six Arabic words, yet it captures the whole meaning of sleep in Islam. “I die” acknowledges that sleep is a surrender of consciousness and control, a small rehearsal of death. “I live” expresses the hope of waking again, entirely in Allah’s hand. The companions watched the Prophet say it so often that three of them, Hudhayfah, Al-Bara’, and Abu Dharr, each preserved it in separate narrations.
The longer dua, Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk, turns the bed into a covenant. The believer submits the self, delegates the affairs, and leans the back against Allah’s protection, moved by both hope and fear. The Prophet said to make these the last words spoken, and that whoever dies that night dies on the fitrah, the natural state of faith. That is the highest honor a night can carry.
Bismika rabbi wada’tu janbi faces the night’s two possibilities honestly: either the soul is kept and needs mercy, or it is returned and needs protection. Both are asked for in one breath. It is a dua of complete trust, spoken after dusting the bed, a reminder that even the mattress deserves preparation before rest.
The Sunnah Bedtime Routine
The Prophet’s bedtime was not just duas; it was a small ritual of preparation. First, make wudu as if for prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 247). Second, dust off the bed with the inside of the lower garment, since no one knows what settled on it (Sahih al-Bukhari 6320). Third, lie down on the right side with the right hand beneath the right cheek, the Prophet’s own sleeping position. Then recite the tasbih of Fatimah, the three Quls with the hands, Ayatul Kursi, and finally Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya as the last words.
Renew the intention to wake for Fajr before closing your eyes. The intention itself carries reward, even if the alarm fails. And when the morning comes, greet it with our dua upon waking up, completing the circle the night began.
Virtues and Benefits
The virtues of the bedtime duas are direct and practical. Ayatul Kursi before sleep keeps the devil away until morning. The three Quls with the hands wrap the body in protection. The Tasbih of Fatimah was given to the Prophet’s own daughter as something better than a servant for managing hardship and fatigue. And the closing duas mean that if death visits in the night, it finds the believer in remembrance, on the fitrah.
There is also the matter of nightmares and restlessness. These remembrances calm the heart before sleep and keep the night free of the whispers that disturb it. A heart that has submitted itself to Allah does not toss the way an anxious one does.
FAQ
What is the dua to say before sleeping?
The main dua is Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya, “In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6324). The Prophet would lie on his right side with his right hand under his cheek and make it the last words on his tongue before sleeping.
Should I recite Ayatul Kursi before sleeping?
Yes, it is strongly recommended. Abu Huraira reported that whoever recites Ayatul Kursi before sleeping will be guarded by Allah and no devil will come near until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311). It is one of the core parts of the bedtime routine.
How do I recite the three Quls before sleep?
Gather your hands together like a cup, recite Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas into them three times, blow lightly into your hands, and wipe them over as much of your body as you can reach (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). This is how the Prophet (peace be upon him) did it every night.
What position should I sleep in according to the Sunnah?
Sleep on your right side with your right hand under your right cheek, after making wudu and dusting the bed (Sahih al-Bukhari 247, 6320). This was the Prophet’s own position. After that, recite the duas and let them be your last words.
What if I fall asleep without reciting the duas?
There is no sin in it; the duas are recommended, not obligatory. But try to make them a habit by starting with just one, Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya, and adding the rest gradually. You can also begin your day well with our morning adhkar.
Final Thoughts
Every night we practice dying, and every morning we practice being raised again. The dua before sleeping turns that rehearsal into worship: a soul handed back to its Keeper with words of trust. Make these duas the last sound of your day, and the night will guard you as faithfully as you guarded its beginning.
Continue Reading
Complete the night’s cycle with the dua upon waking up and the evening adhkar, or browse the full collection on the Masnoon Duas hub.