Sleeping and waking: supplications and 3 hadiths explained
Words for bedtime and waking, the supplication taught to al-Bara’ and the remembrance transmitted to Fatimah: Arabic texts and explanations.
What did the Prophet ﷺ say before sleeping and on waking? These three accounts transmit short bedtime and waking supplications, the prayer taught to al-Bara and the three dhikr phrases taught to Fatimah.
Each gives the Arabic words, their meaning and when to say them. Al-Bara’s account also explains why the transmitted wording should be learned without substituting a word from memory.
Article contents
Two short supplications for bedtime and waking
The context of the narration
Hudhayfah describes what the Prophet ﷺ said when he wanted to sleep, then when he woke. The two formulas are transmitted together; they correspond to two different moments.بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا، وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
“At bedtime: “In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.” On waking: “Praise be to Allah who has brought us back to life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection.””
Understanding this hadith
The first formula is bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya. The second begins al-hamdu lillahi lladhi ahyana. These indications help identify the beginning of each supplication; the Arabic text above gives their complete wording.
In the waking words, sleep is described as having been “caused to die”, then waking as returning to life. The ending names the resurrection: waking also becomes an opportunity to remember the return to Allah.
Learn the bedtime phrase first, then the waking phrase, together with their meaning. You can keep the text beside your bed to read at the appropriate time.
Also read: health and free time among the blessings to preserve.
Entrusting yourself to Allah before sleep
The context of the narration
Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib relates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised him to perform ablution as for prayer, lie on his right side and say the following supplication. He asked him to make these his last words and announced that, if he died that night, he would die upon the fitrah.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
“O Allah, I have submitted my face to You, entrusted my affairs to You and placed my reliance upon You, in hope and fear of You. There is no refuge or escape from You except with You. I believe in Your Book which You have sent down and in Your Prophet whom You have sent.”
Understanding this hadith
The supplication begins with several expressions of surrender to Allah: submitting one’s face, entrusting one’s affairs to Him and seeking support with Him. It then brings together hope and fear, before affirming faith in the Book and Prophet sent by Allah.
The end of the account matters for learning. When repeating the words, al-Bara’ replaces “Your Prophet” with “Your Messenger”. The Prophet ﷺ corrects him and has him retain wa binabiyyika lladhi arsalt. Even though both words refer here to the same person, the account invites us to memorise the wording taught.
Fitrah here means the upright disposition connected with faith. The promise concerns a person who dies after these words. Take time to learn the text during the day so you do not have to discover every word as you fall asleep.
The remembrance taught to Fatimah at bedtime
The context of the narration
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib reports that Fatimah came to ask the Prophet ﷺ for a servant. He then told her what was better for her: glorifying Allah, praising Him and declaring His greatness at bedtime. ‘Ali later added that he never abandoned these words, even on the night of Siffin.“Shall I tell you what is better for you than that? At bedtime, glorify Allah thirty-three times, praise Allah thirty-three times and proclaim His greatness thirty-four times.”
Read the Arabic text
أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكِ مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْهُ، تُسَبِّحِينَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ مَنَامِكِ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَتَحْمَدِينَ اللَّهَ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَتُكَبِّرِينَ اللَّهَ أَرْبَعًا وَثَلاَثِينَ
Understanding this hadith
The three formulas are subhan Allah, al-hamdu lillah and Allahu akbar: glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, Allah is the Greatest. The numbers thirty-three, thirty-three and thirty-four are those in the quoted passage. Here they are connected with bedtime.
Fatimah’s request is practical: she wants a servant. The prophetic answer gives remembrance a place in a life busy with household tasks. It does not provide relatives with an argument for refusing help or leaving the entire burden to one person.
‘Ali says he never abandoned this dhikr after learning it. To remember the counts, associate each phrase with its number: thirty-three, thirty-three, then thirty-four. Count without rushing the words.
In practice
- You would like to begin with a short sentenceLearn the bedtime formula and keep it distinct from the waking formula.Read the two supplications
- You are memorising the long supplicationPay particular attention to the last words: “in Your Prophet whom You have sent”.Reread the teaching given to al-Bara’
- You would like to follow the remembrance transmitted to FatimahRemember the three expressions and the numbers 33, 33 and 34.Find the formulas and their counts
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 6324Two short supplications for bedtime and waking
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 6311Entrusting yourself to Allah before sleep
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 5362The remembrance taught to Fatimah at bedtime