Du'as Before Sleep
The Prophet ﷺ had a settled routine at bedtime: a short du'a placing the night in Allah's name, Ayat al-Kursi as protection until morning, and a final surrender of the self to Allah — the words he taught to be the last a person says. These are given below with their sources.
Updated July 16, 2026
- Bukhari 6324
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya.
“In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.”
Said on lying down to sleep.
Source: Bukhari 6324
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٞ وَلَا نَوۡمٞۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ
Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum...
“Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous”
Ayat al-Kursi — recited on going to bed; the hadith in Bukhari 2311 attaches a guard from Allah until morning.
Source: Quran 2:255
- Bukhari 6313
اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي 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 wajjahtu wajhi 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 affair to You, turn my face to You, and turn my back to You for support — out of hope in You and fear of You. There is no refuge and no escape from You except to You. I believe in Your Book which You sent down, and in Your Prophet whom You sent.”
The Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever says these words and dies that night dies upon the fitrah — and instructed they be the last words said.
Source: Bukhari 6313
Quranic du'as on this page: Arabic text — Tanzil Uthmani (public domain); English translation — Marmaduke Pickthall, “The Meaning of the Glorious Koran” (1930), public domain. Translations of hadith du'as are our own.
Frequently asked questions
What du'a is said before sleeping?
The shortest and best known is 'Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya' — 'in Your name, O Allah, I die and I live' (Bukhari 6324). The Prophet ﷺ also recited Ayat al-Kursi at bedtime and taught the longer du'a of Bukhari 6313 as the last words to say before sleeping.
Why is Ayat al-Kursi recited before sleep?
A hadith in Bukhari 2311 reports that whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) on going to bed will have a guard from Allah and no devil will come near until morning.
What is the last thing to say before sleeping?
In Bukhari 6313 the Prophet ﷺ taught a companion the du'a beginning 'Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayk' and told him to make it the last thing he said that night.
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