The Sunnahs in Sleep
- Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow
- Sep 1, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 3, 2020
By Tooba Yasser, Director of Editing
The average person spends about one third of their lifetime sleeping, so it is important to do so correctly. Believe it or not, there are many sunnahs which we can follow even during our sleep, most of which are simple to implement into our night routine. Most of us with normal schedules sleep every single night, so you can imagine how many rewards you can rack up by following the sunnahs of the Prophet (ﷺ) which are not difficult to complete at all.
The first and most important sunnah for sleep is that it has to be done in the nighttime. Allah (SWT) has designated the nighttime only for sleep, so it is highly discouraged to have night shifts or anything else that makes it so that your main sleep is during the daytime. Allah (SWT) has blessed us with darkness during the night hours so that we may sleep without the sunlight bothering us. If we go against this and sleep during the day time, it is as if we are rejecting Allah (SWT)’s blessing and going against his choice. Therefore, we should aspire to choose careers which allow us to sleep in the nighttime and avoid long nighttime activities at all costs.
There are a few simple sunnahs we should implement before going to sleep as well. Firstly, we should try to sleep in the state of wudu, meaning that we do wudu and then go to sleep. Next, we should say SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 34 times for Allah (SWT) promises that He will forgive our sins even if they are as much as the foam of the seas if we recite this every night. Lastly, we should recite Surah Mulk and Ayat-ul-Kursi as they are two powerful verses which will keep you safe during the night. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that reading Surah Mulk every night protects the believers from the torment of the grave and that the verses will plead on the Day of Judgement for the reciter until they are allowed entrance into Jannah. Reading Ayat-ul-Kursi before bed will bring an angel to your bed which will keep you safe while you sleep.
The Prophet (ﷺ) went to bed right after reading Salat-ul Isha so that he could wake up before Fajr to read Salat-ut-Tahajjud and make dua to Allah (SWT). It is recommended that you read Salat-ul-Isha before you go to bed and wake up about 10-20 minutes before the Fajr adhan to read Salat-ul Witr then. The benefit of this is that you receive the reward as if you were praying the whole night even if you were sleeping. Before reading Salat ul-Witr however, you should take a few minutes to read Salat-ut-Tahajjud, as this also increases the hasanat that you receive.
The Prophet (ﷺ) did not go to sleep until after Shuroo which is the time that the time to read Fajr is over, about an hour or so after the Fajr adhan. Then, before going to sleep he would read Ishraq which is another simple sunnah prayer to read similar to Salat-ut-Tahajjud. The Prophet (ﷺ) highly advised against waking up late and chose to start his day early so he could be more productive. Now, you may be thinking, how is it possible to get a good night’s sleep when you are awake 1-3 hours in the middle of the night and rise early? Well, the Prophet (ﷺ) would take a nap after reading Dhuhr for about an hour or two and made sure he was up before four P.M. It is actually a great sunnah to take an afternoon nap, who knew?!
Lastly, it is important to mention how the Prophet (ﷺ) slept. He always slept on his right side and discouraged sleeping on the stomach. He would place his right hand under his right cheek. Sleeping on your right side has been scientifically proven to help your body recover during the nighttime and sleeping on your stomach has been shown to cause digestive and back issues. Sleeping in the way of the Prophet (ﷺ) on your right side with the right hand on the right cheek has been shown to better the circadian rhythm and provide a better night’s sleep.
We ask that Allah (SWT) makes it easier for us to follow the sunnahs of the Prophet (ﷺ) and to accept the efforts that we make now and will make in the future. May Allah (SWT) give us all the guidance to wake up for Fajr and read Salat-at-Tahajjud, which has many benefits on its own. Stay tuned on how to read Salat-ut-Tahajjud and its many amazing benefits. We hope that you will take these sunnahs in consideration and implement them in your everyday lives as they are quite simple to do and bring your great reward.
We hope that you can also implement the following instructions into your nighttime routine as it will be most beneficial to you:

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