‘when retiring to his bed every night, the prophet would hold his palms together, spit (a form of spitting comprising mainly of air with little spittle) in them, recite the last three chapters (al-ikhlas, al-falaq, an-nas) of the quran and then wipe over his entire body as much as possible with his hands, beginning with his head and face and then all parts of the body, he would do this three times.’
the prophet also said: ‘when you are about to sleep recite ayat-al-kursee (the verse of the foot-stool, chapter 2:255) till the end of the verse for there will remain over you a protection from allah and no devil will draw near to you until morning.’
the prophet also said: ‘whoever recites the last two verses of soorat al-baqarah at night, those two verses shall be sufficient for him (i.e. protect him from all that can cause him harm).’
amana alrrasoolu bima onzila ilayhi min rabbihi wa almu/minoona….
[al-baqarah: 285-286]
‘if one of you rises from his bed and then returns to it he should dust it with the edge of his garment three times for he does not know what has occurred in his absence and when he lies down he should supplicate:
bismika rabbee wadaaatu janbee wabika arfaaauh, fa-in amsakta nafsee farhamha, wa-in arsaltaha fahfathha bima tahfathu bihi aaibadakas-saliheen.
‘in your name my lord, i lie down and in your name i rise, so if you should take my soul then have mercy upon it, and if you should return my soul then protect it in the manner you do so with your righteous servants.’
allahumma innaka khalaqta nafsee wa-anta tawaffaha, laka mamatuha wamahyaha in ahyaytaha fahfathha, wa-in amattaha faghfir laha. allahumma innee as-alukal-aaafiyah.
‘o allah, verily you have created my soul and you shall take it’s life, to you belongs it’s life and death. if you should keep my soul alive then protect it, and if you should take it’s life then forgive it. o allah, i ask you to grant me good health.’
the prophet would place his right hand under his cheek when about to sleep and supplicate:
allahumma qinee aaathabaka yawma tabaaathu aaibadak. (three times).
‘o allah, protect me from your punishment on the day your servants are resurrected.’ (three times)
bismikal-lahumma amootu wa-ahya.
‘in your name o allah, i live and die.’
‘shall i not direct you both (the prophet was addressing ali and fatimah-may allah be pleased with them- when they approached him for a servant) to something better than a servant? when you go to bed say:
subhanal-lah. (thirty-three times)
‘how perfect allah is.’ (thirty-three times)
alhamdu lillah. (thirty-three times)
‘all praise is for allah.’ (thirty-three times)
allahu akbar. (thirty-four times)
‘allah is the greatest.’ (thirty-four times)
…for that is indeed better for you both than a servant.’
allahumma rabbas-samawatis-sabaa, warabbal-aaarshil-aaatheem, rabbana warabba kulli shay/, faliqal-habbi wannawa, wamunazzilat-tawra, wal-injeel, walfurqan, aaaoothu bika min sharri kulli shayin anta akhithun binasiyatih. allahumma antal-awwal, falaysa qablaka shay/, wa-antal-akhir, falaysa baaadaka shay/, wa-antath-thahir falaysa fawqaka shay/, waantal-batin, falaysa doonaka shay/, iqdi aaannad-dayna wa-aghnina minal-faqr.
‘o allah, lord of the seven heavens and the exalted throne, our lord and lord of all things, splitter of the seed and the date stone, revealer of the tawrah, the injeel and the furqan, i take refuge in you from the evil of all things you shall seize by the forelock (i.e. you have total mastery over). o allah, you are the first so there is nothing before you and you are the last so there is nothing after you.you are aththahir so there is nothing above you and you are al-batin so there is nothing closer than you.settle our debt for us and spare us from poverty.’
tawrah: the book revealed to moosa
injeel: the book revealed to easa
furqan: one of the many names of the quran, means: the criterion which distinguishes between truth and falsehood.
aththahir: indicates the greatness of his attributes and the insignificance of every single creation in respect to his greatness and highness, for he is above all of his creation as regards his essence and attributes.
al-batin: indicates his awareness and knowledge of all secrets, of that which is in the hearts and the most intimate of things just as it indicates his closeness and nearness to all in a manner which befits his majesty.
alhamdu lillahil-lathee ataaamana wasaqana, wakafana, wa-awana, fakam mimman la kafiya lahu wala mu/wee.
‘all praise is for allah, who fed us and gave us drink, and who is sufficient for us and has sheltered us, for how many have none to suffice them or shelter them.’
allahumma aaalimal-ghaybi washshahadah, fatiras-samawati wal-ard, rabba kulli shayin wamaleekah, ashhadu an la ilaha illa ant, aaaoothu bika min sharri nafsee wamin sharrish-shaytani washirkih, wa-an aqtarifa aaala nafsee soo-an aw ajurrahu ila muslim.
‘o allah, knower of the seen and the unseen, creator of the heavens and the earth, lord and sovereign of all things i bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except you. i take refuge in you from the evil of my soul and from the evil and shirk of the devil, and from committing wrong against my soul or bringing such upon another muslim.’
shirk: to associate others with allah in those things which are specific to him. this can occur in (1) belief, e.g. to believe that other than allah has the power to benefit or harm, (2) speech, e.g. to swear by other than allah and (3) action, e.g. to bow or prostrate to other than allah.
‘the prophet never used to sleep until he had recited soorat as-sajdah (chapter 32) and soorat al-mulk (chapter 67).’
‘if you take to your bed, then perform ablution, lie on your right side and then supplicate:
allahumma aslamtu nafsee ilayk, wafawwadtu amree ilayk, wawajjahtu wajhee ilayk, wa-alja/tu thahree ilayk, raghbatan warahbatan ilayk, la maljaa wala manja minka illa ilayk, amantu bikitabikal-lathee anzalt, wabinabiyyikal-lathee arsalt.
‘o allah, i submit my soul unto you, and i entrust my affair unto you, and i turn my face towards you, and i totally rely on you, in hope and fear of you.verily there is no refuge nor safe haven from you except with you. i believe in your book which you have revealed and in your prophet whom you have sent.’
…if you then die, you will die upon the fitrah.’
fitrah: the religion of islam, the way of ibraheem