Night Remembrances
The Holy Quran and the noble Sunnah contain numerous remembrances and supplications that a Muslim is encouraged to recite before sleeping. Below is a summary of these practices:
- Quranic Remembrances Before Sleep: It is recommended to read the following verses before sleeping:
- “The Messenger believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so do] the believers. All of them believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His messengers, [saying], ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ And they say, ‘We hear and we obey; [Grant us] Your forgiveness, our Lord. To You is the final destination. Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear; it will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or made a mistake. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.”
- Recitation of Ayat al-Kursi: “Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.”
- Recitation of Surah Al-Ikhlas and the two Mu’awwidhat:
- “Say, ‘He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.’”
- “Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak from the evil of that which He created and from the evil of darkness when it settles and from the evil of the blowers in knots and from the evil of an envier when he envies.’”
- “Say, ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind. The God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer – who whispers in the breasts of mankind – from among jinn and mankind.’”
- Recitation of Surah Al-Kafirun: “Say, ‘O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. And I will not be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.’”
- Recitation of Surah Al-Mulk: “Blessed is He in whose hand is sovereignty, and He is over all things competent. Who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving – Who created seven heavens in layers. You do not see any in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return your vision to the sky, do you see any breaks? Then return your vision twice again. Your vision will return to you humbled while it is fatigued. And We have certainly beautified the nearest heaven with stars and have made [from] them what is thrown at the devils and have prepared for them the punishment of the Blaze. And for those who have disbelieved in their Lord is the punishment of Hell, and wretched is the destination. When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a dreadful inhaling while it boils up. It almost bursts with rage. Every time a group is thrown into it, its keepers ask them, ‘Did there not come to you a warner?’ They will say, ‘Yes, we were warned, but we denied and said, “Allah has not sent down anything. You are not but in great error.”’”
- Sunnah Remembrances Before Sleep: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recommended several supplications to be recited before sleeping. These include:
- “O Allah, I submit myself to You, and I entrust my affairs to You, and I turn my face toward You, and I seek refuge in You out of desire and fear toward You; there is no refuge and no escape from You except in You. I believe in Your Book that You have revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You have sent.”
- “O Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth and Lord of the Mighty Throne, Our Lord and the Lord of all things, Splitter of the seed and the date stone, and Sender down of the Torah, the Gospel, and the criterion, I seek refuge in You from the evil of everything You hold by its forelock. O Allah, You are the First; there is nothing before You, and You are the Last; there is nothing after You, and You are the Most High; there is nothing above You, and You are the Most Near; there is nothing below You. Settle our debts for us and enrich us from poverty.”
- “My Lord, keep me safe from Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your servants.”
- “Praise be to Allah who has fed us, provided us with drink, sufficed us, and granted us shelter; how many are those who have no one to provide for them or shelter them.”
- “Glory be to You, O Allah. My Lord, with Your name I lay down my side, and with Your name I raise it. If You keep my soul, then forgive it, and if You send it forth, then protect it in the manner You protect Your righteous servants.”
- “O Allah, in Your name I live and die.”
- “In the name of Allah, I lay down my side. O Allah, forgive me my sins, repel my devil, free my shackles, and place me among the highest assembly.”
- “O Allah, I seek refuge in Your noble Face and in Your perfect words from the evil of that which You have taken by its forelock. O Allah, You reveal the burdens and sins. O Allah, Your army cannot be defeated, nor can Your promise be broken, and the effort of the earnest one does not benefit You. Glory be to You and praise to You.”
Beautiful Evening Supplications
The evening is a time of relaxation, tranquility, and peace, during which individuals converse with their Lord, supplicate, and draw closer to Him, nurturing a significant hope for realizing their dreams and desires. It is also a time to place trust in Allah. Here is a selection of beautiful evening supplications:
- This evening, I ask Allah to bless us with happiness, health, wellness, tranquility, and an abundance of good.
- O Allah, inspire us with an unwavering smile, boundless patience, a spirit devoted to You, and a ceaseless gratitude.
- O Allah, do not deny me Your vast mercy, encompassing health, and abundant generosity. Do not withhold from me Your gifts due to my shortcomings, nor repay me for my misdeeds, and do not turn Your noble face away from me. Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
- O Allah, this evening, grant us sincere reliance and strong confidence. Make our limbs obedient to You and fill our hearts with Your love.
- O Allah, enlighten our hearts with good news this evening, and keep pain and sorrow away from all hearts.
- O Allah, to You I extend my hands, in You I find hope; accept my repentance, have mercy on my weakness, forgive my sin, and grant me a share of every good, and a path to every good, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
- O Allah, this evening, instill tranquility in our hearts, love within our souls, smiles on our faces, and happiness in our homes.
- I ask Allah to crown my evening and yours with joyful hearts, lifted burdens, overwhelming happiness, abundant health, good deeds, and accepted supplications.
- O Lord, this evening grant me unexpected provision and the realization of dreams I once thought impossible.
- My Lord, I ask You this evening for an outpouring of Your mercy, peace that fills the universe, spreads joy in the hearts of my loved ones, heals their sorrows, and instills hope within them.
- My Lord, this evening, open the doors of goodness in all matters for us, as we have no strength or power without You. O Allah, protect us from what harms us.
- My Lord, this evening, bring joy to the hearts that have no joy except through You.
- O Reliever of distress, O Remover of burdens, ease my concerns and grant me a smooth path. Have mercy on my weakness and lack of resources, and provide for me unexpectedly, O Lord of the worlds, O Most Loving, O Generous, O Creator of the heavens and the earth, guide my heart. O Rescuer, rescue me, rescue me, rescue me.
Do you believe that sleeping the same number of hours during the day compensates for nighttime sleep?
Evening Remembrances
Muslims are eager to engage in remembrances, including evening supplications that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged. Below are these remembrances:
- “We have entered the evening, and sovereignty belongs to Allah. All praise is for Allah; there is no deity except Allah, alone without partner. To Him belongs sovereignty, and in Him is all praise; He is capable of all things. My Lord, I ask You for the best of what this evening contains and the best of what follows. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what this evening contains and the evil of what follows. My Lord, I seek refuge in You from laziness and bad old age. My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell and the punishment of the grave.” When morning comes, this is to be recited again: “We have woken, and sovereignty belongs to Allah.”
- The Master of Seeking Forgiveness is for you to say: “O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no deity except You. You created me, and I am Your servant; I am adhering to Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me, and I acknowledge my sins, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.” Whoever says this during the day with certainty, and dies before evening, will be among the people of paradise; and whoever says it during the night while certain, and dies before morning, will also be among the people of paradise.
- “O Allah, I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in my religion, my worldly affairs, my family, and my wealth. O Allah, conceal my faults and calm my fears. Protect me from my front, from my back, from my right, from my left, and from above me, and I seek refuge in You from being attacked from below.”
- “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debt, and the dominance of men.”
- “O Allah, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Lord of all things and their Sovereign, I bear witness that there is no deity except You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul and from the evil of the devil and his associates.” This should be said in the morning, evening, and when you lay down.
- “O Allah, in Your name we enter the evening, in Your name we enter the morning, and in Your name we live and die, and to You is the resurrection.”
- “In the name of Allah, whose name cannot harm anything in the earth or in the heavens, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.” [Repeat three times]
- “I seek refuge in the complete words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.” [This will not harm you.]
- “O Allah, grant me well-being in my body. O Allah, grant me well-being in my hearing. O Allah, grant me well-being in my sight. There is no deity except You. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from disbelief and poverty. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave. There is no deity except You.” [Repeat three times]
- “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debt, and the dominance of men.”