Islamic Manners of Sleeping

Allah says in the Dear Book: “And We have made your sleep as a thing for rest” (78:9)

To talk about sleeping seems funny, but no, it is rather important for every Musim to know something about sleeping manners. There must be a difference between a believer and a disbeliever in everything they do. Muslims were taught by the Prophet (SAW) a lot of manners in all aspects of life.  And among His Signs is your sleep by night and by day, and your seeking of His Bounty. Verily, in that are indeed he Prophet said in a hadith by Abu Darda’ who reported that the Prophet of Allah (SAW) said, “Nothing is weightier on the Scale of Deeds than one’s good manners.” So this appliies to all aspects of life, being a good mannered person leads you doing goods everythime.

We can talk about sleeping among us in our societies for ashort time,but when we  dreams and how much sleep we all need. The need to sleep early and all. What better way is to tell the children about sleep if it is not an Islamic way. The sunnah refer to Qur’an and Hadith, mthe discussion will ned paes to c omver sin ce thissubject has a lot of rooms. Sleep is after all one of the major activity in our daily lives.

Some of the Manners of Sleeping

1. Do brush your teeth. This is not part of the sunnah (please correct me if I am wrong). But a good habit to do

2. Have wudhu on you. One should sleep as soon as one finishes their prayer. So try to keep your wudhu’ until you sleep. With wudhu’ Shaytan will be less able to disturb us in our sleep, Insha Allah.

3a.  We must make sure all the doors are locked. And if we are using lamps, candles and fire, we must extinguish them before sleeping.

3b. When we close the door, recite Allah’s name over it

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah:

Allah’s Apostle said, “When night falls (or when it is evening), stop your children from going out, for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night has passed, release them and close the doors and mention Allah’s Name, for Satan does not open a closed door. Tie the mouth of your water-skin and mention Allah’s Name; cover your containers and utensils and mention Allah’s Name. Cover them even by placing something across it, and extinguish your lamps. “

Mention Allah’s name for Shaytan cannot open closed doors. We want to try our best so that Shaytan does not mix with us.

3c. From the hadith above, it is clear that we must also cover our containers and utensils even by placing something across it.

Jabir reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
Cover vessels, waterskins, close the doors and extinguish the lamps, for the Satan does not loosen the waterskin, does not open the door and does not uncover the vessels. And if one amongst you fails to find (something) to cover it well, he should cover it by placing (a piece of) wood across it. Qutaiba did not mention the closing of the doors in the hadith transmitted by him. Muslim 23 :4991

4. Dusting the bed before lying down

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as say- ing: When any one of you goes to bed, he should take hold of the hem of his lower garment and then should clean (his bed) with the help of that and then should recite the name of Allah for he himself does not know what he left behind him on his bed, and when he intends to lie on bed, he should lie on his right side and utter these words:” Hallowed be Allah, my Lord. It is with Thine (grace) that I place my side (upon the bed) and it is with Thee that I take it up (after sleep), and in case Thou withholdst my being (if thou causest me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if Thou keepst (this process of breathing on), then protect it with that with which Thou protected Thine pious servants.” Muslim 35:6554

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “When anyone of you goes to bed, he should dust it off thrice with the edge of his garment, and say: Bismika Rabbi wada’tu janbi, wa bika arfa’hu. In amsakta nafsi faghfir laha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfaz bihi ‘ibadaka-s-salihin.” Bukhari 93: 490

From the hadith above we learned that

1. we should dust our bed before lying down to sleep

2. We should dust it three times

3. Mention Allah’s name when dusting

4. It is recommended to use the inside of the lower garment.

5. Sleep on the right side and place your cheek on your right hand

Narrated Al-Bara bin ‘Azib:

Allah’s Apostle said to me, “When you want to go to bed, perform ablution as you do for prayer, then lie down on your right side and say: ‘Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa fauwadtu Amri ilaika wa aljatu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, lamalja’a wa la manja mink a ill a ilaika. Amantu bikitabi kalladhi anzalta wa bi nabiyyikal-ladhi arsalta’. If you should die then (after reciting this) you will die on the religion of Islam (i.e., as a Muslim); so let these words be the last you say (before going to bed)” While I was memorizing it, I said, “Wa birasiulikal-ladhi arsalta (in Your Apostle whom You have sent).’ The Prophet said, “No, but say: Wa binabiyyi-kalladhi arsalta (in Your Prophet whom You have sent).” Bukhari 75 : 323

Narrated Hudhaifa:

When the Prophet went to bed at night, he would put his hand under his cheek and then say, “Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya,” and when he got up, he would say, “Al-Hamdu lil-lahi al-ladhi ahyana ba’da ma amatana, wa ilaihi an-nushur.” Bukhari 75: 326

In these hadiths we learn
1. To sleep on our right side
2. To place our right cheek on our right hand.