Essential Nighttime Supplications and the Virtues of Sending Salawat in Islam

Compiled by: Abu Ammar Umar Farooq Saeedi (Hafizahullah)

The Significance of Dhikr, Adhkar, and Supplications​

Du'a (Supplication) is Worship:​

Hazrat Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Supplication is worship." He then recited the following verse:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

"Your Lord has said, 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you.' Indeed, those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter Hell in humiliation." [Surah Ghafir: 60]

Du'a for Waking Up from Sleep:​

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) reports that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) would wake up for Tahajjud at night, he would recite the following du'a:

اللهم لك الحمد انت نور السموات والارض ومن فيهن ولك الحمد انت قيم السموات والارض ومن فيهن، ولك الحمد، انت الحق، ووعدك الحق، وقولك الحق، ولقاؤك الحق، والجنة حق، والنار حق، والساعة حق . ”ومحمد حق، اللهم لك اسلمت، وعليك توكلت، وبك آمنت، وإليك انبت، وبك خاصمت، وإليك حاكمت، فاغفر لي ما قدمت وما اخرت، وما اسررت وما اعلنت، انت المقدم وانت المؤخر انت إلهي لا إله إلا انت ولااله غيرك

“O Allah! All praise belongs to You. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and all that is within them. All praise is due to You. You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is within them. All praise belongs to You. You are the Truth, and Your promise is true, Your word is true, meeting You is true, Paradise is true, Hell is true, the Hour is true, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is true. O Allah, I have submitted to You, and I place my trust in You. I have believed in You and turned to You. I argue with Your help and bring my case before You. Forgive me for my past and future sins, for what I have done in secret and what I have done openly. You are the Advancer, You are the Delayer, and You are my Deity; there is no deity but You, and none is worthy of worship besides You.” [Muttafaqun 'alayh]

A Special Opportunity for Du'a Acceptance:​

Hazrat Ubadah bin As-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Whoever wakes up during the night and says the following words and then makes du'a, it will be accepted. And if they perform wudu and pray, their prayer will be accepted:"

لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير، الحمد لله وسبحان الله ولا إله إلا الله والله اكبر ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله، ثم قال اللهم اغفر لي

“There is no deity but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs sovereignty and praise, and He is over all things capable. All praise is due to Allah, and Allah is free from imperfection. There is no deity but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. O Allah, forgive me.” [Sahih Bukhari 1154]

Du'a for Entering the Bathroom:​

Hazrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would recite this du'a when entering the bathroom:

اللهم إني اعوذ بك من الخبث والخبائث

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the male and female evil spirits.” [Sahih Bukhari 6322]

Du'a After Wudu (Ablution):​

Hazrat Uqbah bin 'Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that during times of jihad or other occasions, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever performs wudu thoroughly and prays two rak'ahs with humility, Allah will make Paradise obligatory for them." Additionally, he mentioned the following du'a for after wudu:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ

“I testify that there is no deity but Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.” [Sahih Muslim 553]

Du'a When Leaving the House:​

Hazrat Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) would leave the house, he would recite this du'a:

بسم الله توكلت على الله، اللهم إنا نعوذ بك من ان نزل او نضل او نظلم او نظلم او نجهل او يجهل علينا

“In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from slipping, being led astray, wronging others, or being wronged, and from ignorance or being treated ignorantly.” [Sunan Tirmidhi 3427]

Protection from Harm:​

Hazrat Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever recites the following words three times in the morning and evening, nothing will harm them:"

بسم الله الذى لا يضر مع اسمه شيء فى الارض ولا فى السماء وهو السميع العليم

“In the name of Allah, by whose name nothing in the heavens or the earth can cause harm. He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [Sunan Abu Dawud 5088]

Virtues of Tasbeeh and Tahmeed:​

Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever recites 'Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi' (Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him) one hundred times in the morning and evening, no one will come on the Day of Resurrection with something more excellent than him, except someone who has recited it more." [Sahih Muslim]

Du'a After Adhan:​

Hazrat Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever recites the following words after hearing the call to prayer (adhan), their sins will be forgiven:"

اشهد ان لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وان محمدا عبده ورسوله رضيت بالله ربا، وبمحمد رسولا، وبالإسلام دينا

“I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, alone, without partner. And Muhammad is His servant and messenger. I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as the messenger, and with Islam as the religion.” [Sahih Muslim 854]

Supplications After Salam in Prayer:​

Hazrat Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that after completing the prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say:

اللهم انت السلام، ومنك السلام، تباركت ذا الجلال والإكرام

“O Allah, You are peace, and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honor.” [Sahih Muslim 1335]

Du'a After Completing Prayer:​

Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) completed the prayer, he would recite:

لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير،

اللهم لا مانع لما اعطيت ولا معطي لما منعت، ولا ينفع ذا الجد منك الجد

"There is no deity but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs all sovereignty, and all praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things."
"O Allah, there is no one who can prevent what You grant, and there is no one who can give what You withhold. And the wealth of a wealthy person cannot benefit him against Your will."


[Sahih Bukhari 844]

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever, after each prayer, recites 33 times 'Subhan Allah,' 33 times 'Alhamdulillah,' and 33 times 'Allahu Akbar,' completing the count to 99, and then adds 'La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir,' his sins will be forgiven, even if they are as much as the foam of the sea."

[Sahih Muslim 1343]

The term "jad" in the phrase ولا ينفع ذا الجد منك الجد has various interpretations. One explanation is with an open "jeem," meaning wealth, implying that no wealth can benefit a person before Allah. Another meaning is "dignity or prestige." Some scholars also read it with a closed "jeem," meaning eagerness or effort, but Imam Abu Ubaid rejected this as incorrect.

After turning from prayer, Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite the following words:

لا إله إلا الله، وحده لا شريك له، له الملك، وله الحمد، وهو على كل شيء قدير، لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله، ولا نعبد إلا إياه، له النعمة، وله الفضل، وله الثناء الحسن، لا إله إلا الله، مخلصين له الدين ولو كره الكافرون

"There is no deity but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs all sovereignty, and all praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things. There is no power and no strength except with Allah. We worship none but Him. To Him belongs all blessings, all virtue, and the best praises. There is no deity but Allah, sincerely dedicating our religion to Him, even if the disbelievers dislike it."

[Sahih Muslim 1343]

Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite this after every prayer.

Virtues of Reciting Tasbih During the Day​

Reward of Freeing Ten Slaves and Protection from Shaytan:​

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever recites the following words a hundred times every morning will earn the reward of freeing ten slaves, will have a hundred sins forgiven, and will be protected from Shaytan throughout the day until the evening. Moreover, on the Day of Resurrection, no one will surpass him in reward except someone who has recited it more often." The words are:

لا إله إلا الله، وحده لا شريك له، له الملك، وله الحمد، وهو على كل شيء قدير

"There is no deity but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs all sovereignty, and all praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things."
He also said: "Whoever recites 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi' (Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him) one hundred times a day will have their sins forgiven, even if they are as much as the foam of the sea."

[Muttafaqun 'alayh, Sahih Muslim 6925]

Earning a Thousand Good Deeds Daily:​

Hazrat Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once asked: "Are you unable to earn a thousand good deeds every day?" A companion asked how that could be achieved. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: "Reciting 'Subhan Allah' a hundred times will earn you a thousand good deeds, and a thousand sins will be forgiven." [Sahih Muslim]

The Most Beloved Words to Allah​

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There are two phrases that are light on the tongue, heavy in the balance, and dear to the Most Merciful. They are:

سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم

'Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him, Glory be to Allah, the Most Great.'" [Sahih Bukhari 7563]

The Prophet's Most Beloved Words:​

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The following words are more beloved to me than all that the sun rises over:"

سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله اكبر

"Glory be to Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and there is no deity but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest."

[Sahih Muslim 6847]

Hazrat Abu Dharr Ghaffari (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you the words that are most beloved to Allah? They are: 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi.'"

[Sahih Muslim 1088]

The Example of One Who Remembers Allah and One Who Does Not​

Hazrat Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The example of the one who remembers Allah and the one who does not is like the living and the dead."

[Muttafaqun 'alayh]

Du'a for Leaving a Gathering​

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "If anyone sits in a gathering where much idle talk occurs, and before getting up, he recites the following du'a, his sins from that gathering will be forgiven:"

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك اشهد ان لا إله إلا انت استغفرك واتوب إليك

"Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. I testify that there is no deity except You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance."
(This hadith is considered Hasan Sahih by Imam Tirmidhi.)

Evening Du'a:​

Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to recite the following du'a in the evening:

امسينا وامسى الملك لله والحمد لله لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير .

رب اسالك خير ما فى هذه الليلة وخير ما بعدها، واعوذ بك من شر ما فى هذه الليلة وشر ما بعدها

رب اعوذ بك من الكسل وسوء الكبر، رب اعوذ بك من عذاب فى النار، وعذاب فى القبر

"We have entered the evening and the whole kingdom belongs to Allah. All praise is due to Allah. There is no deity but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs sovereignty, and all praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things.

O my Lord, I ask You for the goodness of this night and the goodness of what follows it. I seek refuge in You from the evil of this night and the evil of what follows it. O my Lord, I seek refuge in You from laziness and the evil of old age. O my Lord, I seek refuge in You from the torment of the Fire and the torment of the grave."


[Sahih Muslim 6908]

And in the morning, he would recite similar words, adjusting for the day.

Supplications for Sleeping​

1. Du'a of Abu Hurairah (RA):
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would lie down on his bed at night, he would recite the following du'a:

اللهم باسمك اموت واحيا

"O Allah, in Your name I die and I live."

[Sunan Tirmidhi 3417]

(In this supplication, the term "amoot" is used for sleeping, which literally means "I die," as sleep is akin to death, and waking up is akin to life.)

2. Du'a of Bara' bin Azib (RA):
Hazrat Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed a man to recite the following du'a before sleeping at night:

اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِى إِلَيْكَ وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِى إِلَيْكَ وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِى إِلَيْكَ وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِى إِلَيْكَ رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ لاَ مَلْجَأَ وَلاَ مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِى أَنْزَلْتَ وَبِرَسُولِكَ الَّذِى أَرْسَلْتَ

"O Allah, I have surrendered my soul to You, and I have turned my face towards You, and I have entrusted my affairs to You. My back rests on You, out of hope and fear of You. There is no refuge and no escape from You except towards You. I believe in Your Book, which You have revealed, and in Your Messenger, whom You have sent."

[Muttafaqun 'alayh]

(The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated that if one recites this du'a before sleeping and dies that night, they will die upon the natural faith, i.e., Islam.)

3. Du'a of Abdullah bin Umar (RA):
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates the following du'a:

اللهم خلقت نفسي وانت توفاها لك مماتها ومحياها، إن احييتها فاحفظها وإن امتها فاغفر لها، اللهم إني اسالك العافية

"O Allah, You have created my soul, and You will take its life. Its death and its life are in Your control. If You keep it alive, then protect it, and if You cause it to die, then forgive it. O Allah, I ask You for well-being."

[Sahih Muslim 6888]

(Abdullah bin Umar instructed a person to recite this du'a, and when asked from whom he had learned it, he replied that he learned it from Umar, who had heard it from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).)

4. Du'a of Anas (RA):
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would come to his bed, he would say:

الحمد لله الذى اطعمنا وسقانا وكفانا وآوانا، فكم ممن لا كافي له ولا مؤوي

"All praise is due to Allah, who has fed us, given us drink, and provided us with sufficiency and shelter. How many are there who have no one to provide for them or shelter them."

[Sahih Muslim 6894]

Du'a Upon Waking Up from Sleep​

الحمد لله الذى احيانا بعد ما اماتنا وإليه النشور

Hazrat Abu Dharr Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) woke up from sleep, he would recite this du'a:

"All praise is due to Allah, who gave us life after He had caused us to die, and to Him is the resurrection."

Virtues of Sending Salawat (Blessings) Upon the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)​

1. The Reward for Sending Salawat:
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever sends one salutation (salawat) upon me, Allah will send ten mercies upon him." [Sahih Muslim]
(Imam Harawi mentions that when the term "salat" is attributed to Allah, it means Allah's mercy, whereas when attributed to angels or a prophet, it means seeking forgiveness or making du'a.)

2. Encouragement to Send Salawat:
Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "Once I was praying, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sitting with Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them). After completing my prayer, I praised Allah, then sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him), and then made du'a for myself. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Ask, ask, you will be given.'"
(Reported in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah; Tirmidhi has graded it as Hasan Sahih.)


3. The Prescribed Way to Send Salawat:
Hazrat Abdul Rahman bin Abi Laila (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he once met Ka'b bin Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "Shall I give you a gift? Once the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to us, and we said, 'We have learned how to greet you with peace (salam), but how should we send blessings (salat) upon you?' He (peace be upon him) said, 'Say like this:'

اللهم صل على محمد، وعلى آل محمد، كما صليت على إبراهيم، إنك حميد مجيد، اللهم بارك على محمد، وعلى آل محمد، كما باركت على آل إبراهيم، إنك حميد مجيد

"O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim. Verily, You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious."

[Muttafaqun 'alayh]
4. Instruction from Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari (RA):
Hazrat Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when we were sitting with Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to us, and we asked, "How should we send salawat upon you?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) remained silent for a while, then said: "Say like this:"

اللهم صل على محمد، وعلى آل محمد، كما صليت على إبراهيم، إنك حميد مجيد، اللهم بارك على محمد، وعلى آل محمد، كما باركت على آل إبراهيم، إنك حميد مجيد

(He then said "As for sending peace, you have been taught it."

[Sahih Muslim]

(This refers to the prayer said during Tashahhud in Salah: 'As-salamu ‘alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.')

5. Salawat Including the Prophet's Family:
Hazrat Abu Humaid As-Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah, how should we send blessings upon you?" He (peace be upon him) replied: "Say like this:"

اللٰهم صل علىٰ محمد، وعلى ازواجه، وذريته كما صليت علىٰ آل إبراهيم، وبارك علىٰ محمد وعلىٰ ازواجه، وذريته كما باركت علىٰ آل إبراهيم، إنك حميد مجيد

"O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim. And bless Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious."

6. Salawat as a Means of Acceptance:
Hazrat Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "We asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about sending salawat, and he said, 'Say like this:'

اللهم صل على محمد عبدك و رسولك، كما صليت على آل إبراهيم، وبارك على محمد، وعلى آل محمد، كما باركت على إبراهيم وآل إبراهيم

"O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim. And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim."
 
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