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Dhikr and du‘a · Daily

Say 'Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya'

The practice
Place your hand under your cheek and say 'Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya'.
When
Lying down to sleep
In daily life
It's short enough to learn tonight. Say it as your head touches the pillow, hand under your cheek, the same way every night until it becomes part of falling asleep.

The sources

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا أَوَى إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَإِذَا قَامَ قَالَ ‏"‏ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ ‏"‏‏.‏ تُنْشِرُهَا: تُخْرِجُهَا

“When the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he would say: "Bismika amutu wa ahya." and when he got up he would say:" Al-hamdu li l-lahil-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana wa ilaihin-nushur”
Narrated by HudhaifaSahih al-Bukhari 6312
The full hadith, with its chain and grading →

Arabic: ara-bukhari · Translation: Muhsin Khan (eng-bukhari), from the eng-bukhari edition of hadith-api (public domain), sunnah.com numbering.

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا أَخَذَ مَضْجَعَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ تَحْتَ خَدِّهِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَإِذَا اسْتَيْقَظَ قَالَ ‏"‏ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ ‏"‏‏.

“When the Prophet ﷺ 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”
Narrated by HudhaifaSahih al-Bukhari 6314
The full hadith, with its chain and grading →

Arabic: ara-bukhari · Translation: Muhsin Khan (eng-bukhari), from the eng-bukhari edition of hadith-api (public domain), sunnah.com numbering.

Part of: Your Bedtime Routine

More Sunnahs like this

Close the doors at night with BismillahNight, before sleepCover food and drink containersBefore bed / at nightMake wudu before bedBefore going to bedDust off the bed and say 'Bismika Rabbi'Before getting into bedRecite Ayat al-Kursi before sleepGoing to bedBlow and wipe with the three Quls at bedtimeGoing to bed

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Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and narrations of Jami at-Tirmidhi graded sahih or hasan sahih by al-Albani.