In the first part we have read about the blessings in the early morning hours. We have also read about the spiritual and health benefits of sleeping and waking early. Now we will have a look at the etiquettes of going to sleep and waking up according to the traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)

Etiquettes of going to sleep:

1. Be in a state of purity (Wudoo)
"There is no person who goes to bed in a state of purity, then wakes up at night, and asks Allah for something in this world or the Hereafter, but it will be given to him" [Sunan Ibn Majah 3881]

2. Dust-off the bed 
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When any of you goes to bed, he should shake off (or dust off) his bedsheet because he does not know what might have fallen on it after he had left it. Then he should recite: 'Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi, wa bika arfa'uhu, in amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfazu bihi 'ibadakas-salihin [With Your Name, my Rubb, I place my side (upon the bed) and with Your Grace I will raise it up. If You withhold my soul (cause me to die), have mercy on it but if You let it go (let me live), guard it against which You guarded Your pious slaves]." [Al- Bukhari and Muslim]

3. Sleep in the dark. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has instructed to put off the lamps while going to sleep. 
"Cover vessels, water-skins, close the doors and extinguish the lamps for the Satan does not loosen the water-skins, and does not uncover the vessels" [Muslim 023: #4991]

4. Sleep on our right side
"When Allah's Messenger (PBUH) went to bed, he used to sleep on his right side" [Sahih al-Bukhari 6315]

5. Place the right hand under the right cheek
"When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) wanted to go to sleep, he put his right hand under his cheek and would then say three times: O Allah, guard me from Thy punishment on the day when Thou raisest up Thy servants." [Sunan Abi Dawud 5045]

6. Recite Dua of Sleeping, Surah Al Kafiroon, Surah Iqlas, Surah Falaq and Surah Naas.

7. Recite Aiyatal Kursi and last 2 verses of Surah Baqarah.

8. Reading Surah Mulk n Surah Sajdah is also known from Sunnah. 

9. Do not sleep on the tummy or on left side.
It was narrated from Qais bin Tihfah Al-Ghifari that his father said: "The Messenger of Allah(PBUH) found me sleeping in the masjid on my stomach. He nudged me with his foot and said: 'Why are you sleeping like this? This is a kind of sleep that Allah dislikes,' or 'that Allah hates.'" [Sunan Ibn Majah 3723]

There are some other supplications and Adhkaar that can be said at the time of going to sleep which can be taken from the book "Hisnul Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim)".

Well, people say "Count the sheep" to sleep. How about counting dhikr? Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar. Astaghfirullah. Lailaha illallah, and so on. In Tafseer of Surah Fatihah it is said, 'Best dhikr is Lailaha illallah and best supplication is Alhamdulillah'.

The Beloved Prophet saws would sleep shortly after Isha and wake up in the very early hours of the morning, sometimes as early as midnight to pray.

Shaykh Abdul Haq in his book Madarijun Nabuwa states, "Because the heart is on the left, one will not be satisfied with the sleep and the person will sleep heavily not knowing his state. If one sleeps on the right side the heart dangles meaning a person cannot sleep heavily. This benefits a person as he can look after himself and his family if any emergency happens. A major benefit is that one will not miss the Morning Prayer as one is not engaged in heavy sleep."

On waking up:

1. Wipe the effects of sleep from the face
When the Prophet (PBUH) woke up he would sit and rub the trace of sleep off his face with his hands. [Bukhari]

2. Read the dua for waking up
Narrated Hudhayfah, "When the Prophet (PBUH) got up he would say: "All praise is to Allah Who gave us life after death (sleep) and unto Him is the return" [Bukhari]

3. Use Miswak
Whenever the Prophet (PBUH) got up at night, he used to clean his mouth with siwak (Miswak).[Bukhari]

4. Wash hands three times
The Prophet (PBUH) said: "When anyone amongst you wakes up from sleep, he should wash his hands three times before putting it in the utensil for he does not know where his hand was during the night" [Muslim]

5. Snuff water up the nose
The Prophet (PBUH) said, "If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night." [Bukhari]

Waking up for Tahajud 

Prophet (PBUH) recited this dua: Lailaha lilahau wahdahu lashareeka lahu lahulmulku walahul hamdu wohuwa ala kulli shaeen qadeer. Subhanallahi walhamdulillahi walaiilaha illahu walahu akbarlahaula wala qwwata illabillah - Allahum maghfirli. {There is none worth of worship but Allah alone, Who has no partner, His is the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is able to do all things. Glory is to Allah. Praise is to Allah. There is none worth of worship but Allah. Allah is the Most Great. There is no might and no powers except by Allah's leave, the Exalted, the Mighty. My Lord, forgive me.}[Bukhari / Ibn Majah] 

Al-Asqalani in his commentary on Bukhari, Fathul-Bari writes - whoever says this will be forgiven, and if he supplicates Allah, his prayer will be answered; if he performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted [Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 3/39]

Then the Prophet saws recited last 10 verses of Surah Al Imran. [Fiqh-us-Sunnah Volume 002, Supererogatory Prayer, Fiqh 2.022]

One should begin Qiyam al-Layil with two quick rak'at and then one may pray whatever one wishes after that. 'Aishah says: "When the Prophet prayed during the late-night, he would begin his prayers with two quick rak'at." [Muslim]

Between sunnah of fajr and jamat 

Prophet saws used to lie down and wait for Iqamah. "When the Prophet (PBUH) prayed the two (Sunnah) Rak'ah of Fajr, he would lie down on his right side." [Sunan Ibn Majah. Book 5, Hadith 1254]

Sitting in same place after Fajr and doing zikr till the time of Ishraq and the praying Ishraq gives reward equal to complete Hajj or Umrah. [Tirmidhi]

Best dua - "Subhanallahi wobihandihi adada khalqihi wo rida nafseehi wo zeenata Arseehi womidada kalimatihi". {Glory is to Allah and praise is to Him, by the multitude of His creation, by His Pleasure, by the weight of His Throne, and by the extent of His Words. (Recite three times in Arabic upon rising in the morning)} [Muslim 4/2090]

Waking up early - how?

1. The first and foremost is to sleep early

2. Before you sleep, make an intention of waking up for Tahajjud and Fajr

3. Set an alarm at a distance from your bed so that you do not switch it off easily. Better to keep it close to the washroom. Still better is to set it loud and keep it inside the washroom so that when you go to close it you are already inside the washroom.

4. Make an agreement with your friends/relatives to give a wakeup call or message each other. "When a man wakes up at night and wakes his wife, and they pray two Rak'ah, they will be recorded among the men and women who remember Allah much" [Bukhari Book 5, Hadith 1396]

May Allah swt reward everyone involved in bringing this piece of work to you. May Allah benefit everyone who reads this and make it easy to act upon it. Aameen

Benjamin Franklin has rightly said "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise". So let's strive and make our mornings productive.

JazakAllah Khair for taking out time to read this

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Umm Ayman is dentist by qualification and a home maker by choice. Originally from India she is settled in the UAE. A seeker of Islamic knowledge, she likes to share what she learns. For her, writing is a hobby and painting is passion.