Morning, Evening, and Sleep Adhkar

The chapters of al-Adhkar on morning remembrance (adhkar as-sabah), evening remembrance (adhkar al-masa'), and sleep-related supplications are among the most practically important and most beloved in the entire work. These chapters provide Muslims with a complete system of prophetic formulas for beginning the day, ending it, and preparing for sleep.

The morning adhkar typically begin with hadiths on the supplication to be said upon waking, thanking Allah for having returned life after the sleep that the Prophet described as a lesser form of death. Al-Nawawi traces the chains for several waking supplications and notes which are most strongly authenticated. The morning adhkar then extend through supplications for various morning activities — beginning speech with bismillah, the supplication before leaving the home, and the specific formulas recommended for the morning period generally.

The most extensively documented morning supplication in Al-Nawawi's collection is the comprehensive formula that begins Allahumma bika asbahna (O Allah, by Your leave we have entered the morning), along with the Ayat al-Kursi and the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah, which the Prophet declared sufficient protection for the one who recites them. Al-Nawawi documents these with sound chains and notes their importance in the authenticated prophetic spiritual regimen.

The evening adhkar mirror the morning formulas with adjustments for the evening context, and Al-Nawawi organizes them in parallel with the morning section to make them easy to learn together. The authenticated evening supplications include protective formulas and expressions of gratitude for having completed the day.

The sleep adhkar represent one of the most comprehensively documented sections of al-Adhkar. The Prophet's bedtime practice — reciting specific surahs, performing certain dhikr formulas, and maintaining specific physical positions — is documented through numerous authenticated narrations. Al-Nawawi presents these in detail, noting which are from the Sahihayn and which from other sources, and giving guidance on how to combine them in practice.