Part 46

“When one of you retires to his bed, then let him dust off his bed with the side of his lower garment, for indeed, he does not know what came on it after he left it [the last time]...””

Another narration of the hadith is worded thus: “When one of you goes to his bed, then let him dust it off three times with the side of his garment...” Muslim related the hadith with this wording: “Then let him take his lower garment, and with it, dust off his bed; and let him mention Allah’s name, for indeed, he does not know what came on his bed after he last left it.” And finally, At-Tirmidhee related it with this wording: ‘When one of you stands up from his bed and then later returns to it, then let him dust it off...”""! From these narrations, we learn a number of benefits and rulings. First, it is recommended to dust off a mattress before lying down on it to go to sleep. Second, one should dust the mattress off three times. Third, as one is dusting it off, one should mention Allah’s name. Fourth, when one is already on his bed but then gets up, it is recommended for him to dust it off another time when he returns; why one should dust it off a second time is explained in one of the aforementioned narrations: “For indeed, one of you does not know what came on it after he [last] left it.” Finally, one should use the inside of his lower garment. Though scholars have given different opinions in the matter, the Prophet # did not specifically mention the wisdom behind using the lower garment as opposed to one’s

" Related by Bukhaaree (6320, 7393), Muslim (2714), Ahmad (7752), AtTirmidhee (3401), Abu Daawood (5050), Ibn Maajah (3874), and AdDaarimee (2684).

hands or upper garment, for example. But as always in the Shariah, the application of any given ruling that is legislated in the Qur’an or Sunnah does not hinge upon our knowledge of the wisdom behind that ruling. So whenever a hadith is authentically related, we must apply the ruling it imparts, even if we don’t know the wisdom behind it. It is a question of submission, a fundamental basis in the religion that we must all adhere to.

4) Sleep On Your Right Side And Place Your Cheek On Your Right Hand

Al-Baraa Ibn ‘Aazib # related that the Prophet #% said, WSysdodt ops

“When you go to your bed, then perform the same ablution that you perform for prayer, and then lie down on your right side...”

In another hadith, Hudhaifah 4 said, “When the Prophet 3% would go to his bed at night, he would place his hand underneath his cheek...” And the following is from Ahmad’s narration of the hadith: “When he would retire to his bed, he would place his right hand under his cheek...)

Two benefits of sleeping on one’s right side are that it helps a person wake up with energy and that, when compared to sleeping on one’s left side, less weight is put on the heart.

5) Reciting Something From The Quran

It was from the Prophet’s guidance that he would not go to sleep until he first read something from the Qur’an. When a Muslim recites the Qur’an before going to sleep, he becomes protected from Shaitaan and his dreams become truer in their meanings. In regards to this issue, many narrations are related from the Prophet #%; here, we will mention some of those narrations and certain of the verses and chapters that one should read before

"l Related by Bukhaaree (6314) and Ahmad (22733); others related it as well, but without the mention of ‘hand.’

going to sleep: a) Recitation of the throne verse (Aayatul-Kursee):

We learn about the importance of reading the Throne Verse before going to sleep from the well-known narrative of Abu Hurairah 4; it relates how, on three consecutive nights, he caught a thief stealing from Zakaat wealth. When Abu Hurairah 4 decided on the third night to take the man prisoner and escort him to the Prophet #, the man said, “Let me teach you words, through which Allah will cause benefit to befall you.” Abu Hurairah 4 asked, “And what are they?” He said, ‘When you retire to your bed, then recite the Throne Verse (Aayatul-Kursee):

“Allah! Laa ilaha ill Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped

but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists’’ (Qur’an 2:255),

until you complete the verse; for indeed, you will [in consequence] continue to have a protector over you from Allah, and no Shaitaan (devil) will come near you until the morning.” Abu Hurairah 4 later related, “And so I let him go, and in the morning, the Messenger of Allah #% said to me,

“What did your prisoner do last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, he claimed that he would teach me words, through which Allah would cause benefit to befall me.’ He # said, gal ‘What were they?’

I said, ‘He said to me: when you retire to your bed, then recite the Throne Verse from its beginning until you complete the Verse:

“Allah! Laa ilaha ill Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped

but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists} (Quran 2:255).

‘And he said to me: You will continue to have a protector over you from Allah, and no Shaitaan will come near you until the morning - and they (the Companions &) were more ardent than anyone else in [doing] good.’ The Prophet # then said,

the gS oi J Ch ps is tds hy Ws A ch “Verily, he told you the truth, though he is a liar. O Abu

Hurairah, do you know who was speaking to you for the last three nights?”’”

Abu Hurairah # answered, “No.” The Prophet # said, “That was Shaitaan.’"")

b) Recitation of “the purity” Chapter and Al-Mu‘awwadhatain (a title that refers to both “the daybreak’ Chapter and “mankind” Chapter)

Every night when he would go to sleep, the Prophet #2 would

recite these three chapters of the Qur’an: ‘‘The Purity” Chapter,

“The Daybreak” Chapter, and ‘Mankind’ Chapter - the three

last chapters (Soorahs) of the Qur’an. After reciting them, he

would then blow into his hands; the word for ‘blow’ in ‘Aaisha’s narration is Nafth. Nafth is lesser in degree than spitting, which always involves saliva, and so it resembles blowing more closely than anything else, perhaps with a small amount of spittle;

"l Bukhaaree related it in the “Book of AlWakaalah,” but he related the hadith Mu’allaqan; nonetheless, it is related in connected form with AnNassaaee, Al-Ismaa’eelee, and Abu Na’eem(Refer to Fathul-Baaree 4:569).

isi saw “Say (O Muhammad #8): ‘He is Allah, the One’, OGD “Say: “'I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the day-break}, and

Ol NB “Say: “I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind’’.

Then he # would wipe them over as much of his body as he was able to, beginning with them over his head, his face, and the front part of his body. He # did that three times.”""! ‘Aaisha & pointed out that the Prophet #2 would perform this practice every single night; therefore, we should strive to do the same.

Related Issue: The practice described above is not limited to when one goes to sleep; instead, when one becomes sick, it is also recommended for him to read the three chapters, blow into his hands, and then wipe them over his body. Bukhaaree related the following saying of ‘Aaisha 4): “Whenever the Prophet # fell ill, he # would blow on his own self with Al-Mu’awwidhaat (referring to “The Daybreak” and “Mankind” Chapters, but pointing as well to “The Purity” Chapter), and after doing that, he #8 would wipe [over his body or over the part of his body that was ailing] with his hand. And when he fell ill with the illness

"I Related by Bukhaaree (5017).

that led to his death, I began to blow on his person with AlMu’awwidhaat, which he # would blow (with), and I would wipe after doing that with the hand of the Prophet #8.’""

Farwah Ibn Nawful related from his father, Nawfal #, that the Prophet 2% said to him, “Recite:

OG CD “Say: (O Muhammad #% to these Mushrikoon and Kaafiroon):

“O Al-Kaafiroon (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar, etc.)!}. Then go to sleep at its end, for indeed, it is [an indication of one’s] freedom from Shirk (Associating partners with Allah in worship) (i.e., the person who recites it before going to sleep absolves himself from the gravest of sins: Shirk),”"]

d) Reciting ‘’Tabaarak’ Chapter and “Alif-Laam-Meem, Tanzeelus-Sajdah”

Jaabir 2 said, “The Messenger of Allah #% would not sleep until

he read ‘Alif-Laam-Meem Tanzeel As-Sajdah’ and ‘Tabaarakalladhee

Biyadihil-Mulk (The Dominion Chapter).””")

Related Issue: There is a narration that encourages Muslims to

consistently recite ‘The Dominion’ Chapter. Abu Hurairah &

& Gola B5 Fo) oil | hyo

0 Related by Bukhaaree (4439), Muslim (2192), Ahmad (24310), Abu Daawood (3902), Ibn Maajah (3529), and Maalik (1755).

2] Related by Abu Daawood - the above-mentioned wording is from his narration of the hadith, and Al-Albaanee ruled that it is authentic; by Ahmad (23295); by At-Tirmidhee (3403); and by Ad-Daarimee (1755).

') Related by Bukhaaree in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (1027), and Al-Albaanee said, “Authentic Lighairihi (.e., authentic by dint of other narrations that attest to it).

“A surah (Chapter) from the Quran, which has thirty verses, intercedes for its Saahib (the person who recites it frequently, reflects upon it, and applies its meanings) until he is forgiven: “{Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion} (i.e., ‘The Dominion’ Chapter).””"")

e) Recitation of the last two verses from ‘The Cow (AL Bagarah)'’ Chapter

Abu Mas’‘ood Al-Badree .# related that the Messenger of Allah