Sleep is described in the Qur'an as a small death — a daily reminder that our soul is held by Allah. For this reason the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ never went to bed without remembering Allah. The most well-known sleeping dua, narrated by Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (RA), is just a single line — short enough for a child to memorise, yet rich enough to be one of the most beloved Sunnahs of the night.
The dua before sleeping
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya.
In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6324 — narrated by Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (RA))
The story behind the dua
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (RA) was one of the closest companions of the Prophet ﷺ and was famously trusted with his secrets. He reported that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to his bed at night he would place his right hand under his cheek and recite this short supplication. When he woke in the morning, he would say a paired dua of gratitude for being given life again.
When the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he would say: 'In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live'; and when he woke up, he would say: 'All praise is for Allah who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection.'
What the dua means
The wording is deceptively deep. 'I die and I live' acknowledges that sleep itself is a minor death — the Qur'an says Allah takes the souls at the time of their death and those that do not die during their sleep (Surah az-Zumar 39:42). By beginning with 'In Your name, O Allah', the believer hands their soul back to its true owner before closing their eyes, trusting Him to return it safely in the morning.
How to use this dua tonight
- Make wudu before bed if you can — it is a recommended Sunnah.
- Lie on your right side with your right hand under your cheek, as the Prophet ﷺ did.
- Recite the dua quietly, then add Ayat al-Kursi and the last three short surahs (al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, an-Nas) — the Prophet ﷺ would blow into his hands and wipe over his body with them.
- Close with this single line of bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya — and let it be the last thing on your tongue.
Hadith reference
The dua is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (6324) and Sahih Muslim (2711) — the two most rigorously authenticated hadith collections in Islam. Both sources agree on the exact wording given above, which is why this is one of the most universally taught daily duas in the Muslim world.