Turn your sleep into worship!

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In these days of intense night worship, some of us risk running out of energy and burning out before the end. This would be really unfortunate because the end is truly what counts:

The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said that actions are judged by their ending [Bukhari].

 In today’s blog, I want to remind us of the ways we can take some rest while seeking Laylatul Qadr and still have it counted as worship. 

Sleep counted as worship??!??

Yes you read right, even our sleep can be worship.

Alhamdulillah in our deen, everything can be turned into worship and so even taking a bit of rest on Laylatul Qadr can be an act of worship.

Alhamdulillah sleep and rest are from the greatest favors of Allah on us. 

Even at the intense time of battle, Allah Azza Wajal gifted the Sahabas with tranquility and sleep so they could preserve their sanity and strength. 

Surah anfal ayah 11:

[Remember] when He overwhelmed you with drowsiness [giving] security from Him and sent down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you and remove from you the evil [suggestions] of Satan and to make steadfast your hearts and plant firmly thereby your feet.

Ibn Kathir states in his tafsir:

“Allah reminds the believers of the slumber that He sent down on them as security from the fear they suffered from, because of the multitude of their enemy and the sparseness of their forces.

Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, “Slumber during battle is security from Allah, but during prayer, it is from Shaytan.” Qatadah said, “Slumber affects the head, while sleep affects the heart.”

Therefore, it appears that this will occur for the believers, whenever they are in distress, so that their hearts feel safe and sure of Allah’s aid, rewards, favor and mercy from Allah with them.”

Also in the Sunnah we learn that:

“If anyone of you becomes drowsy whilst he is praying, let him sleep until he is refreshed, because if any one of you prays whilst he is drowsy he may not understand what he is saying and he may want to pray for forgiveness but may insult himself by mistake instead.” (al-Bukhaari, 212; Muslim, 786).                                                                                       

Alhamdulillah Islam is a deen of balance and moderation. So while seeking Laylatul Qadr sisters, take care to also rest your body to gain more strength for worship. 

Here is how you can turn your sleep into worship.

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1. Intention

Always start worship with the right intention because we are rewarded based on our intentions.  Instead of just going to sleep, go to sleep with the intention to gain strength to worship. Sleep for worship and not just for sleeping sake or for work sake or for school sake.  You hear people say “I better go to sleep because I have a meeting or have to be at work or at school at such and such time…” ; reframe this intention so you sleep everyday for worship (tahajjud, Fajr, du’a, suhoor etc).

2. Make wudhu

3. Read Mulk and Sajdah

4. Dust off your bed

5. Cup your palms together, blow gently into them and then recite the last three suwar of the Qur’an in your hands and  pass your hands over as much of your body as you can reach, beginning with the head and the face, then the entire front of your body. Do this three times .

6. Recite Ayatul Kursi and the last two ayaat of Baqarah.

7. Say the du’as before sleep from the Sunnah you may find them in the fortress of the Muslim. (See below for some of them)

8. Lay on your right side and put your right hand under your right cheek. 

9. Make dhikr until you fall asleep. 

Sisters if we do all these 9 steps before sleep, then we have indeed turned our sleep into worship and so when we wake up for additional worship, we have not missed out on anything bi idhnillah and if we return to our Maker in that sleep, we have returned to Him in a state of worship bi idhnillah. 

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How beautiful is our deen!!! Allahu Akbar! May Allah aid us to to turn our sleep into worship every night! 

Here are some of the beautiful duas Rasulullah  (ﷺ) used to say before sleep:

بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، فَإِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا ، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا، بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ”.

In Your name my Lord, I lie down and in Your name I rise, so if You should take my soul then have mercy upon it, and if You should return my soul then protect it in the manner You do so with Your righteous servants.

Al-Bukari 11:126

“اللَّهُمَّ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاواتِ والْأَرْضَ، رَبَّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَمَلِكُهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي،وَمِنْ شَرِّ الشَّيْطَانِ وَشِرْكِهِ، وَأَنْ أَقْتَرِفَ عَلَى نَفْسِي سُوءاً، أَوْ أَجُرَّهُ إِلَى مُسْلِمٍ”.

O Allah, Knower of the unseen and the evident , Maker of the heavens and the earth , Lord of everything and its Master, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but You . I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul and from the evil of Satan and his helpers . (I seek refuge in You) from bringing evil upon my soul and from harming any Muslim. Reference: Abu Dawud 4/317. See also Al-Albani, SahihAt-Tirmithi 3/142.

This is truly a great reminder for me as I am reminded of my grand mother Hadja Coumba Ndiaye who died in her sleep while waiting for salaah. The last words my family heard her say was the repeating of the Adhan. May Allah forgive her and grant her Nur and space in her grave. May we be reunited with our dead in Jannah. Aaameen! 

And Allah Azza Wajal knows best!

Sr Binta Umm Yahya