Have we ever thought about what kind of bedtime practice the Prophet exemplified? Perhaps after coming home from work, our activities are just scrolling social media, then eating, taking a bath, and immediately sleeping. However, there are various practices before going to bed a la the Prophet that we can apply so that our sleep becomes quality and it follows the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Are you curious? Come on, let’s check out several practices recommended by the Prophet.
Practices Before Bedtime a la the Prophet Muhammad PBUH
1. The Prophet performed wudu before going to bed
“Whenever you go to bed, perform wudu as you do for salah, and then lie down on your right side,” (Sahih al-Bukhari 247 and Muslim 2710).
The hadith of the Messenger above gives us advice to perform wudu before going to bed. If we usually perform wudu when we want to pray, it turns out that wudu also becomes a practice recommended by the Prophet before going to bed. From now on, you can make wudu as our routine before going to bed.
2. Practice before going to bed: reciting Ayat-al Kursi (the Throne Verse)
فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِىِّ لَنْ يَزَالَ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَافِظٌ ، وَلاَ يَقْرَبُكَ شَيْطَانٌ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ
Meaning: “When you go to your bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi (Al-Baqarah 255), for then there will be a guard from Allah who will protect you all night long, and Satan will not be able to come near you till dawn.” (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Bismillah, if we keep praying and asking for protection, Allah SWT will always protect us. By reciting the Throne Verse, our hearts become calm and we will be protected during our sleep. May we always apply the practice before going to bed recommended by the Prophet, by reciting the Throne Verse before going to bed. Aamiin.
3. Reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Naas
The Prophet would pray and ask Allah SWT for protection before going to bed. We can follow the example of reciting short surahs so that our sleep becomes calmer and we remember that Allah SWT always protects us. If we are not used to it yet, start applying to recite short surahs before we go to bed and make an alarm or note that before going to bed, we should recite short surahs.
4. The Prophet Increased Dhikr
As the hadith narrated from Aisha (R.A) which means:
“When you go to your beds, say: ‘Allahu Akbar (i.e. Allah is Greater)’ for 33 times, and ‘Al hamdu Li llah (i.e. all the praises are for Allah)’ for 34 times, and Subhan Allah (i.e. Glorified be Allah) for 33 times. This is better for you than a servant.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5843).
The Prophet Muhammad always performed dhikr all the time and remembered the greatness of Allah SWT. Even before going to bed, the Prophet performed dhikr and praised Allah SWT. If the Prophet is fond of dhikr, then we should always follow the behavior of the Prophet.
Also Read the Prophet’s Other Practices: Hidup Sehat dengan Jalankan 5 Amalan Sunnah Rasulullah SAW
5. The Prophet advised to postpone sleep before the time of Isha
In the explanation of the hadith narrated from Abu Barzah, “that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam did not like to sleep before Isha prayer and talk afterwards.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 568 and Muslim 647).
The practice before going to bed of the Prophet is to postpone sleep before the time of Isha. If a person sleeps before Isha time, it is worried that he/she will not have time to do the Isha prayer or he/she will miss the obligatory worship. In principle, the Prophet recommended this practice so that we would not miss the Isha prayer.
6. The Prophet Recommended to Clean the Bed
According to the hadith narrated from Abu Hurayrah, “When any of you go to bed, he should shake out his bed with the inside of his waist sheet, and then he should say: ‘Bismillah’, for he does not know what has come on to it after him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6320)
The Prophet often advised his people to maintain cleanliness in various aspects of life. Likewise, while sleeping, the Prophet advised his people to maintain the cleanliness of the bed. If adjusted to the conditions of this discussion, we must clean our bed area to keep it clean. Let’s get used to maintaining cleanliness before we sleep.
7. The Prophet Recited the Prayer of Sleeping
As the hadith says, “Abu Bakr ibn Abu Shayba told us Waki’ from Sufyan from Abdul Malik ibn Umair from Rib’i from Hudzaifah, he said, “When the prophet (May peace be upon him) laid down on his bed (at night), he would say “Allahumma bismika ahya wa bismika amut” (O Allah! In Thy name I live and die). When he woke up, he said: “Praise be to Allah who has given us life after causing us to die and to Him we shall return.” (Sahih Abu Dawud 5049)
The practice before going to bed from the Prophet that we should carry out is to recite the prayer “Allahumma bismika ahya wa bismika amut.” Hopefully, we really apply the sunnah of the Prophet and surrender to Allah SWT with all His provisions. As servants, even when we want to sleep, we should always remember Allah SWT and always be aware of returning to Allah SWT.
Allah SWT Invites Us to Follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often.”
(Qs. Al Ahzab: 21)
Allah SWT has given us instructions on how to set a good example through the Prophet. We should always follow all the sunnahs of the Prophet and apply them in our daily lives. Hopefully, this article can make us more enthusiastic in practicing the sunnah of the Prophet consistently.
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