Whoever says when he goes to bed:

A Life-Changing Dua of Unimaginable Proportions

 Suleiman ibn Hāni

 

 April 29, 2016

 

There are many ways to vastly change one's life through sincere, consistent supplications. The following du'a is undoubtedly life-changing, spiritually, emotionally, and even materially. What follows is the translation of the hadith, the original text, the transliteration, and lastly, the apparent benefits of the du'a.
 

Hadith (English translation)

Anas  reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Whoever says when he goes to bed:2

 

'Praise be to Allah who sufficed me and gave me shelter; praise be to Allah who fed me and gave me drink; praise be to Allah who favored me generously. O Allah, I ask You by Your 'Izza (Might or Honor) to save me from the Hellfire.'

Whoever says this should indeed have praised Allah with all forms of praise of the entire creation.” [1]

 

Hadith (Arabic)

عن أنس بن مالك قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( من قال إذا أوَى إلى فراشه :

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي كَفَانِي وَآوَانِي ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي وَسَقَانِي ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي مَنَّ عَلَيَّ وأَفْضَلَ ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِعِزَّتِكَ أَنْ تُنَجِّيَنِي مِنَ النَّارِ؛5فقدْ حَمِدَ الله بجميع محامدِ الخلقِ كلِّهم)

أخرجه الحاكم والبيهقي وقال الحاكم: “صحيح الإسناد”. ووافقه الذهبي.

 

Transliteration

Al-hamdu lillaahil-lathi kafaani wa aawaani
Al-hamdu lillaahil-lathi at'amani wa-saqaani
Al-hamdu lillaahil-lathi manna 'alayya wa-afdal
Allahumma innee as-aluka be-'izzatika an tunajjiyani minan-naar2

 Benefits & Lessons

This du'a has numerous benefits, amongst which are the following:

Increased blessings in your life.
Sincere and habitual gratitude on a consistent basis, every night, will open for you the doors of blessings from sources you never imagined. Allah (swt) says:“And your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will [surely] increase you [in favor]…” [2] Thus, if you want your blessings to increase, then increase your sincere gratitude.Unimaginable good deeds.
The ending of the hadith states clearly that “Whoever says this [du'a] should indeed have praised Allah with all forms of praise of the entire creation.” Praising Allah with all forms of praise of the entire creation is by no means a small or limited type of praise. Rather, this indicates vast rewards that accompany such a beautiful supplication, rewards of unimaginable proportions.Genuine happiness.
Sincere and consistent gratitude is a key to genuine happiness, and there is no doubt regarding this matter. If you have never reflected and expressed gratitude in a moment of tranquility and deep contemplation, then you're missing an essential part of faith and a key source of happiness in this world that is unparalleled by most other habits.As you praise, reflect. The aforementioned du'a beautifully and concisely covers many of the blessings that we take for granted on a daily basis.“Praise be to Allah who sufficed me.” How blessed are you that the One who manages your affairs is Allah, the Creator, Sustainer, the Generous, the Unimaginably Merciful?“Praise be to Allah who provided me with shelter.” How blessed are you that Allah has provided you with shelter, and more likely than not, a comfortable shelter – when many people around the world are struggling without adequate housing? According to Habitat for Humanity, approximately 1.6 billionpeople live in inadequate housing around the world, and 100 million people are completely homeless. [3]“Praise be to Allah who gave me food and drink.”Consider how many meals you've consumed in your life, how many foods of all varieties and proportions, how many drinks have quenched your thirst, and how blessed you are for every morsel of food in your past, present, and future. We oftentimes forget, due to the daily routine and necessity, that Allah has been blessing us with food and drink from the time of conception in the wombs of our mothers until the present day. Reflect on how many people around the world are starving at this very moment. According to the World Food Programme, “approximately 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. That's about one in nine people on earth.” [4]“Praise be to Allah who favored me generously.”  Undoubtedly, if we were to reflect on those who are less fortunate than us, we would realize immediately how blessed we are. Praise coupled with reflection is a powerful source of genuine, serene, happiness. Furthermore, consider days in which your difficulties have increased and how this du'a, at the end of an exhaustive and painful day, is a source of reflection, remembrance, and renewed gratitude and happiness.Reliance upon Allah
du'a is the essence of worship for this very reason, as it is a direct connection between the Creator and the creation. This du'a illustrates our reliance upon Allah, our need for His vast blessings, and our need for His protection from misguidance and the Hellfire.

 

Action Items:

Learn the du'a for your own benefit.Share it with others so that they may benefit as well. Allah will reward you equally for every individual who benefits from the du'a or passes it on to others, as a continuous charity.Practice it on a daily basis and immerse yourself in its spiritual nourishment.

May Allah, the Sustainer, the Majestic, the Generous, bless you and your loved ones and increase you in sincerity, favors, steadfastness, and happiness.

 

[1] Recorded by al-Bayhaqi, al-Hâkim, and others. Also classified as Saheeh in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah no. 3444.

[2] Qur'an 14:7

[3] Habitat for Humanity: www.habitat.org/getinv/events/world-habitat-day/housing-facts

[4] World Food Programme: www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

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