The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the best human being to have walked on this earth. What he managed to achieve in such a short space of time is remarkable. What is just as remarkable is the intensity of his Ibada, which nourished his mission, his devotion to his Lord and how long he spent at night in the worship of his Lord despite his numerous obligations and responsibilities in the daytime. He made time for everyone, from the unnamed girl who took his hand and have him walk around with her in Madīnah, to his wives who he would take time out to teach and engage in quality conversation with. He had many roles: leader, judge, military strategist, counsellor, husband, father, grandfather, friend, Prophet of Allah. But none of these stopped him from getting up every night and spending hours in munājāh (private and intimate conversation with his Creator).How to Sleep Like the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the best of all human beings to walk on this earth. What he achieved in such a short span of time is nothing short of miraculous. Just as remarkable, however, was the intensity of his ʿibādah (worship): it fuelled his mission, deepened his devotion to his Lord, and filled his nights with long, intimate moments of worship despite his immense responsibilities during the day.
He ﷺ made time for everyone: from the unnamed girl who took his hand and walked with him through the streets of Madīnah, to his wives, with whom he would spend time teaching, advising, and engaging in meaningful conversation. He ﷺ bore many roles: leader, judge, military strategist, counsellor, husband, father, grandfather, friend, and, above all, the Prophet of Allah. Yet none of these roles stopped him from rising every night and spending hours in munājāh (private, intimate conversation) with his Creator.
How was he able to manage his time so successfully? How did he enjoy such immense barakah in his days and nights? One of the key steps for us is to try to sleep as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ slept.
Below are some prophetic guidelines to help us do that:
Sleep Early
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ disliked sleeping before ʿIshā’ ṣalāh and disliked talking after it (Bukhārī).
Sleeping early brings many benefits:
You gain enough rest to wake for tahajjud.
You are more likely to wake up for Fajr on time.
In our time especially, you are protected from much fitnah that takes place late at night (online and offline).
Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) has designated the night for rest. When we invert this natural order—staying awake at night and sleeping away the day—we harm our bodies, minds, and souls.
It has been reported that ʿUmar (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) would discipline those who talked unnecessarily after ʿIshā’ and he would say, “Do you chit‑chat in the first part of the night and sleep in the latter part? Give your scribes (i.e. angels) a rest!”
Sleep With Wuḍū’
The angels accompany the one who sleeps in a state of wuḍū’ and say, “O Allah, forgive Your such‑and‑such servant, for he slept in the state of purity” (Ibn Ḥibbān).
Imagine that: every night you go to sleep with wuḍū’, the angels may be making duʿā’ for your forgiveness throughout the night.
Dust and Clean Your Bed
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When one of you goes to bed, he should shake out his bed with the inside of his waist‑sheet, for he does not know what has come on to it after him” (Bukhārī).
This simple act is both practical and spiritual: it removes any harmful insects or dirt and renews your intention to follow the Sunnah before you sleep.
Sleep on Your Right Side
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would sleep on his right side and place his right hand under his right cheek (Bukhārī).
This posture is a beloved Sunnah and helps you avoid deep, careless sleep that makes waking for Fajr and tahajjud more difficult.
Avoid Sleeping on Your Stomach
Abū Dharr (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by me and I was lying on my stomach. He nudged me with his foot and said, ‘Junaydib! This is how the people of Hell‑fire lie’” (Ibn Mājah). He ﷺ also said, “Allah dislikes that one sleeps in this manner” (Abū Dāwūd).
Thus, sleeping on the stomach is discouraged. Whenever you find yourself in that position, gently turn to your right side instead.
Cover Vessels and Say ‘Bismillah’
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Close the doors and mention the Name of Allah, for Shayṭān does not open a closed door. Tie up your waterskins and mention the Name of Allah. Cover your vessels, even if you only put something over them, and extinguish your lamps” (Bukhārī).
This teaches us to:
Secure our homes before bed.
Remember Allah’s Name over our food and drink.
Take practical steps to prevent harm and keep Shayṭān away.
Recite Qur’an and Evening Adhkār
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever recites ten verses at night (regularly), he will not be recorded among the negligent” (Ḥākim).
He ﷺ also said: “When a man retires to his bed, an angel and a devil rush to him. The angel says, ‘O Allah, let it be a good ending.’ The devil says, ‘O Allah, let it be a bad ending.’ If he remembers Allah and then sleeps, the angel spends the night protecting him” (Ibn al‑Sunnī).
Make it a habit to:
Recite portions of the Qur’an (even if small, but consistent).
Read the authentic adhkār and duʿās before sleeping.
Their rewards are immense: protection from the punishment of the grave, intercession on the Day of Judgement, a guardian angel watching over you, safety from devils coming near you, and the opportunity to praise Allah with praises equal to the praises of all His creation.
(You can refer to a detailed list of the Sunnah adhkār of sleep with translations and virtues.)
Keep Your Will Written and Updated
The Prophet ﷺ said, “It is the duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequeath to not let two nights pass, except that he should have his will written in regard to it” (Bukhārī).
Every night could be our last. Writing and updating a will is part of living—and sleeping—with responsibility and clarity, ready to meet Allah (ʿazza wa jall) at any time.
Plan for Tahajjud
Do not leave waking up for tahajjud to chance. Make a clear intention and a practical plan: set an alarm, sleep earlier, ask a family member to wake you.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever goes to bed intending to wake up and pray during the night, but sleep overcomes him until he gets up in the morning—(the reward of) what he intended will be recorded for him, and his sleep will be a charity given to him by his Lord” (Nasā’ī).
This ḥadīth comforts us: even if we oversleep despite sincere effort, Allah still rewards our intention and turns that sleep itself into a form of charity from Him.
Seek Reward Through Your Sleep
Transform your sleep into worship by your intention. Before closing your eyes, intend that you are sleeping to strengthen your body and mind so you can better worship Allah and serve His creation the next day.
Muʿādh b. Jabal (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) said, “Indeed, I hope for reward for my sleep just as I hope for reward for standing in prayer.”
When sleep is taken with this intention, it is no longer a mere break from life; it becomes part of your journey to Allah.
Conclusion
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ combined extraordinary work during the day with profound worship at night, yet he never complained of a lack of time. His life was filled with barakah.
If we want a share of that barakah, we must begin where he ﷺ began: by aligning even our most basic habits—like sleep—with his Sunnah. Start with one or two of these practices tonight, then build gradually. With consistency and sincere intention, your nights can become a source of light, protection, and nearness to Allah, just as they were for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
How was he able to manage his time so successfully? How can we also enjoy barakah in our time? Step number one is to try and sleep like the Messenger of Allah ﷺ slept.
The following are some of the ways to do this:
1. Sleep Early
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ disliked sleeping before ‘Ishā’ ṣalāh, sleeping before ʿIshā’ ṣalāh, and talking after it (Bukhārī). The wisdom in sleeping early is that one gains sufficient rest before waking up for tahajjud, one is able to wake up for Fajr on time, and more so in our times, one is protected from great fitnah. Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) has designated the night for rest. By altering this divine design, where we sleep in the day instead of sleeping at night, we cause great damage to ourselves.
It has been reported that ʿUmar (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) would hit people for talking after ʿIshā’ and he would say, “Do you chit-chat in the first part of the night, and sleep in the latter part? Give your scribes (i.e. angels) a rest!”
2. Sleep With Wudu’
The angels remain in the company of the one who sleeps with wuḍū’ and say, “O Allah, forgive your such and such servant for he slept in the state of purity” (Ibn Ḥibbān).
Imagine that! The angels could be making du‘ā’ for you every night.
3. Dust the Bed
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When one of you goes to bed, he should shake out his bed with the inside of his waist sheet, for he does not know what has come on to it after him”(Bukhārī).
4. Sleep on Your Right Side
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would sleep on his right side and place his right hand under his right cheek (Bukhārī).
5. Don’t Sleep on Your Stomach
Abū Dharr (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhū) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by me and I was lying on my stomach. He nudged me with his foot and said, ‘Junaydib! This is how the people of Hell-fire lie’” (Ibn Mājah). He ﷺ also said, “Allah dislikes that one sleeps in this manner” (Abū Dāwūd).
6. Cover Vessels and Say ‘Bismillah’
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Close the doors and mention the Name of Allah, for Shayṭān does not open a closed door. Tie up your waterskins and mention the Name of Allah. Cover your vessels, even if you only put something over them, and extinguish your lamps” (Bukhārī).
7. Recite Qur’an and Adhkar
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever recites 10 verses at night (regularly), he will not be recorded among the negligent” (Ḥākim). He ﷺ also said: “When a man retires to his bed, an angel and a devil rush to him. The angel says, ‘O Allah, let it be a good ending.’ The devil says, ‘O Allah, let it be a bad ending.’ If he remembers Allah, and then sleeps, the angel spends the night protecting him” (Ibn al-Sunnī).
See here or a detailed list with the translation and virtues.
These have amazing rewards, including: you will be protected from the punishment of the grave, you will receive intercession in the hereafter, a guardian angel will keep watch over you, no devil will be able to come near you and you will be able to praise Allah with all the praises of His entire creation.
8. Ensure Your Will Is Written and Updated
The Prophet ﷺ said, “It is the duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequeath to not let two nights pass, except that he should have his will written in regards to it” (Bukhārī).
9. Plan for Tahajjud
Make a firm intention and plan to wake up for tahajjud. Even if you do not manage to wake up, you will be rewarded for it. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever goes to bed intending to wake up and pray during the night, but sleep overcomes him until he gets up in the morning — (the reward of) what he intended will be recorded for him, and his sleep will be a charity given to him by his Lord” (Nasā’ī).
10. Hope to Be Rewarded for Your Sleep
Have an intention that you are sleeping in order to rest and gain energy for worshipping Allah. Muʿādh b. Jabal (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhū) said, “Indeed I hope for reward for my sleep just as I hope for reward for standing in prayer.”