The Prophet, peace be upon him, always remembered Allah in everything he did. He would begin his day by remembering Allah and end it the same way. Before going to sleep, he would say, “Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya”.
Allahumma Bismika Amutu Wa Ahya in Arabic
The dua is written in Arabic as:
اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Transliteration: Allaahumma bismika amutu wa ahya.
Allahumma Bismika Amutu Wa Ahya Meaning in English
Allaahumma bismika amutu wa ahya means O Allah, With Your Name, I die and I live. It is said that the meaning is: “By You, I live. You are the one who gives me life, and by Your will and power, I die.”
Here, when we talk about “death,” we mean sleep, because it’s like a small death. So, when I sleep, I do it in Your name and wake up again. Sleep is called “death” because during it, our thoughts and movements pause, kind of like the major death.
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Hadith Text
The dua (supplication) originates from authentic hadiths, which are sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Different versions of the dua exist, with slight differences in the words used, but they all carry the same deep and meaningful message.
Hudhaifah reported: Whenever the Prophet SAW lay down for sleep at night, he would place his (right) hand under his (right) cheek and supplicate:
“Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya [O Allah, with Your Name will I die and live (wake up)].”
And when he woke up, he would supplicate:
“Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba‘da ma amatana, wa ilaihin-nushur (All praise is due to Allah, Who has brought us back to life after He has caused us to die, and to Him is the return).”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6324
From the above hadith, you can see Bismika is placed before Allahumma, well there is no problem with that, you can recite this dua as well.
The second hadith for the dua (which is widely used) is as follows:
Narrated Abu Dhar: Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) lay on his bed, he used to say:
“Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya,” and when he woke up he would say: “Al-hamdu lil-lahilladhi ahyana ba’da ma an atana, wa ilaihi an-nushur.”
– Sahih al-Bukhari 6325
Regularly remembering and praising Allah, which is called zikr, can help ease your worries and bring blessings into your life all the time.
Allah values the quality of our actions more than how many we do. So, it’s important to make a habit of praising Allah every day, teach it to your kids, and help them memorize it. Even though the supplication we talked about is short and simple, it’s really powerful.
Dua Benefits
Here are some benefits of reciting the dua before sleeping:
- Seeking Allah’s Protection: By starting with “O Allah,” you’re seeking protection and guidance from the Almighty before entering the vulnerable state of sleep.
- Acknowledging Allah’s Sovereignty: By saying “With Your Name,” you’re acknowledging that your life and death are under Allah’s control, reinforcing your faith in His power and authority.
- Gratitude for Life: By saying “I die and I live,” you’re expressing gratitude for the gift of life and acknowledging that sleep is a temporary state of rest, trusting in Allah to wake you up again in the morning.
- Peace of Mind: Reciting this dua before sleeping can bring peace of mind, knowing that you’re entrusting yourself to Allah’s care and protection throughout the night.
- Cultivating Awareness: It helps in developing mindfulness and awareness of Allah’s presence in all aspects of life, including sleep, fostering a deeper connection with Him.