بِسْمِ اللهِ، أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
In the name of Allah, I seek refuge in Allah's might and His power from the evil of what I find and what I fear.
Bismillah, a'udhu bi'izzatillahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir.
When to Read
This powerful dua is recommended to be recited before sleeping, especially if one experiences or fears sleep paralysis. It's a general protection dua that can be used for any physical discomfort or fear experienced during sleep.
How to Read
Recite this dua with sincerity and conviction, focusing on the meaning of seeking Allah's protection. Placing your hand on the area of discomfort while reciting can also be a way to focus your intention. It's best recited just before drifting off to sleep.
Virtues & Benefits
This supplication directly addresses seeking Allah's protection from any perceived or real harm encountered during sleep. By invoking Allah's might ('Izzah) and power (Qudrah), the believer acknowledges that only He can provide true safety. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this specific wording to address 'the evil of what I find and what I fear,' making it directly relevant to the unsettling experience of sleep paralysis.
Source & Authentication
Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach them (his companions) to say at the time of sleep: 'O Allah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, Lord of the Great Throne, our Lord and the Lord of all things, the One who splits the grain of the seed and the stone, the One who revealed the Torah and the Injil and the Criterion (Quran), I seek refuge in You from the evil of every evil concerning which You seize the forelock. O Allah, You are the First, there is nothing before You; You are the Last, there is nothing after You; You are the apparent, there is nothing above You; You are the Hidden, there is nothing below You. Settle our debt and enrich us from poverty. (In another version: 'O Allah, judge us justly. Verily We ask You for the strength to bear calamities, and ask You for the reward after death, and ask You for the desire to look at Your Face, and ask You for the longing to meet You, and we seek refuge in You from distress in this world and in the Hereafter, O Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, Lord of the Great Throne, verily we ask You for Paradise and whatever brings us closer to it, in word or deed, and we seek refuge in You from the Fire and whatever brings us closer to it, in word or deed. And we ask You that whatever You decree for us to be good, make us able to attain it, and the best of that which we ask of You is to grant us well-being in this world and the Hereafter, and the best of what we ask of You is to grant us well-being in our religion and our worldly affairs, and our family and our wealth. O Allah, conceal our weaknesses and make us feel secure from our fears.') And when he went to bed, he would say: 'O Allah, I submit myself to You, and turn my face to You, and delegate my affairs to You, and turn my back to You in hope and fear of You. There is no refuge or sanctuary from You except towards You. I believe in Your Book which You revealed and in Your Prophet whom You sent.' It is related on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'If one of you fears the onset of sleep paralysis, let him say: 'Bismillah, a'udhu bi'izzatillahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhir' (In the name of Allah, I seek refuge in Allah's might and His power from the evil of what I find and what I fear).' He said: 'For if he says that, it will go away from him.'