بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا، بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
By Your name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and by Your name I raise it. If You keep my soul, have mercy on it. If You send it back, protect it with what You protect Your righteous servants.
Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi, wa bika arfa'uhu. In amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfadha bima tahfazu bihi 'ibadakas-salihin.
When to Read
This is a comprehensive dua to recite just before you fall asleep. It encompasses asking Allah for protection and mercy over your soul while you are in the vulnerable state of sleep.
How to Read
Recite this dua with sincerity and a heart full of trust in Allah. It's best recited when lying down in bed, ready to sleep. Ensure you are in a state of ritual purity if possible, though the Prophet ﷺ taught this dua as a means of seeking protection even in the state of readiness for sleep.
Virtues & Benefits
This dua is profound because it acknowledges Allah's complete sovereignty over our lives, even during sleep. By asking Him to 'keep my soul' and 'have mercy on it' or 'send it back' and 'protect it,' we are entrusting our very existence to Him. It's a recognition that sleep is a form of temporary death and that our waking is entirely dependent on Allah's will. The concluding phrase, 'with what You protect Your righteous servants,' asks for a standard of care reserved for those closest to Him, a beautiful expression of seeking the highest level of divine protection.
Source & Authentication
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, when going to bed, used to say: 'Bismika Rabbi wada'tu janbi, wa bika arfa'uhu. In amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfadha bima tahfazu bihi 'ibadakas-salihin.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6320).