Why Does a Muslim Begin the Day with the Remembrance of Allah?

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Shaytan ties three knots at the back of the head of one of you when he sleeps. He strikes each knot, saying: You have a long night, so sleep. If he wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is untied. If he performs wudu, another knot is untied. If he prays, another knot is untied, and he wakes up energetic and in good spirits. Otherwise, he wakes up in bad spirits and lazy.”

Agreed upon.

The hadith shows that remembering Allah at the beginning of wakefulness is a means of resisting the laziness of Shaytan, and that combining remembrance, wudu, and prayer is among the causes of energy and a good state of heart. The “back of the head” means its rear, and we believe what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us of without overburdening ourselves with how it occurs.

First: The Most Well-Known Dhikr When Waking Up

When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went to bed, he would say: “In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.” And when he woke up, he would say:

“Alhamdu lillah alladhi ahyana ba‘da ma amatana wa ilayhi al-nushur.”

“Praise be to Allah who gave us life after He caused us to die, and to Him is the resurrection.”

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

The meaning of “gave us life after He caused us to die” is that Allah returned life and wakefulness to us after sleep, which resembles death. The meaning of “and to Him is the resurrection” is that resurrection after death and return for reckoning and recompense are to Allah.

This dhikr is said once when waking up; no additional number is authentically established for it.

Second: Praising Allah for Well-Being, Returning the Soul, and Permission to Remember Him

It is authentically reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said that the one who wakes up says:

“Alhamdu lillah alladhi ‘afani fi jasadi, wa radda ‘alayya ruhi, wa adhina li bidhikrih.”

“Praise be to Allah who granted me well-being in my body, returned my soul to me, and permitted me to remember Him.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan hadith; it was also narrated by al-Nasa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra, and al-Albani graded it authentic.

This supplication gathers praise for three great blessings: bodily well-being, the return of the soul after sleep, and being granted success to remember Allah. A Muslim may say this dhikr or the previous one, and there is no harm in saying both, because both are authentically reported. But he should not believe that combining them or arranging one after the other is a specific Sunnah.

Third: What Is Said When Waking Up During the Night

Ubadah ibn al-Samit, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Whoever wakes up during the night and says: La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir. Alhamdu lillah, wa subhan Allah, wa la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Then he says: Allahumma ighfir li, or he supplicates, he will be answered. If he performs wudu and prays, his prayer will be accepted.”

“There is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. Praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah, there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, Allah is greatest, and there is no might nor power except with Allah. O Allah, forgive me.”

Narrated by al-Bukhari.

The meaning of “wakes up during the night” is that a person wakes from sleep at night with awareness, movement, or sound. This dhikr is a great opportunity for the one who wakes at night. He begins with tawhid, glorification, praise, magnification, and saying “la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah,” then seeks forgiveness or supplicates for whatever he wishes of the good of this world and the Hereafter.

This is not limited to someone who wakes for Fajr. Rather, it is said when a person wakes from sleep at night. It should be said with presence of heart and sincerity, while avoiding the barriers to having supplication answered.

Another Dhikr When Turning Over or Waking During the Night

Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stirred during the night, he would say:

“La ilaha illa Allah al-wahid al-qahhar, Rabb al-samawati wa al-ardi wa ma baynahuma, al-‘aziz al-ghaffar.”

“There is no god worthy of worship except Allah, the One, the Subduer, Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, the Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.”

Narrated by al-Nasa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra, Ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim. Al-Hakim and al-Albani graded it authentic. Abu Hatim and Abu Zur‘ah considered it defective and held that the correct view is that it is from the statement of ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, not from the words of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. So the hadith is differed over regarding whether it is raised to the Prophet, and it is not agreed upon among the hadith scholars.

The meaning of “stirred” is that he turned or moved in his bed while waking up. Whoever follows the authentication of those who authenticated it may say it. Whoever limits himself to the more firmly established raised narrations, foremost among them the dhikr of “whoever wakes up during the night,” has taken the stronger course.

Practical Sunnahs When Waking Up

Using the Siwak When Rising at Night

Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, rose at night, he would clean his mouth with the siwak.”

Agreed upon.

The meaning is that he would rub and clean his mouth with the siwak. This is established when rising at night, especially for tahajjud, reciting Quran, and prayer.

Washing the Hands Before Placing Them in a Vessel

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“When one of you wakes up from sleep, he should not dip his hand into the vessel until he washes it three times, for he does not know where his hand spent the night.”

Narrated by Muslim, and the basis of the hadith is in al-Bukhari.

The hadith relates to placing the hand into a vessel of water, and it shows care for purification and cleanliness.

Blowing Water from the Nose Three Times During Wudu After Sleep

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“When one of you wakes from sleep and performs wudu, let him blow water from his nose three times, for Shaytan spends the night on his nose.”

Agreed upon.

The khayshum is the nose. So the Muslim draws water into the nose and then blows it out three times during wudu, in obedience to the Sunnah.

What Should Someone Do If He Wakes Because of a Bad Dream?

A righteous dream is from Allah, and a disliked dream is from Shaytan. Whoever sees something he dislikes should follow the Sunnah:

1. Lightly spit or blow dryly to his left three times.
2. Seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan three times, and seek refuge in Allah from the evil of what he saw.
3. Turn away from the side on which he was lying.
4. Not tell anyone about the disliked dream.
5. Get up and pray if that is easy for him.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“If one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit to his left three times, seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan three times, and turn away from the side on which he was lying.”

Narrated by Muslim.

He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said regarding a disliked dream:

“Let him seek refuge in Allah from its evil and not mention it to anyone, for it will not harm him.”

Agreed upon.

And he, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“If one of you sees what he dislikes, let him get up and pray, and let him not tell people about it.”

Narrated by Muslim.

It is not from the Sunnah to become preoccupied with interpreting every bad dream or spreading it among people. Rather, the Muslim acts upon the prophetic guidance and turns away from it.

A Short Practical Order After Waking Up

1. Begin immediately by saying: “Alhamdu lillah alladhi ahyana ba‘da ma amatana wa ilayhi al-nushur.”
2. You may also say: “Alhamdu lillah alladhi ‘afani fi jasadi, wa radda ‘alayya ruhi, wa adhina li bidhikrih,” without believing that combining them or arranging them in a specific order is required.
3. If waking up during the night, be keen on the dhikr of “whoever wakes up during the night,” then seek forgiveness and supplicate to Allah.
4. If you rise for tahajjud or prayer, use the siwak or clean your mouth, then perform wudu and pray.
5. If it is Fajr time, do not become distracted by the phone or anything else from the prayer, then preserve the morning adhkar in their time.

Common Mistakes

1. Beginning the day with the phone before remembering Allah and praying.
2. Believing that the waking-up dhikr is said only after night sleep, even though the wording of the hadith is general for waking from sleep.
3. Repeating the waking-up dhikr a specific number of times without evidence.
4. Mixing the athkar of waking up with the morning adhkar and believing that one replaces the other.
5. Specifying a surah or verse to recite every time one wakes up without authentic evidence.
6. Spreading bad dreams and seeking their interpretation, even though the Sunnah is to turn away from them and not narrate them.
7. Believing that the athkar of waking up are obligatory. The correct view is that they are a great Sunnah; whoever leaves them does not sin, but misses their virtue.