Tahzeeb-ul-islam (islamic Ettiquettes)

Etiquette of Sleeping, Reciting Do'as at the Time of Sleeping and Seeing Dreams

1. Timings of sleep:

It should be remembered that sleeping from early hours of the morning till the rise of the sun, between Maghrib and Isha (night prayer) and after Namaz-e-Asr (afternoon prayer) is makrooh. However, sleeping is sunnat before Namaz-e-Zohr during summer and also between Zohr and Asr.

According to another reliable tradition, if one recites extra prayers (Taqeebat) after Namaz-e-Subh (morning prayers) and sleeps just before sunrise, it is not harmful. Another tradition states that Imam Reza (a.s.) asked a man to meet him after the sun has risen completely as he slept just after his morning prayers.

According to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), the earth complains to God on the basis of three things; firstly on blood-shed without any justice, secondly when the water falls on the earth while taking bath after committing adultery and thirdly when a person is sleeping before sunrise.

According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), sleeping during morning hours is a source of loss of income, plain, of complexion ugliness. Sleeping at such hours is undesirable because God distributes food. One should never sleep at that time for Bani Israel used to receive roasted chicken and Trinjabeen at that time and the sleeping one never used to receive his share.

According to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), a person who sits on the prayer-mat during those hours will be saved by God from the fire of hell; and another tradition states that that person will receive the reward of a (sunnat) Haj of Ka'aba and his sins will be forgiven.

According to Hazrat Imam Mohammed Baqir (a.s.), sleeping in the early hours of the morning is foolish, sleeping in the afternoon is a blessing and it is harmful to sleep after Asr and sleeping between Maghrib and Isha is depriving oneself of the daily bread.

Another tradition states that a person entered the presence of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and said that his memory was getting worse and he is forgetting everyting easily. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) pointed out that he has left midday nap and the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) bade him to do as he used to do before and his memory would improve.

2. To do ablution (wuzoo) before sleep:

According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), when a person performs wuzoo before lying on bed, his bed becomes as good as a mosque. If one forgets to perform wuzoo and remembers afterwards, then he can perform tayammum on the sheet with which he is covering himself. If after this form of purification and before going to bed he thinks and praises God until he is asleep, then his sleep will be as good as prayer.

According to Hazrat Ali (a.s.), a muslim should not sleep in the state of janabat and without wuzoo. If water is not available for bathing or wuzoo, then one should perform tayammum as the spirit of the momin travels towards Heaven while he is sleeping and according to its cleanliness and purification it is received by God. It is blessed and rewarded by God. And if

he dies while sleeping, then he gets a place in the blessings of God. If he is alive, then God sends angels to guard him.

According to another tradition, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) asked his followers that who amongst them kept fasts all the year round. Hazrat Salman-e-Farsi replied that he fasted all the year round. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) questioned who had spent his nights in prayers, being awake all through. Again Salman replied that he was the man in accordance with the description. Then, looking at all the assembled companions, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) asked who reads one Quran every day. All kept quiet except Salman who replied in the affirmative. One of the assembled was furious at Salman and said to others that Salman is showing off and lieing as he had seen Salman many a days not observing fast, many a nights sleeping instead of praying and also not completing a Quran each day. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) intervened and said that Salman is like Lukman (Soloman the Great) and whosoever doubts him should question him directly and he would reply. Then he immediately questioned Salman and Salman gave the following answer; every month he fasted on 13th, 14th and 15th. God has said that he will reward ten times any good act; therefore, his three fasts are equal to thirty fasts and in this manner he fasts for one month it will be like keeping fasts all the year round. Besides, he fasted all through the month of Shaban and Ramzan in this way he keeps more fasts when each fast will be multiplied by ten. And about being awake at night and praying, he had heard from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) that sleeping with wuzoo is equal to being awake at night and praying all the while; and about reading one complete Quran each day, he had heard from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) that reciting three Sura-e-Tauheed (chapter 112) is equal to reciting one Quran. He heard the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) saying to Hazrat Ali (a.s.) that Ali (a.s.) and his followers are like Sura-e-Tauheed in the Quran. When a person recites Sura-e-Tauheed once it is like reciting one third of the Quran, if he recites it twice, it is like reciting two third of the Quran and if he recites three times, it is like reciting the whole of the Quran. Then the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) continued that a person who is just a verbal friend of Hazrat Ali (a.s.), his faith will be only one third complete; the person who is literally as well as from his heart a friend of Hazrat Ali (a.s.), then his faith is two third complete; whereas a person who is not only a literal and true friend of Hazrat Ali (a.s.), but also practically follows Hazrat Ali (a.s.), his faith is complete. If all those on earth were as friendly towards Hazrat Ali (a.s.) as the Shias, then God would not have put any being to trial or punish them.

3. Etiquettes to be observed before sleeping and the place of sleeping:

According to reliable traditions, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has cursed three types of people:

a) Those who eat alone

b) Those who travel alone

c) Those who sleep in an empty house

The probability in the last case is that the man who sleeps alone will go mad on account of fear.

According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), a person who is forced by circumstances to sleep alone in a desert or a house should recite the following prayer before going to sleep:

‘O Allah be my friend in depression and anxiety and help me in my loneliness.’

According to another reliable tradition from Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), sleeping alone on the roof of the house is prohibited and also on that roof which has no encircling walls. This applies both to men and women. When people asked him whether it was permissible to sleep on a roof having wall on three sides, he replied in the negative and said that walls should be on all the four sides of the rood. In certain traditions the height for these walls was ascertained. Some state it as 2 yards and others as 1¼ yards.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has warned that hands should not be dirty or full of food particles while going to sleep as, in that case, shaitan overbomes and it is probable that that man may get mad and in that case he himself is to be blamed. He also asked children's faces to be washed before they went to sleep as otherwise shaitan will smell their hands and frighten them.

Many reliable traditions state that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had asked the beds to be cleaned and sweeped before going to bed as any hidden harmful animal (insect) which is roosting inside the bed may be thrown out and the person becomes safe from any harm.

4. Complete manners of sleeping:

It is sunnat to sleep inclined on the right side and facing Qibla and the right hand should be kept under the face. Sleeping inclined towards the left side is makhrooh.

According to Hazrat Ali (a.s.) there are four ways of sleeping. When the prophets slees, their eyes are not closed but are awaiting revelation from the Almighty God. Momins or the pious sleep inclined toward right side and facing Qibla (west); wordly kings and princes sleep inclined towards the left side that the food they have eated may be digested; and Shaitan and those who follow him sleep on their stomachs, flat.

In another tradition he (a.s.) prohibits sleeping, lying on one's stomach and to awake those persons who sleep in such a manner and not to let them sleep like that. He even requested the people to sleep with their right hand under the right side of their face as one never knows whether he will ever wake up.

Besides this many other traditions have extolled the rewards or benefits of sleeping towards the right and prohibited sleeping inclined towards the left.

5. The verses and prayers meant to be recited before going to bed:

According to a Hadees from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) one has to lye in the bed with his right hand with his right side of his face then he should recite the following prayer:

I begin with the name of Allah, Oh Allah I have my life unto Your care, turn my face towards You, hand over my work unto You I am afraid only of You and seek Your good will Only on You I depend for my salvation and

towards You for refuge. I have brought faith on the Book which You have sent and the apostle which You have made prophet.

After this he should recite Tasbeeh-e-Hazrat Fatima (a.s.)

Another tradition states that the Imam (a.s.) has asked the following do'a to be recited with punctuality before going to bed and never to miss it.

I safeguard my life, the life of my wife and children and my property with complete wordings of Allah from every devil, harmful animal and black eye.

This prayer was recited by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) on Hasnain (a.s.) for their protection.

According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.) one should recite Qool ya Ayyohal Kaferoon and Qool Howal-laho Ahad before going to sleep as the former deals with repulsion and fatigue from polytheism and the latter express (Tauhid) Oneness of God.

‘In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful Say thou (O'Our Apostle Muhammad!) "O'ye who disbelieve! I worship not what ye worship Nor worship ye Whome I worship Nor shall I worship whome ye worship. Nor will worships ye Whom I worship. Unto ye be your religion, and unto me my religion."

‘In the name of God the Beneficent, the Merciful Say "He, God, is ONE (alone). God, the Needless, He begetteh not, nor is He Begotten And there is none like unto Him."

Another tradition states that if a man after being in bed recited:

‘All praise is for Allah who is All-elevated and Almighty and all praise is for Him only, Who, though hidden Himself, is well aware of everything; and all praise is for that Allah who raises up the dead and makes the living die; and He holds power over everything.’

then he will be purified of his sins like a newborn baby just born of his mother.

According to Imam Reza (a.s.), a person who recites Ayatul Kursi:

‘God there is no God but He, the (Ever) living, the self-subsistent. Slumber seizeth Him not nor sleep; His it is whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth; who is he that can intercede with Him but with His permission; He knoweth what is before them and what is behind them, while they cannot comprehend anything out of His knowledge save that which He willeth. His Throne extendeth over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both, tireth Him not, and He is the Most High and Most Great. No compulsion be in religion; indeed truth has been made manifest distinct from error; therefore he who disbelieveth the rebels (false deties) and believeth in God hath indeed laid hold on the strongest handle no break is for it; and verily God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Allah is the Guardian of those who believe; He taketh them but of darkness into light; and those who disbelievel the rebels are their guardians, they take out from light to darkness; they are the companions of the (Hell) fire, therein shall they abide.’

before going to bed, will be safe from paralysis.

According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), if a person recites Surae Yaseen before going to bed, God will send one thousand angels to guard him from the mischief of shaitan or any other harm.

According to Imam Mohammed Baqir (a.s.), a person who recites Surae Waqaya (chaper 56) every night before he goes to bed will have a face shining like the full moon of the fourteenth night, on the Day of Judgement.

According to another tradition from him, no scorpion or insect will bite the person who will recite the following Doa at night:

‘I seek shelter from that sting which has been evil and from the mischief of all those things which walk over the earth and Allah only is aware of their destiny. I seek shelter through the Words (Kalema) of Allah whose power no good or bad thing can escape. There is no doubt that my Allah is the right path. Undoubtedly, Allah has restrained the Heaven and the earth from deterioration and if they deteriorate, is there anyone who can check them? Undoubtedly, Allah is Almighty and Forgiver.’

According to Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), a person who recites:

‘There is no God but one Allah.’

ten times while going to sleep will have a house in heaven for him, made by God. And a person who recites a hundred times will be washed of all his sins as the leaves fall down from a tree.

According to another reliable tradition from Imam Ja'far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), a person who recites the Sura of Qool Howallaho Ahad (Sura Tauheed) seven times before going to bed will have all his sins forgiven and his neighbours will be safe from any harm; and if he recites this sura hundred times then all the sins which he may commit during the next fifty years (in nature) will be forgiven.

Another tradition from the Imam (a.s.) states that if a person recites the following do'a before going to bed.

Oh Allah I hold you witness unto me that you have made the love of Hazrat Ali Ibne Abi Talib, Hasan and Husain Ibne Ali, Ali Ibnul Husain, Muhammad Ibne Ali, Ja'far Ibne Muhammad, Moosa Ibne Ja'far, Ali Ibne Moosa, Muhammad Ibne Ali, Ali Ibne Muhammad, Hassan Ibne Ali and Hujjat-e-Qaem incumbent on me.

and dies during the night, then he will enter heaven.

According to a reliable tradition from Hazrat Ali Ibnul Husian (a.s.) a person who recites the following prayer while going to bed will be freed from poverty and worry and will be safe from the insects and animals who bite:

‘Oh Allah You are the first before Whom nothing even existed and You are Almight and well revered and nothing is greater than You and Your are Hidden though there is nothing that is not known to You and You are such a 'Last' after which nothing will exist. On Allah who cherishes! made Taurait, Injeel and Zaboor and the wisdom of the Quran keep me safe from the mischief of all those things which crawl on the earth, the destiny of which you alone know; I seek refuge with You only Who undoubtedly is right path.’