Sunnah Ruqyah Before Sleeping

Sayyidah Aishah (Allah is pleased with her) narrates, “Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to bed, he used to blow on his hands while reciting the Mu’auwwidhat and then pass his hands over his body.” [Saheeh Bukhari, hadith 6319]

Definition of Al-Mu’awwidhat: The prayers/duas that provide protection.

Mu’auwwidhat are: Surah Al-Ikhlas #112, Surah Al-Falaq #113 and Surah An-Naas #114.

Sayyidah Aishah (Allah is pleased with her) narrates, “Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to bed, he used to recite {قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَد} and Al-Mu’auwwidhatayn (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) and then blow into his palms and pass them over his face and those parts of his body that his hands could reach. And when he fell ill, he used to order me to do like that for him.” Yunus reports, “I saw my (hadith ustadh) Ibn Shihab do the same when he would go to bed.” [Saheeh Bukhari, hadith 5748]

It was the noble practice of our Beloved Prophet ﷺ that every night, he would:

– Recite the last three surahs, Surah Al-Ikhlas #112, Surah Al-Falaq #113 and Surah An-Naas #114
– After reciting these three surahs he would bring his palms together (as it is done when engaged in dua) and blow into it.
– Thereafter, he would pass his blessed hands over his clothing on his entire body as far as he could reach. He would begin from his blessed face and head and work his way down the front of his body, followed by passing his hands over the back of his blessed body.

He would do the above three times.
[Ash- Shamaa’il al-Muhammadiyyah, hadith 257]

Commentary of the Scholars of Hadith (Muhadditheen)

The above practice is a sunnah of our Beloved Prophet ﷺ. He did this when he was healthy and sick. During his last few days in this world, he could not recite on his own, so Sayyidah Aishah (Allah is pleased with her) would recite the surahs for him and blow into his blessed palms. After that she would take his hands and pass it over his body.

Imam Bukhari (Allah have mercy on him) has written this hadith in the Chapter of Medicine. This practice is also a form of ruqyah.

Blowing into the palm of the hands would not be a dry blow but with tiny droplets of saliva.

This sunnah practice repels calamities. It is a protection from the effects of black magic, devilish whispers and nightmares.

by Mawlana Mushtaq Shaikh