This opens the Book of the etiquette of sleeping, lying and sitting, and it begins where the believer's day ends: at the pillow. The chapter gathers the words the Prophet said as he lay down, treating sleep itself as a small death and an act of worship rather than an empty pause.
Across these hadith a single posture recurs, lying on the right side, alongside du'as of total surrender (the Arabic aslamtu, I have submitted) and trust. Notice the recurring theme: a believer hands himself over to Allah before sleeping, fills the moment with His remembrance, and avoids heedless or unbecoming ways of lying down.
Hadith 813
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
عن البراء بن عازب رضى الله عنهما قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ِإذا أوى إلى فراشه نام على شقه الأيمن، ثم قال: " اللهم أسلمت نفسي إليك، ووجهت وجهي إليك، وفوضت أمري إليك، وألجأت ظهري إليك، رغبة ورهبة إليك، لا ملجأ ولا منجى منك إلا إليك. آمنت بكتابك الذي أنزلت . ونبيك الذي أرسلت" . ((رواه البخاري بهذا اللفظ في كتاب الأدب من صحيحه))
Whenever Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went to bed, he would lie down on his right side and recite: "Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilaika, wa wajjahtu wajhi ilaika, wa fawwadtu amri ilaika, wa 'alja'tu zahri ilaika, raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika, la malja'a wa la manja illa ilaika. Amantu bikitabikal-ladhi anzalta, wa nabiyyikal-ladhi arsalta [O Allah! I have submitted myself to You, I have turned my face to You, committed my affairs to You, and depend on You for protection out of desire for You and out of fear of You (expecting Your reward and fearing Your punishment). There is no refuge and no place of safety from You but with You. I believed in the Book You have revealed, and in the Prophet You have sent (i.e., Muhammad (ﷺ)).]" [Al-Bukhari].
In plain words
A bedtime prayer the Prophet said as he lay on his right side, handing himself fully over to Allah out of hope and fear, and affirming his faith in the revealed Book and the Prophet sent. It models ending the day in trust and surrender.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 813 In-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 1
Hadith 814
Al-Bara' bin 'Azib (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعنه قال: قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "إذا أتيت مضجعك فتوضأ وضوءك للصلاة، ثم اضطجع على شقك الأيمن ، وقل ... " وذكر نحوهن وفيه: " واجعلهن آخر ما تقول" ((متفق عليه)).
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) directed me thus: "Whenever you go to bed, perform Wudu' as you do for Salat then (before sleeping) recite: 'O Allah! I have submitted myself to You, I have turned myself to You, committed my affairs to You and sought Your refuge for protection out of desire for You and fear of You (expecting Your reward and fearing Your punishment). There is no refuge and no place of safety from You but with You. I believe in the Book You have revealed and in the Prophet (ﷺ) You have sent."' Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) added: "If anyone recites these words and dies during the night, he will die on the true Deen, and if he remains alive till the morning, he will obtain good. And make this supplication your last words (before sleeping)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
He taught making wudu before bed and reciting this prayer of surrender as the last words spoken. Whoever does so and dies in the night dies upon true faith, and if he wakes, good awaits him.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 814 In-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 2
Hadith 815
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
وعن عائشة رضى الله عنها قالت: كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يصلى من الليل إحدى عشرا ركعة، فإذا طلع الفجر صلى ركعتين خفيفتين ، ثم اضطجع على شقه الأيمن حتى يجئ المؤذن فيؤذنه ((متفق عليه)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to offer eleven Rak'ah of optional Salat (prayers) in the latter part of night. When it was about dawn, he would offer two short Rak'ah and then would lie down on his right side till the Mu'adhdhin (one who calls for prayer) would come to inform him that the congregation had gathered (for prayer). [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
After his night prayers and two short units near dawn, the Prophet would lie on his right side until called for the congregation. It shows resting on the right side as his consistent practice.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 815 In-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 3
Hadith 816
Hudhaifah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن حذيفة رضى الله عنه قال:كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا أخذ مضجعه من الليل وضع يده تحت خده، ثم يقول: "اللهم باسمك أموت وأحيا" وإذا استيقظ قال: "الحمد لله الذي أحيانا بعد ما أماتنا وإليه النشور" ((رواه البخاري)).
Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) lay down for sleep at night, he would place his (right) hand under his (right) cheek and supplicate: "Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya [O Allah, with Your Name will I die and live (wake up)]." And when he woke up, he would supplicate: "Al-hamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana, wa ilaihin-nushur (All praise is due to Allah, Who has brought us back to life after He has caused us to die, and to Him is the return)." [Al-Bukhari].
In plain words
Going to sleep, the Prophet placed his hand under his cheek and committed his dying and living to Allah's Name; on waking he praised Allah for restoring life and recalled the return to Him. Sleeping and waking are framed as small reminders of death and resurrection.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 816 In-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 4
Hadith 817
Ya'ish bin Tikhfah Al-Ghifari (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن يعيش بن طخفة الغفارى رضى الله عنه قال: قال أبى: بينما أنا مضطجع في المسجد على بطني إذا رجل يحركني برجله فقال: "إن هذه ضجعة يبغضها الله" قال: فنظرت ، فإذا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح)).
My father said: I was lying down on my belly in the mosque when someone shook me with his foot and said, "Lying down this way is disapproved by Allah." I looked up and saw that it was Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
The Prophet corrected a man for lying face down, calling that posture displeasing to Allah. A simple lesson on how even the way we lie down can be disliked.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 817 In-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 5
Hadith 818
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه ، عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " من قعد مقعداً لم يذكر الله تعالى فيه،كانت عليه من الله تعالى ترة، ومن اضطجع مضجعاً لا يذكر الله تعالى فيه، كانت عليه من الله ترة" ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد حسن)). "الترة" بكسر التاء المثناة من فوق، وهي: النقص، وقيل: التبعة.
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever sits in a place where he does not remember Allah (SWT), he will suffer loss and incur displeasure of Allah; and whoever lies down (to sleep) in a place where he does not remember Allah, he will suffer sorrow and incur displeasure of Allah." [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
Sitting or lying down without remembering Allah leaves a person with loss, sorrow, and His displeasure. It urges us to keep Allah in mind even in our resting moments.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 818 In-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 6