The 365 · Sunnah · Day 79 · Sleep
Reciting the Prophetic Duʿāʾ When Unable to Sleep
The hadith
اللَّهُمَّ غَارَتِ النُّجُومُ، وَهَدَأَتِ الْعُيُونُ، وَأَنْتَ حَيٌّ قَيَّومٌ، يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيَّومُ، أَهْدِئْ لَيْلِي، وَأَنِمْ عَيْنِي
Khālid ibn al-Walīd ra. complained to the Prophet ﷺ that he could not sleep at night. The Prophet ﷺ taught him: 'Allāhumma ghārati an-nujūm, wa-hadaʺti al-ʿuyūn, wa-anta Ḥayyun Qayyūm, lā taʾkhudhuka sinatun wa-lā nawm, yā Ḥayyu yā Qayyūm, ahdiʾ laylī, wa-anim ʿaynī.' (Ṭabarānī, classed ḥasan by some.)
Svenska: Khalid ibn al-Walid ra. klagade till Profeten ﷺ att han inte kunde sova. Profeten ﷺ lärde honom att säga: 'Allahumma gharati an-nujum, wa hada'ati al-'uyun, wa anta Hayyun Qayyum...'
Tabarani, Imam Malik, Ibn as-Sunni (Khālid ibn al-Walīd)
The story
Khālid ibn al-Walīd ra., Sayfullāh al-Maslūl (the Drawn Sword of Allah), suffered from insomnia at some point. He came to the Prophet ﷺ for help. The Prophet ﷺ taught him this duʿāʾ. Even the famous warrior of Islam needed help with sleep, and the Prophet ﷺ provided the specific cure. The hadith is operationally encouraging.
Why it's here
The Prophet ﷺ provided a specific duʿāʾ for difficulty sleeping. Theological structure: it acknowledges Allah's al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm names (the Living, the Self-Sustaining) as the One who does not sleep; then asks Him to grant the believer the rest that He Himself does not need. The contrast (Allah does not sleep; the believer needs to) is the foundation: the believer's sleep is a divine gift, granted by the Sleep-Free One.
Try it today
1. Memorize the duʿāʾ. About 30 seconds. 2. When unable to sleep, recite with presence. 3. Pair with the bedtime adhkār package (Day 71). 4. If still unable to sleep, recite Sūrat al-Mulk (Day 55), the last two verses of al-Baqarah, and āyat al-kursī.
In your day
Modern insomnia (screen-time, anxiety, irregular schedules) responds to this duʿāʾ. Pair with practical sleep-hygiene (no screens 1 hour before bed, regular schedule, dim lighting). Operationally effective.
A reflection to carry
The duʿāʾ for difficulty sleeping (Khālid ibn al-Walīd): 'Allāhumma ghārati an-nujūm, wa-hadaʾati al-ʿuyūn, wa-anta Ḥayyun Qayyūm, lā taʾkhudhuka sinatun wa-lā nawm, yā Ḥayyu yā Qayyūm, ahdiʾ laylī, wa-anim ʿaynī.' The Prophet ﷺ taught this to Khālid for insomnia.
Read the longer reflection
The theological structure: it acknowledges Allah's al-Ḥayy al-Qayyūm names as the One who does not sleep; then asks Him to grant the believer the rest that He Himself does not need. The contrast (Allah does not sleep; the believer needs to) is the foundation. Cure: memorize; about 30 seconds to recite; recite when unable to sleep; pair with the bedtime adhkār package; if still unable to sleep, recite Sūrat al-Mulk and āyat al-kursi. Modern insomnia (often caused by screen-time, anxiety) responds to this duʿāʾ especially when paired with practical sleep-hygiene.
Sources: Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
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