The 365 · Sunnah · Day 80 · Sleep
Reciting the Prophetic Duʿāʾ for Protection from Recurring Nightmares
The hadith
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ، وَشَرَّ عِبَادِهِ، وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ
The Prophet ﷺ taught Khālid ibn al-Walīd this duʿāʾ when he complained of waking with a start in the night and being terrified: 'Aʿūdhu bi-kalimāti-llāhi at-tāmmāt min ghaḍabihi wa-ʿiqābihi, wa-sharri ʿibādihi, wa-min hamazāti ash-shayāṭīn wa-an yaḥḍurūn.' (Tirmidhī 3528, Abū Dāwūd 3893, ḥasan, ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb.)
Svenska: Profeten ﷺ lärde Khalid ibn al-Walid en du'a när han klagade över att vakna upp förskräckt på natten: 'A'udhu bi-kalimat Allahi at-tammat min ghadabihi wa 'iqabihi, wa sharri 'ibadihi, wa min hamazat ash-shayatin wa an yahdurun.'
Tirmidhī 3528, Abū Dāwūd 3893, Sahih Muslim 780
The story
Khālid ibn al-Walīd ra., the same Companion who came for the insomnia-duʿāʾ, also came for the nightmare-duʿāʾ. Khālid recited the duʿāʾ regularly afterward and reported that the nightmares ceased. The classical scholars wrote that this duʿāʾ is operationally severe in protection-scope: internal psychological disturbances (anger, punishment) and external shayṭānic disturbances (whisperings, presence).
Why it's here
The Prophet ﷺ provided a specific duʿāʾ for recurring fearful dreams or terror-waking. Comprehensive structure: refuge from four categories: Allah's anger, Allah's punishment, the evil of His creatures, and the shayāṭīn's whisperings and presence. The four categories together cover the realistic threats. The classical scholars considered this duʿāʾ one of the strongest protection-formulas in the Sunnah.
Try it today
1. Memorize the duʿāʾ. About 20 seconds. 2. Recite at bedtime as part of the bedtime adhkār package (Day 71). 3. If you wake from a nightmare, recite immediately. 4. Apply the bad-dream protocol (Day 74): spit three times to the left, seek refuge, do not tell anyone. 5. If nightmares persist, increase istighfār (Day 83), check sleep environment, recite Sūrat al-Baqarah (Muslim 780).
In your day
Recurring nightmares often relate to anxiety, trauma, or sleep-environment factors. Pair the duʿāʾ with operational checks: reduce horror-content exposure, maintain sleep-hygiene, address anxiety-sources during the day. The duʿāʾ is the structural spiritual protection; the operational checks address the asbāb.
A reflection to carry
The duʿāʾ for recurring nightmares (Khālid ibn al-Walīd): 'Aʿūdhu bi-kalimāti-llāhi at-tāmmāt min ghaḍabihi wa-ʿiqābihi, wa-sharri ʿibādihi, wa-min hamazāti ash-shayāṭīn wa-an yaḥḍurūn.' (Tirmidhī 3528.)
Read the longer reflection
The four-fold refuge: Allah's anger, Allah's punishment, the evil of His servants, the shayāṭīn's whisperings and presence. The classical scholars considered this duʿāʾ one of the strongest protection-formulas in the Sunnah. Khālid recited it regularly and reported the nightmares ceased. Cure: memorize; recite at bedtime as part of the bedtime adhkār package; if you wake from a nightmare, recite immediately; pair with the bad-dream protocol (Day 74). Modern recurring nightmares often relate to anxiety or trauma; pair the duʿāʾ with operational checks (reduce horror-content exposure, address anxiety-sources).
Sources: Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Sahih Muslim. 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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