The Prophet's guidance regarding sleep, waking up, and visions

The Prophet's guidance regarding sleep, waking up, and visions[1]

1- He used to sleep on mattresses, leather rugs, mats, on the ground, and on bed. His mattress as well as his pillow were made of leather filled with fiber.

2- He never slept more than needed and did not stop himself from the needed hours of sleep.

3- He used to sleep the early part of the night and wake up the last portion.

4- When he was in a journey and wanted to take a rest at night, he would sleep on his right side and when he wanted to have rest before morning, he would stretch his arm and put his head on his hand.

5- When he slept, nobody would wake him up, but he would wake up himself.

Only his eyes slept but his heart was not.

6- When he went to sleep at night, he would say: "with Your Name Allah I live or die." Moreover, he would gather his hands and blew in them and recited Al Mu`awwidhatayn (Surahs Al-Falaq and Al-Nas) and Surat Al Ikhlas then wipe as much as he can of his body, starting with his head and face then the front of his body (thrice).

7– He used to sleep on his right side, place his hand under his right cheek, then would say: "O Allah! save me from Your Torment on the day when You resurrect Your Servants." He said to some of his Companions: "Whenever you go to bed perform ablution like that for the prayer, lie or your right side and say: "Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa fauwadtu amri ilaika, wa alja’tu Zahri ilaika raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika. La Malja’ wa la manja minka illa ilaika. Allahumma amantu bikitabika-l- ladhi anzalta wa bina-biyika- l ladhi arsalta" (O Allah! I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to You and depend upon You for Your Blessings both with hope and fear of You. There is no fleeing from You, and there is no place of protection and safety except with You O Allah! I believe in Your Book (the Qur’an) which You have revealed and in Your Prophet (Muhammad) whom You have sent." Then if you die on that very night, you will die with faith (i.e. or the religion of Islam). Let the aforesaid words be your last utterance (before sleep)."

8- When he woke up at night, he used to say: "O Lord of Gabriel, Mika'il, and Israfil. You are the Creator of the heavens and the earth. You are the Knower of the unseen and the present. You judge between Your Servants in what they differ. Guide me to the truth by Your Permission. For you guide whomsoever You will to the straight path."

9– When he woke up in general, he used to say: "Praise be to Allah who gave us life after he had put us to death and for Him is the resurrection,"then used miswak, and perhaps recited the last ten days of Al `Imran.

10– He used to wake up when he hears the sound of a cock then praised, glorified, and supplicated Allah.

11- He said: "A good vision comes from Allah and a (bad) dream (hulm) from devil. So when one of you sees a bad dream (hulm) which he does not like, he should (slightly) spit on his left side thrice and seek refuge with Allah from its evil; then it will not harm him. He should not tell anyone. However, if he sees a good vision, he should rejoice and only narrate it to the one whom he loves). Furthermore, he commanded anyone sees a bad vision to turn over his side and to offer Salah."