whereupon he said, ‘When you go to bed, recite “Say, O disbelievers,” then go to sleep with it as your final recitation, for it is a renunciation of polytheism.’”1

This hadith demonstrates the merit of this surah and of reciting it at bedtime, and encourages the Muslim to make it his final recitation before going to sleep, so that his last declaration is an affirmation of Allah’s oneness and a renunciation of polytheism. There is no doubt that whoever recites it, understands what it signifies, and acts according to its requirements is free of polytheism both outwardly and inwardly. Some of the early Muslims called it al-Muqashqisha (the Curer). The verb qashqasha means that a person has recovered from an illness; thus, this surah cures whoever embraces it of polytheism.

It and the surah “Say: He is Allah, the One” are called the two surahs of sincere devotion because they embody sincere devotion to Allah—glorified and exalted is He—through both forms of affirming His oneness: knowledge and action.

The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—consistently recited them in the two Sunnah units before Fajr, thereby beginning the deeds of the day with them. He also recited them in the Sunnah prayer after Maghrib, thereby concluding the deeds of the day with them, and he recited them in Witr, so they formed the conclusion of the deeds of the night. We have already seen that he—peace and blessings be upon him—would recite “Say: He is Allah, the One” when he retired to bed, while this hadith of Nawfal encourages reciting “Say, O disbelievers” at bedtime. Together, then, they form the final recitation with which the Muslim goes to sleep.