first bestows blessings upon His servants and then, on account of those blessings, grants them the greatest reward. To Him belongs all praise in gratitude; all favor is His to bestow out of grace; and to Him—glory be to Him—belongs all praise in the Hereafter and in this world.
In general, when a Muslim rises from sleep, he should hasten to remember Allah, perform ablution, and pray, so that his day may be blessed, so that he may remain energetic throughout it, highly motivated and eager to do good, and so that he may thereby be spared laziness and an ill disposition. Al-Bukhārī and Muslim relate in their two Sahīh collections from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “When one of you sleeps, Satan ties three knots at the back of his head. At each knot he strikes its place, saying: ‘You have a long night ahead of you, so sleep.’ If he awakens and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; if he performs ablution, another knot is undone; and if he prays, all his knots are undone. He then awakens energetic and in good spirits. Otherwise, he awakens in low spirits and sluggish”1.
In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, Jābir ibn Abd Allah—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “There is no male or female who, upon going to sleep, does not have over their head a cord tied in three knots [that is, a rope tied in three knots]. If they awaken and remember Allah, one knot is undone. If they then rise and perform ablution, another knot is undone. If they then rise to pray, all their knots are undone”2.
These two hadiths show that when a person sleeps, Satan ties three knots at the back of his head. At each knot he strikes its place, saying, “You have a long night ahead of you, so sleep,” thereby discouraging the person, deterring him, and undermining his motivation and resolve. When the servant remembers his Lord, one of these knots is undone; when he rises and performs ablution, a second knot is undone; and when he prays, all the knots are undone, his laziness departs, his motivation rises, and his spirits improve,