Sharḥ Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/556)

is because, when a human being goes to sleep, Allah—exalted is He—takes possession of his soul. He says: “Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die, during their sleep” (Q 39:42). The taking of the soul during sleep, however, is not the same as taking it at death; it is merely a lesser form of seizure. That is why a sleeper loses consciousness and feels nothing of what is around him, and for this reason Allah has termed it wafāʾ (“taking back”). He also says: “He is the One who takes you back by night and knows what you have done by day” (Q 6:60). Therefore a person ought to recite this supplication: bismika allāhumma aḥyā wa amūt (In Your name, O Allah, I live and I die). He should also say: allāhumma bika waḍaʿtu janbī wa-bika arfaʿuh, in amsakta rūḥī fa-ghfir lahā warḥamhā, wa-in arsaltahā fa-ḥfaẓhā bimā taḥfaẓu bihi ʿibādakaṣ-ṣāliḥīn (O Allah, by You I lay down my side and by You I raise it; if You take my soul, then forgive it and have mercy on it, and if You release it, then protect it with the protection You grant to Your righteous servants). Allah is the One who grants success.

1461 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lay down in his bed he would blow lightly into his hands, recite the verses of refuge, and then wipe his body with them. Agreed upon.

In another version in both Ṣaḥīḥ collections it is stated that when the Prophet ﷺ retired to bed each night he would cup his two palms together, blow into them, and recite into them Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ (Say: He is Allah, the One), Sūrah al-Falaq (Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak), and Sūrah al-Nās (Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind). He would then wipe with his palms whatever he could reach of his body, starting with his head, face, and the front of his body, and he would do that three times. Agreed upon.

The linguists explain that nafth means a gentle blowing without saliva.

1462 – Al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me

أن الإنسان إذا نام فإن الله تعالى يقبض روحه كما قال تعالى الله يتوفى الأنفس حين موتها والتي لم تمت في منامها ولكن قبض الروح في المنام ليس كقبضها في الموت إلا أنه نوع من القبض ولهذا يفقد الإنسان وعيه ولا يحس بمن حوله فلهذا سماه الله تعالى وفاة وقال تعالى ﴿وهو الذي يتوفكم بالليل ويعلم ما جرحتم بالنهار﴾ فينبغي للإنسان أن يقول هذا الذكر باسمك اللهم أحيا وأموت اللهم بك وضعت جنبي وبك أرفعه إن أمسكت روحي فاغفر لها وارحمها وإن أرسلتها فاحفظها بما تحفظ به عبادك الصالحين والله الموفق. ١٤٦١ - وعن عائشة ﵂ أن رسول الله ﷺ كان إذا أخذ مضجعه نفث في يديه وقرأ بالمعوذات ومسح بهما جسده متفق عليه. وفي رواية لهما أن النبي ﷺ كان إذا أوى إلى فراشه كل ليلة جمع كفيه ثم نفث فيهما فقرأ فيهما قل هو الله أحد وقل أعوذ برب الفلق وقل أعوذ برب الناس ثم مسح بهما ما استطاع من جسده يبدأ بهما على رأسه ووجهه وما أقبل من جسده يفعل ذلك ثلاث مرات متفق عليه. قال أهل اللغة النفث نفخ لطيف بلا ريق. ١٤٦٢ - وعن البراء بن عازب ﵄ قال قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم