Lying on the right side with the right hand under the cheek is a sunnah of sleep.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) lay on his right side to sleep and placed his right hand under his right cheek. He said that lying face down is a manner of sleeping that Allah dislikes. Keeping the Prophet's sunnah alive even as you fall asleep can turn every night into an act of worship.
What does the hadith say?
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا أَتَيْتَ مَضْجَعَكَ فَتَوَضَّأْ وُضُوءَكَ لِلصَّلاَةِ، ثُمَّ اضْطَجِعْ عَلَى شِقِّكَ الأَيْمَنِ، ثُمَّ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لاَ مَلْجَأَ وَلاَ مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ، اللَّهُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ. فَإِنْ مُتَّ مِنْ لَيْلَتِكَ فَأَنْتَ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، وَاجْعَلْهُنَّ آخِرَ مَا تَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ ". قَالَ فَرَدَّدْتُهَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا بَلَغْتُ " اللَّهُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ ". قُلْتُ وَرَسُولِكَ. قَالَ " لاَ، وَنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ ".
Narrated Al-Bara 'bin `Azib:The Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, "Whenever you go to bed perform ablution like that for the prayer, lie on your right side and say, "Allahumma aslamtu wajhi ilaika, wa fauwadtu `Amri ilaika, wa alja'tu Zahri ilaika raghbatan wa rahbatan ilaika. La Malja'a 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. on the religion of Islam). Let the aforesaid words be your last utterance (before sleep)." I repeated it before the Prophet (ﷺ) and when I reached "Allahumma amantu bikitabika-l-ladhi anzalta (O Allah I believe in Your Book which You have revealed)." I said, "Wa-rasulika (and your Apostle)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No, (but say): 'Wanabiyika-l-ladhi arsalta (Your Prophet whom You have sent), instead
Text: Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 247. Grade: sahih (hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim are accepted as sahih).
What is the hadith source of this sunnah?
This sunnah rests on the following hadiths. The reference gives the collection, chapter and number where the hadith appears.
- al-Bukhari, Book of Ablution, 75 (hadith no. 247)
- Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad, 1/400
- Abu Dawud, Book of Good Manners, 94 (hadith no. 5040)
How this page was prepared: sources and verification method.
More sunnahs in Sleep Etiquette
As a table with references: Sleep Etiquette sunnahs.
- Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas Before Sleep: Reciting Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas before sleep is a beautiful part of the sunnah.
- Praising Allah on Waking: The first thing to do with eyes that open to a new life each morning is to praise Allah.
- Shaking Out the Bed: Shaking out the bed before sleeping is a sunnah of caution that the Prophet advised.
- Waking for Tahajjud: Waking from sleep for the night prayer is the deepest form of nearness to Allah.
- Qaylulah — The Midday Rest: A short sleep after the noon prayer is the sunnah that gives strength for night worship.