Quran verses before sleep
Ayat al-Kursi2:255
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌۭ وَلَا نَوْمٌۭ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Last two verses of Al-Baqarah2:285–286
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
Al-Ikhlas112:1–4
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ
Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
He neither begets nor is born,
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ
Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
Al-Falaq113:1–5
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ
From the evil of that which He created
وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ
And from the evil of darkness when it settles
وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّٰثَٰتِ فِى ٱلْعُقَدِ
And from the evil of the blowers in knots
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ
And from the evil of an envier when he envies."
An-Nas114:1–6
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ
The Sovereign of mankind.
إِلَٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ
The God of mankind,
مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ
From the evil of the retreating whisperer -
ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ
Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind -
مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ
From among the jinn and mankind."
Before sleep, a sound hadith teaches Ayat al-Kursi, another teaches the last two verses of Al-Baqarah at night, and another teaches the three Quls. This page plays them in that order: 2:255, then 2:285–286, then Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas.
Arabic and translation, played in order with your chosen reciter.
Common questions
- Which Quran verses should I read before sleep?
- The night set on this page is Ayat al-Kursi (2:255), the last two verses of Al-Baqarah (2:285–286), and the three Quls: Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas. Each of those pieces is taught for the night in sound hadith.
- How did the Prophet recite the three Quls before sleep?
- He recited Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas, then blew into his hands and wiped his body with them. A sound report from Aisha describes him doing this three times.