Islamic bedtime routine for kids: steps, duas and references

An Islamic bedtime routine for kids takes about ten minutes after washing: wudu, a short story, the three Quls blown into the hands and wiped over the body, Ayat al-Kursi, then lying on the right side and saying “Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya” (“In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live”). Each step is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari.

What is the Sunnah bedtime routine for children?

It is a short sequence the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) practised or taught: wudu, recitation, lying on the right side and a dua. With a story added, it takes about ten minutes once your child is washed and in pyjamas.

The routine, step by step

1. Wind down

Screens off, lights low, bath or wash. BookTrust’s “Bath, Book, Bed” advice for babies and toddlers follows the same order.

2. Wudu and teeth

The Prophet told al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib, “Whenever you go to bed, perform ablution like that for the prayer, lie on your right side” and then say a dua (Sahih al-Bukhari 247). For little ones, a quick, cheerful wash of hands and face is a fine start.

3. A story

Five to ten minutes. Prophet stories work well: Nuh and the Ark, Yunus and the fish, Musa and the sea. See our Islamic bedtime stories for ones you can tell from memory, and our tips for reading with children.

4. The three Quls

‘A’ishah reported that every night the Prophet cupped his hands, blew into them, recited Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, and wiped his hands over as much of his body as he could, starting with his head, face and the front of his body, three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). Children love this: it feels like wrapping themselves in protection.

5. Ayat al-Kursi

In a long hadith, Abu Hurayrah was told that whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) when going to bed will have a guard from Allah with him until morning, and the Prophet confirmed that this was true (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311).

6. Lie on the right side and say the dua

Lie down on the right side, as in Sahih al-Bukhari 247, and say the bedtime dua together (below).

7. A cuddle and a whispered “I love you”

Not in a hadith collection, but in every good bedtime.

Bedtime duas for kids in Arabic, with meanings

Start with the first dua; it is four words long. Add the others as your child grows.

The dua before sleeping (ages 2 and up)

Other narrations have “Bismika amutu wa ahya” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6312) and “Allahumma bismika ahya wa amut” (Sahih al-Bukhari 7394); all are authentic. Sleep is called a kind of death because Allah takes the soul in sleep and returns it (39:42), which is why the morning dua thanks Him for giving us life again.

Laying down the side (ages 5 and up)

The same hadith says to shake out the bed first, a step small children enjoy doing.

The dua taught to al-Bara’ (ages 8 and up)

When al-Bara’ repeated it back and said “and Your Messenger”, the Prophet corrected him to “and Your Prophet whom You sent”. It is a lovely detail to share: the exact words of a dua matter, so it is worth learning them carefully.

The waking-up dua

What else can children recite before sleeping?

• The last two verses of Al-Baqarah (2:285–286). “If somebody recited the last two verses of Surat Al-Baqarah at night, that will be sufficient for him” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5009). A good goal for children aged eight and up.
• The tasbih of Fatimah. When Fatimah asked her father for a servant, he taught her and ‘Ali to say at bedtime Allahu Akbar 34 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and SubhanAllah 33 times, “better for you than what you have requested” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3113). In another narration the 34 is SubhanAllah (Sahih al-Bukhari 6318). Children can count on their fingers.

Which steps suit which age?

Is it Sunnah to bring children in at Maghrib?

Yes. The Prophet said, “When night falls, then keep your children close to you… An hour later you can let them free,” and to close the doors, mentioning Allah’s name (Sahih al-Bukhari 3280). In a British winter Maghrib can come before half past four, so this is a short pause indoors around sunset, not an early bedtime.

Troubleshooting

• They’re too tired for everything. Keep the story and the four-word dua; add the rest on calm nights.
• They want “one more story”. Offer one told from memory with the lights off. It calms rather than stimulates.
• They’re scared of the dark. The Quls and Ayat al-Kursi are a real comfort: tell them Allah never sleeps and is always watching over them (2:255).
• Siblings of different ages. Share the story, then let the older child lead the duas.

How do I make the routine stick?

The Prophet said that the deeds most loved by Allah are the most regular, even if small (Sahih al-Bukhari 6464), so a short routine done every night beats a long one done now and then. Put a card by the bed with the duas, let your child tick a chart for a couple of weeks, and do it yourself: children copy what they see. A book read a few pages a night also helps. Hudhud, a personalised Islamic storybook, begins in the child’s own bedroom, when a hoopoe taps at the window; read more in what is a personalised storybook? For answering the big questions that come up at bedtime, see how to teach kids about Allah.