This is a post from my Shaikh Abu Muhammad Abdurauf Shakir www.islamiclecture.com) with his permission
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
"Bis-mi-kal-lāhum-ma
A-moo-tu wa Ah-yā"
(In Your Name, O Allāh, I die and I
live)[1]
The text of the Hadeeth:
From among the great words of remembrance
which the noble Prophet (Sallallahu
Alaihi wa Sallam) used to recite consistently at the time of sleeping and at the time of awakening from sleep is what is narrated by
al-Bukhāri: "Whenever the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) intended to
sleep he would say: 'In Your Name, O Allāh, I die and I live.' And whenever he awakened from his sleep he said:
'All
praise belongs to Allāh, Who gave us life after He caused us to die, and unto
Him is the resurrection.'"[2]
Explanation of the Hadeeth:
As for his
saying (Sallallahu
Alaihi wa Sallam): "Bis-mi-kal-lāhum-ma..." (In Your Name, O Allāh...) 'Allāhum-ma' means: 'Yā Allāh' (i.e., O Allāh, I am calling upon You). The
letter 'Ba' (in Bis)
means 'Is-ti-'ā-nah' (seeking help or assistance in doing something). So, the meaning
here is: I sleep seeking help in You, asking for Your safe-keeping (Hifdh), and
hoping for protection (Al-Wiqāyah),
safety (As-Salāmah),
and well-being (Al-'Ᾱfiyah)
from You!
His saying
(Sallallahu
Alaihi wa Sallam): 'A-moo-tu wa Ah-yā' (I die and I live) means: I am remembering Your Name (even) in
this condition. So, with the mention of Your Name I am given life and with Your
Name I die.
These words contain an indication that a
Muslim is never without need of remembering his Lord, even for the blinking of
an eye - at the time of sleeping, awakening from sleep, and in all of his
affairs.
So, here he is at the time of sleeping,
sealing his deeds of the day with the remembrance of Allāh. Likewise, the first
of actions upon awakening is the remembrance of Allāh. He is giving the utmost
care to the remembrance of Allāh at every moment of his day. In this way he is
in remembrance of Allāh, the One Free from all imperfections, when life is
given to him (upon awakening), when it is taken (upon sleeping), and at the
time of being raised to live (after death) on the Day of Resurrection, In Sha
Allah!
ln
his saying (Sallallahu
Alaihi wa Sallam): 'Bis-mi-kal-lāhum-ma A-moo-tu...' (In Your Name, O Allāh! I die...) when one intends to sleep is an indication that 'Nawm' (sleep)
is referred to as 'Mawt' (death)
as well as 'Wafāh' (demise, decease), even though life is still present in the
person.
This is seen in the saying of Allāh, the Most
High:
اللَّهُ
يَتَوَفَّى الْأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوْتِهَا وَالَّتِي لَمْ تَمُتْ فِي مَنَامِهَا
فَيُمْسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَى عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ وَيُرْسِلُ الْأُخْرَى إِلَى أَجَلٍ
مُسَمًّى إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
"It is
Allāh who (Yata-waffa) takes away the souls, at the time of their death
(Mawt), and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those
(souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest (back) for a term
appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply." (39:42)
For this reason, he (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said in the completion of this Hadeeth,
at the time of awakening: "All praise belongs to Allāh, who gave us life
after He caused us to die...", pointing to the condition of sleep which
the person was in (before awakening again). The sleeping person resembles the
dead because movement in him has ceased and his ability to discern what is
happening around him is absent. For this reason liability and responsibility
for one's actions is lifted until he awakens from his sleep.
[Taken from: ‘Reflections Upon Selected
Daily Supplications’ - Abu Muhammad]
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