144. Dua for Bad Dreams
If you have a bad dream in your sleep, you should spit three times on the left side, then say three times -
Dua for Bad Dreams in Arabic
أَعُوْذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
Dua for Bad Dreams English Transliteration
A'oodhu billaahi minash-Shaytaanir-rajeem
Dua for Bad Dreams English Translation
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast.
One need to change sides in their sleep. It is forbidden to tell this dream in front of anyone. Even if you have good dreams, you don't have to tell anyone. But it can be said in front of a close friend or in front of wise people. Narrated Abu Qatadah (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A good dream is from Allah. And bad dreams are from the devil. So whoever has a good dream, let him reveal it to the one he loves. And if anyone has a bad dream, let him seek refuge in Allah from its harm and from the evil of Satan, and spit three times to the left. Don't reveal the dream to anyone. Then it will not be able to harm him. [1] Jarir (RA) said, Rasulullah (ﷺ) said, when one of you has a dream that he dislikes, he should spit three times to his left. And he seeks refuge in Allah from Satan three times and changes sides. [2] Abu Hurairah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If a person has a bad dream, he should get up and pray two rak'ahs. [3]
Hadith about the Dua
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ رَبِّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ، يَقُولُ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَرَى الرُّؤْيَا فَتُمْرِضُنِي حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ أَبَا قَتَادَةَ يَقُولُ وَأَنَا كُنْتُ لأَرَى الرُّؤْيَا تُمْرِضُنِي، حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " الرُّؤْيَا الْحَسَنَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ، فَإِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ مَا يُحِبُّ فَلاَ يُحَدِّثْ بِهِ إِلاَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّ، وَإِذَا رَأَى مَا يَكْرَهُ فَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شَرِّهَا، وَمِنْ شَرِّ الشَّيْطَانِ وَلْيَتْفِلْ ثَلاَثًا وَلاَ يُحَدِّثْ بِهَا أَحَدًا فَإِنَّهَا لَنْ تَضُرَّهُ " .
Narrated Abu Salama: I used to see a dream which would make me sick till I heard Abu Qatada saying, "I too, used to see a dream which would make me sick till I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "A good dream is from Allah, so if anyone of you saw a dream which he liked, he should not tell it to anybody except to the one whom he loves, and if he saw a dream which he disliked, then he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil and from the evil of Satan, and spit three times (on his left) and should not tell it to anybody, for it will not harm him. " [[1] Bukhari: 7044 [2] Muslim: 6041 [3] Sahih (Albani). Tirmidhi: 2280]
Benefits of Dua for Bad Dreams
Dua for Bad Dreams helps you seek Allah’s protection from shaitan, brings calm and safety to your heart after a nightmare, and reminds you to trust Allah’s mercy in every moment of fear.
- Reciting this dua after a bad dream brings Allah’s protection from shaitan.
- It helps remove fear and anxiety from the heart after nightmares.
- This dua is a masnoon prayer from hadith, trusted by all Muslims.
- Saying auzubillah minashaitan nirajeem brings peace and Barakah at night.
- It teaches children and adults to turn to Allah for safety from evil and fear.
When to Recite Dua for Bad Dreams
This dua for bad dreams helps you seek Allah’s protection from shaitan, bringing calm and safety to your heart after a nightmare and reminding you to trust Allah’s mercy in every moment of fear.
- After waking up from a nightmare, recite the dua for bad dreams for Allah’s protection.
- When feeling scared at night, use this dua for protection from shaitan and fear.
- If you remember a bad dream before going back to sleep, say auzubillah for peace.
- Before sharing your dream with anyone, quietly recite this dua for bad dreams for safety.
- When your child wakes up afraid, teach them this dua for nightmares to calm their heart.
How to perform Dua for Bad Dreams
When you wake up from a bad dream, this dua for bad dreams helps you find peace and safety by asking Allah to protect you from Shaytan. Every Muslim should know this simple protection dua and use it before going to bed or after a nightmare.
- After a nightmare, quietly recite auzubillah minashaitan nirajeem to seek Allah’s help.
- Turn your head to the left side and softly spit three times as taught in hadith.
- Try not to share your bad dream with anyone and trust Allah’s protection from shaitan.
- Recite ayat kursi or 4 qul after this dua for protection from shaitan and fear.
- Before going to bed, read manzil dua or masnoon duain to keep away nightmares and get Barakah.
Summary
Dua for Bad Dreams is a short and strong dua that asks Allah for safety from shaitan after seeing a nightmare. This dua uses the words auzubillah minashaitan nirajeem and is found in Bukhari and Muslim, making it a trusted masnoon dua for all Muslims to say when scared at night.
Saying this dua for protection from shaitan brings peace and helps remove fear from the heart. It is a good habit to use this dua for fear and anxiety after a bad dream. This shows how much Allah cares for us and gives us ways to stay safe from evil.