Dua When Waking Up at Night

August 20, 2026

Gece Uyanınca Okunacak Dua Okunuşu ve Anlamı

Explanation

This dua is recited when you wake from sleep at night and lie down again. It brings together istighfar, asking for knowledge and the wish for a steadfast heart.

Dua Text

لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ، اَللَّهُمَّ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِذَنْبِي وَأَسْأَلُكَ رَحْمَتَكَ، اَللَّهُمَّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا وَلَا تُزِغْ قَلْبِي بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنِي وَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ

Transliteration

La ilaha illa anta subhanaka, Allahumma astaghfiruka li-dhanbi wa as’aluka rahmataka, Allahumma zidni ‘ilman wa la tuzigh qalbi ba’da idh hadaytani wa hab li min ladunka rahmatan, innaka antal-Wahhab.

Meaning

There is no god but You, glory be to You. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness for my sin and I ask for Your mercy. O Allah, increase me in knowledge; do not let my heart swerve after You have guided me, and grant me mercy from Your presence. Indeed, You are the Bestower.

What Is Asked in This Dua

The dua begins by glorifying Allah and declaring that there is no god but Him. Then the servant asks forgiveness for their sin and asks for mercy. Waking up in the middle of the night gives a person the chance to reflect on their own state; the servant uses this moment for istighfar.

In the second part the servant asks Allah to increase them in knowledge; that is, they want not only to be forgiven but also to become a more knowledgeable and more aware servant. Then comes the sentence taken from Surah Al Imran: that the heart not swerve after guidance, and that mercy be granted from Allah’s presence. Here Allah is called upon as “the One who gives abundantly”. In this way the dua brings together glorification, repentance, asking for knowledge and the wish to remain firm in faith in a short text. In the middle of the night the servant wants both to cleanse their past and to secure their future.

When and How to Recite

As stated in the source, this dua is recited when you wake from sleep at night and lie down again. The book states that someone who goes to bed without a dua may see frightening dreams, and advises reciting this dua when lying down again. It is fitting to recite it whenever you wake up in the middle of the night for any reason, before falling asleep again. No specific number is mentioned.

It may not always be possible to take wudu when you wake up at night; the dua can be recited without wudu as well. Since the verse part is recited from memory, the ruling on touching the Mushaf does not apply. What matters is reciting it while reflecting on its meaning; you can also make this dua with its meaning in your own language.

Virtue

The source book states that someone who goes to bed without a dua may see frightening dreams, and advises reciting this dua when lying down again.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the dua for waking up at night and lying down again recited?

It is recited when you wake from sleep at night and lie down again. The book states that someone who goes to bed without a dua may see frightening dreams, and advises reciting this dua.

What does the dua when waking up at night mean?

The servant glorifies Allah, asks forgiveness for their sin and asks for mercy, and asks for an increase in knowledge and that their heart not swerve after guidance.

Can the dua when waking up at night be recited without wudu?

Yes, wudu is not a condition for dua; being in wudu is virtuous. Since the verse in it is recited from memory, the ruling on touching the Mushaf does not apply here.

Source

Al Imran 3/8. Majmu'at al-Ahzab, vol. 2, p. 213.

The text on this page was prepared by Dua Kitaplığı based on the work cited above. The Arabic text has been transcribed from the original with its vowel marks, and the transliteration in Latin letters and the English meaning are given separately. No virtue or number that does not appear in the source is added to this page. How do we prepare our content?

Published: 20 August 2026 · Last updated: 9 October 2026