Hamza Hates His Bed

Hamza Hates His Bed is an Islamic picture book for children aged 4 to 9 about a little boy who throws a fit every night at bedtime, and the bedtime sunnah that helps him feel safe. Its cover calls it a bedtime book for Muslim kids.

Every night, Hamza pouts, shouts and stomps his little feet. "No, no, no! I hate that bed!" His mother tells him how soft his pillow is, but he will not listen: he wants to sleep in her bed. When she asks him why he hates his own bed so much, Hamza hugs her tightly and whispers the truth. He is scared to sleep by himself.

His mother tells him that Allah is powerful, that He protects him while he sleeps and watches over him all night. Then she shows him what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us to do before we sleep. With her hands in front of her face, she recites Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas three times each, blows into her hands and wipes them over her body from head to toe. Hamza copies every step. Then she recites Ayat al-Kursi, the greatest ayah in the Qur'an, while Hamza listens. Before she can say another word, he is fast asleep.

The story gives children a routine they can learn for themselves and a reason to feel safe at night: Allah is with them. It is written by Nimo Ali and illustrated by Bilal Karaka. It takes about four minutes to read and is music-free.

Every night at bedtime, Hamza threw a fit. He pouted and shouted and stomped his little feet. "No, no, no! I hate that bed!"

His mother tried to tell him how comfortable his bed was, but he refused to listen. "Feel how soft your pillow is," she said. "I don't care how soft it is," cried Hamza. He did not want to sleep there. He looked at his mother with sad eyes and pleaded to sleep in her bed instead.

His mother sighed. "Hamza, why do you hate your bed so much?" Hamza hugged her tightly. "I'm scared to sleep by myself, Mama," he whispered.

His mother told him that he had Allah, who is powerful. Allah protected him while he slept and watched over him at night. He just had to remember to do something very special before he went to sleep, and if he did, he would never feel scared again, insha'Allah. They would do what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us to do before we sleep, she said. That way, Allah would protect them all night, and Hamza would not be afraid of anything.

With her hands in front of her face, Hamza's mother recited Surah Al-Ikhlas three times, Surah Al-Falaq three times and Surah An-Nas three times. Then she blew on her hands three times. Hamza put his hands in front of his face too, and recited the three surahs three times each. When she had finished reciting, his mother rubbed her hands all over her body, starting from her head and moving all the way down to her toes, and Hamza copied her movements.

Then his mother began to recite Ayat al-Kursi, the greatest ayah in the whole Qur'an. Hamza had not yet learned to recite it, so he listened to his mother as she recited. When she had finished, she faced Hamza and held his shoulders firmly. "You will be protected now, insha'Allah."

Hamza nodded. His eyelids grew heavy, and he put his hand over his mouth to cover a yawn. Before his mother could say another word, she noticed that he was sound asleep. "Good night, son," she whispered. Very carefully, she tiptoed out of the room and closed the door.

• Sahih al-Bukhari 5017: Every night when the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he cupped his hands, blew into them, recited Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas, and wiped his hands over his body, three times.
• Sahih al-Bukhari 2311: Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi when going to bed will have a guardian from Allah with him until the morning.
• Sahih Muslim 810: Ayat al-Kursi is the greatest ayah in the Book of Allah.