Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَأْتِي إِلَى فِرَاشِ أَحَدِكُمْ بَعْدَ مَا يَفْرِشُهُ أَهْلُهُ وَيُهَيِّئُونَهُ، فَيُلْقِي عَلَيْهِ الْعُودَ أَوِ الْحَجَرَ أَوِ الشَّيْءَ، لِيُغْضِبَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ، فَإِذَا وَجَدَ ذَلِكَ فَلاَ يَغْضَبْ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ، قَالَ‏:‏ لأَنَّهُ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ‏.

“Shaytan comes to one of you in bed after his wife has made it and prepared it. He throws a stick, stone or other things on him to make him angry with his family. When he feels that, he should not get angry with his wife.’ He said, ‘It is part of the work of Shaytan” [Saheeh Adab al-Mufrad (no. 1191)]

From this narration, we learn a number of benefits:

1. Shaikh Abu Salah al-Afghaani (may Allah preserve him) said that in the narration is an etiquette related to how a husband should deal with his wife. It is not befitting for the husband to become upset at the smallest of things [i.e. from his wife] [See here]

2. Shaikh Yahya bin Ali al-Hajuri (may Allah preserve him) mentioned that from the above narration reminds us of a beautiful etiquette: the recommendation of dusting off our beds with the inside of their Izar before going to sleep. It comes in Hadith of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“When anyone of you goes to bed, he should shake out his bed with the inside of his waist cloth, for he does not know what has come on to it after him, and then he should say: ‘With Your Name my Lord, I lay myself down; and with Your Name I rise. And if You take my soul, have mercy on it, and if You send it back then protect it as You protect Your righteous slaves [al-Bukhari and Muslim]” [Ta’leeq ‘ala Kitab Adab al-Mufrad found here: https://sh-yahia.net/show_sound_9093.html]

This is because the narration mentions: “he does not know what has come” and the scholars mention this includes poisonous animals, harmful objects, sticks/stones etc. From the aforementioned narration of Abu Umamah, we learn that Shaytan throws such things into a person’s bed, hence why dusting off the bed before sleep is a very good etiquette.

Benefit: Does one only have to dust off their beds using the inside of their Izaar, or can anything else be used? Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (d. 1421 H.), may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned that in the past people would usually wear a Ridaa and Izaar. Thus, if today someone has specific clothes for sleeping like pants or a long shirt, then they can use that too.

The Shaikh was also asked if using a towel to dust off one’s bed suffices, and he answered that what is apparent is that it does suffice [See: Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhari-Kitaab-ad-Da’awaat-Tape no. 2 Side B]

3. Shaikh Muhammad Luqman as-Salafi (d. 1441 H.), may Allah have mercy upon him, a longtime student of Shaikh Bin Baz among other scholars, wrote, “A similar report was authentically reported from the Hadith of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Marfoo form. It is understood from these two hadiths the obligation of taking precaution from the whispers of Shaytan, especially in relation to one’s wife because Shaytan wants to cause enmity/hostility between them (i.e. the spouses).” End. [Rash al-Bard Sharh Adab al-Mufrad (pg. 663)]

So let us be mindful of this narration and implement it in our lives in shaa Allah

And Allah Knows Best

Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan