We talked about sleep yesterday, now let’s talk about waking up.

With Shaytaan whispering from the moment we wake, our mornings matter.

In a hadith that pulls back the curtain on unseen realities, our Prophet ﷺ revealed something remarkable about what happens while we sleep.

Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:

This isn't just spiritual symbolism; the Prophet ﷺ described it as a tangible reality with practical consequences.

These knots are Shaitan's strategy to ensure you begin your day disconnected from your Creator and spiritual purpose.

The Prophet ﷺ outlined the exact solution.

Each of these knots can be systematically untied through specific morning actions:

1. Remember Allah upon waking
   – The first knot unravels.
   Just a simple “Alhamdulillah” cracks open the door to light.

2. Make wudu (ablution)
   – The second knot slips away.
   Water awakens more than the body; it wakes up the soul.

3. Pray your Salat
   – The final knot falls off.
   And with that, you’re free.

7 minutes is all you need.

The consequence?

According to the Hadith:

"One gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning."

The alternative is sobering:

"Otherwise, one gets up lazy and with a deviating heart.

The Psychology Behind the Spiritual

Modern neuroscience tells us that when we first wake up, our brain operates in a transitional state between theta and alpha waves, a zone of heightened suggestibility and neural plasticity.

In simpler terms: your brain is wide open.

It’s more receptive to influence, more easily shaped by your environment, and more likely to lock in whatever you feed it.

When we begin with mindfulness, purification, and connection to purpose (prayer), we cultivate brain pathways associated with focus and positive emotion.

Conversely, when we linger in that half-awake state, scrolling through work emails, notifications, or rushing chaotically into the day, we often experience heightened anxiety and diminished focus, and shape those pathways.

We discussed in a previous article about the importance of the first hour of your day and its impact on dopamine regulation (Read it here).

These initial morning moments set the neurochemical tone for everything that follows.

What the Prophet ﷺ described as "knots" can be understood as psychological and spiritual barriers strategically placed to prevent us from connecting with our higher purpose at the start of each day.

The Prophetic Quick-Start Routine

For those times when you're rushing out the door, the Prophet ﷺ left us a simpler but still powerful sequence :

1. Wipe away sleep from your face with your hands – This physical action marks a decisive transition from sleep to wakefulness, the first step in resisting the whisper to "stay asleep."

2. Remember Allah and express gratitude – Whether through specific morning supplications or simply thanking Allah for another day and asking for His blessings.

3. Clean your mouth – The Prophet ﷺ would use the siwak (miswak, the natural toothbrush), but brushing your teeth is sufficient. This prepares you for dhikr and prayer, and represents taking control of your speech for the day ahead.

4. Clean your nose – This is particularly important as, according to a sahih hadith, Shaitan spends a portion of the night in this area of the body.

5. Wash your hands – Completing this brief purification sequence.

That's it!

Most of us already go through these motions each morning without realizing their spiritual significance.

By making a conscious intention to follow the Sunnah rather than just going through our habits, we infuse these steps with blessings.

Starting with these basic elements, performed with awareness and intention, creates a foundation upon which more extensive practices can be built.

The Power of Visualization

Having a mental image of these three knots may serve as a powerful visual reminder each morning.

Imagine actually seeing these binding forces at the back of your head and consciously untying them one by one through your morning actions.

Psychology emphasizes the importance of goal setting and having a clear task list to motivate us each morning.

This visualization converts an abstract concept into a concrete goal, making each morning a purposeful victory rather than just the start of another day.

With each knot you untie, envision yourself becoming more spiritually alert, protected, and connected to your purpose.

This mental framing can transform how you approach even the busiest mornings.

The Cycle of Protection

When we connect this morning's teaching with our previous discussion on nighttime protection, a beautiful cycle emerges.

Ending our night with remembrance and purification stations, angels at our side throughout sleep.

Beginning our morning by untying Shaitan's knots ensures we wake up spiritually protected and connected.

The hours when we're most vulnerable (during sleep and upon first waking) become opportunities for a heightened spiritual connection, rather than points of vulnerability.