Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went to his bed, he would blow into his hands, recite the Mu‘awwidhāt, and then pass his hands over his body
Authentic hadithعن عائشة رضي الله عنها أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا أخذ مَضْجَعَهُ نَفَثَ في يديه، وقرأ بالمُعَوِّذَاتِ، ومسح بهما جسده. وفي رواية: أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا أَوَى إلى فِرَاشِهِ كل ليلة جَمَعَ كَفَّيْهِ، ثم نَفَثَ فيهما فقرأ فيهما: «قل هو الله أحد، وقل أعوذ برب الفلق، وقل أعوذ برب الناس» ثم مسح بهما ما استطاع من جسده، يبدأ بهما على رأسه ووجهه، وما أَقْبَلَ من جسده، يفعل ذلك ثلاث مرات.
‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) went to his bed, he would blow into his hands, recite the Mu‘awwidhāt (Sūrat al-Ikhlās, Sūrat al-Falaq, and Sūrat An-Nās), and then pass his hands over his body. In another narration: “Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to his bed every night, he would join his hands together, blow into them, and recite in them Sūrat al-Ikhlās, Sūrat al-Falaq, and Sūrat An-Nās. He would then pass his hands over as much of his body as he could reach, beginning from his head, face, and the front of his body. He would do this three times.”
Explanation
‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, and the wife of our Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in this world and in the Hereafter, related to us this noble act of Sunnah. She told us that every night, when the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) went to bed, he would blow into his hands mildly, short of spitting, and recite into them Sūrat al-Ikhlās, Sūrat al-Falaq, and Sūrat An-Nās. As the Hadīth does not clearly indicate which should be done first, one may blow first and then recite, or recite first and then blow. Then, he would pass his hands over as much of his body as he could reach, beginning from his head, face, and the front of his body. He would do all this three times.
Source · Narrated by Bukhari
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).