Du'as of the Prophets

Supplications made by the Prophets of Allah as recorded in the Quran and Sunnah

The Supplication of Yunus (The Du'a of Dhul-Nun)

In times of extreme distress and when one feels overwhelmed

Surah al-Anbiya (21:87)

لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Transliteration

La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu mina adh-dhalimin.

Meaning

There is no deity except You; exalted are You above all imperfection. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.

Virtue

The Prophet ﷺ said: 'No Muslim person calls upon Allah with these words in any matter except that Allah responds to him.'

Ibrahim's Supplication for His Family and Progeny

A beautiful supplication for oneself and one's children

Surah Ibrahim (14:40)

رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ

Transliteration

Rabbi aj'alni muqima as-salati wa min dhurriyyati, rabbana wa taqabbal du'a'.

Meaning

My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and my descendants as well. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.

Virtue

A supplication of the Friend of Allah, Ibrahim, which encapsulates the most important legacy: the prayer.

Musa's Supplication for Help

When one is in need and seeking provision and help from Allah

Surah al-Qasas (28:24)

رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

Transliteration

Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir.

Meaning

My Lord, I am in absolute need of whatever good You send down to me.

Virtue

Musa made this supplication when he was alone, poor, and a stranger in Madyan. Shortly afterwards, Allah answered him by providing him with a wife, employment, and a new home.

Zakariyya's Supplication for a Child

For those seeking righteous children or progeny

Surah Al-Imran (3:38)

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ

Transliteration

Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibatan, innaka sami'u ad-du'a'.

Meaning

My Lord, grant me from Yourself good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.

Virtue

Zakariyya made this supplication in his extreme old age, with his wife barren, and Allah answered him by granting him Yahya.

Ayyub's Supplication in Affliction

During illness, pain, or prolonged hardship

Surah al-Anbiya (21:83)

رَبِّي أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Transliteration

Rabbi anni massaniya ad-durru wa anta arhamu ar-rahimin.

Meaning

My Lord, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.

Virtue

Ayyub made this supplication after years of severe illness. Allah immediately responded and restored his health.

Isa's ﷺ Dua for the Table Descending from Heaven

For provision, when experiencing lack, and as a beautiful example of asking Allah for tangible support

Quran, Surah al-Ma'idah 5:114

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَائِدَةً مِنَ السَّمَاءِ تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيدًا لِأَوَّلِنَا وَآخِرِنَا وَآيَةً مِنْكَ وَارْزُقْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

Transliteration

Allahumma Rabbana anzil 'alayna ma'idatan minas-sama'i takunu lana 'idan li awwalina wa akhirina wa ayatan mink, warzuqna wa anta khayrur-raziqin.

Meaning

O Allah, our Lord, send down upon us a table (spread with food) from the sky to be for us a festival for the first of us and the last of us, and a sign from You. And provide for us, for You are the best of providers.

Virtue

The disciples of Isa ﷺ (al-Hawariyyun) asked for a table from heaven as a sign to strengthen their hearts. Isa ﷺ made this dua and Allah responded. It reminds us: asking Allah for the tangible is not lesser – Isa ﷺ, one of the great five prophets (Ulul-'Azm), did it himself.

Nuh's ﷺ Plea for His Son on the Flood Day

A dua to reflect on when family members oppose the truth and one's heart aches for them

Quran, Surah Hud 11:45

رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنْتَ أَحْكَمُ الْحَاكِمِينَ

Transliteration

Rabbi inna-bni min ahli wa inna wa'dakal-haqqu wa anta ahkamul-hakimin.

Meaning

My Lord, my son is of my family and Your promise is true, and You are the Most Just of judges.

Virtue

Nuh ﷺ made this dua as the Flood rose and his son refused to embark. Allah replied: 'O Nuh, he is not of your family; he is a work of a different nature' (11:46). Family in blood does not always mean family in faith. Nuh ﷺ then said: 'My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking for that of which I have no knowledge.' A model of self-correction when a dua is redirected by Allah.

The Prophet's ﷺ Comprehensive Daily Dua

Any time; part of the Prophet's ﷺ regular dua after Fajr

Sahih Muslim 2722

اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا ، وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ، أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا

Transliteration

Allahumma ati nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkiha, anta khayru man zakkaha, anta waliyyuha wa mawlaha.

Meaning

O Allah, grant my soul its piety, and purify it – You are the best of those who purify it. You are its Guardian and its Protector.

Virtue

The Prophet ﷺ said this frequently – the shortest form of a life-goal dua. Notice: he did not ask that his soul be pious of itself, but that Allah give it piety and purify it. Even piety is a gift, not a self-achievement.

The Repentance of Adam ﷺ

When conscious of a slip, a sin, or a wrong turn – the words of the very first human repentance in history

Quran, Surah al-Araf 7:23

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

Transliteration

Rabbana zalamna anfusana, wa in lam taghfir lana wa tarhamna la nakunanna minal-khasirin.

Meaning

Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we shall surely be among the losers.

Virtue

Adam ﷺ and Hawwa (Eve) said this after eating from the forbidden tree. Allah accepted their repentance (Surah al-Baqarah 2:37 mentions Adam received 'words' from his Lord – these are them). The template of every human repentance is: (1) acknowledge the wrong is our own doing; (2) recognise there is no escape but through Allah; (3) plead for forgiveness and mercy.

The Cry of Nuh ﷺ After 950 Years

When personal effort is exhausted and only divine intervention remains

Quran, Surah al-Qamar 54:10

أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ

Transliteration

Anni maghlubun fantasir.

Meaning

Truly, I am overcome; so grant victory (from You).

Virtue

Nuh ﷺ preached to his people day and night, secretly and openly, for 950 years – and only a small few believed. His plea is the moment when the tools of the servant end and the servant hands the outcome fully to the Lord. Allah opened the gates of the sky with pouring rain, and the great Flood came.

Ibrahim ﷺ Cast Into the Fire

When cornered, when trials mount, when human help is impossible

Sahih al-Bukhari 4563 — the Prophet ﷺ said this is what Ibrahim ﷺ said when thrown into the fire

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Transliteration

Hasbiyallahu wa ni'mal wakil.

Meaning

Sufficient for me is Allah, and the best of guardians is He.

Virtue

Ibrahim ﷺ was catapulted into a huge fire lit by Nimrud. He said Hasbiyallahu wa ni'mal wakil, and Allah commanded the fire: 'Be coolness and peace for Ibrahim' (Anbiya 21:69). The believers at Uhud, gripped with fear, said the same words – and Allah returned them safely with favour and grace (Al Imran 3:174).

The Dua of Yusuf ﷺ in Prison

When faced with a compelling temptation and the only defence is Allah

Quran, Surah Yusuf 12:33

رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِي إِلَيْهِ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُنْ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ

Transliteration

Rabbis-sijnu ahabbu ilayya mimma yad'unani ilayh, wa illa tasrif 'anni kaydahunna asbu ilayhinna wa akun minal-jahilin.

Meaning

My Lord, prison is more beloved to me than that to which they invite me. If You do not turn from me their plot, I may incline to them and become of the ignorant.

Virtue

Yusuf ﷺ was young, beautiful, and enslaved in the house of a powerful minister. The minister's wife locked seven doors and demanded him. He chose prison over sin – and asked Allah to protect him from his own inclination, not just from the woman. A model of self-awareness in the face of desire.

The Fear of Musa ﷺ After Killing the Egyptian

When one has committed a wrong – a moment of hot temper, a hasty word, a rash act

Quran, Surah al-Qasas 28:16

رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي

Transliteration

Rabbi inni zalamtu nafsi faghfir li.

Meaning

My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me.

Virtue

Musa ﷺ, before prophethood, saw a Copt beating an Israelite. He struck the Copt and, unintentionally, killed him. His immediate response was not to hide – it was to say: 'I have wronged myself, forgive me.' Allah forgave him. A brief, heart-broken confession is more valuable than a thousand justifications.

Shu'ayb's Dua for Judgement with Truth

When one is on the truth and the community around opposes it, in situations of conflict where truth is the only resort

Quran, Surah al-Araf 7:89

رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ

Transliteration

Rabbana-ftah baynana wa bayna qawmina bil-haqqi wa anta khayrul-fatihin.

Meaning

Our Lord, judge between us and our people with truth. And You are the best of judges.

Virtue

Shu'ayb ﷺ was sent to the people of Madyan, who cheated in weights and measures. When they threatened to expel him and his followers, he made this dua leaving the outcome to Allah's judgement. Allah destroyed the wrongdoers and saved Shu'ayb and the believers.

Ibrahim's Legacy Dua: A Righteous Progeny and a Rememberer Among the Later Generations

For legacy, righteous descendants, and a lasting name in truth

Quran, Surah ash-Shu'ara 26:83-84

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ ۝ وَاجْعَلْ لِي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ

Transliteration

Rabbi hab li hukman wa alhiqni bis-salihin. Waj'al li lisana sidqin fil-akhirin.

Meaning

My Lord, grant me wisdom and join me with the righteous. And grant me a truthful mention among later generations.

Virtue

Ibrahim ﷺ asked to be remembered by later generations in a way that pointed to Allah – and Allah granted it: the Muslims, Christians, and Jews all trace themselves to him. Every Muslim mentions him five times a day in the Ibrahimic salutation of the tashahhud.

Sulayman's Prayer for a Unique Kingdom

For unique missions, projects that require unique resources; and to grasp that great worldly favour begins with a plea for forgiveness

Quran, Surah Sad 38:35

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ

Transliteration

Rabbi-ghfir li wa hab li mulkan la yanbaghi li ahadin min ba'di, innaka antal-Wahhab.

Meaning

My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower.

Virtue

Sulayman ﷺ prefaced a request for a kingdom no one after him could match with a plea for forgiveness. Allah granted him command of the wind, the jinn, animals, and one of the greatest kingdoms in history – which none has since matched.

The Patience of Ya'qub ﷺ

When faced with grievous news that must nevertheless be endured with dignity

Quran, Surah Yusuf 12:18

فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ ۖ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ

Transliteration

Fa sabrun jamil, wallahul-Musta'anu 'ala ma tasifun.

Meaning

So beautiful patience is proper. And Allah is the One whose help is sought against what you describe.

Virtue

Ya'qub ﷺ said this on hearing his sons' fabricated tale of Yusuf's death. 'Beautiful patience' (sabr jamil) is patience without complaint to creatures – the highest form. Ya'qub ﷺ never lost faith Yusuf was alive and never stopped seeking Allah's help through his patience.

The Dua for a Blessed Arrival

When arriving at a new home, a new city, a new job, or when disembarking from any journey

Quran, Surah al-Mu'minun 23:29

رَبِّ أَنْزِلْنِي مُنْزَلًا مُبَارَكًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْمُنْزِلِينَ

Transliteration

Rabbi anzilni munzalan mubarakan wa anta khayrul-munzilin.

Meaning

My Lord, cause me to alight in a blessed place, and You are the best of those who cause to alight.

Virtue

Nuh ﷺ was commanded to say this upon the Ark landing on Mount Judi after the Flood. A dua for every new beginning: not just to arrive safely, but for the place itself to be blessed.