Du'as of The Prophets

ُ َ ُ ْ ََ ُ ََ ُ َ َ
(‫هلل َو َب َركاته‬
ِ ‫لسالم عل ْيكم ورح َمة ا‬ ‫)ُا‬
Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Dear reader,
You’re about to read the Manuscript of a book I’ve been working on for over a year. We’ve published some of its
content on our website to see user engagement with the articles, and if you’re an avid reader of My Islam’s posts,
you’d likely have read some of it. But still, much of this book’s content has never seen the light of day, so there’s
still something new in it for you to learn.
One thing you should know is that there isn’t any publisher behind this work, no current editor, no vested interest
of a third party that may steer the direction of the book towards meaningless goal like word count. This book is
one hundred percent a personal project where I am trying to write something of quality and be of usefulness to
you, the reader.
Being independent has its pros and cons. It allows me to explore, take my time, be creative without conforming to
any writing style, structure, or agenda. But with no formal book-writing experience it also has its cons, I know that
my Grammar isn’t perfect, it does take longer to write, and there’s no feedback to see if I am on the right track.
But here’s the idea I had and where you can help.
Essentially, we’re giving this book away for practically nothing, e.g., anyone who donates $1 to support our
organization this Ramadan will receive a draft copy of this book. We want to get this into the hands (or, more
accurately, on the screens) of as many people as possible. We intend that if we get enough people to look at the
book, we can accelerate the feedback, make the necessary edits, and Insha-Allah write a good book for the
community as a community. Insha-Allah, as we write this together, anyone who contributes to the creation will
receive the barakah of future readers. I think it would also be something special to create a chapter crediting the
names of all the contributors for when we publish the physical copy.
َ َ َُ
We genuinely appreciate your support, time, and effort, and May Allah ( ‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬reward you accordingly. In
reading this work, we hope you see how it aligns with the goal of our organization to have a positive imprint on
your life, perhaps introduce a new way of seeing things that allow for a better way to live according to the deen.
Also, we don’t care if you share this work with friends, family, or colleagues if you find it beneficial. If you received
this as a copy, we hope after reading this, you’ll want to support our organization in the creation of future projects
(which you can read more about here).
The goal of a book is to educate, and I say the more readers, the better, so share away!
THE FEEDBACK PROCESS:

You can download the google document version with the link below. All edits MUST use comments for us to
view instead of editing specific sentences directly. To create comments in google document you can highlight any
text and select the comment button on the right of the page. (video tutorial)
Be sure to make a copy in order to edit.

File > make a copy.
After your done editing you can download the file as either word document or PDF. You can then share your
feedback and upload your edited version with us via this form.
https://myislam.formaloo.net/9q4zk
2 - MYISLAM.ORG
DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Duas Of The Prophets
Supplications From The Qur’an
Ahmed Abdulla
MyIslam.org
4 - MYISLAM.ORG
َّ َ‫يب َد ْع َوة‬
ۖ ‫إلد ِإع ِإذَإ َد َعأ ِن‬ ٌ ‫َو ِإذَإ َس َأ َل َك ِع َبأ ِدي َع ِّني ف َِأ ِّني قَ ِر‬
ُ ‫يب ۖ إُ ِج‬
‫َفَ ْل َي ْستَ ِجي ُبوإ ِلي َو ْل ُي ْؤ ِمنُوإ بِي َل َع َّل ُه ْم ي َ ْر ُش ُدون‬
Wa izaa sa alaka ‘ibaadee ‘annnee fa innee qareebun ujeebu da’wataddaa’i izaa da’aani
falyastajeeboo lee walyu minoo beela ‘allahum yarshudoon
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the
invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and
believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.
2:186

Contents
Introduction 7
Life Is Difficult 7
Why Learn The Du’as Of The Prophets 9
Du’a Etiquette 12
Prophet Adam (as) 17
Du’a For Mercy When We Have Wronged 17
Prophet Nuh (as) 20
Du’a Asking Allah For Help 20
Du’a For Travelling 25
Du’a For Seeking Refuge in Allah and His Mercy 26
Prophet Shuaib (as) 27
Du’a For Success Through Allah 27
Du’a When Faced with Adversity 29
Prophet Ibrahim (as) 30
Du’a For Trust in Allah 30
Du’a for Victory and Protection from Torment 32
Du’a For a Safe Community or Neighborhood 33
Du’a Asking Allah to Accept the Good we do 34
Du’a To Make us Good Muslims in Character 35
Du’a to Establish Salah and For Parents Forgiveness 36
Du’a Asking for Righteous Children 37
Prophet Yaqub (as) 38
Du’a for Dealing with Grief 38
Prophet Yusuf (as) 40
Du’a of Praise and Righteousness 40
Du’a To Avoid Sinning 42
Prophet Ayyub (as) 44
Du’a Made When Adversity Has Touched You 44
Prophet Musa (as) 46
Du’a When You Have Wronged 46
6 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a Asking to be saved from Wrongdoing 48

Du’a Asking Allah For Good 49
Du’a For Tawbah 50
Du’a For Confidence in Public Speaking 52
Du’a For Patience and to Die as Muslims 54
Du’a For Forgiveness and Protection 55
Prophet Suleiman (as) 56
Du’a For Gratitude, Parents, and Increase in Righteousness 56
Prophet Yunus (as) 58
Du’a Exalting Allah and Asking for Forgiveness for Wrongdoing 58
Prophet Zakariya (as) 60
Du’a For Pregnancy and Having Good Offspring 60
Prophet Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬ 62
Du’a To Say Allah is Sufficient 62
Dua For Mercy Upon Parents 64
Du’a For Reliance Upon Allah 66
Du’a for Increase in Knowledge 67
Du’a For Seeking Refuge in Allah from Shaitan 68
Du’a for Victory and Success 70
Bonus Du’a 71

Introduction
Life Is Difficult
All praise is due to Allah.
We seek his aid, we praise him and we ask for his forgiveness alone.
Life is difficult. This is one of the many great teachings mentioned in the Qur'an, "And We will surely test
you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to
the patient" (2:155)
The sooner we realize this truth and embrace it fully, the easier it will be to face reality. Once we accept
adversity as part of life, it will cease to matter as much. It is when we live in denial or self-pity, our thoughts
wander to dark and dangerous places and ask questions like, why isn't my du'a being answered? Does
َ َ َُ
Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬hate me? Am I being punished? The answer, of course, is Allah doesn't hate you, he is
not ignoring your call, and out of 7 billion people on Earth, do you believe he is singling you out and
punishing you alone? Chances are, whatever difficulty you are facing, millions of people, both past and
present, have experienced something similar. We believe our problems are unique to us but forget that
suffering is a shared human experience. When you realize life is difficult and accept it fully without
complaint, you can move forward. Otherwise, you live in a distorted reality wishing for things to be
different than they are – a fool's errand.
The Prophets in Islam (may peace be upon them) were regular people like you and me, except we hold
them to a higher standard as they were impeccable in character. Despite their respected status, they
probably suffered much more than you and I ever will. Yet when we make du'a, and it's not immediately
fulfilled, we grow impatient or falsely accept that we're not on good terms with our creator or we're being
punished. Did we forget Prophet Nuh (as) made du'as asking for the protection of his wife and son, yet
when the tide came, it drowned his family because they were of the deniers? Prophet Yusuf (as) was an
innocent child. Do you think he deserved to be thrown into a well by his own brothers and left to die?
Prophet Yaqub (as), the father of Yusuf (as), was deeply hurt by the loss of his child. Don't you think he
َ َ َُ
prayed to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬every day, asking for the safe return of his child? Allah tells us, "give good
tidings to the patient," We know Yaqud (as) du'a was answered as he was reunited with his son, but this
was only after many, many years of what people would refer to as "unanswered prayers."
It's important to realize we can't control the outcomes of life. That much is up to Allah, but we can control
the dialogue of what we tell ourselves about ourselves and the situation. This can profoundly affect the
way we lead our lives. After all, It's not what happens that determines the quality of your life, but rather
how you choose to respond to the happenings. You can have all the success and still be unhappy, we know
that's possible. So it's not about the happenings; instead, it's the story we tell ourselves that affect us
most. Much of who you are comes from your inner dialogue of how you view yourself, your qualities, and
your characteristics. The Qur'an tells us, "each person has guardian angels before him and behind,
watching over him by Allah's command. Allah does not change the condition of a people [for the worse]
unless they change what is in themselves, but if He wills harm on a people, no one can ward it off–– apart
َ َ َُ
from Him, they have no protector." (13:11) There is only Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, and there is you. No one
8 - MYISLAM.ORG
else can save you, whether in this life or the afterlife. So you don't have to look any further than yourself
for change. The key to your better future is within you.
As humble servants, we turn to Allah, ask for his approval and seek his help and guidance. "If Allah should
aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him?
And upon Allah let the believers rely." (3:160) Understand, sometimes things will not go as we hoped, but
we must learn to say Alhamdulillah (all praise is due to Allah) in every circumstance because we don't
know what lies on the other side of the door. We trust Allah knows what's best for us as we keep
relentlessly marching forward. The du'a is a tool we need to utilize often, both in the good times and the
bad. It keeps us grounded, humble and is a reminder of our primary goal – commitment and obedience
to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
It is a challenge, but you must try to find the good in your difficulties and suffering. There's always a seed
of positivity you can uncover. Suffering is often a small price we pay to receive a lot of good. Imagine a
person who got everything they wanted and did not struggle most of their life. They would become weak
in character and mind. They would fold or suffer immensely at the first sign of a real challenge because
they never got conditioned to endure past pain and rejection. Suffering should be viewed as the precursor
to change. It forces us to deal with the truth of the situation we may have unconsciously been ignoring.
َ َ َُ
We should be thankful to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬for this gift because it allows us to grow, become wiser, and
feel more empathetic toward the suffering of others. In Surah Ash-Sharh ayah 5, "For indeed, with
hardship [will be] ease." Without having experienced the lows of life, we can't recognize or be grateful for
when times are good, it's the yin and the yang, and it's necessary for gratitude. When you know how bad
it can be, you won't take Allah's gifts given to you for granted.
In Sahih Bukhari hadith 5647, Narrated by Abdullah: I visited the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬during his ailments, and he
was suffering from a high fever. I said, "You have a high fever. Is it because you will have a double reward
for it?" He said, "Yes, for no Muslim is afflicted with any harm but that Allah will remove his sins as the
َ َ َُ
leaves of a tree fall down." May Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬make us among the believers who never lose faith in
hardship and give us the patience to persevere and prosper.

Why Learn The Du’as
Of The Prophets
َ َ َُ َ َ َُ
Communication with Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬is not restricted to any one language, Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬knows
the intention of the supplicant and that which they desire. So whether you make du'a in English, French,
َ َ َُ
Urdu, Indonesian, or Arabic, he knows what lies in your heart. Even if you struggle, Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬
can word better then you what you can not word.
So why learn the du'as which the Prophets (may peace be upon them) recited? It shows us the eloquence
َ َ َُ
in speech and the words they chose when supplicating to Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. The Prophets are role
models and guidance for all humanity. We should study how they supplicated, what kind of things they
asked for, and learn the methodology of how they made du'a so we can increase the chance of ours being
accepted. We also know Allah heard the words they uttered as the Qur'an captured them and revealed
them to all who would take the time to learn them.
Mufti Menk, a well-known and respected Islamic scholar, argues by analogy, if you recite the same
beautiful words that worked in the past, there is a greater chance of the same words working for you. If
you were given a lock with a three-digit code, you could listen for the clicks and the ticks to break the
code. But wouldn't it be much easier if someone who knew the code came to you and said, 'hey brother,
it's 3-2-1'. That which had already worked in the past is better for you to use than to make up one
combination after another.
Beyond learning the exact wording, knowing the circumstance and context, the Prophets recited these
du'as can be just as instructive. Studying the biographies of the Prophets (may peace be upon them) allows
us to feel and imagine the emotions they must have felt when they recited these duas. Having this
understanding can be a great source of inspiration for us to gain the courage and endurance needed to
outlast whatever tough times we may be going through. The Prophets are a perfect example for us all.
Their teachings are timeless and give us a mental framework and a set of philosophies that we can
incorporate to live the good life in accordance with Islamic principles.
Furthermore, Islam urges the human pursuit of beneficial knowledge as a religious obligation. This is one
of the most honorable pursuits a person can undertake. Abu Hurairah narrates that the Messenger of
Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said: "Whoever takes a knowledge upon which to obtain, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy
for him." (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2646) Also, narrated by Abu Hurairah: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (‫)ﷺ‬
saying: 'This world is cursed and what is in it is cursed, except the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and what
is conducive to that, or one who has knowledge or who acquires knowledge." (Sunan Ibn Majah 4112)
The first word revealed to Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was iqra, meaning 'read.' And just look at the impact
of the Qur’an, a single book that once read has educated billions of people to truth. The power of reading
is one of the greatest gifts people can be given in life. If you can read, you can use that discipline to pick
َ َ َُ
up any skill you desire. You can learn more about Islam and become closer to Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. You can
learn to take care of yourself and be healthy, fit, and happy. Reading and writing will help you become a
better thinker and speaker, making you act effectively in the world. This will help you win the battles you
engage in, and hopefully, these are worthwhile causes worth fighting. It is often said the pen is mightier
than the sword, so being educated is just about one of the most dangerous things you could possibly be.
10 - MYISLAM.ORG
But the person who can read and does not is no better than the person who cannot read. Don't let this
skill go to waste. Always be seeking out new information as your religious duty to grow and progress. By
doing so, you make an investment in yourself that shows that you care and that you are serious. And if
you care enough, you'll get results. Society generally does not care whether you seek beneficial knowledge
past a certain point, but Islam does. You must demand it of yourself and the path to paradise will become
easier for you.
How will the path become easier? We are affected by what we know and what we don’t know, the
accumulation of knowledge or lack of knowledge. It affects everything, the chances of success in this
dunya and the hereafter. No one is going to come and rescue you, you have to go out and save yourself.
َ َ َُ
Life is largely an internal and single player game, when we return to Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, we will have to
answer for the choices and habits we made in this life. Accepting full responsibility over your life is a sign
of maturity. Taking on full ownership over your life is both daunting and freeing, you realize that you are
in charge, nobody else is to be blamed but you, “never will your relatives or your children benefit you; the
Day of Resurrection He will judge between you. And Allah, of what you do, is Seeing” (60:3).
SHORT EXERCISE:
Here’s a worthwhile exercise I hope you’ll try, get yourself a pen and on the next page write what you
would like your code of conduct to be? What do you want to be known for? What do you expect from
yourself? Write down a list of people who you respect and admire, what qualities do they possess that
make you like them? Imam Ali (ra) was quoted as saying, “dislike in yourself what you dislike in others” so
it may be worthwhile to do the same in the other direction, list the qualities you dislike in people.
From here the task is very simple, everyday work towards becoming that person you’ve listed out for
yourself. Be ruthless within yourself to maintain that standard and build out that reputation. Remember,
“the Day of Resurrection He will judge between you. And Allah, of what you do, is Seeing”. The moment
things will begin to change for you is when you yourself change, things will get better for you when you
yourself get better.
Once in a while you may violate your code of conduct but having something tangible to hold yourself
accountable can prevent you from unconciously picking up bad habits, and the chains of habits are too
light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken. The best time to start this process of self-reflection
was in the past, the second best time is right now.
It is my intention in writing this this book that you’ll learn a few life lessons which you can carry forth with
you for the rest of your life. All it takes is for one new insight, that if repeated daily, could lead you to a
darastically different destination. Some of these teachings have shaped my life for the better and I wish
to share these with you.

Code of Conduct
Qualities worth emulating:
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________________________
11. _____________________________________________________________
Qualities to be avoided:
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________
7. ______________________________________________________________
8. ______________________________________________________________
9. ______________________________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________________________
11. _____________________________________________________________
12 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a Etiquette
“You were ordered to obey Allah, and you were created to perform good deeds.”
— Imam Ali (ra)

َ َ َُ
We all want Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to hear and accept our du'a, but did you know there's a procedure that,
if you followed, could increase the power of your du'a? This is a concept in Islam referred to as Tawassul
(‫)توسل‬. ّ By seeking Allah's approval through actions that are beloved to him, you can elevate your position
َُ
before making du'a. This is something we learn from the duas of Musa (as) and Zakariya (as). Allah (‫ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ‬
َ َٰ َ َ َ
‫ )ٰوتع ل‬says in the Qur'an their du'as were fulfilled because of the good they did before asking. So,
َ َ َُ
whenever you do an act of good, you should invoke Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬and ask for His forgiveness or
whatever else you need from him in those moments.
Another pattern you'll notice is that they always used Allah's rightful attributes and names. "And to Allah
belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation
concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing." (7:180) Dr. Yasir Qadhi
provides a thorough breakdown of the Du'a Prophet Zakariya (as) made asking to be a father and to have
children.
‫َ َر ِّب لَا تَ َذ ْر ِني ف َْر ًدإ َوإَنْ َت َخ ْي ُر إ ْل َوإ ِر ِثين‬

Rabbi laa tazarnee fardanw wa Anta khairul waariseen
My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while you are the best of inheritors.
21:89
Notice the use of Khairul waariseen, which means the best of inheritors. In this du'a, Prophet Zakariya (as)
َ َ َُ
calls upon his Lord reciting one of the names of Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. In this case, he used Al-warith,
meaning the heir, the one who remains after all creation has perished, whose existence continues. Here
Zakariya (as) is asking for children as he had none. The need to have a child is a way for our legacy to
continue. What better name to incite than Al-warith, the one whose existence knows no end? Similarly...
...we say ya Ghafoor (The All-Forgiving) or ya Ghaffar (The Great Forgiver) if we want forgiveness.
...we say ya Rahman (The Beneficent) or Raheem (The Merciful) if we want his mercy.
...if we want provision or wealth, we say ya Razzaq (The Total Provider) or ya Karim (The Bountiful One).
...if we are sick and want to be healed, we can say Ya Shafi (Restorer of Health) or Ya Kafi (Saving One).
َ َ َُ
We should choose a name of Allah (‫ )ٰ ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬that is appropriate and relevant for the du'a we're
reciting. The two most used names of Allah, applicable to any du'a you make, are Allahumma (O, Allah)
and Rabbana (My Lord). The simple act of reciting these two names is a sign of devotion toward Allah
َ َ َُ
(‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬and an inner belief that he is the one is worthy of worship. (We put together a resource
page of the 40 duas in the Qur'an, which begin with the word Rabbana - https://myislam.org/40-rabbana-
dua-best-quranic-dua/)
Here is a list of acceptable or recommended acts to keep in mind for proper du'a etiquette:

o Do good deeds before making your du'a (for example, an act of kindness, offering two Rakat of
salah, reading the Qur'an, donating to charity).
َ َ َُ
o Praise Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬by using his proper names and attributes.
o Ask only from Allah.
o Ask Allah with humility and humbleness.
"Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors" - 7:55.
o Be conscious of what you are asking for. Avoid being heedless in your requests, be focused, and
understand what you are reciting when making du'a.
o Be patient. Never rush for your du'a to be fulfilled. If it is a worthy goal, why constrain yourself to
a set time. If your child was learning to walk, would you ask Allah only once to make it easy for
them? If they didn't learn right away, would you just quit and say, "that's it, guess she's not a
walker," or would you continue to ask Allah UNTIL they learned to walk. Be patient with yourself
as you would be with a child or a friend.
Abu Hurairah narrated that: The Prophet said: "One of you will be responded to, so long as he is not hasty,
saying: 'I supplicated, and I was not responded to.' Sahih Hadith, Jami At-Tirmidhi 3387.
o Be persistent and do not lose hope. One of the beneficial remedies is persisting in your du'a.
Abu Ishiq has narrated a similar tradition through a different chain of transmitters and has added: He (the
Messenger of Allah) loved to repeat the supplication thrice. He was saying: O Allah, it is for Thee to deal
with the Quraish (repeating these words thrice). Sahih Muslim 1794c.
o Send blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬. He paved the path for us, and if it weren't for him,
we wouldn't have the goodness we currently have. It is essential to honor and acknowledge those
who came before us that made it possible for us.
"When one of you performs Salat, then let him begin by expressing gratitude to Allah and praising Him.
Then, let him send Salat upon the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬, then let him supplicate after that, whatever he wishes.'"
Hasan (Darussalam), Jami At-Tirmidhi 3477.
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: If anyone invokes blessings on me once, Allah will bless
him ten times. Sahih (Al-Albani), Sunan Abi Dawud 1530
o Before asking for what you want, it is best for you to engage in tawbah, meaning repentance. Ask
َ َ َُ
Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬for his forgiveness and purify your record.
o You need to ask Allah for what is reasonable and play your part. A common request is financial
well-being. This is fine to ask for, but if that's a goal of ours, we need to act according to that role.
We can't say, "Oh Allah, please bring me abundance and money into my life," and then sleep all
day and night. We must be rational, reasonable and not insult the creator by placing the burden
on him to make us rich. Remember, we have a role to play. We need His help, and he does not
need us.
14 - MYISLAM.ORG
o You can also use your state or circumstance and say, "Oh Allah, I am faqeer (‫)فقی‬," meaning from
poverty or in a dire state. Allah responds to those who show complete submission and
dependence on him for change.
"Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes
you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember. Is He [not best] who
guides you through the darknesses of the land and sea and who sends the winds as good tidings before
His mercy? Is there a deity with Allah? High is Allah above whatever they associate with Him." (27:63-64)
o Facing towards the Kaaba and making du'a.
"It has been narrated on the authority of `Umar b. al-Khattab said: When it was the day on which the
Battle of Badr was fought, the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬cast a glance at the infidels, and they were one
thousand while his own Companions were three hundred and nineteen. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬turned (his face)
towards the Qibla. Then he stretched his hands and began his supplication to his Lord: "O Allah,
accomplish for me what Thou hast promised to me. O Allah, bring about what Thou hast promised to me.
O Allah, if this small band of Muslims is destroyed. Thou will not be worshipped on this earth." He
continued his supplication to his Lord, stretching his hands, facing the Qibla, until his mantle slipped down
from his shoulders. So Abu Bakr came to him, picked up his mantle, and put it on his shoulders. Then he
embraced him from behind and said: Prophet of Allah, this prayer of yours to your Lord will suffice you,
and He will fulfill for you what He has promised you. So Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, revealed (the
Qur'anic verse 8:9): "When ye appealed to your Lord for help, He responded to your call (saying): I will
help you with one thousand angels coming in succession." So Allah helped him with angels." Sahih Muslim
1763
o Being in a state of prostration.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "A slave
becomes nearest to his Rubb when he is in prostration. So increase supplications in prostrations." Riyad
as-Salihin 1498
o Offering du'a in the third of the night, meaning just before Fajr.
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every
night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone
to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his
request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him? Sahih al-Bukhari 1145
Concluding Thoughts
If you haven't been doing these things, that's alright. Allah's mercy is so vast that he listens to all who
supplicate, "call upon Me; I will respond to you." (40:60)
This section has covered some of the things you can do to elevate your ranking before making du'a. It is
َ َ َُ
encouraged we constantly turn to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬and make multiple du'as every day. It's a win-win
situation. When you make supplication to your Lord, by the simple act of asking, you are now qualified to
start the receiving process. It is possible that Allah may be delayed in giving, and ultimately, he knows

what's best. It could be the conditions are not suitable, or you're not prepared *yet* and he's postponing
to a time where you'd be better equipped to handle the burden of what you've asked for. If you do go
"unrewarded," it's possible Allah is protecting you from some unforeseen danger. We are limited in our
knowledge. The belief we must have is to trust that Allah knows what's best. For every du'a we feel is not
answered, realize we'll have a lot more to gain in the eternal afterlife. It was narrated by Salman al-Farsi:
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said: Your Lord is munificent and generous and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands
of His servant when he raises them to Him. (Sahih Hadith, Sunan Abu Dawud 1488).
16 - MYISLAM.ORG
Narrated by Mus’ab bin Sa’d that his father, Sa’d bin Abu Waqqas, said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah,
which people are most severely tested?’ He said: ‘The Prophets, then the next best and the next best. A
person is tested according to his religious commitment. If he is steadfast in his religious commitment, he
will be tested more severely, and if he is frail in his religious commitment, his test will be according to
his commitment. Trials will continue to afflict a person until they leave him walking on the earth with no
sin on him.’”
Sunan Ibn Majah 4023

Chapter 1:
Prophet Adam (as)
“For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts…”
— Qur’an 22:46
Du’a For Mercy When We Have Wronged
‫سنَا َوإِ ْن لَ ْم ت َ ْغ ِف ْر لَنَا َوت َْر َح ْمنَا لَنَ ُكون ََّن ِمنَ ْالخَا ِس ِرين‬
َ ُ‫ظلَ ْمنَا أ َ ْنف‬
َ ‫ََربَّنَا‬
Rabbanaa zalamnaaa anfusanaa wa-in lam taghfir lanaa wa tarhamnaa lanakoonanna minal
khaasireen
“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will
surely be among the losers.”
7:23
The story of Adam (as) marks the beginning of all human life and encompasses the first events of
َ َ َُ
humankind. Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬created Adam (as) and honored his creation by commanding all His angels
prostrate out of respect, "And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they
prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers." (2:34) In
Surah Al-A'raf, it was asked of Iblees, "'What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?'
[Iblees] said, 'I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.'" (7:12)
Iblees was envious of Allah's creation and felt disrespected. So, out of spite, he vowed to cause corruption,
"I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion. And I will mislead them, and I will arouse
in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command
them so they will change the creation of Allah." (4:118-119) Allah mentions in the following verse, "Iblees
promises them and arouses desire in them. But Iblees does not promise them except delusion." (4:120) It
is Iblees's mission to create desires in us, give us false hope, he wants to tempt us into believing falsehood,
َ َ َُ
but Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬warns us that this only but a deception.
Now, at the time, Adam (as) was in Jannah (paradise) and was given only one instruction from Allah, which
is mentioned in Surah Baqarah verse 35, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in paradise and eat therefrom
in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the
َ َ َُ
wrongdoers." Not only was Adam (as) forbidden from eating the Apple, Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬warned him
to stay away from the tree. This is similar to the warning issued for committing Zina (fornication). Allah
َ َ َُ
(‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬forbids us from even coming close to approaching zina. The wisdom behind this is He knows
one thing can lead to another, and before you know it, you're heading down a one-way street with no
exit. We should give a lot of things a wide berth, meaning you and me should keep things that we are
doubtful of at a respectable distance. The slightest neglect of your code of conduct begins the
deterioration process. It lets the weeds come in and take the garden, and the only person you ever cheat
18 - MYISLAM.ORG
is yourself. The best way to keep healthy, long-lasting habits is to abstain completely. If you've never
smoked a cigarette a day in your life, guess how easy it will be to decline one if it is offered? Answer, very
easy! It's almost effortless. The amount of willpower required is none. Why is that? A possible reason is
you have not identified with smoking, and there exists no story in your mind about being a smoker. The
story of a smoker is much more complex to untangle and detach himself, which shows the power of
َ َ َُ
abstinence. As Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬warns Adam (as), it's best to remove the temptations of negative things
you wish to avoid. Keep them away, and you will have a much easier time. Similarly, we can reverse the
operation and use this principle in the positive. If you want to lose weight instead of focusing on the goal
to lose X amount of pounds, begin with the premise that you're the kind of person who likes to be active
every day and prove it to yourself with the smallest of actions that affirm this identity. Being consistent
over a long enough time horizon will further the identity to where the habit becomes autonomous and
requires no effort.
For reasons best known to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Adam (as) fell victim to Iblees's games. He
disobeyed Allah's command, "and Adam and his wife ate of it, and their private parts became apparent to
them, and they began to fasten over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And Adam disobeyed his
Lord and erred" (20:120). One reason for this error in judgment could be part of Allah's plan to show us
how we should behave when we falter in our actions and fail to follow our code of conduct. What Adam
(as) did next was honorable. He took immediate ownership of his action and regretted it. This sounds
simple, but how many of us can say we do the same? It is natural for the human psyche to scapegoat
blame onto others to protect their pride and ego. It is far easier to give up responsibility than to take it,
so we point fingers and blame the circumstance, the people, or the environment. We create a whole list
of reasons and include everything imaginable but forget the possibility of putting ourselves on that list.
Being able to admit your faults and harbor guilt is a beautiful sign of your belief and dedication to Allah
َ َ َُ
(‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. It is a sign of your iman (faith). It is no secret we will make many mistakes, but as long we
don't lose faith in Allah and continue to repent to him, we have a chance to receive His Mercy and improve.
Some people feel a sense of hopelessness, thinking that it's too late for them, but it is never too late to
seek the forgiveness of your Lord, "Allah wants to accept your repentance" (4:27). The one who sins and
no longer fears Allah should be most worried. This kind of person has developed a deep-rooted belief that
they will not have to answer to anyone. It is a funny paradox. If you're not worried, you need to worry.
And if you are worried, you don't need to worry. Adam (as) was tested. He took ownership of his action
and sought the immediate forgiveness of his maker. Following this methodology is a true sign of a Mu'min
(a believer).

‫وب َعلَ ْيك ُْم ۗ َوإل َّل ُه َع ِل ٌيم َح ِك ٌيم َوإل َّل ُه ي ُ ِر ُيد إَ ْن‬
َ ُ‫ي ُ ِر ُيد إل َّل ُه ِليُبَ ِّي َن لَك ُْم َوي َ ْه ِديَك ُْم ُسنَ َن إ َّل ِذي َن ِم ْن قَ ْب ِلك ُْم َويَت‬
‫ت إَ ْن تَ ِميلُوإ َم ْيلًا َع ِظي ًمأ ي ُ ِر ُيد إل َّل ُه إَ ْن ي ُ َخ ِّف َف َع ْنك ُْم ۚ َو ُخ ِل َق‬ِ ‫إلش َه َوإ‬َّ ‫وب َعلَ ْيك ُْم َوي ُ ِر ُيد إ َّل ِذي َن ي َ َّت ِب ُعو َن‬َ ‫ي َ ُت‬
‫إل ْ ِانْ َسأ ُن َض ِعيفًأ‬
Allah wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of
those before you and to accept your repentance. And Allah is Knowing and Wise. Allah wants to accept
your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation. And
Allah wants to lighten for you [your difficulties]; and mankind was created weak.
4:26-28
20 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 1:
Prophet Nuh (as)
“Perhaps it is close behind you - some of that for which you are impatient. And indeed, your Lord
is full of bounty for the people, but most of them do not show gratitude."
— Qur’an 27:72-73
Du’a Asking Allah For Help
ٌۭ ُ‫َْربَّهُۥٓ أَنِِّى َم ْغل‬

ِ ‫وب فَٱنت‬
‫َصر‬
Rabbi inni maghlubun fan-tass-ssir
“My Lord, Indeed, I am overpowered, so help.”
54:10
All the Prophets fought and struggled against perversion and deviation. They faced constant ridicule,
torture, and banishment and came into harm's way for being vocal in what they believed. We hear the
word Prophet and imagine a person of high status, respected, and beloved, and there is truth to this, but
they had earned this admiration. They worked tirelessly and faced constant ridicule. Imagine the critics
that would show up today if you, by yourself, told an entire community their current beliefs and practices
were wrong. Imagine the courage required of an individual to do this. This is something all the Prophets
(may peace be upon them) faced.
Abu Umamah al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man said: "O Messenger of Allah, was
Adam a prophet?" He said: 'Yes.' The man said: "How long was the period between him (Adam) and Nuh?"
He replied: "Ten centuries." (Al-Haakim - At-Tabaraani) The prophetic timeline after the death of Prophet
Adam (as) goes Idris (as) and then Nuh (as). Over time, people began to drift away and commit shirk (i.e.,
worshipping idols, statues and creating associations with Allah). Allah, in His Mercy, sent guidance to the
people through Nuh (as). The people who were receptive to Allah's message were the poor. The others
were said to have plugged their ears. They chose to deny the guidance of Nuh (as). Some became hostile
towards Prophet Nuh (as) and took it upon themselves to berate and humiliate him.
'The people of Noah denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, "A madman," and he was
repelled.' (54:9) The people grew tired and rebuked and even threatened Nuh (as) "They said, 'If you do
not desist, O Noah, you will surely be of those who are stoned.'" (26:116). From Tafseer Maarif-ul-Quran,
"Abd Ibn Humaid reports from Mujahid that when some of his people found him somewhere, they would
choke him, as a result he would become unconscious. But when he recovered, he would pray to Allah, 'O
Allah! Forgive my people, for they do not know the truth.'"
In Sahih Bukhari 6929 and Sahih Muslim 1792, it was narrated by Abdullah, "As if I am looking at the
Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬while he was speaking about one of the prophets whose people have beaten and wounded
him, and he was wiping the blood off his face and saying, "O Lord! Forgive my, people, as they do not

know." Although the Prophet goes unnamed in this hadith, the belief is that it is referencing Prophet Nuh
(as), but it is unconfirmed, and Allah knows best.
One quality you'll see in all the Prophets is sheer determination. They had no quit in them. They had faced
setbacks, but, in the end, nothing would deter them from doing what was required of them. They kept
plugging away day after day with hope and faith. In the Qur'an, it tells us, Nuh (as) endured patiently and
preached Islam for 950 years, and the number of believers did not increase. "And We certainly sent Noah
to his people, and he remained among them a thousand years minus fifty years, and the flood seized them
while they were wrongdoers" (29:14). Next time you want to quit because you haven't seen progress in
two weeks or you faced a few job rejections, we should remember the story of Nuh (as).
So, one generation after the next, they waged war against Nuh (as), fighting back against what he taught.
Even his son rejected his call. When it started to rain, and the city was being flooded, Nuh (as) cried out
to his son, "O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers. [But] he said, 'I will take
refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water.' [Noah] said, 'There is no protector today from the
decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy.' And the waves came between them, and he was among
the drowned." (11:42-43)
Knowing the prolonged abuse Nuh (as) endured opens the door for us to empathize with the pain he
must've felt when he made the du'a, Rabbi inni maghlubun fan-tass-ssir meaning, "My Lord, Indeed, I am
overpowered, so help." As mentioned in the du'a etiquette, this is a perfect example for us to see how we
can use our state. When we're most desperate and vulnerable, we should cry for Allah's help. We know
Allah responded to Nuh's prayer and closed the case for the disbelievers. The following ayah in the Qur'an
tells us, "Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down" (54:11).
22 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a For Forgiveness of Parents and All Believers
ِ ‫ي ُمؤْ ِمنًا َو ِل ْل ُمؤْ ِمنِينَ َو ْال ُمؤْ ِمنَا‬

‫ت َو ََل ت َِز ِد‬ َّ ‫َربِّ ِ ا ْغ ِف ْر ِلي َو ِل َوا ِل َد‬
َ ِ‫ي َو ِل َم ْن َد َخ َل بَ ْيت‬
َّ
ً ‫الظا ِل ِمينَ ِإ ََّل ت َ َب‬
‫ارا‬
Rabbigh fir lee wa liwaa lidaiya wa liman dakhala baitiya mu'minanw wa lil mu'mineena wal
mu'minaati wa laa tazidiz zaalimeena illaa tabaaraa
“My Lord, forgive me and my parents and whoever enters my house a believer and the believing men
and believing women. And do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction.”
71:28
"And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in
weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me
is the [final] destination." (31:14) Allah tells us in the Qur'an that we must care for our parents, and one
of the ways we can fulfill this duty is to remember them continuously in our du'as. At the end of Surah
Nuh, we learn of this beautiful du'a Prophet Nuh (as) himself used to recite asking for the forgiveness of
his parents.
In this du'a, he uses the word (‫ ) ََب ۡي ِت‬baytiya meaning 'my house,' which some scholars believe to be
referencing the masjid. This is because the house of Nuh (as) was the area of worship for the followers.
Therefore, this du'a asks Allah, if anyone enters 'my house', please forgive them along with my parents.
Other opinions say that baytiya could refer to the ark he built, so whoever trusted Nuh (as) with Allah's
plan and boarded this ship, please forgive them. It then continues asking for the forgiveness of the entire
Ummah, i.e., all believing men and women.
The last part of the du'a says, "And do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction." Detractors
criticize this ayah for its harshness but ignore the context in which it was revealed. There's an apocryphal
story where a student comes to his teacher complaining about the bad he saw some people do and the
terrible sinful acts they were committing. He was very passionate and meant well, but he let his emotions
َ َ َُ
lead to anger and prayed that Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬curse these people and wished ruin upon them. The
Sheikh remained silent throughout this interaction. When the student was down unwinding, he politely
َ َ َُ
suggested, "don't you think it would be better to ask Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to guide them to the truth instead
of wishing for destruction?" The student got a little defensive, "Yes, sure, that would be best." He tried to
find justification in his anger, "But even when Nuh (as) got fed up, he prayed and cursed his people." The
Sheikh agreed, "yes, you are correct, Nuh (as) did pray to Allah for the destruction of his people… but you
realize this was after he called them to Allah. And we know he was relentless in doing this, he did this
nonstop, day in and day out, privately and publicly, individually and in groups. He was calm, argued with
reason, not emotion, and slaved away for 950 years. After all this personal sacrifice and pain he endured,
he asked Allah for their destruction." The Sheikh paused for a bit, then looked at the student and said,
"Look! I promise you that if you give dawah your entire life, I'll join you at the end, and we can make du'a
together against these people."

Only with a complete understanding of the story of Nuh (as) alongside this du'a do we see the beautiful
message for us to follow. Without this understanding, a person may read this supplication for the first
time and get a negative view of Islam or fill their hearts with hatred towards others. We must be careful
not to get the wrong information as it can lead us in the wrong ways.
24 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a Asking for Support
‫ص ْرنِي بِ َما َكذَّبُون‬

ُ ‫َِربِّ ِ ا ْن‬
Rabbin surnee bimaa kazzaboon
“My Lord, support me because they have denied me.”
23:26
This du'a was made by Prophet Nuh (as) while he was building the Ark. I think we can all relate on some
level to this story. The people did not believe him and counted him out. In the book 'Stories of the
Prophets' by Ibn Kathir, the people sarcastically used to mock him, "O Noah! Does carpentry appeal to
you more than Prophethood? Why are you building an ark so far from the sea? Are you going to drag it to
the water or is the wind going to carry it for you?"
We all have faced critics who didn't believe in our vision or capabilities. What Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
inspired in Nuh (as) was not to grieve and ignore their comments as they were baseless. Their opinion of
him did not have to affect his reality. If Nuh (as) did what was right and believed in His mission towards
َ َ َُ
Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, nothing else really mattered. Put complete trust in Allah and rely on him alone, recite
just as Nuh (as) did, Rabbin surnee bimaa kazzaboon, "My Lord, support me because they have denied
me."
As a student in high-school, I struggled to do well in school and get good grades my parents would be
proud of. I remember the first day of going to my Chemistry class and meeting my teacher for the first
time, who was known for having a reputation for being hard. The speech he gave was a somber one. He
wanted to set expectations for the class. He explained that if we did poorly last year, it would be unrealistic
to expect a five to ten percent improvement this year. Instead of inspiring the children to reach new
heights, he chose to lower their expectations so they would not be disappointed. But his opinion did not
have to affect my reality. Luckily, the next teacher I had did the exact opposite. He taught us that the past
was the past, that he does not know what we may have gone through personally. Perhaps we didn't take
school seriously, but things can change for us if we change things around. It was a simple and profound
َ َ َُ
idea. By the grace of Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬that was the first year I went from a sixty in chemistry to eighty.
In the following verse of the Qur'an after the revelation of the du'a, it says, "So We inspired to him,
'Construct the ship under Our observation, and Our inspiration, and when Our command comes and the
oven overflows, put into the ship from each [creature] two mates and your family, except those for whom
the decree [of destruction] has proceeded. And do not address Me concerning those who have wronged;
indeed, they are to be drowned. And when you have boarded the ship, you and those with you, then say,
'Praise to Allah who has saved us from the wrongdoing people.'" (23:27-28)
Allah provided Nuh (as) with guidance to build the Ark, but still, Nuh (as) had to build the Arc. As the
proverb goes, "chop wood and carry water," meaning everyone has to do the work. Even with divine
guidance, it wasn’t easy. There is no preference based on age or ethnicity, and there's no discrimination
between black, yellow, white, or brown everyone has to chop wood and carry water.

Du’a For Travelling
‫ت َخي ُْر ْال ُم ْن ِز ِلين‬ َ ‫ََربِّ ِ أ َ ْن ِز ْل ِني ُم ْنزَ ًَل ُم َب‬

َ ‫ار ًكا َوأ َ ْن‬
Rabbi anzilnee munzalam mubaarakanw wa Anta khairul munzileen
“My Lord, let me land at a blessed landing place, and You are the best to accommodate [us].”
23:29
This is one of the du'a which should be learned and recited whenever traveling by car, plane, or train.
Regarding the different opinions surrounding this du'a, it is believed that Nuh (as) made this du'a either
when boarding the ark or exiting. Similarly, we can recite this du'a at the beginning of our journey or the
end, or we can do both. This du'a shows us the correct way for any person to praise Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala. We turn to him in humility and ask for His safeguarding as he is the most excellent protector. Again,
referring to du'a etiquette, we can see the pattern of referring to him by His rightful attributes.
26 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a For Seeking Refuge in Allah and His Mercy

َُ َ َْ ‫ا‬ ْ
‫س ِ يل ِب ِه ِعل ٌم ۖ َو ِإَّل تغ ِف ْر ِ يل َوت ْر َح ْم ِ ّ يت أ ك ْن ِم َن‬َ ‫وذ ب َك َأ ْن َأ ْس َأ َل َك َما َل ْي‬
ُ ُ َ ِّّ ِّ َ
َْ ِ ‫رب ِإ ين أع‬
‫اِسين‬
ِ ِ ‫َالخ‬
rabbi inneee a'oozu bika an as'alaka maa laisa lee bihee 'ilmunw wa illaa taghfir lee wa tarhamneee
akum minal khaasireen
“My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive
me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.”
11:47
At this time, the Earth was slowly becoming engulfed by water, "Then We opened the gates of the
heaven with rain pouring down And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the waters met for a
matter already predestined." (54:11-12) Nuh (as) knew the faith of those who did not listen. Among the
disbelievers was his son. He began pleading to his son, "O my son, come aboard with us and be not with
the disbelievers." (11:42) Disobedient as his son was, he did not respond to the cries of his loving father,
"[But] he said, 'I will take refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water.' [Noah] said, 'There is no
protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy.' And the waves came
between them, and he was among the drowned. And it was said, 'O earth, swallow your water, and O
sky, withhold [your rain].' And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came
to rest on the [mountain of] Judiyy. And it was said, 'Away with the wrongdoing people.'" (11:43-44) And
َ َ َُ
just like that, with Allah's (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬command, the Earth retracted its water, and all things came to a
complete standstill.
The Qur'an captures the following moments, Prophet Nuh (as) was distressed over the loss of His child,
"My Lord, my son was one of my family, though Your promise is true, and You are the most just of all
judges." (11:45) Allah responded, "O Noah, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose]
work was other than righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge. Indeed, I
advise you, lest you be among the ignorant." (11:46) At this moment, Prophet Nuh (as) realizes he
should not have questioned Allah's qadr (meaning divine fate, what he ordained). He then sought the
forgiveness of Allah and recited this du'a, rabbi inneee a'oozu bika an as'alaka maa laisa lee bihee
'ilmunw wa illaa taghfir lee wa tarhamneee akum minal khaasireen "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from
asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be
among the losers."
The drowning of Prophet Nuh (as) Son reminds us that we alone will be held accountable for our actions.
It does not matter who our parents are, we are all equal on this Earth, and no one, not even the
Prophet's children, is given special treatment. Don't fall into the trap of believing that just because your
َ َ َُ
ancestors were saintly, they will somehow safeguard you against the justice of Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬.
What someone else does will not benefit you in the afterlife. These verses were also intended to serve
as a warning to the Quraish tribe who, during the Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬lifetime, considered
themselves to be immune from punishment because they were the "special" descendants of Prophet
Ibrahim (as).

Chapter 2:
Prophet Shuaib (as)
[Remember] when you asked help of your Lord, and He answered you, "Indeed, I will reinforce you with a
thousand from the angels, following one another."
— Quran 8:9
Du’a For Success Through Allah
ُ َ ُ ْ‫ه َ َ َ ه‬ ‫ا‬ َْ َ َ
‫اَّلل ۚ عل ْي ِه ت َوكلت َو ِإل ْي ِه أ ِنيب‬
ِ ِ ‫يق ِإ‬
‫ب‬ ‫َّل‬ ِ‫ُوما تو ِف ي‬
wa maa tawfeeqeee illaa billaah; 'alaihi tawakkaltu wa ilaihi uneeb
“And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.”
11:88
The story of Shuaib (as) from the Qur'an reveals Allah appointed him to guide the people of Madyan, a
place east of Mount Sinai, the place where Musa (as) encountered the burning bush. "O my people,
worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. And do not decrease from the measure and the scale.
Indeed, I see you in prosperity, but indeed, I fear for you the punishment of an all-encompassing Day. And
O my people, give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do
not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption." (11:84-85)
One of the aspects that Prophet Shuaib (as) tried to correct was the misconduct in business transactions.
Greed had entered the hearts of these businessmen, leading to inequalities and unfair treatment of the
lower class. Proper business is necessary for a functional society, and when you have a bunch of bad
actors, it can lead to societal problems and unrest. The core of Islamic finance is for business and
economics to be fair and just, i.e., to "give full measure and weight" and not "decrease from the measure
and the scale." When an exchange takes place, it must be of value and not predatory taking advantage of
someone's situation. For example, a drug needed to cure a life-threatening disease would never see a
mark up to 700% profit following Islamic principles. There is room for profit, but pro-actively tipping the
scale in your favor is detrimental to society and its people. This kind of cheating does not lead to seeking
َ َ َُ
the approval of Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, which should be the goal in all our transactions. Allah will give us
ample provision and sustenance if we do what is right. People do not become poor by giving others what
is rightfully theirs. Greed furthers the worries of scarcity and encourages others to do the same and act
out of their self-interest. It erodes trust, unity, and care for others.
The people taunted Suhaib (as) and made a mockery of this message, "They said: "O Shu'ayb! Does your
Salah command you that we give up what our fathers used to worship, or that we give up doing what we
like with our property [referring to zakat, charity] Verily, you are the forbearer, right-minded!" (11:87)
They failed to see Shuaib (as) wanting to reform society to benefit every individual. Business does not
need to be a zero-sum game where one person wins, and the other has to lose. Instead, it can be a
positive-sum game (1+1=2), one where the risk is shared equally, and the people are rewarded in
28 - MYISLAM.ORG
proportion to the value they provide society. Islam advocates for cooperation rather than predatory
pricing, gambling, praying on people's vices, and betting on their downfall. It aims to create a system that
can prosper and generally benefits the individual.
But a skeptic, greedy in heart, would view this as a chance for Suhaib (as) to get one over on them because
that's what they would have done. So, Prophet Suhaib (as) assures them, "And I do not intend to differ
from you in that which I have forbidden you; I only intend reform as much as I am able." But they joked
and laughed at Suhaib (as). He responded to their mockery by reciting this supplication, wa maa
tawfeeqeee illaa billaah; 'alaihi tawakkaltu wa ilaihi uneeb, "My success is not but through Allah. Upon
him I have relied, and to Him I return." Allah is the only person who can grant us success, and he knows
our intentions and the sincerity of our efforts. Thus, We rely on no one other than Him.
He then advises them not to be stubborn, "And O my people, let not [your] dissension from me cause you
to be struck by that similar to what struck the people of Noah or the people of Hud or the people of Salih.
And the people of Lot are not from you far away." (11:89)

Du’a When Faced with Adversity
َ َ َ ِّ َ ْ َ ْ َ َّ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ‫َ ا‬
ّ‫نت َخ ْ ُی ْال َف ِات ِحي‬ ‫َربنا افتح بيننا وبي قو ِمنا ِبالحق وأ‬
Rabbana iftah baynana wabayna qawmina bilhaqqiwaanta khayru alfatiheen
“Our Lord, decide between us and our people in truth, and You are the best of those who give decision.”
(7:89)
As we learned in the previous du'a Prophet Shuaib (as) tried to prevent corruption in Madyan and reform
society so it could be equitable for all. In Surah Al A'raf, it echoes this sentiment, "And to [the people of]
Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other
than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. So fulfill the measure and weight and do
not deprive people of their due and cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. That is
better for you, if you should be believers." (7:85)
Whenever an opposing view runs counter to people's most commonly held beliefs, it is no surprise they
get offended. They take it as a personal attack on their identity and character, even if they are wrong.
Those most insecure may even resort to hostility and violence. Prophet Shuaib (as) began to see this shift
in the people and offered a treaty for peaceful coexistence, "And if there should be a group among you
who has believed in that with which I have been sent and a group that has not believed, then be patient
until Allah judges between us. And He is the best of judges." (7:87)
Here, I believe we can establish an essential lesson on communication. It is natural in debates that we so
passionately want to win that we're willing to do so at the other person's expense. Our pride wishes to
feel victorious and see the look of defeat on the other person's face. We forget the whole purpose of a
debate is not for there to be a winner or loser but so both parties can move forward and get closer to a
fundamental truth. A discussion should not be a zero-sum game. In circumstances where we realize no
progress is made, we must ask ourselves, "what is the goal I wish to achieve here?" It is often better for
us to present our case and walk away with class, simple in theory but hard in execution. Prophet Suhaib
was making the case to walk away without offending. This is the same message offered in Surah Baqarah
verse 256, "There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion." His belief in Allah was so secure.
He did not need the people of Madyan to believe to validate his faith. In the end, Allah will be the judge,
and He is the best of judges. Suhaib (as) did his part; he warned them repeatedly, told them not to be
stubborn, and asked for peaceful coexistence when there was no progress.
How did the people of Madyan take to this message? Not well, "the eminent ones who were arrogant
among his people [said], "We will surely evict you, O Shu'ayb, and those who have believed with you from
our city, or you must return to our religion." He said, "Even if we were unwilling?" (7:88) Shuaib (as)
continues to say, "We would have invented against Allah a lie if we returned to your religion after Allah
had saved us from it. And it is not for us to return to it except that Allah, our Lord, should will. Our Lord
has encompassed all things in knowledge. Upon Allah we have relied. [recites the du'a - Rabbana iftah
baynana wabayna qawmina bilhaqqiwaanta khayru alfatiheen] Our Lord, decide between us and our
people in truth, and You are the best of those who give decision." (7:89)
30 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 3:
Prophet Ibrahim (as)
“And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will
never reach the mountains in height.”
— Qur’an 17:37
Du’a For Trust in Allah
ْ َ َ َ ََ َ َ َ ْ‫َ َ َ َ َ ه‬
‫َُرابنا عل ْيك ت َوكلنا َو ِإل ْيك أن ْبنا َو ِإل ْيك ال َم ِصی‬
Rabbanaa 'alaika tawakkalnaa wa ilaika anabnaa wa ilaikal maseer
“Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.”
60:4
Here's the translation of the complete ayah, "There has already been for you an excellent pattern in
Abraham [Ibrahim] and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated
from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared
between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone" except for the saying
of Abraham to his father, "I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have not [power to do] for you
anything against Allah. Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is
the destination."
As we've shown with the du'a of Nuh (as), when reading just the literal translation, it's possible to walk
away with a misconception or develop a dangerous attitude towards reading the Qur'an because of its
perceived harshness. Again, this is why learning the context, when and where the ayat was revealed is
crucial for understanding. From this ayat, we may incorrectly conclude that we are not allowed to make
َ َ َُ
du'a for those who are mushrik (a person who rejects the oneness of Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬or is an idolater).
We know this is not true. All Prophets prayed that their respective communities be guided to the straight
َُ
path. Even Ibrahim (as) used to make du'a for forgiveness for his pagan father. It is only when Allah (‫ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ‬
َ َٰ َ َ َ
‫ )ٰوتع ل‬commanded him to stop which made it forbidden.
Similarly, this was the case for Abu Lahab, Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬uncle. Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was always
kind to him, but in Surah Lahab, it was revealed that Allah had cursed him for being an enemy of Islam, so
any du'a made for him would be wasted.
We can also look to Umar (ra), the second caliph of Islam. He grew up fiercely loyal to pagan traditions
because of his father. He vehemently opposed Islam, with reports of beating an enslaved person he
learned who had accepted Islam. On one occasion, he even planned the assassination of Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬.
So how did Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬react? Narrated by Ibn 'Umar: that the Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said: "O Allah!
Honor Islam through the most dear of these two men to you: Through Abu Jahl or through 'Umar bin Al-
Khattab." He said: "And the most dear of them to Him was 'Umar." (Tirmidhi 3681). The next day Umar
visited his sister's house, where he heard the recitation of Surah Ta-Ha, and right then, he embraced Islam.

The only time a du'a is forbidden is after a person has passed away committing shirk. Their case is with
َ َ َُ
Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, "It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's Forgiveness
for the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) even though they
be of kin, after it has become clear to them that they are the dwellers of the Fire (because they died in a
state of disbelief)." (9:113).
Islam teaches us to have empathy towards all people. If they see and witness this firsthand, it opens a
chance for dialogue. A person must be genuinely curious and voluntarily enroll in learning. Nobody has
ever learned anything against their will. Islam teaches us to be respectful to those of different faiths. In
the hadith of Sahih Bukhari 1311, "Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah: A funeral procession passed in front of us
and the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬stood up, and we too stood up. We said, 'O Allah's Messenger (‫ !)ﷺ‬This is the funeral
procession of a Jew." He said, "Whenever you see a funeral procession, you should stand up." We can
coexist just as Suhaib (as) made a treaty with the people of Madyan. We should do right by each other.
The only warning is to stand guard at the door of your mind, meaning don't let anyone dump whatever it
is into your mind because you'll forever have to live with the consequence.
Islam teaches us, "Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives,
orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the
traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-
deluding and boastful." (4:36)
32 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a for Victory and Protection from Torment
‫ُ َربَّنَأ لَا تَ ْج َع ْلنَأ ِف ْتنَ ًة ِل َّل ِذي َن كَ َف ُروإ َوإ ْغ ِف ْر َلنَأ َربَّنَأ ۖ ِإنَّكَ إَنْ َت إ ْل َع ِزي ُز إ ْل َح ِكيم‬
Rabbana laa taj'alnaa fitnatal lillazeena kafaroo waghfir lanaa rabbanaa innaka antal azeezul hakeem
“Our Lord, make us not [objects of] torment for the disbelievers and forgive us, our Lord. Indeed, it is
You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”
60:5
In the same Surah of the previous du'a, Prophet Ibrahim (as) makes this powerful du'a for the victory of
the believers. He says to Allah, Rabbana laa taj'alnaa fitnatal lillazeena kafaroo meaning "Our Lord, make
َ َ َُ
us not [objects of] torment for the disbelievers." Ibrahim asks Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬not to let the
disbelievers become victorious over us because if they succeed, they may think, "had these people been
following the truth, torment should not have struck them." They would have received false confirmation
to believe they were right.
َ َ َُ
The du'a then continues, waghfir lanaa, meaning "forgive us" - we turn to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬by asking
for the forgiveness from Him because he is azeezul hakeem the most powerful, and the most wise. Usually,
the verse which follows when we ask for the forgiveness of Allah is wallahu Ghafoor ur Raheem meaning
indeed he is most kind and most merciful. Here Ibrahim (as) says something different. He says he is the
َ َ َُ
most powerful and wise. The extra subtlety shows how Ibrahim (as) viewed Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, it's almost
َ َ َُ
as if to say 'Allah, I know you can punish me, but I want you to forgive me instead. And Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬
you are wise. I trust you know what to do with who and when to do it.' This shows the complete
submission and humility a believer should have.

Du’a For a Safe Community or Neighborhood
‫اَّلل َو ْاليَ ْو ِم ْال ِخر‬ ْ ‫َِربِّ ِ اجْ عَ ْل َٰ َهذَا بَلَدًا ِآمنًا َو‬
ِ ‫ار ُز ْق أ َ ْهلَهُ ِمنَ الث َّ َم َرا‬
ِ َّ ِ‫ت َم ْن آ َمنَ ِم ْن ُه ْم ب‬
Rabbij 'al haazaa baladan aaminanw warzuq ahlahoo minas samaraati man aamana minhum billaahi
wal yawmil aakhiri
“My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits - whoever of them believes in Allah
and the Last Day.”
2:126
َ َ َُ
Du'a Prophet Ibrahim (as) made before Makkah was a city. He prayed to Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, asking to
turn this place for all its inhabitants into a city that is safe and peaceful. Ibrahim (as) goes on even further
to ask that they be provided with fruits, meaning blessings, opportunity, and prosperity. To this day,
َُ
Makkatul Mukarramah (i.e., the holy city of Mecca) has peace and stability. This is the will of Allah (‫ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ‬
َ َٰ َ َ َ
‫)ٰوتع ل‬.
It is believed in this du'a Prophet Ibrahim (as) asks for good provisions for the believers only. Yet Allah
َ َ َُ
(‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬revealed, he will not differentiate sustenance between mushrikeen (people who commit
shirk) and the Muslims. And in the complete ayah "…[Allah] said. "And whoever disbelieves - I will grant
him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the
destination." (2:126) This verse gives an example of rectitude or righteousness of Allah, so in terms of
food, drinking, eating, sleeping, and playing, both the believers and non-believers Allah will give justly.
But he warns us that do not to be fooled into thinking that wealth or riches is a sign of his blessings. No,
the final destination is Allah, and here is where we will face the consequence of our choices.
َ ْ َْ َُْ‫َ ْ ُّْ ََّا َ ا‬ ََ ْ َ َ ْ ‫ََر ِّب‬

‫ٱج َع ْل ه َٰ ذا ٱل َبلد َء ِام ًۭنا وٱجنب ِت وب ِت أن نعبد ٱْلصنام‬
Rabbij ‘al haazal balada aaminanw wajnubnee wa baniyya an na’budal asnaam
“My Lord, make this city [Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.”
14:35
َ ْ ً ََ
The difference between this du'a and the one covered previously is in two letters, alif lam (‫ َٱل َبلد‬vs ‫)بلدا‬. It
is a slight difference, but the meaning changes. Prophet Ibrahim (as) now returns to Makkah, recognizes
it as an established city, and asks Allah to make it secure. From the previous du'a, instead of asking for
provisions for the city, since Prophet Ibrahim (as) already sees the prosperity (and to avoid asking for the
same thing twice), he asks Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to, "keep me and my sons away from worshipping
idols."
Prophet Ibrahim (as) has the foresight to acknowledge that when people tend to succeed, they party.
When things are going well, we forget the one who made it possible for us. We fall into this trap of
believing our superiority and become arrogant when we win. Here, past communities deviated from the
beliefs and standards that brought their initial success. Iblees is patient and will wait for the opportune
time to cause corruption. We must not get lazy when things are going well. In fact, this is when we need
to double down on our faith. You will be tested the most at the height of your success. Ibrahim (as),
knowing this, asks that we are protected from these sinful activities.
34 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a Asking Allah to Accept the Good we do
َ ْ ُ ‫َ ا َ َ َ ا ْ ا ا َ َْ َ ا‬
‫ُربنا تقبل ِمنا ۖ ِإنك أنت الس ِميع الع ِليم‬
Rabbanaa taqabbal minnaa innaka Antas Samee'ul Aleem
“Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.”
2:127
When Ibrahim and his son Ishmael (may peace be upon them) were building the House of Allah, they
recited this supplication. In the complete ayah, "And [mention] when Abraham was raising the
foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You
are the Hearing, the Knowing."
This kind of behavior is an example that all Muslims should model. They had done something amazing,
َ َ َُ
they built the Kaaba. Yet, they feared whether Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬would accept it from them, so they
called out in worship asking, Rabbanaa taqabbal minnaa innaka Antas Samee'ul Aleem, "Our Lord,
(graciously) accept (this) from us. Surely You, Ever You, are The Ever-Hearing, The EverKnowing."

Du’a To Make us Good Muslims in Character
َ ‫َ ا َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ّ َ َ َ ْ ُ ِّ ا َ ُ ا ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ ا‬
‫اسكنا وتب علينا ۖ ِإنك‬ِ ‫ي لك و ِمن ذَري ِتنا أمة مس ِلمة لك وأ ِرنا من‬
ِ ‫ربنا واجعلنا مس ِلم‬
‫ا‬ َ
ُ ‫ُأنت الت او‬
‫اب ا‬ ْ
‫الر ِحيم‬
Rabbanaa waj'alnaa muslimaini laka wa min zurriyyatinaaa ummatam muslimatal laka wa arinaa
manaasikanaa wa tub 'alainaa innaka antat Tawwaabur Raheem
“Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in
submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of
repentance, the Merciful.”
2:128
This is the best example of tawassul. After doing the virtuous deed of building the Kaaba, he turns to Allah,
َ َ َُ
asking for His favors. In this du'a, he asks Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to make us (referring to him and his son) to
be of Muslims, meaning to be in complete submission to Allah. To be an example of obedient servants
َ َ َُ
that would choose pleasing Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬over constantly pursuing pleasure or fulfilling their desires.
Ibrahim (as) then asks Allah to let at least one Muslim nation continue to be successful for all the future
descendants. He knows there were previous communities in the past, but after a few generations, no
single group remained.
The focus then shifts. It asks Allah to "show us our rites (Manasik)." There exists some debate over what
is meant by 'our rites', but keep in mind this is while he was constructing the Kaaba. The accepted opinion
َ َ َُ
is Ibrahim (as) asks Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬how to perform the rites and ceremonies of pilgrimage.
Ibrahim (as) then closes this du'a asking Allah to accept our repentance and refers to Allah as tawwaabur
Raheem meaning the most merciful and the acceptor of repentance.
36 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a to Establish Salah and For Parents Forgiveness
َ ‫ص ََل ِة َو ِم ْن ذُ ِ ِّريَّتِي ۚ َربَّنَا َوتَقَب َّْل ُد‬

‫عاء‬ َ ‫َِربِّ ِ اجْ َع ْلنِي ُم ِق‬
َّ ‫يم ال‬
Rabbij 'alnee muqeemas Salaati wa min zurriyyatee Rabbanaa wa taqabbal du'aaa
“My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my
supplication.”
14:40
َ ‫ي َو ِل ْل ُمؤْ ِم ِنينَ َي ْو َم َيقُو ُم ْال ِح‬

‫ساب‬ َّ ‫َُربَّنَا ا ْغ ِف ْر ِلي َو ِل َوا ِل َد‬
Rabbanagh fir lee wa liwaalidaiya wa lilmu'mineena Yawma yaqoomul hisaab
“Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established.”
14:41
Those familiar with the story of Prophet Ibrahim (as) know that he struggled into his old age to have
children. Parents see the love and joy a child can bring into the world. When you want to have children
but cannot is a difficult situation many face. Prophet Ibrahim (as) constantly prayed to Allah, asking him
for his own offspring. Allah eventually responded to his prayer, granting him two sons, Ishamel and Ishaq
(may peace be upon them).
And so, in the ayah leading up to these two verses, Ibrahim (as) was expressing his gratitude, “Praise to
Allah, who has granted to me in old age Ishmael and Isaac. Indeed, my Lord is the Hearer of supplication.”
(14:39) He then continues his worship to make him and his children among those who never miss the
opportunity to offer Salah. He asks that Allah hears and accepts this du’a and then broadens the scope to
ask for the forgiveness of himself, his parents, and the entire Ummah on the day of qiyamah (day of
judgment).

Du’a Asking for Righteous Children
‫ب ل م َن ا‬
ّ ‫الص ِال ِح‬
‫ي‬ ْ َ ِّ َ
ِ ‫َرب ه ِ ي‬
Rabbi hab lee minas saaliheen
“My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.”
37:100
In Surah Saffat, we learn more details about Prophet Ibrahim (as) before he had children. He would
preach Allah’s message city to city, but a recent famine forced him to migrate to a city called Ur with his
first wife Hajar and his nephew Lut (as). "And Lot believed him. [Abraham] said, "Indeed, I will emigrate
to [the service of] my Lord. Indeed, He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (29:26) Prophet Lut (as) would
later go on to Sodom and Gomorrah to help guide the lost community there.
After this time, Ibrahim (as) and his wife were childless and traveling the desert with his nephew, this
may have inspired him to want the comfort of his own children. So, he made this du'a, Rabbi hab lee
َ َ َُ
minas saaliheen, and Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬blessed the couple with Ishmael (may peace be upon him).
Keep in mind, just reading the verse in Qur'an makes it seem as if it happened immediately, but this is
َ َ َُ
not the case. Ibrahim (as) kept making du'a, and it was only in his old age did Allah (‫)ٰ ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬
respond to this call.
38 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 4:
Prophet Yaqub (as)
“O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will
not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is your return all together; then He will inform you of
what you used to do.”
— Qur’an 5:105
Du’a for Dealing with Grief
َّ ‫ِ ِإنَّ َما أ َ ْش ُكو بَ ِث ِّي َو ُح ْزنِي ِإلَى‬

‫ّللا‬
innamaaa ashkoo bassee wa huzneee ilal laahi
“I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah”
12:86
The story of Yusuf and Yaqub (as) is an emotional story that the Qur'an describes in detail in Surah
Yusuf. It's a story of jealousy, abuse, deception, love, courage, and never losing faith. To appreciate and
understand these du'as, we must first summarize the story of Prophet Yusuf (as) and Prophet Yaqub
(as).
When Yusuf (as) was a child, he had a special relationship with his father, Yaqub (as). The other brothers
grew envious of their relationship and plotted against him. One day Yusuf (as) went to play with his
brothers, leading him to a well. When he came close, they pushed him in and abandoned him. This set
off a series of unfortunate events for Yusuf (as). A caravan of travelers stopped by the well, and they
found the young boy. They pulled him out and rescued him but decided to pawn him off as a slave to a
man named Aziz, the chief minister.
Aziz treated Yusuf (as) well, and he remained loyal to Aziz, but Yusuf (as) had to grow up not knowing his
family. Over the years, as Yusuf (as) matured, he attracted a lot of attention for his looks and
intelligence. People were drawn to Yusuf (as) for his beauty, including Aziz's wife, who, one day, tried to
seduce him, but Yusuf (as) denied these advances, "And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce
him. She closed the doors and said, "Come, you." He [yusuf] said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allah. Indeed,
he is my master, who has made good my residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed." (12:23) Hurt
and embarrassed by the rejection, she falsely accused Yusuf (as), "And they both raced to the door, and
she tore his shirt from the back, and they found her husband at the door. She said, "What is the
recompense of one who intended evil for your wife but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?"
(12:25) Yusuf (as) denied this accusation, "It was she who sought to seduce me." (12:26). In the end,
Yusuf (as) was found innocent since the shirt was ripped from the back, not the front, which was a sign
of escape, not of assault. Still, to safeguard Zulaikha (Aziz's wife) and protect her honor, Yusuf was
sentenced by Aziz to prison despite being innocent.

During his time in prison, Yusuf (as) developed a reputation for accurately interpreting dreams. This was
َ َ َُ
one of the many gifts Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬gave him. The King began having this recurring dream that no
one was able to decipher. A cupbearer who heard the King's struggle recommended Yusuf (as) to him.
When Yusuf (as) was told of the dream, he realized this was a warning and that they needed to prepare
because, in seven years, there would be a devastating famine that would kill many. The King freed Yusuf
(as) from prison and appointed him to manage the operations for all the storehouses which would hold
all the crops. When the famine struck, they were prepared. People across the city traveled to these
storehouses for provisions. It was here his brothers ran into Yusuf (as), but they did not recognize it.
Yusuf planted the King's golden cup on Binyamin, who was the youngest of the brothers, which led to
him being held captive by the guards. This was Prophet's plan to lure his father to come into the city so
they could all be reunited.
Now, imagine being in Prophet Yaqub's (as) shoes. He has already lost one child and faces the possibility
َ َ َُ
of losing his youngest. Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬explains to us in the Qur'an the emotional state he was in,
"And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph [Yusuf]," and his eyes became
white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor. They said, "By Allah, you will not cease remembering
Joseph [Yusuf] until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish." (12:84-85) Here, it describes
Yaqub (as) being so stricken with grief that it spread to his eyes and impaired his vision so he could not
see. The sons worried and believed the only way they saw their father overcome this stress was if he
became fatally ill and passed away (i.e., they thought his suffering was incurable).
This du'a, innamaaa ashkoo bassee wa huzneee ilal laahi, is a testament to Prophet Yaqub's (as)
determination and faith as he was unwilling to give up on receiving Allah's mercy. It shows that he only
complained of his suffering and grief to Allah and continually asked for his help. In the same Surah ayah
83, Yaqub (as) recited, "But it is best to be patient: may God bring all of them back to me - He alone is
the All Knowing, the All Wise". He remained dutiful. How many of us can say we have the same
unwavering faith in Allah's Qadr (plan) when things do not go the way we planned? He did not lose faith
in all those years, and he persevered. Eventually, he was reunited with both his sons.
We don't know Allah's plan for us. If Allah closes a door for you, it may be because the fifth or sixth door
has a lot more in store for you. It could be your first divorce did not work out, but you needed to
َ َ َُ
experience it because Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬has in store for you a loving person in the second or third
marriage. The first business fails, but the lessons learned could help you succeed in your next venture.
It's okay to get discouraged, but it's not okay to quit. There is only one way in life: to proceed forward
with faith and conviction. If you look at your life as a book, it does not end at this very moment. There
are still chapters left to be written. Project forward and ask yourself this question: What will your book's
end look like? Will it say that you quit at the first obstacle encountered or that you slipped and tripped
but got back up time after time? That one day, you just decided to become unstoppable and that you
failed your way to success. The surah concludes, "There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those
of understanding. Never was the Qur’an a narration invented, but a confirmation of what was before it
and a detailed explanation of all things and guidance and mercy for a people who believe." (12:111) This
is the triumphant story of Yusuf and Yaqub (as).
40 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 5:
Prophet Yusuf (as)
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you.
And Allah Knows, while you know not.”
— Qur’an 2:216
Du’a of Praise and Righteousness
َّ ‫ت َو ِل ِيِّي فِي ال ُّد ْن َيا َو ْال ِخ َر ِة ۖ ت ََوفَّنِي ُم ْس ِل ًما َوأ َ ْل ِح ْقنِي ِبال‬
‫صا ِل ِحين‬ َ ‫َأ َ ْن‬
Anta waliyyee fid dunyaa wal Aakhirati tawaffanee muslimanw wa alhiqnee bissaaliheen
“You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the
righteous.”
12:101
The story of Yusuf (as) continues. He was released from prison based on the interpretation of his
dreams. The King helps establish Yusuf's (as) innocence as he requests Zulaikha to be questioned.
Zulaikha had been living with deep distress knowing Yusuf was in prison, so when interrogated, she
confessed, "Said [the king to the women], "What was your condition when you sought to seduce
Joseph?" They said, "Perfect is Allah! We know about him no evil." The wife of al-‘Azeez said, "Now the
truth has become evident. It was I who sought to seduce him, and indeed, he is of the truthful." (12:51)
The story of Zulaikha and Aziz is not known from this point. The narration of the Qur'an continues with
King appointing Yusuf (as) to manage the storehouses, and he was put in a high-rank position and fully
trusted. "And the King said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he
spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted." (12:54)
َ َ َُ
Despite all the things that happened to Yusuf (as), he still found in his heart to praise Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬
and exalt him. His path may not have been the easiest, but it was necessary to help all those he did from
suffering. In Surah Yusuf verse 100, we learn about the moment he was reunited with his father, "And
he raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration. And he said, "O my father,
this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality. And He was certainly good to
me when He took me out of prison and brought you [here] from bedouin life after Satan had induced
[estrangement] between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He
who is the Knowing, the Wise." (12:100)
He then makes this du'a expressing his gratitude towards Allah, "My Lord, You have given me
[something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and
earth [Anta waliyyee fid dunyaa wal Aakhirati tawaffanee muslimanw wa alhiqnee bissaaliheen] You are
my Wali [Protector, Helper, Supporter, Guardian] in this world and the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a
Muslim and join me with the righteous." (12:101)

The Qur'an tells us, "And do not turn your cheek [in contempt] toward people and do not walk through
the earth exultantly. Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful." (31:18). Yusuf (as)
has finally "made it" by all definitions of success. But similar to the Prophets before him, Yusuf (as)
shows humility at the peak of his success. He says, "My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me
sovereignty". It is the best of character to do the work but take no credit for the result. That is up to the
َ َ َُ
will of Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. We must train ourselves to keep this attitude so that we don't develop an
inflated sense of self when things go our way. Your success does not reflect on your superiority or
brilliance in bringing a vision to life, it is a gift that Allah has made possible for you, and we should be
grateful to Him for that. Imam Ali (ra) comments on this exact topic, "self-conceit poisons the mind, self-
conceit impedes progress." To be detached from the result also gives you the flexibility needed to
continue forward when things don't go your way. After all, the purpose of a goal shouldn't be to achieve
it but the person you must become to achieve it. You have to raise your standard of what you expect
from yourself to reach new heights, and if that becomes the goal, you can remain humble and
uncorrupted.
Another testament to Yusuf's (as) character is the tone in which he says, "Cause me to die a Muslim and
join me with the righteous." As if joining the righteous is something he aspires to be and has not yet
achieved. The lesson to be internalized is that being virtuous is a lifelong journey never really attained.
In every interaction, every decision, we get to live up to join the righteous. Only on the day of judgment
will we know if we arrived.
42 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a To Avoid Sinning
‫ب إِلَ ْي ِه َّن َوأ َ ُك ْن‬ ْ َ ‫ع ِنِّي َك ْي َد ُه َّن أ‬

ُ ‫ص‬ َ ‫ف‬ ْ َ ‫عونَنِي إِلَ ْي ِه ۖ َوإِ ََّل ت‬
ْ ‫ص ِر‬ َّ َ‫سِجْ ُن أ َ َحبُّ إِل‬
ُ ‫ي ِم َّما يَ ْد‬ ِّ ‫َربِّ ِ ال‬
‫َِمنَ ْال َجا ِه ِلين‬
rabbis sijnu ahabbu ilaiya mimma yad'oo naneee 'ilaihi wa illaa tasrif 'annee kaidahunna asbu
ilaihinna wa akun minal jaahileen
“My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me
their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant.”
12:33
Now imagine being in Prophet Yusuf's (as) shoes, faced with the wife of Aziz was "…seeking to seduce her
slave boy; he has impassioned her with love" (12:30). If he denies her advances, she threatens him with
prison, "…And I certainly sought to seduce him, but he firmly refused; and if he will not do what I order
him, he will surely be imprisoned and will be of those debased." (12:31) Yusuf (as) was known for his
honesty, so an allegation like this would be even more devastating. He was a hard worker faced with a
troubling dilemma. What was he supposed to do, commit Zina, or tarnish his reputation and go to prison?
َ َ َُ
In this moment of contemplation and reflection, he turned to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬and pleaded with this
supplication.
The way of a rational person is to measure and weigh the risk and act following what you believe would
probabilistically have the best outcome. We can explore a decision-making process to help calculate this
with the help of a concept known as primary and secondary effects in economics. It looks at studying the
long-term domino effects of an event or action. For example, focusing on the primary consequence of
exercising, you may only consider the pain experienced and the perceived time lost lifting all those heavy
weights off the ground. Next, we look through the secondary consequence lens, which paints an entirely
different story. Your muscles tear from lifting, forcing them to rebuild but in doing so you become resilient
and more robust. You'll be able to lift more the next time. If you take it a step further, you can see how
exercise improves your self-esteem, confidence and lowers the chance of developing Alzheimer's in your
old age.
Prophet Yusuf (as) likely reasoned in a similar fashion. The primary consequence is to give in to Zulaikha's
request and roll the dice on others finding out. A short-sighted thinker would like those odds, but Yusuf
َ َ َُ
(as) was guided by Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬and knew on the day of judgment, he will for sure be held
accountable and faces the chance of spending eternity in Hellfire. The alternative is to serve 20, 30, 40
years in prison, which is relatively short compared to eternal happiness in the hereafter. Also, since Yusuf
(as) was a knowledgeable man, even if he conceded, he would live with regret knowing his decision was
not correct. When you explore the entirety of a decision, it becomes clear what action one must take. But
still, walking the path is hard, and we often arrive at the crossroads between choosing one of two pains,
the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs
َ َ َُ
tons. It takes courage to do the right thing, and we should pray to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to grant us strength
in such difficult situations.
People often make mistakes because they overweigh the first-order consequence and are ignorant of the
second and subsequent consequences. Usually, the primary and second-order consequences have
opposite outcomes, a leading cause as to why people make the wrong decision. The first-order effect will

initially appear beneficial (enjoying junk food), and the second-order will be bad (grow unhealthy). The
reverse can be true, the first order will seem non-worthy (like the pain of lifting heavy objects), but the
second order is good (you'll be stronger and healthier because of it). In this du'a Yusuf (as) asks Allah
َ َ َُ
(‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to protect himself from being among the Jaahileen (ignorant) because they are often short-
sighted and make the wrong decisions simply because they do not understand.
44 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 6:
Prophet Ayyub (as)
“And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make a way out for them, And will provide for him from where
he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will
accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.”
— Qur’an 65:2-3
Du’a Made When Adversity Has Touched You
‫اح ِمين‬ َّ ‫ت أ َ ْر َح ُم‬

ِ ‫الر‬ َ ‫ي الض ُُّّر َوأ َ ْن‬ َّ ‫ََربَّهُ أ َ ِنِّي َم‬
َ ِ‫سن‬
Rabbahooo annee massaniyad durru wa Anta arhamur raahimeen
“Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
21:83
َ َ َُ
Prophet Ayyub (as) was tested severely, Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬had blessed Ayyub with all kinds of worldly
success, but it was all taken away from him at a blink of an eye. He lost all his children, lost all his wealth,
and his health deteriorated rapidly. The people of the city who put their trust in Ayyub (as) began to doubt
his authority believing that a messenger of Allah would not suffer in this capacity. So, they all abandoned
his side. There were only a few people who stood by him, one being his loving wife.
The historians and scholars have recorded different durations in which they believe the Prophet's illness
had lasted. Some claim it was three years, and others claim eighteen years. Regardless of the duration,
we know that Prophet Ayyub (as) had endured it patiently.
A person will naturally go through five stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and
acceptance. It is usual for a person to go through these emotions, but many people often get stuck in the
bargaining phase and never leave. For example, people who buy shares of a public company in the stock
market may know this feeling too well, "please just let it bounce back so I can sell it and break even" if
you ever utter these words, it's a sign you may be in the bargaining phase. They hold that position forever,
watching it go lower and lower until some external force makes them sell and accept their position. Some
may get lucky watching it break even, teaching them the wrong lesson when they don't know why they
invested in the first place. A possible reason for this common occurrence maybe because we spend too
much time wanting the world to work in a way it does not operate.
As mentioned earlier in the introduction, the Qur'an tells us, "And We will surely test you with something
of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient," (2:155).
Accepting this fact is not an admission to living with perpetual anxiety. Just that when a situation arises,
we are equipped to recognize the hardship and to handle it along with whatever else comes our way. This
is the idea of the truism hope for the best but expect the worst. We enable ourselves to be optimistic

about the future but manage our expectations to be able to handle a different outcome. We can skip the
five stages and go straight to acceptance, allowing us not to be paralyzed by the situation.
This is the lesson we can learn from Prophet Ayyub (as). Like him, we can accept our fate, see the world
as it is, and not be afraid to see what we see. A common theme worth reiterating is, Prophet Ayyub (as)
did not make this du'a once, and all his troubles magically disappeared overnight. He prayed constantly,
َ َ َُ
endured patiently, and kept his hope and faith in Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. He does not drift into self-pity, or
the "woe is me" mentality because he knows this will not improve his situation. It really is a ridiculous way
to behave if you stop to think about it.
His words in this du'a bring awareness that he is in distress. He does not need to say anything more. He
does not deny the feeling, and Ayyub (as) does not complain or whine about the unfairness or the
perceived injustice. He does not say, 'I am your Prophet, how could you allow me to suffer like this.' That's
what the common people believe, but Ayyub (as) is among the uncommon. He simply says, "You are the
most Merciful" because through Allah mercy all issues could be repaired.
46 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 7:
Prophet Musa (as)
“What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah
Appreciative and Knowing.”
— Qur’an 4:147
Du’a When You Have Wronged
‫ظلَ ْمتُ نَ ْف ِسي فَا ْغ ِف ْر ِلي‬

َ ‫َربِّ ِ ِإ ِنِّي‬
Rabbi innee zalamtu nafsee faghfir lee
“My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me.”
28:16
In Surah Al-Qasas, we first learn about the hostile environment Prophet Musa (as) was born into, "Indeed,
Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them,
slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters."
(28:4)
Prophet Musa's (as) mom had no choice. If she wanted to give her newborn son a chance to survive in the
world, she had to trust Allah's plan and do the most selfless act a mother can do by giving him up. "And
We inspired to the mother of Moses, "Suckle him; but when you fear for him, cast him into the river and
do not fear and do not grieve. Indeed, We will return him to you and will make him [one] of the
messengers." (28:7) He drifted along the river, and in Allah's plan for Musa (as) he ended up at the
Pharaoh's palace, "And the family of Pharaoh picked him up [out of the river] so that he would become to
them an enemy and a [cause of] grief. […] And the wife of Pharaoh said, "[He will be] a comfort of the eye
for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he may benefit us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they
perceived not." (28:8-9)
From recounting the early childhood of Musa (as), the Surah then shifts attention to his adult life. We're
told "…he attained his full strength and was [mentally] mature, We bestowed upon him judgement and
knowledge. And thus do We reward the doers of good. And he entered the city at a time of inattention by
its people and found therein two men fighting: one from his faction and one from among his enemy. And
the one from his faction called for help to him against the one from his enemy, so Moses struck him and
[unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said, "This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest,
misleading enemy." (28:14-15)
We learn from these verses Musa (as) was a grown adult and given a mind capable of reasoning and
learning. We also know he was physically gifted. This was shown when he tried to break up the altercation.
He struck the man once, unintentionally killing him. The bible offers a different account, "Moses had
grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an
Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed

the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." (Exodus 2:11-13) The Qur'an denies this account. In Islam, we view
the Prophets as infallible, and the Qur'an works to exonerate them. In the tafsir of Maududi it mentions
how common sense would tell us that a messenger could not be such a blind nationalist driven as to kill a
member of the other community willfully. It could not be lawful to kill the Egyptian only for the sake of
rescuing an Israelite from his tyranny.
Now, the due process of law should have been to arrest him, bring him to court, and give him a fair chance
at defending himself, but we learn the policing order was to shoot on-site, "And a man came from the
farthest end of the city, running. He said, "O Moses, indeed the eminent ones are conferring over you
[intending] to kill you, so leave [the city]; indeed, I am to you of the sincere advisors." (28:20) And so Musa
(as) had no choice but to flee into the desert, and he ultimately ended up at a place called Madyan.
That moment when Musa (as) struck the man, and he realizes that the man had died, he says in confusion,
"This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy." Immediately he felt
remorseful and began praying to Allah, saying, Rabbi innee zalamtu nafsee faghfir lee, meaning, "My Lord,
indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me." In the same ayah, we are told Allah responded to this call,
"and He forgave him. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (28:18) The prophets all exhibit a superior
level of sensitivity. Once his du'a was heard, he made a promise, "My Lord, for the favor You bestowed
upon me, I will never be an assistant to the criminals." (28:17) Here Musa (as) severs his ties with the
Pharaoh as he vows not to be an assistant to the criminals. This sets a clear precedent for the believer,
similar to the verse in Surah Mai'dah, "And do not help each other in sin and aggression." (Verse: 5:2) It is
not the way of a believer to work for an individual, group, or government that is tyrannical. However, the
ethics of this was easier to determine in the past as today we have many interdependencies and with the
scale of technology, contributing to sin indirectly is possible without knowing. Hanafi jurist, Allama Ibn
Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) states: "If you are the main and direct cause for a sin (meaning if the
cause would not have been present, there was no reason for the sin to occur), it will be unlawful (haram)
otherwise it will be disliked (makruh)."(Radd al-Muhtar)
We also learn from the life of Musa (as) the importance of duas for repentance. This is one of the best
tools a believer has at his disposal. The problems arise when we can't see the mistakes or worse, deny our
role in the event. If we continue down that path, we can't make progress, and we're likely to persist in
error. It is difficult to do but take a hard look in the mirror and see your flaws and mistakes. If you are able
to do that, you'll be better for it. You can treat the past as a school. It can be a hard school for many, but
let it instruct you, don't let it abuse you. This process begins if you sincerely seek truth. If that is a genuine
desire of yours, you'd be willing to accept shortcomings without casting harsh judgment because you care
to improve. This was the behavior of Prophet Musa (as) and Adam (as), who asked for their Lord's mercy
when they recognized when they erred.
48 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a Asking to be saved from Wrongdoing
َّ ‫ََربِّ ِ نَ ِ ِّجنِي ِمنَ ْالقَ ْو ِم‬

‫الظا ِل ِمين‬
Rabbi najjinee minal qawmiz zaalimeen
“My Lord, save me from the wrongdoing people.”
28:21
Upon hearing the news that they were conspiring to kill him, Musa (as) "…left it, fearful and anticipating
[apprehension]. He said, [Rabbi najjinee minal qawmiz zaalimeen] "My Lord, save me from the
wrongdoing people." (28:21) Yet another example displaying how the Prophets responded to receiving
bad news. They turn to Allah alone and ask for his help, protection, and guidance.

Du’a Asking Allah For Good
َ ‫ٌَربِّ ِ إِ ِنِّي ِل َما أ َ ْنزَ ْل‬

َّ َ‫ت إِل‬
‫ي ِم ْن َخي ٍْر فَ ِقير‬
Rabbi innee limaaa anzalta ilaiya min khairin faqeer
“My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.”
28:24
At this point, Musa (as) escaped the city and was traveling through the desert, heading toward the faraway
place Madayan. After a long exhausting journey, Prophet Musa (as) finally came across a group of male
shepherds watering their flock at a well. He threw himself under a tree for its shade. Keeping their
distance, he noticed two women waiting in the back with their sheep. Why? For whatever reason, they
may have felt safer waiting than mixing with the men gathered at the well. So Musa (as) approached them,
and they explained to him that their father was an old man and unable to feed the flock, so they took on
this duty. Now keep in mind that Musa (as) himself was disheveled. He left Egypt in a hurry with no
preparation and likely suffered from fatigue from his travels. Still, he empathized with the girls, "So he
watered (their flocks) for them; then he turned back to the shade…" (28:24) as he turned back to the
shade he recited this du'a Rabbi innee limaaa anzalta ilaiya min khairin faqeer.
Musa (as) acted in an honorable manner to help these women in a foreign town amongst strangers.
َ َ َُ
Beyond the piety of his soul, he begins to pray to Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, asking him to provide more
opportunities to do good acts like the one he just did. This also shows us the man's death weighed heavily
on his conscious. Also, notice du'a etiquette of how Musa (as) uses his state to make this du'a by saying
that he is faqeer, meaning in dire need or poverty.
َُ
We can learn from this du'a that if you have any skeletons in your closet, you need to pray to Allah (‫ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ‬
َ َٰ َ َ َ
‫ )ٰوتع ل‬and ask yourself what good can I create in this world. How can you make it so that your being here
has made the world a better place and not worse? This does not mean we all need to build a foundation
helping millions of people. What's important is that we just start helping somewhere. What you can do
today with what you have is enough, don't put starting off to some arbitrarily defined point in the distant
future.
The average person will have 900 months on this planet, and our childhood occupies 216 months of that.
This does not include all the months lost to sleeping, watching TV, commuting, and working. That's scary
to think about, and I tell you this because we should feel a sense of urgency to act as soon as possible. As
the proverb goes, "the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now". The
sooner you plant, the more chance you give yourself that it can grow and flourish into something much
bigger than you ever could have imagined. But even if reality did not match your ambition, how could you
be saddened that (1) you put yourself out there and tried, and (2) that you still touched the life of one
individual for the better?
And so, we learn through Musa (as), the best way to act and bury your bad deeds is to pile on a much
َ َ َُ
greater ratio of good deeds. Every chance to do good is an opportunity that Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬has
bestowed upon you, so you should take it and run. Wake up every day and try to see all the opportunities
َ َ َُ
to do good around you, be grateful to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬you get the privilege to be of service today
before the record of your deeds is written. Don't squander this finite life. Act with urgency but endure it
patiently.
50 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a For Tawbah
‫اح ِمين‬
ِ ‫الر‬ َ ‫ََربِّ ِ ا ْغ ِف ْر ِلي َو ِِل َ ِخي َوأ َ ْد ِخ ْلنَا فِي َرحْ َمتِ َك ۖ َوأ َ ْن‬
َّ ‫ت أ َ ْر َح ُم‬
Rabbighfirlee wa li akhee wa adkhilnaa fee rahmatika wa Anta arhamur raahimeen
“Lord! Forgive me and my brother and cause us to enter into Your mercy; and You are The Most
Merciful of the merciful.”
7:151
Fast forward to the revelation of this du'a, Musa (as) had rescued the Israelites, split the sea, and defeated
the Pharoah. He temporarily left the people at the foot of Mount Sinai, where he spent forty days, and
َ َ َُ
retrieved the tablet with the commandments from Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. In the absence of Musa (as), the
Israelites had quickly reverted to their old tradition of paganism and contrived a Golden calf to worship.
"And the people of Moses made, after [his departure], from their ornaments a calf - an image having a
lowing sound. Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to a way? They took it
[for worship], and they were wrongdoers." (7:148)
The Israelites did not seem completely hopeless, their hearts may have been misguided, but they did not
َ َ َُ
wholly reject Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. We learn this in the following ayah, "And when regret overcame them
and they saw that they had gone astray, they said, "If our Lord does not have mercy upon us and forgive
us, we will surely be among the losers." (7:149) Prophet Harun (as), brother of Musa (as), was still among
the people. He may have failed at stopping them from worshipping the golden calf, but he did enough to
spark regret in their hearts.
When Musa (as) returned from his journey, he became angry and upset over the situation. He believed
he left his people in the good company of his brother but was shocked to see how the people were
behaving, "…How wretched is that by which you have replaced me after [my departure]. Were you
impatient over the matter of your Lord?" And he threw down the tablets and seized his brother by [the
hair of] his head, pulling him toward him. [Aaron] said, "O son of my mother, indeed the people oppressed
me and were about to kill me, so let not the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me among the
wrongdoing people." (7:150)
Imagine how angry Prophet Musa (as) must have been to throw "down the tablets" which contained the
َ َ َُ
laws Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬had just given him. But here we see another example of how the Qur'an
exonerates the Prophets explaining how Harun (as) was a hostage to the situation. In the Bible, it credits
Harun as being the one who inspired the creation of the calf, "Now when the people saw that Moses was
delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods
who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what
has happened to him!" So Aaron told them, "Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons
and daughters, and bring them to me." Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them
to Aaron" (Exodus 32:2)
So when Musa (as) realized it wasn't his brother's doing, he placed the burden on the leadership and
َ َ َُ
recited this du'a asking Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to forgive himself and his brother. This shows how much Musa
(as) wanted to please his creator.

Another aspect of this story that gets overlooked is analyzing the skillset Harun (as), and Prophet Musa
(as) possessed. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala appointed both brothers as Messengers. Yet, in this case, Musa
(as) was able to accomplish what Harun (as) could not. The opposite is also true. Harun (as) had talents
that Musa (as) could not mimic. Musa's (as) strength was to communicate and persuade people to the
right path, a quality Harun (as) did not seem to possess in the same caliber. This is an essential fact of life.
Not everybody is cut out for the same task. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. We are all
َ َ َُ
created by Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬with distinct personalities that are unique and better suited for different
kinds of work. Work towards knowing yourself and finding a role where you can operate most effectively.
When it feels like play to you but looks like work to others is when you know you have carved out a niche
for yourself. Avoid the comparison game. It doesn't make sense to compare ourselves to others. The only
person worth competing against is with who you were yesterday. Of course, we can't be great at
everything, and there will be others who are better than you in specific spots. It would help if you drew
out your own circle and learned to dance beautifully within that circle.
52 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a For Confidence in Public Speaking
‫سانِي يَ ْفقَ ُهوا قَ ْو ِلي‬ ُ ‫س ْر ِلي أ َ ْم ِري َواحْ لُ ْل‬

َ ‫ع ْق َدة ً ِم ْن ِل‬ َ ‫َربِّ ِ ا ْش َرحْ ِلي‬
ِّ ِ َ‫ص ْد ِري َوي‬
Rabbish rahli sadri wa yassirli amri wah lul uqdatan min lisaani, yaf kahu kauli
"My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance] And ease for me my task And untie the knot from
my tongue That they may understand my speech.”
20:25-28
Allah entrusted Musa (as) with his message and commanded him to "Go to Firaawn; (Pharaoh) Indeed.
He has transgressed." (20:24) Can you imagine criticizing any King, let alone the tyrannical King of Egypt,
and saying to him that he has transgressed? Musa (as) knows the history of the Pharaoh and how he
tortured and enslaved his people. Still, he also does not waiver in his responsibility and devotion to Allah
َ َ َُ
(‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, who had commanded him to do it. He accepts his role gracefully and becomes a
representative for the people. He shows complete trust in Allah, but still, it does not become an easy task.
He still feels a heavy burden, just as any great leader would. So, he turns to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and
َ َ َُ
makes this du'a asking for Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to make it easy for him. Musa (as) says, Rabbish rahli sadri,
which translates to "My lord, my creator, open my chest." Not literally open his chest but to clear one's
chest, an expression to give assurance or confidence. To circumvent fear and calm the nerves. He then
continues, wa yassirli amri, meaning "And ease for me my task." We see a full display of courage. There is
no doubt or excuses, his conviction in what needs to be done will be done.
Sometimes when we don't want to do something, we look for excuses, we look for exits, hoping something
goes wrong, so we're let off the hook. Musa (as) doesn't do this. In his mind, his fate is sealed, a promise
within himself has been made and will be acted upon. Some things just need to be done, and we need to
َ َ َُ
pray for the courage to do them. The beauty in this du'a is that it asks Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬for ease in the
things we must do. As we become more skillful, the task may become easier through practice and
repetition. It may seem like a special gift from the outside looking in, but they don't see the preparation.
They don't know what it took behind the scenes. They also don't account for the grace of Allah, "when
Allah intends for a people ill, there is no repelling it." (13:11) We have one area of control, but if Allah wills
otherwise, we're hopeless. We would be wise to heed the lesson of Musa (as) and to pray to Allah for a
good result, "(Then he knew) that all power of protection rests with Allah, the True One. He is the best to
reward, the best to determine the end of things." (18:44)
The third part of this du'a Musa (as) says, wah lul uqdatan min lisaani, "And untie the knot from my
tongue." Here Musa (as) recognizes that when he is in front of Firaawn, a tyrant willing and capable of
killing him, he feels uneasy. In those moments, your adrenaline levels spike, and you may stumble or
forget what you want to say. If any of us had done any sort of public speaking, I am sure we know
something about this feeling. In those moments, if you're able to recognize and label the emotion, you
feel as you experience it, it can take away some of its power and hold over you. Similarly, if you catch
yourself in a state of rage and say, "I am feeling anger," it can provide you with enough distance to
rationalize whether that anger is justified. Remember in those moments to take a deep breath, stand tall,
and recite this du'a, and you will feel deep assurance and capable.
The fourth and final ayah of this du'a is yaf kahu kauli, "That they may understand my speech." Musa (as)
َ َ َُ
prays to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬that the outcome of this action is that they understand and are in agreement

with his speech. If there was any doubt among the listeners that he expressed himself clearly, freeing
them of their concerns.
54 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a For Patience and to Die as Muslims
ۚ ‫صب ًْرا َوت ََوفَّنَا ُم ْس ِل ِمين‬

َ ‫علَ ْينَا‬ ْ ‫ََربَّنَا أ َ ْف ِر‬
َ ‫غ‬
Rabbanaaa afrigh 'alainaa sabranw wa tawaffanaa muslimeen
“Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You].”
7:126
Musa and Harun (as) go together to confront Firawn. Musa (as) spoke to Firawn and said, "…O Pharaoh, I
am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds [Who is] obligated not to say about Allah except the truth. I
have come to you with clear evidence from your Lord, so send the Children of Israel with me." (7:104-105)
To that, Firawn replied to see a sign if he was telling the truth, and so Musa (as) flung down his staff, and
it manifested into a serpent, and he drew forth his hand, and it was glowing white. Despite this, they tried
to find disconfirming evidence, "…the eminent among the people of Pharaoh, "Indeed, this is a learned
magician" (7:109)
Firaawn then sent out a reward for every knowledgeable sorcerer in the city to reveal how Musa (as) did
this magic. Some sorcerers stepped forward and challenged Musa (as), "O Moses, either you throw [your
staff], or we will be the ones to throw [first]" (7:115). They were so confident that they offered Musa (as)
the option to go first because they believed, either way, they had the advantage. Musa (as) replied,
"'Throw,' and when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and
they presented a great [feat of] magic." (7:116) The Surah provides a twist: these sorcerers managed to
offer a similar illusion, which drove doubt into the spectator's hearts. Musa (as) grew anxious as he could
َ َ َُ
feel the crowd swaying to disbelieve. He was not given a step-by-step plan by Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, and
was forced to improvise. But he believed and put his trust that Allah would come to his rescue, "We
inspired to Moses, "Throw your staff," and at once it devoured what they were falsifying. So the truth was
established, and abolished was what they were doing. And Pharaoh and his people were overcome right
there and became debased." (7:117-119)
There's a difference of opinion as to what transpired in those moments. It's believed the serpent staff of
Musa (as) went on to swallow up all the staffs and cords of the sorcerers which were made to appear as
serpents. Others say that the serpent of Musa (as) did not eat the other magicians,' but rather, when he
cast his rod, it wiped away the effect of their magic and 'devoured what they were falsifying.' Regardless
of the exact details, the sorcerers knew this kind of magic was different, and whatever Musa (as) spoke of
was the truth, "And the magicians fell down in prostration [to Allah]." (7:120)
Still, Firaawn denied Musa (as), "You believed in him before I gave you permission. Indeed, this is a
conspiracy which you conspired in the city to expel therefrom its people. But you are going to know"
(7:123). As was the case with Prophet Suhaib (as), when someone presents an opposing view that so
clearly disproves what you believed, it's almost like a disease of the mind to hold those beliefs. Firawn
exhausted all his options and grew increasingly frustrated. To protect his pride, he resorts to insults and
becomes hostile, "I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides; then I will surely crucify
you all." (7:125) Musa (as) under these threats recites this du'a, Rabbanaaa afrigh' alainaa sabranw, "Our
Lord, shower us with patience and perseverance," wa tawaffanaa muslimeen, "and caused us to die as
those who are submitted to you." Musa (as) prayer is one of firm faith and sincere conviction in the truth.
He demonstrated to all those who watched a readiness to endure the worse of all punishments for the
َ َ َُ
sake of Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬, setting a clear example of exemplary leadership.

Du’a For Forgiveness and Protection
‫ت َخي ُْر ْالغَافِ ِرين‬

َ ‫ار َح ْمنَا ۖ َوأ َ ْن‬ َ ‫َأ َ ْن‬
ْ ‫ت َو ِليُّنَا فَا ْغ ِف ْر لَنَا َو‬
Anta waliyyunaa faghfir lanaa warhamnaa wa Anta khairul ghaafireen
“You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers.”
7:155
In the same Surah as the previous du'a, it begins with a new scene. Musa (as) was summoned at Mount
Sinai with seventy men from among his people.
"And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. And when the earthquake seized
them, he said, "My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well].
Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your trial by which You
send astray whom You will and guide whom You will." (7:155)
The reason for this appointment is not fully known. Reports differ. It could be because the seventy men
had committed shirk by calf-worshipping, and this was a means for them to seek repentance from Allah.
The Bible does not mention this event, only that Moses was summoned to retrieve new tablets as a
replacement for the ones he had thrown and broken. Next, Musa (as) offers this very du'a asking Allah
َ َ َُ
for His forgiveness and His mercy. Following the du'a etiquette, he calls upon Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬by his
rightful attributes of being the protector or the supporter, i.e., Waliyy and refers to him as Ghaafireen
meaning the great forgiver, the one who forgives time and time again.
56 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 8:
Prophet Suleiman (as)
“Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul: but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free
of all wants, Worthy of all praise.”
— Qur’an 31:12
Du’a For Gratitude, Parents, and Increase in Righteousness
َ ‫ي َوأ َ ْن أ َ ْع َم َل‬
‫صا ِل ًحا‬ َّ ‫علَ َٰى َوا ِل َد‬
َ ‫ي َو‬َّ َ‫عل‬ َ ‫َربِّ ِ أ َ ْو ِز ْعنِي أ َ ْن أ َ ْش ُك َر نِ ْع َمت ََك الَّتِي أ َ ْن َع ْم‬
َ ‫ت‬
‫صا ِل ِحين‬ َّ ‫ِك ال‬ َ ‫ضاهُ َوأ َ ْد ِخ ْلنِي بِ َرحْ َمتِ َك فِي ِعبَاد‬ َ ‫َت َْر‬
Rabbi awzi'nee an ashkura ni'mata kal lateee an'amta 'alaiya wa 'alaa waalidaiya wa an a'mala
saalihan tardaahu wa adkhilnee birahmatika fee 'ibaadikas saaliheen
“My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my
parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of]
Your righteous servants.”
27:19
In Surah An-Naml, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reveals details of the story of Prophet Suleiman (as) from
ayat 15 to 44. In these verses we learn that Allah had bestowed his blessings upon Prophet Suleiman and
Dawud (as) "And We had certainly given to David and Solomon knowledge, and they said, [Alhamdulillah]
"Praise [is due] to Allah, who has favored us over many of His believing servants." (27:15)
From the lives of Harun (as) and Musa (as), we learn that each one of us is given unique and special
qualities. From this ayah, we come to know that Prophet Suleiman (as) and Dawud (as) were given the gift
of knowledge. Their response was one of gratitude. They replied with Alhamdulillah, meaning all praise is
due to Allah. They felt a deep appreciation that they were favored over many of Allah's slaves with these
gifts. If you start with the same premise of how you are blessed rather than focusing on what you lack,
you'll begin to feel the same desire to thank Allah. Whatever you focus on in your mind is how you will
feel. If you begin by asking yourself better questions, you'll get a better result. If you constantly think
about how evil or unjust the world is, you will surely find many examples that coincide with this belief.
Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves and focusing on what we are missing, we must look and find the
many blessings Allah has gifted us. The world will reflect your feelings toward it back at you. Also, note
how the Prophet's thanked Allah for the attributes they were blessed with. It is not a subject of pride or
superiority but humility.
The following ayat expounds on the unique gifts that Allah had gifted Suleiman (as), "And Solomon
inherited David. He said, "O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given
from all things. Indeed, this is evident bounty." And gathered for Solomon were his soldiers of the jinn
and men and birds, and they were [marching] in rows. (27:16-17) The conversation then shifts to give us

the perspective of the ants who, when they heard Suleiman (as) marching down with his army, "...an ant
said, "O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive
not." (27:18)
Prophet Suleiman could not hold back his amusement. The Qur'an tells us he smiled at the ant's speech
and supplicated with this du'a. Rabbi awzi'nee an ashkura ni'mata kal lateee an'amta 'alaiya wa' alaa
waalidaiya wa an a'mala saalihan tardaahu wa adkhilnee birahmatika fee 'ibaadikas saaliheen, "My Lord,
enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to
do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous
servants." (27:19)
The position that Prophet Suleiman occupied would corrupt many men. But he always remembered Allah
in his heart and mind and did not lose his appreciation. Many times, both men and women, we grow
complacent in life and forget our roots. We become so narcissistically involved that we lack perspective
and empathy for other people's struggles. We sometimes forget just how good we have it because we're
trapped running on this hedonic treadmill. Behavioral psychology explains how buying a new house, car,
dress, or toy can give us a temporary jolt of happiness. But very soon after, the novelty wares off, and we
return to our baseline level of happiness. We adapt to this new lifestyle rather quickly in search of the
next thing to reignite and recreate the same rush of "happiness". For those who mistake pleasure for
happiness, their mood will be in a state of flux as external forces outside their control manipulate it. To
fight back against this natural desire to want more and consume more we need to practice training
ourselves to want the things we already have. To be a user, not a slave to these gifts. From Prophet
َ َ َُ
Suleiman (as), we can learn to be appreciative of the blessings Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬has given us, both the
material and immaterial. But avoid becoming dependent on them because it can be taken away just as
easily as it was given. In Sahih Bukhari 1302, The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "The real patience is at the first stroke
of a calamity." It's easy to believe in patience when things are going well, but can you be at ease and at
peace through difficulty? That's the real test of patience. A true test of friendship is whether they stand
by your side in controversy. Similarly, genuine gratitude requires a level of indifference toward the
material world. It should need no extrinsic motivation.
Prophet Suleiman (as) the King of Israel, who is granted knowledge, an army of men, jinn, and birds who
can also understand ants' speech, turns to the creator and asks for the capability to be thankful. To avoid
being among those who are arrogant or unable to see their privilege. He then says, wa an a'mala saalihan
tardaahu, "and to do righteousness of which You approve," there is a subtility here that's often missed.
It's asking to do righteous deeds, righteously. It is possible to build a mosque, that is a righteous deed, but
if you intend to do it for any other reason besides pleasing Allah, then it wasn't done righteously. We must
perfect both the matter and the manner in which we act.
Aisha (ra) narrates, in Sahih Bukhari hadith 6467, "Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "Do good deeds
properly, sincerely and moderately, and receive good news because one's good deeds will not make him
enter Paradise." They asked, "Even you, O Allah's Messenger (‫ "?)ﷺ‬He said, "Even I, unless and until Allah
bestows His pardon and Mercy on me." We must seek the mercy and forgiveness of Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala.
Prophet Suleiman (as) completes his du'a by asking for Allah's mercy, wa adkhilnee birahmatika fee
'ibaadikas saaliheen, which means "And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous
servants."
58 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 9:
Prophet Yunus (as)
“And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.”
— Qur’an 11:88
Du’a Exalting Allah and Asking for Forgiveness for Wrongdoing
َّ َ‫س ْب َحان ََك إِ ِنِّي ُك ْنتُ ِمن‬

‫الظا ِل ِمين‬ َ ‫َأ َ ْن ََل إِ َٰلَهَ إِ ََّل أ َ ْن‬
ُ ‫ت‬
laaa ilaaha illaaa Anta Subhaanaka innee kuntu minaz zaalimeen
“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”
21:87
Translation of the complete ayah, "And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and
thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There
is no deity except You; exalted, are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (21:87)
In the Qur'an, it refers to Prophet Yunus (as) by the name Dhul nun, meaning the companion of the fish
َ َ َُ
or the man of the fish. This nickname is because he had denied Allah's (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬commandment and,
as punishment, was swallowed whole by a whale. We'll provide a quick summary of the story of Yunus
َ َ َُ
(as) before exploring this du'a. Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬appointed Yunus (as) to guide a community of Nineveh,
َ َ َُ
close to Northern Iraq. As was the case for all Prophets, Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬instructed Yunus (as) to help
guide the community towards Allah. But the people refused him and his message. Eventually, Yunus (as)
realized many other communities needed saving. If this one were not particularly receptive to his calling,
he would devout his time and energy elsewhere, so he left. In Surah Saffat, it mentions how Yunus (as)
"…ran away to the laden ship." (37:140).
The ship was "laden," as in fully loaded or heavy with cargo, and so when a storm gathered, they found
their ship was slowly sinking. One by one they threw the luggage off the ship to lighten the load, but still,
it was too heavy. Once they threw everything off, they realized the only way to save the ship was to throw
a man overboard. The fairest or most impartial way to kick a person off the ship was by drawing straws.
The first name drawn was Yunus (as), "And he drew lots and was among the losers." (37:141) But the
people of the ship were in agreement they liked Yunus (as), he was kind, pious, a morale booster for the
ship crew. They drew a few more times, and in each round, Yunus (as) was the loser. It's unclear whether
َُ
Yunus (as) was thrown off the ship by his crewmates or if he realized that this was a sign of Allah ( ‫ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ‬
َ َ
‫ ) َٰوت َع َٰ ل‬that he could not escape. Either way, he was forced to try and survive in the deep ocean waters.
Here Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commanded for a whale to surface and swallow the Prophet whole.
The verse in the Qur'an states that he was in literal "darknesses," as in layers of darkness. The first being
night, the second was buried deep in the ocean waters, and the third was suffocating inside the whale's
belly. In this darkest moment, he cried out to Allah, exclaiming, "There is no deity except You; exalted, are
You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." We're told that because Prophet Yunus (as) used to

remember and worship Allah constantly, he built up a lot of goodwill. Now, when he needed Allah's help
the most, Allah responded to it, "So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do
We save the believers." (21:88)
Prophet Muhammad said regarding this du'a, "The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he
supplicated, while in the belly of the whale was: La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin. So
indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him." (Jami at-
Tirmidhi 3505).
The excellence of this du'a is that it encompasses the whole spirit of what it means to be a Muslim. It
includes tawhid, (oneness of Allah), La ilaha illa ant - there is no deity except You. It praises his perfection,
Subhaanaka – exalted are you, and it acknowledges our imperfection, innee kuntu minaz zaalimeen -
Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers. Even if you do not ask for anything specific, reciting this du'a
shows you require his salvation, and he is the only one who can take care for your needs. Prophet Yunus
َ َ َُ
(as) recited this du'a in a state of complete hopelessness, and Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬responded and saved
him. Seek comfort by learning this du'a and repeating it in times of despair.
We are either coming out of a difficult time or just heading towards one. This is top-secret stuff, so don't
go around telling everyone. This is the way of life, to believe otherwise is naïve. We don't think anything
can ever go wrong when things are going well. And when things are bad, we feel as though they will
remain bad forever. An analogy for life is that it's like the seasons. We will have times when it's all going
well. That's the summers. But once in a while, it will come crashing down... the winters. We need to learn
not how to avoid the winters. That's not possible. Rather we need to learn how to handle them. Some
winters will be short, others will be long, but they will regularly come after fall. So, learn to be prepared;
otherwise, life will catch you off guard. In those moments of despair, when your heart is shattered into a
million pieces. Remember this, nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking
about it. Just like the last adversity you overcame; this one too will pass and become a fragment of your
memory. Insha-Allah, the du'a of Yunus (as) will serve you well as one of the weapons in your arsenal to
keep fighting.
60 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 10:
Prophet Zakariya (as)
“Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say “ We believe” and will not be tested
with affliction?”
— Qur’an 29:2
Du’a For Pregnancy and Having Good Offspring
‫ت َخي ُْر ْال َو ِارثِين‬

َ ‫ََربِّ ِ ََل تَذَ ْرنِي فَ ْردًا َوأ َ ْن‬
Rabbi laa tazarnee fardanw wa Anta khairul waariseen
“My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while you are the best of inheritors.”
21:89
ٓ ُّ ُ َ َ ‫ه ُ َ ُ ِّ ا َ ِّ َ ا‬ ْ ‫َِر ِّب َه‬

‫يع ٱلد َعاء‬‫ب ِل ِمن لدنك ذرية طيبة ۖ ِإنك س ِم‬
Rabbi hab lee mil ladunka zurriyyatan taiyibatan innaka samee'ud du'aaa
“My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.”
3:38
The Qur'an briefly mentions parts of the Prophet Zakariya (as) story. These verses further cement the idea
َ َ َُ
of how the believer who initiates du'a and repeatedly worships Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬can have his or her
supplication fulfilled. A little background history about Zakariya for those who don't know. Zakariya (as)
was Maryam (ra) sponsor and was married to her sister. Maryam, or Mary from Christianity faith, was the
Mother of Isa (as) or Jesus. Zakariya (as) had one son Yahya (as), known as John the Baptist. Zakariya (as)
was not always blessed with such a beautiful family, for a long-time he and his wife struggled to have kids
because she was barren. As he grew older it began to weigh heavily on his mind that his lineage may end
with him.
One day, Zakariya (as) visited Maryam (ra) in her prayer chambers. This was a room that no single person
had access to besides him. Yet when he came inside, he saw it had already been filled with good provision.
So he asked her, "…O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah
provides for whom He wills without account." (3:37). It's moments like these where we may know
something to be true, but we're utterly oblivious to the answer in front of us. Zakariya (as) had the
َ َ َُ
realization that it is only Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬who can provide without measure for whomever he wills.
The blessing of a child in his old age could only be made possible with Allah's help. So, Zakariya (as)
"…called upon his Lord, saying, Rabbi hab lee mil ladunka zurriyyatan taiyibatan innaka samee'ud du'aaa,
"My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication." (3:38)
The following ayat explains that the Angels responded to his call and mentioned that Zakariya Allah would

give good tidings for you. You have been nothing but an honorable man. You abstained from women and
were righteous in all that you did. Zakariya did ask, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached
old age, and my wife is barren?" The angel said, "Such is Allah; He does what He wills." (3:40)
In another verse in the Qur'an, after revealing the Du'a Yunus (as) made in his time of need, it provides us
another supplication which Zakariya (as) made to Allah. In Surah Anbiya ayah 89 he says, Rabbi laa
tazarnee fardanw wa Anta khairul waariseen meaning "My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir],
while you are the best of inheritors." The following verse, "So We responded to him, and We gave to him
John, and amended for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope
and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive." (21:90)
We should take time to memorize these two du'as and the du'a of Prophet Ibrahim (as) if we wish to have
َ َ َُ
children of our own (Du'a of Prophet Ibrahim (as), 37:100). Take note of the message Allah (‫)ٰ ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬
tells us in the following ayah after Zakariya (as) made his request. It tells us that because he was a good
man, a righteous man who was humble and hastened to do good deeds, his du'a was fulfilled. He built up
a lot of equity with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, so Allah provided his blessings. Zakariya (as) was in his old
age when Allah gifted him with his son. It was something he had to endure patiently for. For some, it may
happen immediately, it may take some time for others, and then there's a group for whom it may not
happen at all. We mustn't grow envious if we find ourselves in the latter group. The emotional discipline
to avoid comparing yourself to others - understand Allah blesses and tests us differently. There is
absolutely nothing to gain, no upside in making comparisons. By comparing, the only thing you will
accomplish is making yourself feel bad. Also, remember, Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬was an orphan himself.
His father passed away a few months before his birth, and his biological mother at six. In his formative
childhood years, he needed someone to care for him. Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd: The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said, "I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this,"
putting his index and middle fingers together. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6005)
62 - MYISLAM.ORG
Chapter 11:
Prophet Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah “
— Qur’an 2:2
Du’a To Say Allah is Sufficient
‫ّللاُ َونِ ْع َم ْال َو ِكيل‬

َّ ‫ُ َح ْسبُنَا‬
hasbunal laahu wa ni'malwakeel
“Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.”
3:173
This du'a of Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬should be recited at times of distress, at times where there seems
to be no hope, and you feel overpowered, outnumbered, and counted out.
The historical context behind this du'a is that Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬recently suffered a great loss to
Abu Sufyan in the battle of Uhud. His army of 700 fought against 3000 Meccan soldiers. The losses of Uhud
reported 70 Muslims were killed, and only 22 of the 3000 Medinan soldiers had died. This was a tragic
loss as some notable Muslim Sahabi (companions) were killed in battle, to name a few in no particular
order:
1. Abd Allah Ibn Jahsh (brother-in-law to Prophet Muhammad (‫))ﷺ‬.

2. Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib (foster brother and paternal uncle to Prophet Muhammad (‫))ﷺ‬.
3. Mus’ab Ibn Umayr.
4. Hanzalah Ibn Abi Amir.
5. Thabit Ibn Ad Dahdahah.
6. Anas ibn Nadhar.
In a moment of hopelessness during the battle, someone cried out, "Muhammad was killed," and the
rumor spread quickly across the entire battlefield. What had happened was The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬took some
heavy blows in the middle of the battle and found himself badly injured and bloodied. He fell to the
ground, and the news began to spread in a moment of unconsciousness. The Sirat Ibn Hisham reports how
Anas ibn Nadhar wished to have fought alongside Muhammad in Badr but could not. He wanted to show
َ َ َُ
Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬how bravely he would fight in his cause. During the battle of Uhud, he heard the false
news of Muhammad's death and saw many Muslims in confusion, turning their backs and fleeing. He said,
"O Allah! I apologize to You for what these (i.e. his companions) have done, and I denounce what these
(i.e. the pagans) have done." His love for Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬ran so deep he disregarded his own life. He told
them to stand and die for the sake that the Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬died. He was found martyred. The
prevailing thought is that the following verse of the Qur'an concerns Anas ibn Nadhar and other men of
his sort: "Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has

fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the
terms of their commitment] by any alteration –". (33:23)
That moment was a test for the believers. Surah Al-Imran ayah 144 mentions, "Muhammad is not but a
messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you
turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but
Allah will reward the grateful." Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬showed himself to be a warrior. He regained
consciousness and made his way to a safe vantage point. Even though the Muslims suffered a significant
loss that day, they held their own against the Meccans and showed themselves as equals despite being
vastly outnumbered.
After the battle of Uhud, the Quraish marched back toward Mecca, but only after having traveled quite
far did they begin to have this feeling of regret. Perhaps they should've poured on more pressure and
continued the attack against Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬while their morale was low and their forces weakened.
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬had intelligently planned for this return. He advised those who fought at Uhud to chase
after the Quraish and set up a settlement near Rawha with many tents and campfires to give an
appearance of a larger army. "And do not weaken in pursuit of the enemy. If you should be suffering - so
are they suffering as you are suffering, but you expect from Allah that which they expect not. And Allah is
ever Knowing and Wise." (4:104)
Abu Sufyan did not engage and chose to retreat to Mecca, but before he did, he challenged the Prophet
(‫ )ﷺ‬to another battle in one year and made a promise to wipe out all the Muslims. The Qur'an tells us,
"Those to whom hypocrites said, 'Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.' But it
[merely] increased them in faith and they said, hasbunal laahu wa ni'malwakeel, "Sufficient for us is Allah,
and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." (3:173)
This was the du'a which was recited by the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and his followers when there seemed to be no
hope left, Abu Sufyan had them outnumbered and directly opposed them, yet the Qur'an mentions they
were only increased in faith when they were threatened.
This, however, was not the first time a Prophet recited these exact words. In the hadith, it mentions that
Prophet Ibrahim (as) recited the same du'a Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬and his followers recited that day.
Ibrahim (as) faced similar threats and was subsequently thrown into a fire by King Nimrod.
Here's a mention of this du'a from Sahih Bukhari 4563, "Allah is Sufficient for us and He Is the Best Disposer
of affairs," was said by Abraham when he was thrown into the fire; and it was said by Muhammad when
they (i.e. hypocrites) said, "A great army is gathering against you, therefore, fear them," but it only
increased their faith, and they said: "Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer (of affairs, for
us)." The following verse in the Qur'an, "So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm
having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty."
(3:173)
64 - MYISLAM.ORG
Dua For Mercy Upon Parents
‫يرا‬ َ ‫ار َح ْم ُه َما َك َما َربَّيَانِي‬

ً ‫ص ِغ‬ ْ ِ ِّ‫َرب‬
Rabbir hamhumaa kamaa rabbayaanee sagheera
“My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.”
17:24
َ َ َُ
This simple du'a asks Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to have mercy for both of our parents just as they had for us
when we were younger. We aren't perfect children. We've made mistakes and likely did many
questionable things to annoy our parents. Yet, they still loved us, provided for us, and forgave us. This
َ َ َُ
du'a is a cry to Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to show our parents the same kind of mercy they had for us when we
were small.
In Sahih Muslim 1631, Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬as
saying: When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which
people) benefit, or a pious son who prays for him (for the deceased). One of the ways that we can honor
our parents is to remember them in our prayers continuously. As parents, we must do right by our kids,
give them love and attention and raise them following the teachings of Islam. Inevitably there will come
a time when the child will yearn to reciprocate the unconditional love and sacrifice given by their parents.
In a way, the roles reverse. The child, now an adult, shoulders the responsibility of being a source that
cares for their parents in their old age and even after death.
As a family unit, we should make it our aim to enable one another, sacrifice, and provide support, making
life easier to bear. We should avoid nagging, disrespecting, and creating an environment where they don't
see comfort. Instead of fixating on what we expect from one another, let us ask ourselves how we can be
the best husband, the best mother, or the best brother or sister. What would that mean or look like?
What standard would a person with that title hold themselves accountable to? We will never be able to
change others' behavior so let's begin with raising our own. To lead from the front without expecting
anything in return. It's ironic, but I believe that they will reciprocate if you genuinely give without
expectation and sustain this output for a long enough period. Respect when it is received is returned, not
the other way around.
In the hadith Sunan an-Nasa'i 2545, it was narrated from Abu Mas'ud that the Prophet said: "When a man
spends on his family, seeking reward for that, that is an act of charity on his part." And in Sunan an-Nasa'i
3104, it was narrated from Mu'awiyah bin Jahimah As-Sulami, that Jahimah came to the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and
said: "O Messenger of Allah! I want to go out and fight (in Jihad), and I have come to ask your advice." He
said: "Do you have a mother?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then stay with her, for Paradise is beneath her
feet."
In the Qur'an, "And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him
with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship" (46:15). There's another verse in the Qur'an that I
know many Parents love to reference, "And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and
to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them
[so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word." (17:23)

Ahmad recorded that a man from Banu Yarbu` said: "I came to the Prophet while he was talking to the
people, and I heard him saying, 'The hand of the one who gives is superior. [Give to] your mother and your
father, your sister and your brother, then the closest and next closest.'" (from Tafsir by Ibn Kathir)
We should study the importance of maintaining and nurturing the family unit in Islam. The Qur'an places
heavy emphasis and will reward those who actively try to strengthen family relations, "Gardens of
perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses
and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], "Peace be upon
you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home." (13:22-23) And it tells us the
punishment of those who deny or reject it, "Obedience and good words. And when the matter [of fighting]
was determined, if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them. So would you perhaps,
if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship?" (47:21-22)
66 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a For Reliance Upon Allah
َ ۖ ‫ّللاُ ََل ِإ َٰلَهَ ِإ ََّل ُه َو‬

‫علَ ْي ِه ت ََو َّك ْلتُ ۖ َو ُه َو َربُّ ْال َع ْر ِش ْال َع ِظيم‬ َّ ‫ي‬َ ‫ِ َح ْس ِب‬
Hasbiyal laahu laaa ilaaha illaa Huwa 'alaihi tawakkkaltu wa Huwa Rabbul 'Arshil 'Azeem
“Sufficient for me is Allah; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the
Great Throne.”
9:129
The revealed verses before this du'a discuss how there will always be two groups of people, the believers,
and the disbelievers. One group will rejoice when a new Surah is revealed. The hypocrites will only
increase in their disbelief. How can the same message produce completely polar-opposite results? When
you read and understand the message of the Surah, it may seem like a sincere and useful message. Yet
others may read the same passage and become filled with anger and contempt. It seems like a perplexing
question, how could those who disbelieve not believe? The most straightforward answer is that because
they are the disbelievers, the message was looking to call the believers.
Allah then tells Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬what to do when a group disbelieves, "But if they turn away, say (O
Muhammad (‫))ﷺ‬: hasbiyal laahu laaa ilaaha illaa Huwa' alaihi tawakkkaltu wa Huwa Rabbul' Arshil
'Azeem "Allah is sufficient for me. None has the right to be worshipped but He, in Him I put my trust, and
He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne." (9:129) Some do not fully understand the teachings of Islam, and it
should be our responsibility to show them the truth. Still, we must distinguish them from the group who
have long made up their minds. Just as Prophet Suhaib (as) had mentioned, "And if there should be a
group among you who has believed in that with which I have been sent and a group that has not believed,
then be patient until Allah judges between us. And He is the best of judges." (7:87)
So, when a group denies Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬and his message, does he get angry and start insulting them?
He instead turns to Allah and says, "Allah is sufficient for me." We should adopt this attitude in all things
that we do. Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, like all the Prophets, gave many sermons and lectures often, they fell on
deaf ears. Ultimately, the message was looking for the believers, and they are hard to find.

Du’a for Increase in Knowledge
‫َربِّ ِ ِز ْدنِي ِع ْل ًما‬

Rabbi zidnee 'ilmaa
“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
20:114
The complete ayah, "So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not
hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, Rabbi zidnee'
ilmaa "My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (20:114)
َ َ َُ
The purpose of Islam is obedience to and worship of Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬. Everything should be done
with him being the center of attention. This is the wisdom behind reciting bismillah, "in the name of
Allah," before every action as a constant remembrance of Him. He is the highest. There is nothing
greater than Him, the verse refers to him as "Al-haqq" meaning the embodiment of truth. Now,
Rasulullah (‫ )ﷺ‬tended to be hasty in his recitation whenever a new Surah or ayat was revealed. He
became inspired and excited to go through the ayat rather quickly. In Surah Qiyamah, Allah tells Prophet
Muhammad (‫)ﷺ‬, "Move not your tongue with it, [O Muhammad], to hasten with the recitation of the
Qur'an." (75:16).
َ َ َُ
Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬assured him that these verses have been sent down with a definite purpose and will
not be lost. Take your time and soak in what is being said. This teaching, to be patient in learning and to
take our time, is more relevant today than at any other time in history. All the technology we have today
is vying to capture eyeballs and attention. They have the brightest scientists looking for ways to addict
our brains to these social platforms. Our minds are slowly being eroded and addicted to wanting the
constant dopamine releases. We've become accustomed to just reading headlines and 280-character
tweets, then actually doing the work and reading the primary source of information. It's becoming rare
to find individuals who want to learn so passionately that they explore a topic deeply enough to
understand both sides of an argument before coming to their own conclusions. Suppose you want to get
ahead both in this Dunya and for the Akhira all we need to do is not be lazy in the pursuit of knowledge.
We should not hasten to read. It is better to understand one great book well than to say we have read
hundreds of books. We should lean in and not avoid a complex subject but struggle our way through
َ َ َُ
them than to speed read a bunch of mediocre books. You can Ask Allah (‫ )ٰ ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬for knowledge just
as Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬did by reciting this du'a, Rabbi zidnee' ilmaa, "My Lord, increase me in
knowledge."
68 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a For Seeking Refuge in Allah from Shaitan
ُ ْ‫عوذُ بِ َك َربِّ ِ أ َ ْن يَح‬

‫ض ُرون‬ ُ َ ‫ين َوأ‬
ِ ‫اط‬ َّ ‫ت ال‬
ِ َ‫شي‬ ُ َ ‫َِربِّ ِ أ‬
ِ ‫عوذُ بِ َك ِم ْن َه َمزَ ا‬
Rabbi a'oozu bika min hamazaatish Shayaateen Wa a'oozu bika Rabbi ai-yahduroon
“My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils, And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest
they be present with me.”
23:97-98
‫اح ِمين‬
ِ ‫الر‬ َ ‫ار َح ْم َوأ َ ْن‬
َّ ‫ت َخي ُْر‬ ْ ‫ََربِّ ِ ا ْغ ِف ْر َو‬
Rabbigh fir warham wa Anta khairur raahimeen
“My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful.”
23:118
Surah Mu'minun, titled in English as "the believer," describes the characteristics of the believer who is
among the successful. Some of the answers to the person we should be is covered in this chapter of the
Qur'an. The concept of finding ourselves is too abstract. Where does one even begin? I think it's more
constructive to view the self as a person we create day by day, decision after decision, habit after habit.
َ َ َُ
Yes, Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬has gifted us in unique ways in which we are more naturally inclined. This kind of
self-discovery is a life-long process done by exposing ourselves to different tasks. But the character part,
our code of conduct, what we value in others and ourselves is to be defined by us. We take in what's
useful and discard what is not, like a sculptor who slowly chisels away at a marble block to form his
masterpiece. The Qur'an mentions these qualities will be among "those are the inheritors Who will inherit
al-Firdaus. They will abide therein eternally." (23:11)
1. During their prayer, humbly submissive

2. Turn away from ill speech
3. Observant of zakah
4. Guard their private parts
5. Carefully maintain their prayers
The second half of this Surah describes the one emotion that will course through our bodies on the day of
reckoning. It is the feeling of regret. Both the righteous and the disbelievers will have this gnawing feeling
in their gut, saying, "I could've done more." This is a natural feeling. Perfection is something that we can
never attain, we can only strive to get as close as possible, but despite our efforts, we know that we'll fall
short of this goal. There are many among who will enter Jannah, but, in their hearts, they will know they
still have more to give. Don't leave this earth unused. Give yourself entirely in everything you do, it's an
investment you are making in yourself. Inshallah, we'll be rewarded on the day of judgment with the
highest level of Jannah.
َ َ َُ
The Surah ends with Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬explaining the path of a misguided person, "[Allah] will say, "How
long did you remain on earth in number of years?" They will say, "We remained a day or part of a day; ask
those who enumerate." He will say, "You stayed not but a little – if only you had known. Then did you
think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?" (23:112-115)

The Surah then continues, "And whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proof –
then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed. And, [O Muhammad], say,
Rabbigh fir warham wa Anta khairur raahimeen "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best
of the merciful." (23:118)
It would be unfortunate to fail at anything because of a lack of effort. It's the one variable we have
complete control over. The beautiful thing about a good ol' work ethic is it requires no intelligence, no
talent, or skill. It's the ultimate leveler. There is no excuse for not giving something your all. Laziness and
slothfulness are the paths of least resistance. We can stand out from among the crowd by being the kind
of person who is not afraid to do the work and get their hands dirty.
70 - MYISLAM.ORG
Du’a for Victory and Success
َ ‫س ْل‬
‫طانًا‬ ُ ‫ق َواجْ عَ ْل ِلي ِم ْن لَ ُد ْن َك‬ ِ ‫ق َوأ َ ْخ ِرجْ نِي ُم ْخ َر َج‬
ٍ ‫ص ْد‬ ِ ‫َربِّ ِ أ َ ْد ِخ ْلنِي ُم ْد َخ َل‬
ٍ ‫ص ْد‬
‫يرا‬
ً ‫َص‬ ِ ‫ن‬
Rabbi adkhilnee mudkhala sidqinw wa akhrijnee mukhraja sidqinw waj'al lee milladunka sultaanan
naseeraa
“My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit and grant me from Yourself a
supporting authority.”
17:80
During this time in Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬life, he was facing heavy persecution in Mecca. The
Quraysh forced him to plan his escape from the city. Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬sent Mus’ab Ibn Umayr to Medina
(Yathrib) as a scout. After eleven months, he returned to Mecca, where he reported that the
sociopolitical climate in Medina would be more suitable for Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬and his companions. Here
the second pledge at Al-Aqabah was made of 73 men and 2 women. The pledge:
1. To listen and obey in all circumstances, in difficulty, and in ease.

2. To spend in plenty as well as in scarcity.
3. To enjoin good and forbid evil.
4. In Allah's service, you will fear the censure of none.
5. To aid me when I come to you, and protect me from anything you protect yourself, your
spouses, and children from.
The times were different than they are now. We take it for granted that we have the freedom to leave
from one city to the next without many questions being asked. We can even travel to different countries
and return without many restrictions. During the Prophet's time, the emigration (hijra) to Medina had to
be a calculated step because it would escalate tensions between different tribes. When the Quraish
heard the news of this pledge, they were enraged. They chased after the caravans, they blocked some of
the companions from leaving, like Ibn Al-‘As abd Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'ah and forcibly made them
renounce Islam. During this time, Jibreel came down to Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬and revealed the leaders of
Quraish were conspiring to assassinate him, "And [remember, O Muhammad], when those who
disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and
Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners." (8:30)
Closer to the migration, Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬made a du'a, essentially asking for the safeguarding
َ َ َُ
and success of his quest. In this du'a, he requests Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to "cause me to enter a sound
َ َٰ َ َ َ ُ َ َٰ َ ْ ُ
entrance." He asked Allah (‫ )ٰسبح نهۥوتع ل‬to give him entrance into this new place with respect, nobility,
and acceptance. Rasulullah (‫ )ﷺ‬loved Mecca despite being heavily persecuted and humiliated. It was his
birthplace, and all his childhood memories existed there. The people who now despise him were once
upon a time friends and family. He was being secluded and forced out of the city. Yet, he still asked Allah
َ َ َُ
(‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬to allow him to "exit a sound exit." The last part, "grant me from Yourself a supporting
authority," asks to be given power or authority from Allah. Just as we learn from the story of Prophet
َ َ َُ
Suleiman, the desire for power for the sake of Allah (‫ )ٰ ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬is an act of worship and not a worldly
pursuit. That kind of power is required to enact change and reverse corruption.

Bonus Du’a
“So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.”
— Qur’an 2:152
َ ‫سنَةً َو ِقنَا‬
َ َ‫عذ‬
‫اب النَّار‬ َ ‫سنَةً َو ِفي ْال ِخ َر ِة َح‬
َ ‫َِربَّنَا آ ِتنَا ِفي ال ُّد ْن َيا َح‬
Rabbanaaa aatina fid dunyaa hasanatanw wa fil aakhirati hasanatanw wa qinaa azaaban Naar
“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect
us from the punishment of the Fire.”
2:201
When we reflect on our life on this planet, we put more pressure on ourselves and the current moment
than we should. The Messenger of Allah (saw) grabbed Ibn Umar by the shoulders and said: 'Be in the
world like a stranger or a passerby, and count yourself among the inhabitants of the grave.'" And Ibn
'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) used to say: "When you wake up in the morning, then do not
concern yourself with the evening. And when you reach the evening, then do not concern yourself with
the morning. Take from your health before your illness, and from your life before your death, for Indeed
O slave of Allah! You do not know what your description shall be tomorrow. (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2333) I think
it's human to imagine some greater self-importance and desire to expand and leave a legacy. But to me,
this seems to be an illusion. We know there will be a day of reckoning where everything worldly will cease
to matter. To "win" at the legacy game seems like an attempt to try and preserve your existence after
death, an attempt to immortalize. But of the past emperors, leaders, and dictators, how many do you
think about in your day-to-day life? My guess... not many. From the perspective of the centuries that have
come and gone, billions of people had walked on this Earth, their names not known or remembered. It
feels uneasy and uncomforting, but this is the human condition, wanting to self-aggrandize to cling on.
َُ
Life without Islam may seem pointless, in knowing our final destination gives us its purpose. Allah (‫ُس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ‬
َ َٰ َ َ َ
‫ )ٰوتع ل‬mentions this multiple times in the Qur'an, "Know that the life of this world is but amusement and
diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children
- like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it
turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and
forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except for the enjoyment of delusion."
(57:20) and in another Surah, "O my people, this worldly life is only [temporary] enjoyment, and indeed,
the Hereafter - that is the home of [permanent] settlement." (40:39)
When we look at life through this lens, it seems foolish to get upset over trivial matters. We put more
pressure on ourselves and the current moment than we should. Awareness of the limited time on Earth
allows us to appreciate this middle part of our existence. Don't misconstrue death as something that
happens to us in the future, but see that every second that passes us by is a piece of dying. This begs the
question; how would you like to spend your scarce and precious supply of time on Earth? Would you like
to focus on negativity and hold onto emotions of hate, anger, and jealousy? Or would it be better for you
to let go, and let it be? The choice is for you to make. We need to strike a balance and enjoy whatever
72 - MYISLAM.ORG
َ َ َُ
Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬has created for us on Earth with keeping our desires tethered to the path leading to
Jannah.
There is a story of a very wealthy man who died. At his funereal, a colleague asked, "I wonder how much
he left?" to which someone replied, "I believe he left it all." We need to be wiser in our pursuits. Being
money motivated is fine. Wanting financial security for your family's well-being and donating in the name
of Allah is an honorable mission. When you're only pursuit is the money, that's a problem. Seeking
َ َ َُ
enjoyment is fine. Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬does not say we are forbidden from seeking pleasure. In Surah Ar-
Rahman, he repeatedly asks, "So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" referring to the many
gifts he left for us on Earth. The problems arise when you only live for pleasure and forget your duty
َ َ َُ
towards Allah (‫) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬.
Remember, we can have all the wealth, children, friends, and status but when we leave this Earth, all the
things we worked tirelessly for will cease to matter. All the power and influence we seek to hold and covet
will be useless. Money and power are only an instrument to create change, and it would be wise for us to
acquire it to do good and help others. But in the end, the only account that matters will be the account of
your deeds. When we make du'a let us not only be driven by short-sighted requests. Ask for both good in
this life and remember to ask for receiving good and protection in the afterlife. This is the beauty and
wisdom contained in this du'a.
َ َ َُ
Let us pray that Allah (‫ ) ُٰس ْب َح َٰ نهۥ َوت َع َٰ ل‬grant us all with courage and strength, to bless us with complete
imaan and forgive us where we have erred. May He shower His peace and blessings upon all the Prophets
who faced many hardships to deliver His message to anyone who would listen. Because of their selfless
sacrifice, we can proudly call ourselves Muslims who did their best to follow that message and live a life
with faith, hope, and good values.

ِ ‫ض ۗ َو ِإ ْن تُ ْب ُدوإ َمأ ِفي إَنْف ُِسك ُْم إَ ْو تُ ْخفُوهُ ي ُ َح‬
‫أس ْبك ُْم ِب ِه‬ ِ ‫إلس َمأ َوإ ِت َو َمأ ِفي إلْا َ ْر‬ َّ ‫ِل َّل ِه َمأ ِفي‬
‫ٌإل َّل ُه ۖ فَ َي ْغ ِف ُر ِل َم ْن ي َ َش ُأء َوي ُ َع ِّذ ُب َم ْن ي َ َش ُأء ۗ َوإل َّل ُه َعلَ ٰى ك ُِّل َش ْي ٍء قَ ِدير‬
Lillaahi maa fissamaawaati wa maa fil ard; wa in tubdoo maa feee anfusikum aw tukhfoohu
yuhaasibkum bihil laa; fayaghfiru li mai yashaaa'u wa yu'azzibu mai yashaaa u;wallaahu 'alaa kulli shai in
qadeer
“To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you show what is
within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it. Then He will forgive whom He wills
and punish whom He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.”
(2:284)

Du'as of The Prophets

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Du'as of The Prophets

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ُ َ ُ ْ ََ ُ ََ ُ َ َ

THE FEEDBACK PROCESS:

Be sure to make a copy in order to edit.

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Du’a Asking to be saved from Wrongdoing 48

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

All praise is due to Allah.

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Qualities worth emulating:

— Imam Ali (ra)

‫َ َر ِّب لَا تَ َذ ْر ِني ف َْر ًدإ َوإَنْ َت َخ ْي ُر إ ْل َوإ ِر ِثين‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

o Being in a state of prostration.

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Sunan Ibn Majah 4023

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Prophet Adam (as)

Du’a For Mercy When We Have Wronged

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Prophet Nuh (as)

Du’a Asking Allah For Help

ٌۭ ُ‫َْربَّهُۥٓ أَنِِّى َم ْغل‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Du’a For Forgiveness of Parents and All Believers

ِ ‫ي ُمؤْ ِمنًا َو ِل ْل ُمؤْ ِمنِينَ َو ْال ُمؤْ ِمنَا‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Du’a Asking for Support

‫ص ْرنِي بِ َما َكذَّبُون‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

‫ت َخي ُْر ْال ُم ْن ِز ِلين‬ َ ‫ََربِّ ِ أ َ ْن ِز ْل ِني ُم ْنزَ ًَل ُم َب‬

Du’a For Seeking Refuge in Allah and His Mercy

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Prophet Shuaib (as)

Du’a For Success Through Allah

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Prophet Ibrahim (as)

Du’a For Trust in Allah

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Du’a for Victory and Protection from Torment

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

َ ْ َْ َُْ‫َ ْ ُّْ ََّا َ ا‬ ََ ْ َ َ ْ ‫ََر ِّب‬

Du’a Asking Allah to Accept the Good we do

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Du’a to Establish Salah and For Parents Forgiveness

َ ‫ص ََل ِة َو ِم ْن ذُ ِ ِّريَّتِي ۚ َربَّنَا َوتَقَب َّْل ُد‬

َ ‫ي َو ِل ْل ُمؤْ ِم ِنينَ َي ْو َم َيقُو ُم ْال ِح‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Prophet Yaqub (as)

Du’a for Dealing with Grief

َّ ‫ِ ِإنَّ َما أ َ ْش ُكو بَ ِث ِّي َو ُح ْزنِي ِإلَى‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Prophet Yusuf (as)

Du’a of Praise and Righteousness

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Du’a To Avoid Sinning

‫ب إِلَ ْي ِه َّن َوأ َ ُك ْن‬ ْ َ ‫ع ِنِّي َك ْي َد ُه َّن أ‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS

Prophet Ayyub (as)

Du’a Made When Adversity Has Touched You

‫اح ِمين‬ َّ ‫ت أ َ ْر َح ُم‬

DUA’S OF THE PROPHETS