Du'a and Adhkar — Comprehensive
The words that build a shield around your day.
Last updated: April 2026
You raise your hands. Maybe it is the middle of the night and the house is quiet. Maybe it is after salah and the congregation is filing out. Maybe it is in your car, at a red light, with tears you did not plan. You raise your hands and you ask. That is du'a. No wudu required, no special clothing, no particular direction to face. Just a heart that knows it cannot do this alone. That moment of turning, that admission of need, is what Allah ﷻ calls the essence of worship itself. And adhkar (remembrances of Allah ﷻ) are the daily structure around that turning: the armor you put on every morning, the seal you press into every night. Most people know a handful but not the full set, and fewer still know what they are actually saying or why the Prophet ﷺ chose those specific words. This page gives you the complete collection with the meaning behind each one, so your tongue and your heart move together.
The primary reference for the adhkar compiled here is Hisn al-Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim) by Sa'id ibn Ali ibn Wahf al-Qahtani,[R1] one of the most widely used collections of authentic supplications drawn from the Quran and Sunnah. Every dhikr (singular of adhkar, meaning a single remembrance) on this page has been traced back to its original source.
This resource presents scholarly positions and evidence for educational purposes. It is not a source of personal fatwas. For rulings specific to your situation, consult a qualified, in-person scholar or a recognized Islamic institution. Differences of opinion in fiqh are a mercy. Follow your qualified teacher.
Du'a is the purest expression of tawhid there is. When you raise your hands and ask, you are declaring with your posture, your words, and your heart that there is only One who can answer. Every dhikr is a name of His, every plea is directed to Him, and every answer comes from Him alone.
The Etiquette of Du'a
Du'a is worship. In fact, it is the essence of worship. The Prophet ﷺ said so explicitly:
"Du'a is worship."
Narrated by al-Nu'man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) — Sunan Abu Dawud [1]And Allah ﷻ Himself commands it and promises a response:
"And your Lord says, 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you.' Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell, humiliated."
Surah Ghafir 40:60 [Q1]Notice that Allah ﷻ called du'a "My worship." To refuse to make du'a is not humility. It is arrogance. The one who does not ask Allah is the one who thinks they do not need Him, and that is the definition of delusion.
Conditions and Manners
The scholars derived from the Quran and Sunnah a set of etiquettes that make du'a more likely to be accepted. These are not rigid prerequisites that invalidate your plea if missed. They are the adab (manners) of standing before the King of kings.
These etiquettes enhance your du'a, but never let the absence of a perfect setting stop you from asking. Allah ﷻ hears the whisper of the heart before the tongue moves. Call upon Him in every state, in every place, at every moment. The door is always open.
Morning Adhkar
The morning adhkar are recited after Fajr prayer until sunrise. They are your spiritual shield for the day. The Prophet ﷺ was consistent with them, and the companions who narrated them understood that abandoning these words meant walking into the day unprotected. Each dhikr below is presented with its Arabic text, a phonetic transliteration, the English meaning, the number of repetitions, and its source.
أَصْبَحْنَا وَأَصْبَحَ الْمُلْكُ لِلَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Transliteration: Asbahna wa asbahal-mulku lillah, walhamdu lillah, la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay'in Qadeer.
Meaning: We have entered the morning and the dominion belongs to Allah. All praise is for Allah. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things capable.
Times: Once each morning.
Sahih Muslim [9] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]اللَّهُمَّ بِكَ أَصْبَحْنَا، وَبِكَ أَمْسَيْنَا، وَبِكَ نَحْيَا، وَبِكَ نَمُوتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ النُّشُورُ
Transliteration: Allahumma bika asbahna, wa bika amsayna, wa bika nahya, wa bika namootu, wa ilaykan-nushoor.
Meaning: O Allah, by You we have entered the morning, by You we enter the evening, by You we live, by You we die, and to You is the resurrection.
Times: Once each morning.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi [10] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Transliteration: Allahumma Anta Rabbi la ilaha illa Ant, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduk, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika mastata't, a'udhu bika min sharri ma sana't, abu'u laka bi ni'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u bi dhanbi faghfir li fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Ant.
Meaning: O Allah, You are my Lord. None has the right to be worshipped except You. You created me and I am Your servant. I abide by Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favor upon me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
Times: Once each morning. This is Sayyid al-Istighfar (the master supplication for forgiveness). The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites it with conviction in the day and dies that evening enters Paradise, and whoever recites it at night with conviction and dies before morning enters Paradise.[11]
Why this du'a? Shaddad ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ called this the sayyid (master, chief) of all istighfar. The structure reveals why: it begins by affirming tawhid ("You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshipped except You"), then acknowledges the servant's weakness ("as best I can"), then confesses sin while simultaneously acknowledging blessing. It is the most complete formula of repentance because it combines praise, humility, confession, and plea in a single breath. Ibn al-Qayyim noted in al-Wabil al-Sayyib that this du'a contains every element the scholars identified as essential to accepted repentance.[R2]
Sahih al-Bukhari [11] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
Transliteration: SubhanAllahi wa bihamdih.
Meaning: Glory is to Allah and praise is to Him.
Times: One hundred times. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever says this one hundred times in the morning and evening, no one will come on the Day of Resurrection with anything better, except one who said the same or more."
Sahih Muslim [12] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Transliteration: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay'in Qadeer.
Meaning: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things capable.
Times: Ten times (or one hundred times for greater reward). Saying it ten times is equivalent to freeing four slaves from the descendants of Isma'il.
Sahih al-Bukhari [13] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِي وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِي وَمَالِي، اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِي وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِي، اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِينِي وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِي، وَأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِي
Transliteration: Allahumma inni as'alukal-'afiyata fid-dunya wal-akhirah. Allahumma inni as'alukal-'afwa wal-'afiyata fi deeni wa dunyaya wa ahli wa mali. Allahum-mastur 'awrati, wa amin raw'ati. Allahum-mahfadhni min bayni yadayya, wa min khalfi, wa 'an yameeni, wa 'an shimali, wa min fawqi, wa a'udhu bi 'adhamatika an ughtala min tahti.
Meaning: O Allah, I ask You for wellbeing in this world and the next. O Allah, I ask You for pardon and wellbeing in my religion, my worldly affairs, my family, and my wealth. O Allah, conceal my faults and calm my fears. O Allah, protect me from before me, behind me, my right, my left, and above me. I seek refuge in Your Greatness from being taken unaware from beneath me.
Times: Once each morning and evening.
Why this du'a? The word 'afiyah (wellbeing, safety from trial) was so central to the Prophet's ﷺ daily practice that his uncle al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib once asked him to teach him something to ask Allah ﷻ for. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Ask Allah for al-'afiyah." Al-'Abbas came back days later and asked again, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated the same answer: "O 'Abbas, O uncle of the Messenger of Allah, ask Allah for al-'afiyah in this world and the next."[37] When the Prophet ﷺ was asked which du'a is most heard by Allah, he also said: "Asking Him for al-'afiyah."[38] This is not a minor adhkar. It is the du'a the Prophet ﷺ considered the single most important thing a person could ask for.
Sunan Abu Dawud [14] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Transliteration: Bismillahil-ladhi la yadurru ma'asmihi shay'un fil-ardi wa la fis-sama'i wa Huwas-Samee'ul-'Aleem.
Meaning: In the Name of Allah, with whose Name nothing on earth or in the heavens can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
Times: Three times each morning and evening. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites this three times will not be harmed by anything.
Why this du'a? 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith, and the scholars noted it carries an unconditional promise of protection from harm. Aban ibn 'Uthman, who narrated it from his father, was afflicted with paralysis on one side of his body. When a student stared at him, wondering how the narrator of this hadith could be afflicted, Aban said: "The hadith is as I have told you. But that day I did not say it, so that the decree of Allah ﷻ might be fulfilled upon me."[15] The incident became a famous lesson: the protection is real, but it requires the servant to actually say the words. Consistency is the point.
Sunan Abu Dawud [15] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَبِيًّا
Transliteration: Radheetu billahi Rabba, wa bil-Islami deena, wa bi Muhammadin sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallama nabiyya.
Meaning: I am pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad ﷺ as Prophet.
Times: Three times each morning and evening. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites this three times will have the right to be granted intercession on the Day of Resurrection.
Sunan Abu Dawud [16] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ... / قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ... / قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ...
Surah al-Ikhlas (112), Surah al-Falaq (113), Surah an-Nas (114) — the three Quls.
Meaning: These three surahs encompass the complete declaration of Allah's oneness, and seeking refuge in Him from all external and internal harm.
Times: Three times each morning and evening. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Recite Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad and the Mu'awwidhatayn (the two surahs of seeking refuge) in the evening and in the morning three times, and they will suffice you against everything."
Sunan Abu Dawud [17] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]"Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great."
Surah al-Baqarah 2:255 [Q2]Times: Once each morning and evening. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death."[18]
Evening Adhkar
The morning adhkar are a shield. You carry them into the noise, the pressure, the unpredictability of the day. The evening adhkar are a seal. You bring them to the hours when the world quiets and the soul settles its accounts. The Prophet ﷺ did not leave either end of the day unguarded, and neither should you. The morning words declare your dependence before the day tests it. The evening words renew that dependence after the day has spent it. Together, they close the loop: no stretch of hours passes without your tongue and your heart returning to the One who holds them both.
The evening adhkar are recited after 'Asr prayer until Maghrib. Many overlap with the morning adhkar, with the wording shifted from "morning" to "evening." This repetition is not accidental. The believer bookends every day with the remembrance of Allah ﷻ, so no stretch of hours passes uncovered.
Dhikr numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 from the morning section above are also recited in the evening with the same wording and count. The adhkar below are either unique to the evening or carry a modified evening wording.
أَمْسَيْنَا وَأَمْسَى الْمُلْكُ لِلَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Transliteration: Amsayna wa amsal-mulku lillah, walhamdu lillah, la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shay'in Qadeer.
Meaning: We have entered the evening and the dominion belongs to Allah. All praise is for Allah. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion, to Him belongs all praise, and He is over all things capable.
Times: Once each evening. This is the evening counterpart of the first morning dhikr.
Sahih Muslim [9] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]اللَّهُمَّ بِكَ أَمْسَيْنَا، وَبِكَ أَصْبَحْنَا، وَبِكَ نَحْيَا، وَبِكَ نَمُوتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
Transliteration: Allahumma bika amsayna, wa bika asbahna, wa bika nahya, wa bika namootu, wa ilaykal-maseer.
Meaning: O Allah, by You we have entered the evening, by You we enter the morning, by You we live, by You we die, and to You is the final return.
Times: Once each evening. Note the subtle difference from the morning version: the morning says "to You is the resurrection" (an-nushoor), while the evening says "to You is the final return" (al-maseer).
Sunan al-Tirmidhi [10] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ
Transliteration: A'udhu bi kalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaq.
Meaning: I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.
Times: Three times each evening. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever stops at a place and says this, nothing will harm him until he departs from that place."
Sahih Muslim [19] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]اللَّهُمَّ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، رَبَّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَمَلِيكَهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي وَمِنْ شَرِّ الشَّيْطَانِ وَشِرْكِهِ، وَأَنْ أَقْتَرِفَ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِي سُوءًا أَوْ أَجُرَّهُ إِلَىٰ مُسْلِمٍ
Transliteration: Allahumma 'Alimal-ghaybi wash-shahadah, Fatiras-samawati wal-ard, Rabba kulli shay'in wa maleekah, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Ant, a'udhu bika min sharri nafsi wa min sharrish-shaytani wa shirkihi, wa an aqtarifa 'ala nafsi su'an aw ajurrahu ila Muslim.
Meaning: O Allah, Knower of the unseen and the seen, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Lord and Sovereign of all things, I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own soul and from the evil of Shaytan and his traps, and from bringing evil upon myself or upon any Muslim.
Times: Once each morning and evening.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi [20] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَمْسَيْتُ أُشْهِدُكَ وَأُشْهِدُ حَمَلَةَ عَرْشِكَ وَمَلَائِكَتَكَ وَجَمِيعَ خَلْقِكَ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَحْدَكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُولُكَ
Transliteration: Allahumma inni amsaytu ushhiduka wa ushhidu hamalata 'arshik, wa mala'ikatak, wa jamee'a khalqik, annaka Antallahu la ilaha illa Anta wahdaka la shareeka lak, wa anna Muhammadan 'abduka wa Rasooluk.
Meaning: O Allah, I have entered the evening calling You to witness, and calling the bearers of Your Throne, Your angels, and all Your creation to witness, that You are Allah, there is no deity except You alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is Your slave and Your Messenger.
Times: Four times each morning and evening. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever says this four times, Allah will free him from the Hellfire.
Sunan Abu Dawud [21] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
Transliteration: HasbiyAllahu la ilaha illa Huwa 'alayhi tawakkalt, wa Huwa Rabbul-'Arshil-'Adheem.
Meaning: Allah is sufficient for me. There is no deity except Him. I have placed my trust in Him, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne.
Times: Seven times each morning and evening. Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) reported this practice, and scholars have attributed it to the Prophet ﷺ.
Sunan Abu Dawud [22] | Hisn al-Muslim[R1]Before Sleep
The Prophet ﷺ had a specific routine before sleep. He would bring his palms together, blow lightly into them, recite the three Quls, and wipe over whatever he could of his body, starting with his head, face, and the front of his body. He did this three times.[23] He also recited Ayat al-Kursi and the last two ayat of Surah al-Baqarah every night. These are your protection while you sleep.
Ayat al-Kursi Before Sleep
The famous hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Shaytan who came to steal from the charity food. The Shaytan told him: "When you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi, for there will remain over you a guardian from Allah, and no shaytan will approach you until morning." The Prophet ﷺ confirmed this, saying: "He told you the truth, though he is a liar."[24]
"Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence..."
Surah al-Baqarah 2:255 [Q2]The Last Two Ayat of Surah al-Baqarah
"Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him."
Narrated by Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) — Sahih al-Bukhari [25]"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, saying, 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say, 'We hear and we obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the final destination.'"
Surah al-Baqarah 2:285 [Q3]"Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. It will have what good it has earned, and it will bear what evil it has earned. 'Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.'"
Surah al-Baqarah 2:286 [Q4]The Three Quls
Surah al-Ikhlas (112), Surah al-Falaq (113), and Surah an-Nas (114). Recite each one, blow into your palms, and wipe over your body. Do this three times.[23]
The Du'a Before Sleeping
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Transliteration: Bismika Allahumma amootu wa ahya.
Meaning: In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.
Sahih al-Bukhari [26]And upon waking:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَمَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
Transliteration: Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana wa ilayhin-nushoor.
Meaning: All praise is for Allah who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection.
Sahih al-Bukhari [27]Sleep is called the minor death. Every night you hand your soul back. Every morning He returns it. That cycle alone should make your tongue heavy with gratitude.
Du'as for Daily Life
There is a du'a for entering your home and a du'a for leaving it. A du'a before you eat and a du'a after you finish. A du'a when you look in the mirror, when you hear thunder, when you see the new moon. The Prophet ﷺ did not teach these as rituals to be performed mechanically. He taught them as a way of seeing. Each du'a turns an ordinary moment into an act of consciousness. You say بِسْمِ اللَّهِ before eating, and suddenly the meal is no longer just fuel. It is provision from the One who provided it. You step out your front door and say بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ, and the commute becomes a journey under His watch. The du'as below are not extra credit. They are the thread that stitches your entire day into worship.
1. Entering the Masjid
اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
Transliteration: Allahummaf-tah li abwaba rahmatik.
Meaning: O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.
Sahih Muslim [28]2. Leaving the Masjid
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ
Transliteration: Allahumma inni as'aluka min fadlik.
Meaning: O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty.
Sahih Muslim [28]3. Before Eating
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Transliteration: Bismillah.
Meaning: In the Name of Allah.
If you forget to say it at the beginning, say: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فِي أَوَّلِهِ وَآخِرِهِ — Bismillahi fi awwalihi wa akhirih (In the Name of Allah at its beginning and end).
Sunan Abu Dawud [29]4. After Eating
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
Transliteration: Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi at'amani hadha wa razaqaneehi min ghayri hawlin minni wa la quwwah.
Meaning: All praise is for Allah who fed me this and provided it for me without any strength or power on my part.
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever says this after eating will have his past sins forgiven.
Sunan Abu Dawud [30]5. When in Distress
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
Transliteration: La ilaha illAllahul-'Adheemul-Haleem. La ilaha illAllahu Rabbul-'Arshil-'Adheem. La ilaha illAllahu Rabbus-samawati wa Rabbul-ardi wa Rabbul-'Arshil-Kareem.
Meaning: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Great, the Forbearing. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Lord of the Great Throne. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne.
Sahih al-Bukhari [31]6. When Overwhelmed by Anxiety or Sadness
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ
Transliteration: Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan, wa a'udhu bika minal-'ajzi wal-kasal, wa a'udhu bika minal-jubni wal-bukhl, wa a'udhu bika min ghalabatid-dayni wa qahrir-rijal.
Meaning: O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from inability and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, and from the burden of debt and the overpowering of people.
This was one of the most frequent du'as of the Prophet ﷺ. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to say this du'a so often that it became inseparable from his daily remembrance.[32] Notice how it covers both internal states (worry, grief, laziness, cowardice) and external pressures (debt, domination by others). Each pair is deliberate: hamm is worry about the future, hazan is grief about the past; 'ajz is wanting to act but being unable, kasal is being able but unwilling; jubn is shrinking from what must be faced, bukhl is holding back what must be given. The du'a covers every direction a person's soul can collapse.
Sahih al-Bukhari [32]7. When in Debt
اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ، وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ
Transliteration: Allahummak-fini bi halalika 'an haramik, wa aghnini bi fadlika 'amman siwak.
Meaning: O Allah, suffice me with what You have made halal so I am not in need of what is haram, and enrich me by Your bounty so I am not in need of anyone besides You.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi [33]8. Du'a for Parents
"My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small."
Surah al-Isra' 17:24 [Q5]This is a Quranic du'a that Allah ﷻ teaches directly. The brevity is part of the power. It asks for the same mercy your parents showed you when you could not feed yourself, clean yourself, or even speak. Make it regularly, especially after their passing.
9. Istikhara — The Du'a for Guidance
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
Transliteration: Allahumma inni astakheeruka bi 'ilmik, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratik, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'adheem, fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa Anta 'Allamul-Ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kana thumma ardini bih.
Meaning: O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
Pray two rak'at of voluntary prayer, then recite this du'a. Replace "this matter" in your heart with the specific decision you are facing. Istikhara is not about seeing a dream or a sign. It is about delegating your choice to the One who knows what you do not, and then moving forward with whatever Allah makes easy.
Sahih al-Bukhari [34]10. When Leaving the House
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
Transliteration: Bismillah, tawakkaltu 'alAllah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
Meaning: In the Name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no power or strength except with Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said that when a person says this upon leaving his house, it is said to him: "You have been sufficed, protected, and guided," and the shaytan turns away from him.
Sunan Abu Dawud [35]When Du'a Is Not Answered
Maybe it has been years. You have asked for the same thing so many times the words have worn grooves into your tongue. You have raised your hands in the last third of the night, in sujud, during Ramadan, on 'Arafah. You have tried different wordings, different times, different states of brokenness. And nothing has changed. The job did not come. The illness did not lift. The person did not come back. The door you have been knocking on looks exactly the same as it did the first time you knocked, and something inside you is starting to wonder whether anyone is on the other side at all.
That doubt is human. It is not kufr. It is not ingratitude. It is the ache of a servant who loves his Lord and does not understand why the answer has not come. And Allah ﷻ knows that ache. He placed this ayah in His Book precisely for that moment:
"And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me."
Surah al-Baqarah 2:186 [Q6]Notice that this ayah did not come with an intermediary. In every other instance where the companions asked the Prophet ﷺ a question in the Quran, the response begins with "Say..." (قُلْ). But when they asked about du'a, Allah ﷻ answered directly: "I am near." No "say" in between. The connection is that intimate.
So if He is near, and He hears, why does the answer not come? The Prophet ﷺ explained this with absolute clarity:
"There is no Muslim who calls upon Allah with a du'a in which there is no sin and no severing of ties of kinship, but Allah will give him one of three things: either He will answer his du'a soon, or He will store it for him in the Hereafter, or He will divert an equivalent evil away from him."
Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) — Musnad Ahmad [36]Read that again. There is no fourth option. Every du'a that meets the conditions lands in one of those three categories:
In every case, you were heard. In every case, you were answered. The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no one who makes du'a to Allah but that He gives him what he asked for, or He averts from him a similar evil, so long as he does not ask for something sinful or for the severing of ties of kinship." The companions said: "Then we will ask more!" He said: "Allah has even more."[39]
But here is where honesty matters. Knowing all of this does not always make the waiting easier. You can believe with complete certainty that Allah ﷻ heard you, that every du'a is accounted for, that the wisdom behind the delay is real, and still feel the weight of the unanswered years pressing on your chest. That is not weak faith. Ya'qub (peace be upon him) lost his son Yusuf, knew that Allah ﷻ was in control, said "I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah" (Surah Yusuf 12:86),[Q7] and still wept until he lost his sight. His trust in Allah was complete. His pain was also complete. Those two things lived in him at the same time, and Allah ﷻ did not rebuke him for it. He reunited him with his son.
So if you are the person who has been asking for the same thing for five years, or ten, or twenty, and the weight of it sits in your chest every time you raise your hands, know this: the du'a was never wasted. Not a single syllable. The very fact that you are still asking means Allah ﷻ is still keeping that door open for you. The Prophet ﷺ warned against only one thing in this regard: giving up. He said the servant's du'a continues to be answered so long as he does not grow impatient and say "I made du'a and I made du'a, and I have not seen a response" and then abandon it.[6] The danger is not in the waiting. The danger is in walking away from the door.
What Blocks Du'a
The hadith above gives the conditions: no sin in what you ask for, and no severing of family ties. But there are additional barriers the scholars identified from the Sunnah.
Haram income. The Prophet ﷺ described a vivid scene: a man traveling far from home, dusty and disheveled, stretching his hands toward the sky calling out "O Lord, O Lord!" The Prophet ﷺ then listed what was wrong: his food was haram, his drink was haram, his clothing was from haram, and he had been nourished on haram. Then the Prophet ﷺ said: "So how can his du'a be accepted?"[8] The man in this hadith had everything else going for him: travel (a time when du'a is accepted), humility in appearance, raised hands, repetition of the plea. But none of it was enough to overcome the barrier of haram sustenance. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali commented in Jami' al-'Ulum wal-Hikam that this hadith is among the greatest foundations for understanding why du'a is not answered, and that purifying one's income is among the most important prerequisites for the acceptance of du'a.[R3]
Impatience. Giving up and saying "I made du'a and was not answered."[6] The Prophet ﷺ identified this as the single most common reason a person's du'a stops being answered: not because Allah refused, but because the servant walked away from the door.
Asking for sin or the severance of kinship. These nullify the du'a entirely.[36]
The real test of du'a is not whether your request is granted on your timeline. It is whether you continue to ask. Persistence in du'a is itself a sign of iman. The one who stops asking has decided they no longer need Allah, and that is a far greater loss than any unanswered request. Keep asking. Keep knocking. The door does not close.
But beyond these barriers, there is a deeper wisdom. Sometimes what you want is not what you need. Sometimes the delay is the answer, because the timing is not right. And sometimes Allah ﷻ withholds from you in this world only to give you something so much greater in the next that when you see it, you will wish none of your du'as had been answered here at all.
This resource presents scholarly positions and evidence for educational purposes. It is not a source of personal fatwas. For rulings specific to your situation, consult a qualified, in-person scholar or a recognized Islamic institution. Differences of opinion in fiqh are a mercy. Follow your qualified teacher.
Recommended resources: Hisn al-Muslim by Sa'id al-Qahtani, Al-Wabil al-Sayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim, and the du'a sections at sunnah.com.
Every dhikr on this page circles back to one truth. When you say SubhanAllah, you declare Him free of every flaw. When you say Alhamdulillah, you attribute every good to Him. When you say La ilaha illAllah, you strip every false god of its claim. And when you say Allahu Akbar, you place Him above everything else your heart might chase. Four phrases. One destination. There is no god but Allah.