Supplications from the Quran recited by Mufti Ismail Menk.
English Translation, Transliteration & Arabic text included.
Courtesy of muslimcentral.com
Al-Fatiha – Supplication for Guidance To The Straight Path
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah; The most powerful and comprehensive Du’aa'
Bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīmi. Alḥamdu-lillāhi Rabbi-l-ʿālamīn, ar-Raḥmāni-r-Raḥīm, Māliki yawmi-d-dīn, iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn, ihdina-ṣ-Ṣirāṭa-l-Mustaqīm, ṣirāṭa-lladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayri-l-maghḍūbi ʿālayhim wa la-ḍ-ḍāllīn.
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds – The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. It is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path – The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
“It is You we worship identifies the objective, and it is You we seek for help states the means of achieving that objective. Allah is the means of worshipping Allah. The beginning is from Allah and the end is to Allah.” The Straight Path in this context is not just Islam as a whole; it is the path to knowing what is right and following it in every aspect of our lives. Because adherence to the Straight Path is an arduous task, Allah has commanded that we supplicate and ask Him to guide us to it a minimum of 17 times a day. -Ibn Taymiyah and Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qasideen.
For The Acceptance of Acts of Worship
Rabbana taqabbal minna innaka Anta-s-Samii'u-l-'Aliim.
Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.
Although Prophets Ibraheem and Isma’eel were carrying out Allah’s command by raising the foundations of the Ka’bah, they were still concerned that Allah might not accept this deed from them. This is a direct result of the humility and humbleness with which they worshipped Allah, and so they supplicated in earnest hope that Allah would accept this magnificent act of worship and that it would bring benefit to nations and generations to come. – Tafseer As-Sa’di.
General, For Guidance, Forgiveness and For the Guidance of One’s Children
Rabbana waj'alna muslimayni laka wamin dhurriyyatina ummatan muslimatan laka wa arina manasikana watub 'alayna innaka anta ttawwaabu rrahiim.
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.
Although Prophets Ibraheem and Isma’eel were carrying out Allah’s command by raising the foundations of the Ka’bah, they were still concerned that Allah might not accept this deed from them. This is a direct result of the humility and humbleness with which they worshipped Allah, and so they supplicated in earnest hope that Allah would accept this magnificent act of worship and that it would bring benefit to nations and generations to come. – Tafseer As-Sa’di.
General, For Contentment and Safety In This Life And In The Hereafter
Rabbana aatina fiddunya hasanah wa filakhirati hasanah wa qina adhaban-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.
This supplication brings together the good of this life and the good of the Hereafter, just as it is a supplication for safety against evil in both worlds. The good of this life includes things like wellness, a comfortable home, a righteous spouse, generous provision, beneficial knowledge, the practice of righteous deeds, a comfortable means of transport, an honorable reputation among one’s peers, and other blessings. Good in the Hereafter includes entering Paradise and attaining its luxury and security, remaining steadfast when questioned about one’s deeds, and attaining safety and security in every other situation. Protection against the punishment of Hellfire necessitates that one is granted protection against its preconditions in this life. Hence, this is also a supplication that Allah safeguards us against falling into what is prohibited as well as any doubtful matters that may lead to sin. -Ibn Katheer.
For Forgiveness and Obedience to Allah
sami'na wa ata'na ghufranaka rabbana wa ilayka-lmaṣiir.
We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.
To hear is to listen attentively and understand what is required, and to obey is to adhere to Allah’s commands and stay clear of His prohibitions. Because it is only natural that there will be shortcomings in one’s obedience to Allah, the Believers ask Allah for forgiveness for these shortcomings. -Ibn Katheer and As-Sa’di.
Supplication For Forgiveness and Obedience to Allah
Rabbana la tu’akidhna in-nasina aw akhta’na, Rabbana wa la tahmil 'alayna iṣran kama hamaltahu 'alalladhiina min qablina, Rabbana wa la tuhammilna ma la taaqata lana bih, wa'fu 'anna waghfir lana warhamnaa Anta Mawlaana fanṣurna 'alalqawmil-kaafiriin.
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.
To pardon and to forgive are interchangeable, but when they appear together as they do in this Ayah, then to pardon refers to wiping out sins, while to forgive refers to concealing them so that a person’s sins are not exposed before others. In an authentic report collected by Muslim, the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wasallam said that whoever recites the last two verses of Surah-al-Baqarah at night will be sufficed by them (i.e. protected against any evil during that night). -Al-Baghawi.
For Steadfastness in Faith
Rabbana laa tuzigh quluubana ba'da idh hadaytana wahab lana min ladunka rahmatan innaka anta lwahhaab
Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower.
This supplication comes after Allah mentions those who try to seek out and follow verses that might seem obscure in the Qur’an. Such misguided individuals do this in an effort to sow confusion in the hearts of others and to interpret the Qur’an’s verses as they please. Allah states that these are people whose hearts hold an inclination to deviate, and so the Believers ask Allah to protect them against such evil. -At-Tabari and others.
For Forgiveness and Safety in the Hereafter
Rabbanaa innaka jaami'un-naasi liyawmin la rayba fiihi inna llaaha laa yukhlifu lmi'aad
Our Lord, surely You will gather the people for a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise.
The supplication in this Ayah is implicit. Here, the Believers are asking Allah to forgive their sins so that they will not be held accountable for them on the Day of Judgment. Because Allah has promised to forgive the sins of those who Believe in Him and follow His Prophet, Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, and adhere to His Book, the Believers beseech Allah by means of this promise, and state that He never fails to uphold His promise. -At-Tabari and others.
For Forgiveness and Safety Against Punishment of Hellfire
Rabbanaa innanaa aamanna faghfir lana dhunubana wa qina 'adhaaban-naar.
Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
In the Ayah preceding this one, Allah mentions some of the rewards Paradise has in store for the pious (those who have Taqwa). Here, He mentions that these same pious Believers invoke Him with the supplication mentioned above. Hence, it is the pious, or those who refrain from what Allah has forbidden, who will attain His forgiveness and His protection from the Hellfire. This, therefore, excludes those who ask for forgiveness with nothing more than their tongues, and without doing what is required to attain forgiveness. -Tafseer at-Tahreer wa’l-Tanweer.
For One’s Debt to Be Paid Off Or Other Needs to be Met
Quli llahumma maalika lmulki tu'ti lmulka man tashaa-u watanzi'u lmulka mimman tashaa-u watu'izzu man tashaa-u watudhillu man tashaa-u biyadika lkhayru innaka 'ala kulli shai-in qadiir
Say, “O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.”
While the meanings of this Ayah are general, the specific context is that they are part of a response to the Christian creed. A god that can be crucified (as is claimed) by his own creation is not a god who owns sovereignty, let alone a god who is capable of bestowing sovereignty or taking it away from anyone else, or of bringing harm or benefit to anyone else. These verses are also part of a supplication that the Prophet, Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam, taught as a means of asking Allah to pay off debts, no matter how large. Here is a link to the full hadeeth containing the supplication. -Various Tafseers including Aysar At-Tafaseer and At-Tabari
For Allah’s Forgiveness And Mercy, And An Acknowledgement Of One’s Own Wrongdoing
Rabbana dhalamnaa anfusana wa illam taghfir lana wa tarhamna lanakunanna minalkhaasiriin.
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.
These are the words that Allah mentions He taught Prophet Adam so that He might ask for forgiveness and repent. It is worth noting that while Prophet Adam asked Allah’s forgiveness, Satan asked for nothing more than to be reprieved until Judgment Day. Each of them got what they asked for. -At-Tabari.
For Patience And To Die A Muslim
Rabbana afrigh 'alayna ṣabran watawaffana muslimiin
Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You].
These words were spoken by Pharaoh’s magicians once they had seen and accepted the truth of Prophet Musa’s miracles. Rather than simply asking for patience, they asked Allah to pour patience down upon them abundantly, as this was an enormously difficult moment and they knew that Pharaoh would kill them. Commentators have noted that the magicians were unbelieving magicians at the beginning of that day and martyrs at the end of it. -At-Tabari.
Supplication To Die A Muslim And To Be Joined With The Righteous
(Allahumma ya) Faatirassamaawati walarḍi Anta waliyyi fiddunya wal aakhirah, tawaffani Muslimawwa alhiqni biṣṣaalihiin.
Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous.
Prophet Yusuf (AS) asks Allah to make him steadfast upon Islam so that he dies a Muslim, just as he was blessed with Islam throughout his entire life. This is an enormous blessing and one that only Allah can grant, for He is our protector in this life and the Hereafter. -Tafseer As-Sa’di and others.
For Allah To Forgive Us, Our Parents And The Rest Of The Believers On Judgment Day
Rabbanaghfir li wa liwalidayya wa lilmu’miniina yawma yaquumul-hisaab.
Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established.
This is a very beautiful supplication for forgiveness that includes oneself, one’s parents, and every Believer who will ever live. It also shows Prophet Ibraheem’s care for the Believers and his earnest desire for all Believers to be forgiven.
