The Quran is a powerful tool that we as Muslims use to guide us through every aspect of life. Making dua is an important part the Islamic faith, as Allah tells believers to call on Him and ask Him for forgiveness and assistance. With prayer, benefits are available anytime, anywhere, no matter what. Alongside this there are numerous examples given by prophets throughout history who made specific prayers which you too could employ if needed. Here are ten such requests found within the Quran.
ONE
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
“Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” (Quran 2:201)
This dua was frequently made by the Prophet PBUH, one of the most well-known duas. This prayer is used to ask Allah for all the good things we want in our lives. These include physical health, happiness and joyfulness; inwardly-such as knowledge or spiritual growth; doing beneficial deeds like giving money to charity to individuals who are less fortunate than us.
TWO
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلْكِبَرِ إِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَسَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ ٣٩
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
“My Lord! Make me and those [believers] of my descendants keep up prayer. Our Lord! Accept my prayers. Our Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day when the judgment will come to pass.” (Quran 14:40-41)
Prophet Ibrahim used to make this dua asking Allah to allow his descendants to stay steadfast in their prayers and forgive his parents along with believing people on the Day of Judgment. All Muslims can use this dua to pray for their family and the whole ummah.
THREE
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍۢ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا“
Our Lord! Bless us with [pious] spouses and offspring who will be the joy of our hearts, and make us models for the righteous.” (Quran 25:74)
Allah SWT tells us that those who make this dua not only enter Paradise but will be elevated in it. With this dua, we can ask Him for righteous spouses and offspring.
FOUR
رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ ٣٨
“My Lord! Grant me—by your grace—righteous offspring. You are certainly the Hearer of [all] prayers.” (Quran 3:38)
If you hope to expand and grow your family, this is a great dua for you. Despite his age, Zakariyya asked Allah for not just any child, but a righteous child and Allah gave him exactly that.
FIVE
رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًۭا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ
“My Lord! Build me a house in Paradise near You, deliver me from Pharaoh and his [evil] doing, and save me from the wrongdoing people.” (Quran 66:11)
Asiyah, the wife of the Pharaoh of Egypt, accepted Islam and made this dua when she was tortured under her husband’s orders. Allah granted Asiyah a house in Paradise, which she saw as she died. Today, Muslims can still make this dua to ask Allah for Paradise and deliverance from people’s oppression and mistreatment.
SIX
فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِىِّۦ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًۭا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
“[O] Originator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Guardian in this world and the Hereafter. Allow me to die as one who submits as a Muslim and join me with the righteous.” (Quran 12:101)
Prophet Yusuf made this dua after he had attained a position of authority and reunited with his family. Although he had gotten what he wanted, he asked Allah for a good ending. Yusuf’s dua begins by calling upon Allah as the Creator of everything, and then he asks his lord to allow him to die as a Muslim in submission to Him and allow him into Paradise.
SEVEN
لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
“There is no god [worthy of worship] except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong.” (Quran 21:87)
This dua of repentance is from Prophet Yunus. His community rejected him when he tried to call them to Islam, so instead of staying and continuing with his mission, he left without Allah’s permission. He ended up in the belly of a whale where this prayer was made for forgiveness by Yunus admitting that all belongs to Allah’s Oneness–and it worked! People can use these words during prayers to ask Him sincerely, not just once, but continuously because there will always come a time when we need mercy more than anything else.
EIGHT
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ
“Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver [of all bounties].” (Quran 3:8)
The Prophet (PBUH) taught us that faith is not static. It wavers, going through highs and lows. Some of the tests and trials we face, Allah gives us to bring us back to him. It is our duty to assess at what level our Imaan is and work on it from there.
NINE
جَآءَتْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًۭا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ
“Our Lord! Shower us with perseverance, and let us die while submitting [to You] as Muslim.” (Quran 7:126)
When the Pharoah challenged Musa using a group of sorcerers and Musa won, the group was guided to Islam. The sorcerers made this dua when they were persecuted. In this verse, they ask Allah to remain strong through any difficulties they may face and to remain believers in the event of their deaths.
TEN
رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِيَوْمٍ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ
“Our Lord! Accept [this] from us. You are indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (Quran 2:127)
Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail built the Kaaba, the House of Allah, and when they were done they made this dua asking Allah to accept their act of worship. Every day, we should be doing acts of worship such as prayer, charity, and reading the Quran. May Allah SWT accept all our efforts. Ameen!