SUPPLICATIONS FOUND IN THE QURAN
The Quran contains many supplications spoken by prophets and believers pleading with God. These supplications cover themes such as trust in God, seeking forgiveness, and asking for the well-being of family and descendants. Supplications found in the Quran should not be viewed as formulas or a list of guaranteed outcomes — each one is an expression of the sincerity and devotion of the person making it. The 8 supplications below are drawn directly from the Quran's text, from verses whose source is beyond dispute.
Duas and Verses
Supplication for Good in This World and the Hereafter
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Rabbenâ âtinâ fi'd-dünyâ haseneten ve fi'l-âhireti haseneten ve kınâ azâbe'n-nâr.
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Can be recalled when wishing for a balance of good in both this world and the next.
Supplication for Forgiveness of Forgetfulness and Mistakes
رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ
Rabbenâ lâ tüâhıznâ in nesînâ ev ahta'nâ, Rabbenâ ve lâ tahmil aleynâ ısran kemâ hameltehû ale'l-lezîne min kablinâ, Rabbenâ ve lâ tühammilnâ mâ lâ tâkate lenâ bih, va'fu annâ vağfir lenâ verhamnâ.
Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with more than we have the strength to bear; pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy upon us.
Can be recalled when seeking forgiveness after a mistake or moment of forgetfulness.
Supplication Against the Heart's Deviation
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ
Rabbenâ lâ tüziğ kulûbenâ ba'de iz hedeytenâ veheb lenâ min ledünke rahmeh, inneke ente'l-vehhâb.
Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Yourself; indeed, You are the Bestower.
Can be recalled when feeling uncertainty or a fear of straying in the heart.
The Repentance of Adam and Eve
رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ
Rabbenâ zalemnâ enfüsenâ ve in lem tağfirlenâ ve terhamnâ le nekûnenne mine'l-hâsirîn.
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.
Can be recalled when feeling remorse after a mistake.
Supplication for Sustaining Prayer
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ
Rabbic'alnî mukîme's-salâti ve min zürriyyetî, Rabbenâ ve tekabbel dü'â.
My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and my descendants as well. Our Lord, accept my supplication.
Can be recalled when wishing for consistency in prayer and for supplications to be accepted.
Musa's Supplication for Ease of Heart
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى وَيَسِّرْ لِىٓ أَمْرِى وَٱحْلُلْ عُقْدَةًۭ مِّن لِّسَانِى يَفْقَهُوا۟ قَوْلِى
Kâle Rabbi'şrah lî sadrî ve yessir lî emrî vahlül ukdeten min lisânî yefkahû kavlî.
(Musa) said: "My Lord, expand for me my chest, ease my task for me, and untie the knot from my tongue so they may understand my speech."
Can be recalled before a difficult task, a speech, or a responsibility, when wishing for ease of heart.
The Supplication of Yunus (Dhun-Nun)
لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Lâ ilâhe illâ ente sübhâneke innî küntü minez-zâlimîn.
There is no god but You; glory be to You. Indeed, I have been among the wrongdoers.
Can be recalled in moments of distress and hardship, remembering Prophet Yunus's plea from within the darkness.
Supplication for the Peace of Family and Descendants
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍۢ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
Rabbenâ heb lenâ min ezvâcinâ ve zürriyyâtinâ kurrate a'yünin vec'alnâ lil-müttekîne imâmâ.
Our Lord, grant us from our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes, and make us leaders for the righteous.
Can be recalled when wishing for the well-being of family and future generations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these supplications only read at a specific time?
No. There is no fixed, obligatory time for reciting supplications found in the Quran — a person may turn to God with them whenever needed. Some Muslims add them to remembrance after prayer or to daily supplication; this is entirely a personal choice.
Must these supplications be recited from memory?
Memorizing them makes things easier for those who wish to, but it is not required. Someone who cannot read the Arabic can turn to God with the same intention by reading the English meaning; what matters is sincerity and reciting with understanding.
Can these Quranic supplications be recited in prayer?
Yes, since these supplications are Quranic verses, they can be recited in prayer. Some (besides Al-Fatihah) may be chosen for voluntary prayers or sections such as qunut after prostration; outside the obligatory pillars, they can be recited freely.
Does reciting these supplications guarantee a specific outcome?
No. Supplication is an expression of a servant's turning to God, not a formula that guarantees a specific outcome. Acceptance rests with God's will; these are pleas recited with patience, trust, and sincerity.
Sources
- Tanzil Project — Uthmani Mushaf
- QuranEnc — Türkçe Meal