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9) Dua for artriculation
رَبِّ ٱشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى . وَيَسِّرْ لِىٓ أَمْرِى . وَٱحْلُلْ عُقْدَةًۭ مِّن لِّسَانِى . يَفْقَهُوا۟ قَوْلِى
“My Lord, expand for me my breast . And ease for me my task. And untie the knot from my tongue. That they may understand my speech.” [Quran – 20:25-28]
Articulation is important for producing words that are clear and easily understood by others. An articulate speaker is comfortable with their own voice and can confidently address their intended audience.
Musa عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام had to speak to Fir’aun, who was not only a tyrant ruler but also the only father figure he had ever known. Imagine trying to confront your father over something you know will anger him. Imagine the person who has been your authority figure, correcting you through out your life, now needing to be corrected. To add to that, Musa عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام also had a stutter. Then Allah taught him this dua…
Whenever my children are afraid to speak to someone, I remind them of this dua, and they repeat it after me. To be honest, whenever I have to discuss something difficult with my children (or my family, spouse, etc.), I recite this dua as well. It helps me rely on Allah rather than on my own words and intellect (which can falter at any time). I even recite this dua if I have to talk to kids’ teachers/mentors/doctors etc. – especially if I have to confront someone. It helps me feel safe knowing that my words will not be misunderstood (bi’idhnillah).
10) Dua for better replacement
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Umm Salama, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: If any servant (of Allah) who suffers a calamity says:” We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return; O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it,” ‘ Allah will give him reward for affliction, and would give him something better than it in exchange. She (Umm Salama) said: When Abu Salama died. I uttered (these very words) as I was commanded (to do) by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So Allah gave me better in exchange than him. i. e. (I was taken as the wife of) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
As human beings, we attempt to cope with negative emotions in different ways. We often attempt to push away difficult emotions because they make us feel uncomfortable as it’s a painful process to sit with these feelings. We may try to distract ourselves. Some may even self-medicate through the use of drugs or alcohol to alleviate the pain they are feeling.
When we are unable to grieve fully and an experience becomes a source of trauma, we are thrust into survival mode, which shuts down the executive functioning part of our brain and prevents us from thinking clearly. When the “danger activation center” part of our brain is dominant, there is a decrease in self-awareness, our capacity to self-evaluate, and our ability to establish goals. All of these require advanced thought processes, which are very difficult to sustain during times of extreme stress. So, in such times, I always remind myself that Allah’s promise is true. When I make this dua, Allah WILL provide a better replacement for me. And all I need is tawakkul! Complete trust in His Power! Surrender!
11) Dua for peaceful company and safety
قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًۭا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ … وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
“My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and … save me from the wrongdoing people.” [Quran – 66:11]
Asiya did not have children of her own. Yet, the most ruthless man on earth spared one child out of all the others, based on her request-indicating that she lived a life as a queen, until she opposed her husband’s religion. She raised Musa عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام like her own son and the fact that he became such an exceptional man, despite having a cruel foster father, highlights the immense power of a kind mother against all odds.
We often feel like giving up on our children because we think we can’t raise them well on our own. We believe they need a strong father figure as a role model (which is true in many cases), but from the stories of these great women, we learn that a mother alone can also raise incredible human beings, regardless of the circumstances – Irrespective of what their husbands’ parenting views and perspectives are. Similarly, a single father can raise remarkable children too – as in the example of Lut عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام – regardless of what his wife believed.
So, when the world feels as though it is closing in on you, recite this dua, for what better company could you have than Allah?!
12) Dua for better decision-making
دَعَوَاتُ الْمَكْرُوبِ اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلاَ تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The supplications to be used by one who is distressed are: “O Allah! Thy mercy is what I hope for. Do not abandon me to myself for an instant, but put all my affairs in good order for me. There is no god but Thou.” [Hadith; Sunan Abi Dawud 5090]
I left my engineering degree to focus on raising my children with a foundation in deen, because I know Allah will ask me about His Amaanah. I want to be able to say that I did my absolute best to take care of the trust He gave me. I won’t have them forever; they will return to Allah one day.
But I started to wonder – how I could leave one career to focus on another – housework?! In many cases, it’s a necessity. But I realized that if you’re not mindful, you can still become an absent or negligent parent, even when you’re physically present with your children. Kids need moments of connection throughout the day. Every moment can become a learning experience if you’re intentional – which is a huge part of our sadaqah jaariyah as parents too.
So, Ya Allah! Do not leave me to myself for even an instant, for I don’t always make the best decisions, but arrange all my affairs in the best way for me, for no one knows me better than You!
13) Dua for mindfulness
النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَتَعَوَّذُ مِنْ أَرْبَعٍ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لاَ يَخْشَعُ وَدُعَاءٍ لاَ يُسْمَعُ وَنَفْسٍ لاَ تَشْبَعُ
The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge (with Allah) from four things: From knowledge that is of no benefit, from a heart that does not feel humble, from a supplication that is not heard, and a soul that is never satisfied. [Sunan an-Nasa’i 5442]
I make dua that we, as mothers, remember that we are human beings and not just human doings – so we can feel that we’re more than just a machine, checking off items from our to-do list. I make dua that we will hold moments with our children still. And that we will look up. I make dua that we stop to not only smell the roses and praise their Creator, but we stop to listen to the heart beating inside our chests – so we can be in tune with our fitrah (innate nature) – just like our children are attuned. I make dua that we focus on our mental wellbeing as the quality of our life depends on it. I make dua that we stop chasing knowledge that we will only consume but never apply. I make dua that this helps us to be mindful of Allah and connect with Him like He’s closer to our jugular vein ❤
14) Dua for protection
Dua for Protection of Children from evil eye, envy, devil and poisonous things:
أُعِيذُكُمَا بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لاَمَّةٍ
“I seek refuge for both of you in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and every poisonous thing and from the evil eye which influences.”
The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge in Allah for al-Hasan and al-Hussain, saying ; I seek refuge for both of you in the perfect words of Allah from every devil and every poisonous thing and from the evil eye which influences. [Sunan Abi Dawud]
The above dua is for two children hence كُمَا (kuma) is used. If you have a girl, you can put kasrah underneath the ك – making the sound “ki” (أُعِيذُكِ) and if you have a boy, you can put a fat’ha sign on ك – making the sound “ka” (أُعِيذُكَ). For multiple children, you can say كُمْ – making the sound “kum” ( أُعِيذُكُمْ ). Rest of the wording will stay the same.
You can hear the pronunciation of the dua HERE.
As someone who’s often asked about the kids’ studies and tarbiyah in general, this is my go-to dua – especially when in the public eye. No child is perfect, including mine, but may Allah protect them from all forms of harm – including the kind that wasn’t even intended to be harmful.
15) Dua for wisdom
اللَّهُمَّ عَلِّمْهُ الْحِكْمَةَ
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Once the Prophet (ﷺ) embraced me (pressed me to his chest) and said, “O Allah, teach him wisdom (i.e. the understanding of the knowledge of Qur’an). [Sahih al-Bukhari 3756]
Knowledge is knowing that fire burns. Wisdom is not touching the fire – and also warning others gently when they’re near it. Wisdom is knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it – in a way that pleases Allah and benefits others.
So I make dua that our children know when to speak and when to stay silent – that they can balance emotion and intellect with the help of taqwa. I make dua that they open their hearts to the words of the Quran and make it the light of their hearts, the guide of their lives, and the companion of their solitude. I make dua that they taste the sweetness of knowledge and be among those who live by what they learn.
Ya Allah! Plant in their hearts a love for seeking beneficial knowledge, so they may leave a legacy that positively impacts generations to come – like the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, Ibn Abbas and Umm Salamah رضي الله عنهم – known for their wisdom.
And may we always get to engulf them in a warm embrace to make this dua for them!
16) Dua for (safety from) unexpected calamities
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ سُوءِ الْمَنْظَرِ فِي الأَهْلِ وَالْمَالِ وَالْوَلَدِ
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from…seeing some calamity befall my family or wealth or child. [Sunan an-Nasa’i 5499]
Although it’s a longer dua, I usually focus on this part when I’m not traveling – especially after witnessing the scenes from Falasteen. It just slips off the tongue automatically.
They may not be our immediate family by blood, but they are our brothers and sisters in Islam – our family in faith, our children in Islam. Al-Aqsa is our wealth in Islam.
The eyes can barely bear to witness such calamities – even on a screen – let alone imagine living through them in real life.
I make dua that we never have to witness any calamity befall our families – near or far. The ones we can reach, and the ones we can’t.
May we never see it on our screens because it never happens in real life again.
May the calamity of starvation never strike any oppressed nation. May no parent ever have to see the ribcage of their child visible from hunger…
More articles on the topic of Dua:
List of 30 Duas – a dua a day (Free Printable Cards)
How to Make Dhikr and Dua a Daily Habit
Do’s and Don’ts of Istikhara (+FREE dua printable)
Supplicate to Allah with Allah’s Words (List of Quranic Duas)
Supplicate to Allah with Muhammad’s Words ﷺ (list of masnoon duas)
People Whose Duas were Answered (Stories from Quran and Ahadith)
Making Dua with Names of Allah
Secrets of an Accepted Dua (+FREE dua diary)