A decision to make
When you genuinely do not know which way
47 verified supplications · 42 written out in full
ُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ …
When you cannot decide
The Prophet ﷺ taught this for every matter, as he taught sūrahs of the Q
كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكْرَهُوا۟ شَيْـًٔا وَهُوَ …
When you did not get what you wanted
You may hate a thing and it is better for you. The knowing is His, not y
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ …
When you are afraid your heart will turn
Asked by those described in the Qur'an as firmly grounded in knowledge.
إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً …
When you have had to walk away from everything
Said by young men who left their homes rather than give up what they bel
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى
The four things worth asking for
Guidance, God-consciousness, restraint, and enough. The Prophet ﷺ asked
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَعَافِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي
Five things at once, when you do not know where to start
The Prophet ﷺ taught this to a man who could not remember longer supplic
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّىٓ أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْـَٔلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۖ وَإِلَّا …
Before asking for something you may not understand
Nūḥ ﷺ, corrected by Allah, then asking refuge from ever asking wrongly a
قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالسَّدَادَ
For the road and for staying on it
Two things asked together, and the Prophet ﷺ explained each with a pictu
رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ
When you have made your choice
Said by the disciples of ʿĪsā ﷺ, and again by the believers in the Qur'a
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ …
When you do not know what to ask for
Aisha was taught to ask in a way that covers everything she might have m
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ …
The one you already know
Seven verses, said at least seventeen times a day, and the only sūrah a
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ …
Consult, then decide, then stop deliberating
The order given in the verse is deliberate.
يَـٰبُنَىَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱنْهَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱصْبِرْ …
A father's advice to his son
Prayer, then enjoining good, then patience over what comes of it.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
The stated reason any of this exists
One sentence answering the largest question.
۞ ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشْكَوٰةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ …
The verse that describes light with light
One of the most quoted verses in the Qur'an, and one of the least litera
وَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا ۖ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ
When you are waiting on a decision that is not yours
Said to the Prophet ﷺ when things were at their most hostile.
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا، وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا، وَفِي سَمْعِي نُورًا، وَعَنْ …
Asking for light in every direction at once
Said as he ﷺ rose in the night, naming each part of himself in turn.
لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ …
Where to look when you do not know how to act
Named as a pattern to follow, with two conditions on who benefits from i
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
An honest diagnosis of what people choose
Two verses, stated without softening.
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ وَلَا ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَلَا ٱلنُّورُ وَلَا ٱلظِّلُّ …
A comparison offered as a question
Four pairs, none of which are equal.
يَا غُلاَمُ إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ …
Advice given to a boy riding behind him
Ibn ʿAbbās was young when he was told this.
دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لاَ يَرِيبُكَ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ طُمَأْنِينَةٌ وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ …
A test for when you are unsure
One sentence for anything you cannot decide about.
مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصْبِحُ الْعِبَادُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ مَلَكَانِ يَنْزِلاَنِ فَيَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا …
Two angels who ask opposite things each morning
One prays for the giver, the other for the withholder.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَاكَ لِلْفِطْرَةِ
Choosing the plainer of two cups
On the night journey he was offered wine and milk, and took the milk.
قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي وَسَدِّدْنِي وَاذْكُرْ بِالْهُدَى هِدَايَتَكَ الطَّرِيقَ وَالسَّدَادِ …
Taught to ʿAlī with an image attached
Two words, each explained by something physical.
يَـٰدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَـٰكَ خَلِيفَةً فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَقِّ …
A warning given to a prophet acting as judge
Addressed to Dāwūd ﷺ directly.
وَدَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِى ٱلْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ ٱلْقَوْمِ …
Two rewards for judging, even when wrong
A ruling about people who try and get it wrong.
أَمَّا بَعْدُ أَلاَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ رَسُولُ …
What he said he was leaving behind
Given in a sermon at a watering place on the way back.
مُوسَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ قَالَ ذَكَّرَ النَّاسَ يَوْمًا حَتَّى إِذَا …
Mūsā asking where to look
He was told the man he sought was at a junction.
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا وَاهْدِ بِهِ
A short prayer with a wide reach
Two words that are two forms of the same verb.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ أَمْرِ السَّاحِرِ فَاقْتُلْ …
The boy who tested which one was true
A beast was blocking the road and everyone had stopped.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ …
What to say when you cannot decide
He taught it for every matter, the way he taught a surah.
اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى …
What he asked for when people disagreed
He asked for the truth in it, not for his own side.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ …
Five requests, each one asking to be included in a group
Al-Hasan was a boy when he was taught it.
رَبِّ أَعِنِّي وَلاَ تُعِنْ عَلَىَّ وَانْصُرْنِي وَلاَ تَنْصُرْ عَلَىَّ وَامْكُرْ لِي وَلاَ …
Six pairs, each one the same request reversed
Every clause is followed by its own negative.
أَعُوذُ بِعِزَّتِكَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ أَنْ تُضِلَّنِي أَنْتَ الْحَىُّ الَّذِي لاَ …
The one outcome he sought refuge from by name
It is the only request in the sentence.
أَسْأَلُكَ وَأَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّ الرَّحْمَةِ إِنِّي تَوَجَّهْتُ …
What a man was told to say when he asked to see again
He was offered the option of being patient first.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي لأَحْسَنِ الأَعْمَالِ وَأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلاَقِ لاَ يَهْدِي لأَحْسَنِهَا …
What he said after the opening takbir
Jabir gives it in the order it was said.
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرَئِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ …
What he opened the night prayer with
Abu Salamah asked Aisha directly.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَيَّرَ عَبْدًا بَيْنَ الدُّنْيَا وَبَيْنَ مَا عِنْدَهُ، فَاخْتَارَ مَا عِنْدَ …
What he announced from the pulpit, and who understood it
Only one man in the mosque started crying.
تُنْكَحُ الْمَرْأَةُ لأَرْبَعٍ لِمَالِهَا وَلِحَسَبِهَا وَجَمَالِهَا وَلِدِينِهَا، فَاظْفَرْ …
The list, and which one he picked out
He gave all four before naming the one.
لاَ تُنْكَحُ الأَيِّمُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ وَلاَ تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ
Nobody is married without being asked
They asked how a shy answer would be recognised.
From the wider collections
Each of these passed the same grading rule. They are shown with the source narration rather than a written-out translation.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ …
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1166 · Prayer at Night (Tahajjud)
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. فَمَنْ قَالَهَا فَقَدْ عَصَمَ مِنِّي مَالَهُ وَنَفْسَهُ إِلاَّ …
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1399
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. فَمَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. عَصَمَ مِنِّي مَالَهُ …
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6924
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ …
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 7390 · Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed)
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَعِينُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ …
Sunan an-Nasā'ī 3253 · The Book of Marriage