Work
Jobs, colleagues, and the daily grind
76 verified supplications · 74 written out in full
اقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ وَأَغْنِنَا مِنَ الْفَقْرِ
When provision is tight
The Prophet ﷺ taught these words to say at the end of the day.
فَتَعَـٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن …
When you are studying or sitting an exam
The only thing Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ to ask for more of.
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱشْرَحْ لِى صَدْرِى وَيَسِّرْ لِىٓ أَمْرِى وَٱحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِى …
When you have to speak and you are afraid
Mūsā ﷺ asked for this before standing in front of Pharaoh.
إِذَا خَرَجَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ فَقَالَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لاَ …
When you step out the door
Whoever says it is guarded, guided and defended.
فَسَقَىٰ لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلظِّلِّ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ …
When you have nothing and no one
Mūsā ﷺ said this alone in Madyan, having fled with nothing, sitting in t
وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا۟ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا …
Before something you are dreading
Said by a small army the moment they saw how large the other one was.
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِى مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِى مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَٱجْعَل لِّى مِن …
Going into something new
Mūsā ﷺ was told to say this. So was the Prophet ﷺ, at the hijrah.
۞ رَبِّ قَدْ ءَاتَيْتَنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِى مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ …
When things have finally gone right
Yūsuf ﷺ said this at the height of it, reunited with his family and in p
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن …
When someone else holds all the power
Sovereignty is given and taken by One, and honour with it.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لأُمَّتِي فِي بُكُورِهَا
Blessing in the early part of the day
The Prophet ﷺ asked for his community to be blessed specifically in its
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ قَلْبَهُ وَثَبِّتْ لِسَانَهُ
Before you have to speak or decide for others
Taught to ʿAlī when he was sent to judge between people and felt unready
فَسَتَذْكُرُونَ مَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ …
When you have decided and it is out of your hands
Said by a man who had just warned his people and knew what it would cost
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا يُصْلِحْ …
Before a conversation that matters
A command about speech, with a promise attached to it.
لاَ تُزَكُّوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِأَهْلِ الْبِرِّ مِنْكُمْ
When you are being praised
A correction given to people who were speaking well of someone in front
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَهَبْ لِى مُلْكًا لَّا يَنۢبَغِى لِأَحَدٍ مِّنۢ بَعْدِىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ …
When you want something big
Sulaymān ﷺ asked for a kingdom, and put forgiveness first.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِكَ وَتَحَوُّلِ عَافِيَتِكَ وَفُجَاءَةِ …
When things are going well and it frightens you
Refuge from four things, all of them about what you already have being t
قَالَ لَا تَخَافَآ ۖ إِنَّنِى مَعَكُمَآ أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَىٰ
When you feel watched by no one
Said to Mūsā and Hārūn as they walked towards the most powerful man aliv
قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى وَرَزَقَنِى مِنْهُ …
When something goes right and you are tempted to take credit
Shuʿayb ﷺ, in the middle of a difficult negotiation with his people.
وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا …
When someone has been hostile to you
An instruction, followed by a claim about what happens if you follow it.
وَٱبْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ …
Balancing this life against the next
Said to a man whose wealth was so great his keys were a burden to carry.
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ …
A description of what you are working so hard for
Five words for this life, in order.
۞ وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا …
When you are frightened about money
A statement covering every living creature, without exception.
أَلْهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ
What has been keeping you busy
Two verses naming the distraction, and when it ends.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا …
Being fair to someone you dislike
The verse names the temptation before forbidding it.
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ …
Straight after the prayer ends
What the Qur'an tells you to do the moment Friday prayer is over.
أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَتَ رَبِّكَ ۚ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِى …
When someone else got what you were qualified for
A statement about who is doing the distributing.
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن دَآبَّةٍ لَّا تَحْمِلُ رِزْقَهَا ٱللَّهُ يَرْزُقُهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۚ وَهُوَ …
Every creature that does not keep a savings account
An argument made from the animals.
اللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْهُ، وَاجْعَلْهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا
For someone taking on something they may not be ready for
Said for a man who admitted he could not stay steady on a horse.
أَمَا إِنَّكُمْ سَتَرَوْنَ رَبَّكُمْ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ هَذَا، لاَ تُضَامُّونَ ـ أَوْ لاَ …
The two prayers that are hardest to keep
Whoever manages the one before sunrise and the one before sunset will no
مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ …
When you see something wrong happening
Three levels, in descending order of capacity.
لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا فَإِذَا طَلَعَتْ مِنْ …
A deadline nobody is told in advance
A description of the moment repentance stops being accepted.
إِذَا سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ فَقُولُوا وَعَلَيْكُمْ
Answering a greeting you are unsure about
A short instruction on what to reply.
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ …
Returning a greeting
A small instruction with a threshold in it.
لاَ تُقْبَلُ صَلاَةٌ بِغَيْرِ طُهُورٍ وَلاَ صَدَقَةٌ مِنْ غُلُولٍ
Two things that are never accepted
Stated as a pair, and the second one is about money.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحِلُّوا۟ شَعَـٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّهْرَ …
What to help each other with, and what not to
Two halves of one sentence, pointing opposite ways.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَهُمْ فِي مِكْيَالِهِمْ وَصَاعِهِمْ وَمُدِّهِمْ
Praying over a community's livelihood
Said for the people of a whole city, in the units they trade in.
اشْفَعُوا فَلْتُؤْجَرُوا، وَيَقْضِي اللَّهُ عَلَى لِسَانِ رَسُولِهِ مَا شَاءَ
Being asked to put in a word
When someone came needing something, he ﷺ turned to those around him fir
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ عَن …
A warning aimed at a specific distraction
It names two things, and children is the second.
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا۟ ٱلْأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا …
On things people have put in your hands
Two commands, and the second is about judging between people.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ تِجَـٰرَةٍ تُنجِيكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ …
A transaction offered as a rescue
It is introduced as a question, then answered.
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
An honest diagnosis of what people choose
Two verses, stated without softening.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَٱمْشُوا۟ فِى مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا۟ مِن …
An instruction to go out and use it
The earth is described as made easy, and then a command follows.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا۟ فِيمَ كُنتُمْ ۖ …
When where you are is making it impossible
An answer given to people who said they were oppressed and stuck.
بَدَأَ الإِسْلاَمُ غَرِيبًا وَسَيَعُودُ كَمَا بَدَأَ غَرِيبًا فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ
For anyone who feels out of place
A description of how it began and how it will end.
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.
فُضِّلْتُ عَلَى الأَنْبِيَاءِ بِسِتٍّ أُعْطِيتُ جَوَامِعَ الْكَلِمِ وَنُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ …
Given something no prophet before him had
Five things listed, and one of them removes an obstacle most people neve
اشْفَعُوا تُؤْجَرُوا، وَيَقْضِي اللَّهُ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا شَاءَ
He turned requests into opportunities for others
Whenever someone came asking, he spoke to the room first.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ الْخَيْرَ خَيْرُ الآخِرَهْ فَاغْفِرْ لِلأَنْصَارِ وَالْمُهَاجِرَهْ
Praying for people who were doing the work
They were digging and he saw what it was costing them.
سُبْحَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِكَ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي
What he did once it was all over
After the conquest, and after the sūrah that announced it.
أَنَّ النَّارَ اشْتَكَتْ إِلَى رَبِّهَا فَأَذِنَ لَهَا فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ بِنَفَسَيْنِ نَفَسٍ فِي …
A concession about prayer times
The reason given is about the Fire's breathing.
أَعْطُوا الأَجِيرَ أَجْرَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَجِفَّ عَرَقُهُ
A rule about wages
Given as an instruction with a time limit attached.
لاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمُ اسْقِ رَبَّكَ أَطْعِمْ رَبَّكَ وَضِّئْ رَبَّكَ . وَلاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ …
On the words used between people
A correction about vocabulary, given twice.
الْمَمْلُوكُ الَّذِي يُحْسِنُ عِبَادَةَ رَبِّهِ، وَيُؤَدِّي إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ الَّذِي لَهُ …
Two rewards for someone in a hard position
Named for a person with obligations running in two directions.
وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ مَنَامُكُم بِٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱبْتِغَآؤُكُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ …
Where to look for evidence
A list that starts with sleep and ends with lightning.
اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ …
A prayer about anyone placed in authority
Aisha heard him make it in her house and never forgot it.
أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ أَحَدٌ قَبْلِي كَانَ كُلُّ نَبِيٍّ يُبْعَثُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ …
Five things he was given that were not given before
One of them changed where prayer can happen.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ عَبْدُكَ هَذَا كَاذِبًا، قَامَ رِيَاءً وَسُمْعَةً فَأَطِلْ عُمْرَهُ
A judge prayed against by people he had ruled over
Saʿd was accused of not praying properly and answered with this.
أُتِيَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَقَالَ لَهُ مَاذَا عَمِلْتَ فِي …
A servant brought before Him who had let people off
He is asked what he did with what he was given.
بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ رَاكِبٌ عَلَى بَقَرَةٍ الْتَفَتَتْ إِلَيْهِ. فَقَالَتْ لَمْ أُخْلَقْ لِهَذَا …
An animal answering the man riding it
He said he believed it, and named two others who would.
۞ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا ۖ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا …
A list of eight people you owe something to
It moves outward from parents to the person standing next to you.
إِذَا أَنْتَ بَايَعْتَ فَقُلْ لاَ خِلاَبَةَ
What the Prophet gave a man who kept being cheated
He had a head injury that had damaged his speech, and he would not stop
تَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلاً لاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ …
What he recited striking a rock in the trench
Salman was standing there watching.
اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِيَ الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَاىَ الَّتِي …
Three things put in order, and two more after
Each one is given a clause saying why it matters.
اللَّهُمَّ امْلأْ قُبُورَهُمْ وَبُيُوتَهُمْ نَارًا كَمَا شَغَلُونَا عَنْ صَلاَةِ الْوُسْطَى …
What he said the day they kept him from the prayer
The sun had gone down before he could pray it.
اللَّهُمَّ احْبِسْهَا عَلَيْنَا
A prophet who asked for the sun to wait
He had told certain people not to follow him.
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.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَرِزْقًا طَيِّبًا، وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً
Three things asked for in the morning
Each noun carries an adjective that does the work.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَضِلَّ أَوْ أُضَلَّ أَوْ أَزِلَّ أَوْ أُزَلَّ أَوْ …
Eight things, in four pairs, each one active and passive
Umm Salamah says he never once left the house without it.
يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ تَفَرَّغْ لِعِبَادَتِي أَمْلأْ صَدْرَكَ غِنًى وَأَسُدَّ فَقْرَكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ …
A trade offered in plain terms
Both halves of the offer are stated.
ثَلاَثَةٌ لَهُمْ أَجْرَانِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ آمَنَ بِنَبِيِّهِ، وَآمَنَ …
Three people who get paid twice
Each of them had two claims to satisfy.
مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا لِلَّهِ كَمَفْحَصِ قَطَاةٍ أَوْ أَصْغَرَ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي …
What is built in return
One condition is attached and it is not about the size.
السَّاعِي عَلَى الأَرْمَلَةِ وَالْمِسْكِينِ كَالْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، أَوْ كَالَّذِي …
What ordinary work is ranked against
Two comparisons, and both of them are the hardest things on the list.
هُمْ إِخْوَانُكُمْ، جَعَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَحْتَ أَيْدِيكُمْ، فَمَنْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ أَخَاهُ …
What Abu Dharr was still doing decades later
He and his servant were wearing matching cloaks.
كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ، فَالإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَهْوَ مَسْئُولٌ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ …
Nobody in the list is exempt
It runs from the ruler down and back up again.
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.