What Are the Most Important Duas for Ramadan?
We all know Ramadan is a very special time of year for Muslims, as it’s the month of forgiveness and blessings. Duas are a way to seek Allah's forgiveness. The very essence of raising one's hands is a profound act. We praise Allah and acknowledge that only what Allah wills will come to be. Knowing different dua from the Quran and ahadith is an excellent way to increase good deeds.
What is dua?
Dua is the way Muslims around the world supplicate. It's an Arabic term for prayer.
Make dua for everything
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to tell sahaba,
“Let one of you ask the Lord for everything that he needs, even a lace for his shoe if it breaks.”
(Bukhari)
This teaches us that nothing is too big or small to ask Allah for. In contrast, we have begun to believe that prayer is just for certain things.
A dua we continuously make in our salah is the supplication of guidance- to walk on the straight path every time we recite surah Fatiha. We seek refuge from shaitan whenever we say auzu billahi minash shaitan rajeem. Let dua become one of your beloved acts of worship for yourself during this Ramadan for everything big and small. Because Allah (swt)is all hearing and seeing, He alone holds the power to grant us what we need.
Our Hearts deviate throughout the year, but this blessed month is a way to get back into daily prayers like morning and evening supplications. There is a prayer for everything from asking for good health, good provision, good character, and basic things like traveling, eating, and dressing.
At what times can you make dua?
You can make dua at any time. However, in Islam, there are set times when blessings come down, and dua get answered. These times are:
- After fard prayers,
- On Friday, after the Asr prayer,
- In sajdah,
- When it’s raining,
- Morning and evening times (they become sahur and iftar time in Ramadan)
- While traveling,
- Especially during Ramadan- duas made in the last 10 nights are accepted.
It is highly recommended to make dua at these times. Also, making dua for others, like family and friends, gets answers as if you are making them for yourself, and it gets attributed as an additional reward.
Allah (swt) answers all duas
Two conditions are crucial to remember whenever you are making dua:
- Duas have to be sincere and made with faith
- You must ask the dua with full conviction that Allah is listening to you and will answer at the right time or in the way He knows best. For He is the best of Planners.
So as long as you make dua with a sincere heart, it will be answered.
Do duas only need to be made in Arabic?
No, you can make dua in what is your native language. It is preferred that a person understand the dua he/she is making. Remember, Allah is not bound by one language.
How do you make dua?
- Do wadu (but not necessary)
- raise your hands in front of you
- Praise Allah swt
- Seek Allah's forgiveness
- Praise Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
- Start with "Allah I ask..." or "My Rab(lord)..."
- Make dua with faith.
From the Quran and ahadith, we are taught duas on all occasions. Below are some duas exclusive to Ramadan and others that are greatly beneficial to make during this blessed month.
Duas that are exclusive to Ramadan:
Supplication for beginning the fast:
وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ نَّوَيْتُ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ
‘Wa bisawmi ghadinn nawaiytu min shahri ramadan’
‘I intend to keep the fast for tomorrow in the month of Ramadan.’
Supplication At iftar (to break fast):
اللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى لَكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ امنْتُ وَعَليْكَ تَوَكّلتُ وَ عَلى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ
‘Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa alayka tawakkaltu wa ala rizqi-ka-aftartu’
‘O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You and I put my trust in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance’
Specific dua if faced with aggravating situations while we are fasting:
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying:
“Fasting is a shield; when one of you is fasting, he should neither behave in an obscene manner nor foolishly. If a man fights or abuses him, he should say: I am fasting, I am fasting.” (Abu Dawud)
إِنِّيْ صَائِمٌ , إِنِّيْ صَائِمٌ
‘Inni saa’imun, inni saa’imun’
‘I am fasting, I am fasting’
Ramadan is divided into sets of 10 days- each has its own dedicated dua:
Frist 10 days of Mercy:
رَّبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
“O my Rab, Forgive me and have mercy and You are the Best of Merciful.”
Middle 10 days of Forgiveness:
أسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ رَبي مِنْ كُلِ ذَنبٍ وَأتُوبُ إلَيه
“I ask forgiveness of my sins from Allah SWT, who is my Lord, and I turn towards Him.”
Last 10 days of Protection:
اللهم أجرني من النار
“O Allah, save me from the fire of Hell”
Dua for the Night of Power
اَللَّهُمَّ اِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ ، تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
“O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me."
General duas to know:
In the Quran, Allah (SWT) uses the stories of Prophets to teache us duas for our moments of need and attributions of blessings to those He loves.
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire
(Surat Al-Baqarah, 2:201).
2:201 Rabbananatan atikina fa dunyatan akhirati isanatan wa qina adhabi.. It'll take time to get back.
There is hope in dua for those who are the “Servants of the All-Merciful:
هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
Our Lord! Grant us in our spouses and our children the joy of our eyes. Moreover, make us an exemplar of goodness for the God-fearing
(Surat Al-Furqan, 25-74).
Allah (SWT) also captured our desperation in the Dua of Musa:
رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
“My Lord, indeed, I am in need of whatever good You would send to me.”
Surah Al-Qasas 28:24
While this dua of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) is very comprehensive, it asks for guidance and goodness:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِي وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِي وَمَالِي ، اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِي وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِي ، اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ ، وَمِنْ خَلْفِي، وَعَنْ يَمِينِي ، وَعَنْ شِمَالِي ، وَمِنْ فَوْقِي، وَأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِي
O Allah! Indeed, I ask of You pardon in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah! Indeed, I ask of You pardon and well-being in my religion and my worldly affairs, and my family and my wealth. O Allah! Cover over my vulnerabilities and secure my anxieties. O Allah! Shield me from before me and from behind me, and from my right and from my left, and from above me. And I seek refuge in Your magnificence so that I am not undone from beneath me.
And dua Prophet Muhammad used to make daily to seek protection:
اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْت
O Allah, I hope for Your Mercy, do not entrust me to my own self even for the blink of an eye; correct for me all my matters; there is none worthy of worship except You.
[Ahmad, Abu Dawood]
Du’a is an incredibly powerful means of communication with Allah(SAW); it has the means to change our fate and, more importantly, bring us closer to Allah. As the Prophet so beautifully described:
“Dua,” the Prophet(PBUH) said, “is the marrow of worship,” meaning it is the essence of worship.
As you turn to Allah this holy month, remember the poor and needy who are suffering around the world and need your prayers and help. Donate iftar parcels, bread for Yemen, or your sadaqah and zakat today.
O Allah, accept all our prayers during this Ramadan and guide us to be righteous. Increase us in blessings, my Lord. Ameen!
