Du’as for Studying or Seeking Knowledge, and Taking Exams

Last updated: May 1, 2022

Du’as verified by Professors Rafik Beekun and Ahmad Saad.  Please email me directly (via leaving a comment below for any additional request or suggestion)

Source: theislamicworkplace.com

Seeking knowledge:

1. Du’as from the Qur’an for seeking and mastering knowledge:

These ayats from the Qur’an are from:

(i) Surah Taha (Chapter 20), verses 25-28, (excerpted)

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي

وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي

وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي

يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

Rabbishrah lee sadree Wayassir lee amree Wahlul ‘uqdatan min lisanee Yafqahoo qawlee

“O my Sustainer! Open up my heart and make my task easy for me, and loosen the knot from my tongue so that they might fully understand my speech.”

(ii) Surah Taha (Chapter 20), verse:114 (excerpted)

رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Rabbi zidnee ‘ilman

“O my Lord, increase me in knowledge!”

(iii) Surah Ash-Shu’ara (Chapter 26), verses:83-85.

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ

وَاجْعَل لِّي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ (26

وَاجْعَلْنِي مِن وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّعِيمِ

Rabbi hab lee hukman waalhiqnee bialssaliheena Waj’al lee lisana sidqin fee alakhireena Waj’alnee min warathati jannati anna’eem

“My Lord, grant me wisdom, join me with the righteous; give me a good name among later generations,; make me one of those given the Garden of Bliss.”

The above three du’as from the Qur’aan which are helpful in seeking knowledge, are recited very beautifully in the following video by Sheikh Mishary Rashid Al-afasy.

2. The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in you from four things: Knowledge which does not profit, a heart which is not submissive, a soul which has an insatiable appetite, and a supplication which is not heard.”
Source: Narrated Abu Hurayrah in Sunan Abu Dawud, hadith 614.

3. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, woke he would say, “There is no god but You, glory be to You. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness of my sins, and ask for Your mercy. O Allah, increase me in knowledge, and let not my heart deviate after You have guided me on the right path. Grant me mercy from You, for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure.”
Source: Fiqh-us-Sunnah, volume 1, # 121

4. Narrated Zayd ibn Arqam: I am not going to say anything but only that which Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) used to say. He used to supplicate: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, from sloth, from cowardice, from miserliness, decrepitude and from torment of the grave. O Allah, grant my soul the sense of righteousness and purify it, for You are the Best Purifier thereof. You are the Protecting friend thereof, and Guardian thereof. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the knowledge which does not benefit, from the heart that does not entertain the fear (of Allah), from the soul that does not feel contented and the supplication that is not responded.”
Source: Sahih Muslim, hadith 1260.

5. Seeking only knowledge which is beneficial:

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ “‏ سَلُوا اللَّهَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَتَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Du’a for studying (and taking exams)

Recite: Allaahumma laa sahla ‘illaa maa ja’altahu sahlan wa ‘Anta taj’alul-hazna ‘ithaa shi’ta sahlan

Du’a pour les examens (sous-titres français)

Voici une invocation à ne pas oublier lorsqu’on a des examens ou tout simplement pour surmonter une difficulté:
– Allaahumma laa sahla ‘illaa maa ja’altahu sahlan wa ‘Anta taj’alul-hazna ‘ithaa shi’ta sahlan (Ô Allah, il n’y a de choses faciles que celles que Tu facilites et Tu es Capable si telle est Ta Volonté de rendre facile ce qui est difficile).

Dua before your revision:

اللهم إني أسألك فهم النبيين، و حفظ المرسلين، و الملائكة المقربين، اللهم اجعل ألسنتنا عامرة
بذكرك، و قلوبنا بخشيتك، و أسرارنا بطاعتك، إنك على كل شيء قدير، حسبنا الله و نعم الوكيل
—

Allahumma inii asaluka fahmal-nabiyyen wa hifthal mursaleen wal malaaika al-muqarrabeen.
O Allah! I ask You for the understanding of the prophets and the memory of the messengers, and those nearest to You.

Allahumma ijal alsinatana amiran bi thikrika wa qulubana bi khashyatika, wa asraarana bita’atik
O Allah! Make our tongue full of Your remembrance, and our heart full of your consciousness, our secrets full of your obedience

Innaka ala kuli shayin qadeer wa anta hasbun-allahu wa namal wakeel.
(Oh Allah!) You do whatever You wish, and You are my Availer and best of aid. Protector and the best of aid.

Dua after your revision:

–
اللهم إني أستودعك ما قرأت وما حفظت وما تعلمت،
فرده عند حاجتي إليه، إنك على كل شيء قدير، حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل

Allahhumma inni astaodeeuka ma qaratu wama hafaz-tu. Faradduhu  ‘inda hagati elayhi. Innaka ala kuli shayin qadeer wa anta hasbuna Allaha wa ma ma ta’alamt wa namal wakeel.
Oh Allah! I entrust You with what I have read and what I have memorized and I have studied. (Oh Allah!) Bring it back to me when I am in need of it. (Oh Allah!) You are able to do anything, and You are my Availer and Protector and the best of aid.

Dua when entering the exam hall:

–
رب أدخلني مدخل صدق، و أخرجني مخرج صدق،
واجعل لي من لدنك سلطانا نصيرا..
—

O Allah, grant me an entry with truthful intentions and an exit with truthful intentions, and grant me power from you that gives me success.

Dua on the day of the exam:

–
اللهم إني توكلت عليك، و سلمت أمري إليك,
لاملجأ ولا منجا منك إلا إليك..
—

O Allah, I have relied on you, and I have submitted my matters to you.  There is no protection or saving from you except by returning to you.

Dua For Anxiety:

Allahumma inni aoodhoo bika minal-hammi-walhazan. Waa oodhoo bika minal-ajzi-wal-kasal. Waa oodhoo bika minal jubni wal bukhl. Waa oodhoo bikal min ghalabatid-dayni-waqahrir rijal.
Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from helplessness and laziness, from cowardice and stinginess, and from overpowering of debt and from oppression of men.

Dua For Distress:

Allahumma rahmataka arjoo falaa takilnee ilaa nafsee tarfata aynin wa aslih-lee shanee kullahu, laa ilaha illa anta.
O Allah! It is Your mercy that I hope for so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.

The following video contains du’as before studying, after studying, while studying something difficult and du’a for anxiety:

Additional links:

1. Du’as when experiencing stress or anxiety.