3 supplications
The Dua of Prophet Zakariya for Children
Zakariya was old and his wife was barren, yet he never stopped asking. He called on his Lord “a secret call” (19:3), in the prayer niche, and Allah gave him Yahya, a name given to no one before. His duas are recited to this day by couples hoping for children.
Zakariya in old age
رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُن بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا
Rabbi inni wahanal-‘adhmu minni washta‘alar-ra’su shayba, wa lam akun bi-du‘a’ika rabbi shaqiyya.
My Lord, my bones have grown weak and my head is white with grey hair, yet I have never been disappointed in calling on You, my Lord.
Source: Qur’an 19:4
For righteous children
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibah, innaka sami‘ud-du‘a’.
My Lord, grant me from Yourself good offspring; You are the Hearer of supplication. The dua of Zakariyya.
Source: Qur’an 3:38
For an heir
رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ
Rabbi la tadharni fardan wa anta khayrul-warithin.
My Lord, do not leave me alone without an heir, and You are the best of inheritors. “So We answered him and gave him Yahya.”
Source: Qur’an 21:89
The story of Zakariya
Zakariya was the guardian of Maryam. Whenever he entered her prayer niche he found provision with her and asked where it came from; she answered: “It is from Allah; Allah provides for whom He wills without account” (3:37). At that moment, seeing Allah’s generosity, he asked for what seemed impossible: a child in his old age from a barren wife (3:38).
In Surah Maryam he describes his weakness, “my bones have grown weak and my head is white with grey hair”, and his trust, “I have never been disappointed in calling on You” (19:4). Allah answered: “O Zakariya, We give you good news of a boy whose name is Yahya” (19:7).
Lessons for those hoping for children
Zakariya’s duas teach to ask Allah directly, without despair, whatever one’s age or medical situation, while taking the available means. They also teach that the goal is a righteous child, “a good offspring”, not just a child. The Qur’an notes that his family “used to hasten to good deeds, call on Us in hope and fear, and were humble before Us” (21:90), and couples hoping for children are encouraged to follow their example.
Never despair of asking
Zakariya’s words “I have never been disappointed in calling on You” teach the believer to remember past answered prayers when asking for new ones. Every du‘a answered before is a reason to hope now. And even when the answer is delayed, Allah’s choice is wiser than ours: some receive what they asked for, others something better, and others reward in the Hereafter.
Putting these duas into practice
- Say the duas together as a couple, especially after prayers.
- Keep hoping whatever your age or the doctors’ predictions.
- Ask for a righteous child, not only for a child.
- Hasten to good deeds as Zakariya’s family did.
- Combine du‘a with medical advice and treatment.
The Dua of Prophet Zakariya for Children: questions and answers
Which du‘a is said for pregnancy?
“Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibatan innaka sami‘ud-du‘a’” (3:38) and “Rabbi la tadharni fardan wa anta khayrul-warithin” (21:89).
Can both spouses recite these duas?
Yes. Zakariya’s family prayed together in hope and fear, and Allah mentions them together.