21 supplications
Rabbi Duas: Supplications Beginning with “My Lord” in the Qur’an
When a single person calls on Allah in the Qur’an, the du‘a usually opens with “Rabbi”, my Lord: a personal, intimate call. Prophets used it in their loneliest moments, a mother used it over her unborn child and a queen used it when she embraced the truth.
For a safe and provided land
رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا بَلَدًا آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُم بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ
Rabbij‘al hadha baladan aminan warzuq ahlahu minath-thamarati man amana minhum billahi wal-yawmil-akhir.
My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits, those of them who believe in Allah and the Last Day.
Source: Qur’an 2:126
The vow of ‘Imran’s wife
رَبِّ إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِي بَطْنِي مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Rabbi inni nadhartu laka ma fi batni muharraran fa-taqabbal minni, innaka antas-sami‘ul-‘alim.
My Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, dedicated to Your service, so accept it from me. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
Source: Qur’an 3:35
Musa when his people refused
رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي ۖ فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ
Rabbi inni la amliku illa nafsi wa akhi, fafruq baynana wa baynal-qawmil-fasiqin.
My Lord, I have no control except over myself and my brother, so separate us from the defiantly disobedient people.
Source: Qur’an 5:25
For a truthful entrance and exit
رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا
Rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqin wa akhrijni mukhraja sidqin waj‘al li min ladunka sultanan nasira.
My Lord, make my entrance a truthful entrance and my exit a truthful exit, and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority. Revealed before the Hijrah; a du‘a for every new beginning.
Source: Qur’an 17:80
Hastening towards Allah
وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَىٰ
Wa ‘ajiltu ilayka rabbi li-tarda.
And I hastened to You, my Lord, that You may be pleased.
Source: Qur’an 20:84
Judge with the truth
رَبِّ احْكُم بِالْحَقِّ ۗ وَرَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَٰنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ
Rabbihkum bil-haqq, wa rabbunar-rahmanul-musta‘anu ‘ala ma tasifun.
My Lord, judge with the truth. Our Lord is the Most Merciful, whose help is sought against what you describe.
Source: Qur’an 21:112
When rejected
رَبِّ انصُرْنِي بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ
Rabbinsurni bima kadhdhabun.
My Lord, help me, for they have denied me. Said by Nuh, and by the messenger after him.
Source: Qur’an 23:26
Refuge from the fate of the wrongdoers
رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِيَنِّي مَا يُوعَدُونَ رَبِّ فَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي فِي الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
Rabbi imma turiyanni ma yu‘adun. Rabbi fala taj‘alni fil-qawmidh-dhalimin.
My Lord, if You should show me what they are promised, then, my Lord, do not place me among the wrongdoing people.
Source: Qur’an 23:93-94
The closing du‘a of Surah al-Mu’minun
رَّبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
Rabbighfir warham wa anta khayrur-rahimin.
My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of the merciful.
Source: Qur’an 23:118
For the Day when wealth does not help
وَلَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
Wa la tukhzini yawma yub‘athun, yawma la yanfa‘u malun wa la banun, illa man atallaha bi-qalbin salim.
And do not disgrace me on the Day they are resurrected, the Day when neither wealth nor children will benefit, except whoever comes to Allah with a sound heart.
Source: Qur’an 26:87-89
Nuh asks for deliverance
رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي كَذَّبُونِ فَافْتَحْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ فَتْحًا وَنَجِّنِي وَمَن مَّعِيَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Rabbi inna qawmi kadhdhabun, faftah bayni wa baynahum fathan wa najjini wa mam-ma‘iya minal-mu’minin.
My Lord, my people have denied me, so judge between me and them decisively and save me and the believers who are with me.
Source: Qur’an 26:117-118
Lut asks to save his family
رَبِّ نَجِّنِي وَأَهْلِي مِمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ
Rabbi najjini wa ahli mimma ya‘malun.
My Lord, save me and my family from what they do.
Source: Qur’an 26:169
The repentance of the Queen of Sheba
رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Rabbi inni dhalamtu nafsi wa aslamtu ma‘a sulaymana lillahi rabbil-‘alamin.
My Lord, I have wronged myself, and I submit with Sulayman to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Source: Qur’an 27:44
A promise of gratitude
رَبِّ بِمَا أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرًا لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ
Rabbi bima an‘amta ‘alayya falan akuna dhahiral-lil-mujrimin.
My Lord, for the favour You have bestowed upon me, I will never be a supporter of the criminals.
Source: Qur’an 28:17
Lut against corruption
رَبِّ انصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
Rabbinsurni ‘alal-qawmil-mufsidin.
My Lord, help me against the people who spread corruption.
Source: Qur’an 29:30
Expand my chest
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي، وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي، وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي، يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي
Rabbishrah li sadri, wa yassir li amri, wahlul ‘uqdatan min lisani, yafqahu qawli.
My Lord, expand my chest for me, ease my task for me, and untie the knot from my tongue so they understand my speech. The dua of Musa before facing Pharaoh.
Source: Qur’an 20:25-28
Increase me in knowledge
رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
Rabbi zidni ‘ilma.
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
Source: Qur’an 20:114
Mercy for the parents
رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا
Rabbirhamhuma kama rabbayani saghira.
My Lord, have mercy on them as they raised me when I was small.
Source: Qur’an 17:24
I am in need of Your good
رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir.
My Lord, I am truly in need of whatever good You send down to me. The dua of Musa in Madyan.
Source: Qur’an 28:24
For parents and all believers
رَّبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
Rabbighfir li wa li-walidayya wa liman dakhala baytiya mu’minan wa lil-mu’minina wal-mu’minat.
My Lord, forgive me and my parents, and whoever enters my house as a believer, and the believing men and believing women.
Source: Qur’an 71:28
Refuge from the prompting of devils
رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ
Rabbi a‘udhu bika min hamazatish-shayatin, wa a‘udhu bika rabbi an yahdurun.
My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the promptings of the devils, and I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they come near me.
Source: Qur’an 23:97-98
The meaning of “Rabbi”
“Rabb” means the Lord who creates, owns, provides and nurtures. Calling “Rabbi” reminds the supplicant that the One he addresses has cared for him since before birth. The Qur’an frequently drops the vocative particle (“ya”) before “Rabbi”, a sign of closeness, as Allah says: “I am near” (2:186).
Musa used “Rabbi” for nearly everything he asked: help after a mistake, safety from his enemies, provision in a foreign land and the opening of his chest. It is a model for asking Allah for small and great things alike.
Rabbi Duas: Supplications Beginning with “My Lord” in the Qur’an: questions and answers
Is it better to say “Rabbana” or “Rabbi”?
Both are Qur’anic. “Rabbana” includes others in the du‘a, which is generous; “Rabbi” is used when asking for oneself. Choose according to the request.
Which Rabbi du‘a is for a new job or move?
“Rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqin wa akhrijni mukhraja sidq…” (17:80), and Musa’s “Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir” (28:24).
Related duas
- Duas of Prophet Musa (Moses)
- All the Rabbana Duas of the Qur’an, with Meaning
- Praising Allah in the Words of the Qur’an: Tasbih and Tahmid
- Verses of Tawhid and the Names of Allah for Remembrance
- Qur’anic Verses of Tawakkul: Words of Reliance on Allah
- Verses of Hope and Comfort for Hard Times
- Ayat ash-Shifa: the Healing Verses and Qur’anic Ruqyah
- Seeking Refuge in the Qur’an: the Isti‘adhah of the Prophets