Duas from the Quran
Examples of the outpouring of the human heart to our Creator
While Muslims pray the Salat, specific prayers five times a day at times mentioned in the Quran, we can always turn to God and implore Him. The scriptures give us many beautiful examples of such prayers. Here are some of my favorites from the Quran:
[26:83–87] “My Lord, grant me wisdom, and include me with the righteous. Let the example I set for the future generations be a good one. Make me one of the inheritors of the blissful Paradise…. And do not forsake me on the Day of Resurrection.”
[2:127–128] As Abraham raised the foundations of the shrine, together with Ismail (they prayed): “Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearer, the Omniscient. / “Our Lord, make us submitters to You, and from our descendants let there be a community of submitters to You. Teach us the rites of our religion, and redeem us. You are the Redeemer, Most Merciful.”
[2:201] …”Our Lord, grant us righteousness in this world, and righteousness in the Hereafter, and spare us the retribution of Hell.”
[2:250] …They prayed, “Our Lord, grant us steadfastness, strengthen our foothold, and support us against the disbelieving people.”
[2:286] GOD never burdens a soul beyond its means: to its credit is what it earns, and against it is what it commits. “Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make mistakes. Our Lord, and protect us from blaspheming against You, like those before us have done. Our Lord, protect us from sinning until it becomes too late for us to repent. Pardon us and forgive us. You are our Lord and Master. Grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”
[3:8] “Our Lord, let not our hearts waver, now that You have guided us. Shower us with Your mercy; You are the Grantor.
[3:16] They say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us our sins, and spare us the agony of the hellfire.”
[3:53] “Our Lord, we have believed in what You have sent down, and we have followed the messenger; count us among the witnesses.”
[3:147] Their only utterance was, “Our Lord, forgive us our sins, and our transgressions, strengthen our foothold, and grant us victory over the disbelievers.”
[3:191] They remember GOD while standing, sitting, and on their sides, and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: “Our Lord, You did not create all this in vain. Be You glorified. Save us from the retribution of Hell.”
[3:193–194] “Our Lord, we have heard a caller calling to faith and proclaiming: ‘You shall believe in your Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us our transgressions, remit our sins, and let us die as righteous believers. “Our Lord, shower us with the blessings You promised us through Your messengers, and do not forsake us on the Day of Resurrection. You never break a promise.”
[7:23] They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged our souls, and unless You forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be losers.”
[12:101] “My Lord, You have given me kingship…. Initiator of the heavens and the earth; You are my Lord and Master in this life and in the Hereafter. Let me die as a submitter, and count me with the righteous.”
[14:40–41] “My Lord, make me one who consistently observes the Contact Prayers (Salat), and also my children. Our Lord, please answer my prayers. /“My Lord, forgive me and my parents, and the believers, on the day when the reckoning takes place.”
[17:24] And lower for them [the parents] the wings of humility, and kindness, and say, “My Lord, have mercy on them, for they have raised me from infancy.”
[17:80] And say, “My Lord, admit me an honorable admittance, and let me depart an honorable departure, and grant me from You a powerful support.”
[18:10] …“Our Lord, shower us with Your mercy, and bless our affairs with Your guidance.”
[20:25] …“My Lord, cool my temper.”
[21:112] Say, “My Lord, Your judgment is the absolute justice. Our Lord is the Most Gracious; only His help is sought in the face of your claims.”
[23:94] “My Lord, let me not be one of the transgressing people.”
[23:97–98] Say, “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils. / “And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they come near me.”
[23:109] “A group of My servants used to say, ‘Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and shower us with mercy. Of all the merciful ones, You are the Most Merciful.’
[23:118] Say, “My Lord, shower us with forgiveness and mercy. Of all the merciful ones, You are the Most Merciful.”
[25:65] …“Our Lord, spare us the agony of Hell; its retribution is horrendous.”
[25:74] ..,“Our Lord, let our spouses and children be a source of joy for us, and keep us in the forefront of the righteous.”
[26:83] “My Lord, grant me wisdom, and include me with the righteous.”
[27:19] …“My Lord, direct me to be appreciative of the blessings You have bestowed upon me and my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Admit me by Your mercy into the company of Your righteous servants.”
[37:100] “My Lord, grant me righteous children.”
[46:15] We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him arduously, gave birth to him arduously, and took intimate care of him for thirty months. When he reaches maturity, and reaches the age of forty, he should say, “My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter.”
[59:10] Those who became believers after them say, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren who preceded us to the faith, and keep our hearts from harboring any hatred towards those who believed. Our Lord, You are Compassionate, Most Merciful.”
[60:4–5] …“Our Lord, we trust in You, and submit to You; to You is the final destiny. Our Lord, let us not be oppressed by those who disbelieved, and forgive us. You are the Almighty, Most Wise.”
[71:28] “My Lord, forgive me and my parents, and anyone who enters my home as a believer, and all the believing men and women. But do not give the disbelievers anything but annihilation.”
Of course, we can pray using our own words. I believe these duas (personal prayers) may sometimes help us more than repeating verses from the Quran. They come from our hearts and so express our true faith and needs. Of course, God always knows what we need. However, expressing our heart’s desires may clarify them for us.
In my personal experience, knowing what I am truly wanting helps me work towards fulfilling my desires, as long as I remember that pleasing God is the most important and satisfying result for any endeavor.
Thank you for reading this story. I pray that it will help to inspire us turn to God whenever we have any need. Only God can help anyone.
If you found this story useful, you may also like this one on the Salat prayers:
