What are some of the important duas for the month of Ramadan? Here are a few such dua for Ramadan, the month when Allah’s mercy showers upon us.
Visit our Ramadan 2024 page for more Ramadan and Eid content!
Image Credit: nousnou iwasaki on Unsplash
The following dua had been narrated in At-Tirmidhi and Sahi Ibn Hibban and is not just dua for the sighting of the crescent moon during the month of Ramadan, but for every month in the Islamic calendar.
اللَّهُمَّ أَهِلَّهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالأَمْنِ وَالإِيمَانِ ، والسَّلامَةِ والإِسْلامِ ، وَالتَّوْفِيقِ لِمَا تُحِبُّ وَتَرْضَى ، رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكَ اللهُ
Image Credit: Alexander Mils on Unsplash
There is no specific dua for starting your fast; rather it is the intention or niyyah, that matters. It is not a matter of the tongue, but a matter of the heart. As long as you have the sincere intention of fasting before dawn arrives, then that is enough. However, one of the duas you can try to recite is this:
وَبِصَوْمِ غَدٍ نَّوَيْتُ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ
“I intend to keep the fast for tomorrow in the month of Ramadan.”
The following dua is what the Prophet recited when breaking fast. It has been narrated by Abu Dawood, Al-Daaraqutni, and Ibn Hajar, and has been classed as Saheeh.
ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ ، وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ ، وَثَبَتَ الأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ
“The thirst has gone and the veins are moist, and reward is assured if Allah wills.”
When someone is offering you a meal, especially one as important as iftar, then it is your duty to make dua upon them, so that they may be blessed just as Allah has blessed this food for you through them.
أَفْطَرَ عِنْدَكُمُ الصَّائِمُونَ وَأَكَلَ طَعَامَكُمُ الأَبْرَارُ ، وَصَلَّتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ
"May the fasting (people) break their fast in your home, and may the dutiful and pious eat your food, and may the angels send prayers upon you."
The most important night of the month of Ramadan, and of the entire Islamic year in whole is this night. Although we do not know when it falls for sure, we do know that it falls on one of the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of the month of Ramadan.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عُفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
“Oh Allah, you are pardoning and you love to pardon, so pardon me.”
Aisha RA, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: O Messenger of Allah if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it? He said (the above).” - [At-Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah]
Image Credit: mifta farid on Unsplash
Asking Allah for forgiveness is something that should be done every day of our lives, but we must make it a daily Ramadan dua, and make sure to recite it as many times as possible while fasting. There are many duas for doing tawbah, one of the best ways is by reciting the following dua. It is known as the Sayyid al-Istighfar and is the most superior way of seeking forgiveness from Allah.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّى لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَ أَنْتَ ، خَلَقْتَنِى وَ أنَا عَبْدُكَ وَ أنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ ما اسْتَطَعْتُ ، أعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِ مَا صَنَعْت ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَ أبُوءُ بِذَنْبى فَاغْفِرْ لِى فإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
“O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You."
“Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.” - [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Just as doing tawbah is important, so is doing dhikr. You must do as much dhikr as possible. Keep away from unnecessary activities, and make sure to do dhikr whenever possible. Even if you are otherwise occupied, like in the kitchen, or driving to work, you can also do dhikr at the same time. Here are just a few to get you started:
سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ ، والْحَمْدُللّهِ ، وَ لا اِلهَ اِلَّا اللّهُ ، وَ اللّهُ اَكْبَرُ ، وَ لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّهِ
“Glory be to Allah, All Praise is for Allah, There is No God but Allah, Allah is the Greatest, There is no might or any power Except with Allah.”
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported that the Messenger of Allah SAW said: "During the Night Journey I met Ibrahim (AS) who said to me: O Muhammad, convey my greetings to your Community, and tell them that the Paradise is of pure land, its water is sweet, and its expanse is vast, spacious and even. And its seedlings are SubhanAllah, walhamdulilah, wa la ilaha ilAllah, waAllahu Akbar (the above).” – [At-Tirmidhi]
لا اِلهَ اِلَّا اللّهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَ هُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“God but Allah Alone, who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the raise, and He is Able to do all things”
Patience, sabr, is one of the best traits of any good Muslim, and what better time to nurture this characteristic than during Ramadan? The Prophet (sal) has said that if someone does something to anger you, you should guard your tongues, rein in your rage, and say:
إِنِّي صَائِمٌ ، إِنِّي صَائِمٌ
“I am fasting, I am fasting.”
Image Credit: Parker Burchfield on Unsplash
The following dua has been narrated by Umar RA that the Prophet would recite it when wearing new clothes, and say that whoever recites it and gives his old clothes for charity, then Allah will protect him in this life and the hereafter. Therefore, it is not just a dua for Eid, but also any other time you wear new clothes.
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ كَمَا كَسَوْتَنِيهِ أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهُ وَخَيْرَ مَا صُنِعَ لَهُ وَأَعُوذُ مِنْ شَرِّهِ وَشَرِّ مَا صُنِعَ لَهُ
"O Allah, all praise is to You, just as You have dressed me, I seek Your blessings of it and the blessings of what it is made of and I seek protection and Your refuge from all evil and the evil of that which it is made of".
