Dua Before Reciting the Quran

September 12, 2026

Explanation

This is the dua recited when beginning to read the Quran. Its first part is taken from Surah Al ‘Imran. It asks for the Quran to be a light for the heart and the body.

Dua Text

رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
اَللَّهُمَّ بِالْحَقِّ أَنْزَلْتَهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ، اَللَّهُمَّ عَظِّمْ رَغْبَتِي فِيهِ، وَاجْعَلْهُ نُورًا لِبَصَرِي وَشِفَاءً لِصَدْرِي، اَللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنْ بِهِ لِسَانِي وَجَمِّلْ بِهِ وَجْهِي وَقَوِّ بِهِ جَسَدِي، وَارْزُقْنِي تِلَاوَتَهُ عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ، وَاحْشُرْنِي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَآلِهِ الْأَخْيَارِ

Transliteration

Rabbana amanna faktubna ma’ash-shahidin.
Allahumma bil-haqqi anzaltahu wa bil-haqqi nazal. Allahumma ‘azzim raghbati fihi, waj’alhu nuran li-basari wa shifa’an li-sadri. Allahumma zayyin bihi lisani wa jammil bihi wajhi wa qawwi bihi jasadi, warzuqni tilawatahu ‘ala ta’atika ana’al-layli wa atrafan-nahari, wahshurni ma’an-nabiyyi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallama wa alihil-akhyar.

Meaning

Our Lord! We have believed, so write us down among the witnesses.
O Allah! You sent the Quran down with the truth, and with the truth it has come down. O Allah, increase my longing for it, and make it a light for my eyes and a healing for my chest. O Allah, adorn my tongue with it, beautify my face with it and strengthen my body with it. Grant me to recite it in obedience to You in the hours of the night and at the ends of the day. And gather me with the Prophet and his chosen family.

What Is Asked in This Dua

The dua begins with a verse taken from Surah Al ‘Imran: the servant says that he has believed and asks Allah to write him down among the witnesses. Then he affirms that the Quran was sent down with the truth and came as the truth. Next he asks for his longing for the Quran to be increased, and for the Quran to be the light of his eyes and the healing of his chest.

The servant then asks for his tongue to be adorned, his face beautified and his body strengthened by the Quran; that is, he wishes the effect of the Quran to be seen not only in the heart but also on the tongue, the face and the body. He asks Allah to grant him to recite the Quran in obedience to Him in the hours of the night and in every part of the day. Finally, he asks to be gathered with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his chosen family. In this way, reciting the Quran is asked for not only as an act of worship but also as a means of being with the Prophet in the Hereafter.

When and How to Recite

This dua is recited when beginning to read the Quran. The book states that it is recommended to recite it before the ta’awwudh and basmala (A’udhu billah and Bismillah); that is, it is made right after opening the mushaf and before starting to recite. It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited this dua when reading the Quran. No specific number of recitations is mentioned in the source.

Being in a state of wudu is essential for reading the Quran; the dua is also recited with wudu, reflecting on its meaning. Those who find the Arabic difficult can also make the dua with its meaning in their own language. For those who want to strengthen their bond with the Quran, reciting it before every recitation is a beautiful habit.

Virtue

It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited this dua when reading the Quran. It is recommended to recite it before the ta’awwudh and basmala.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the dua for reading the Quran recited?

It is recited right before you begin reading the Quran; according to the book, before the ta’awwudh and basmala. It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recited this dua when reading the Quran.

What does the dua before reciting the Quran mean?

It asks for a growing longing for the Quran, for the Quran to be a light for the eyes and a healing for the chest, for the ability to recite it in obedience night and day, and to be gathered with the Prophet.

Can the dua before reading the Quran be recited without wudu?

Wudu is not a condition for dua and dhikr, though being in wudu is virtuous. Since it contains a verse, touching a printed Quran has its own ruling; because one begins reading the Quran with wudu, the dua is also recited with wudu.

Source

Al 'Imran 3:53. Majmu'at al-Ahzab, vol. 1, pp. 591-592.

The text on this page was prepared by Dua Kitaplığı based on the work cited above. The Arabic text has been transcribed from the original with its vowel marks, and the transliteration in Latin letters and the English meaning are given separately. No virtue or number that does not appear in the source is added to this page. How do we prepare our content?

Published: 12 September 2026 · Last updated: 9 October 2026