Munajat of Rabi’a al-Adawiyya Before Dawn

September 30, 2026

Râbiatü’l-Adeviyye’nin Münâcâtı: Arapçası ve Anlamı

Explanation

This is the famous munajat (intimate prayer) that Rabi’a al-Adawiyya, who holds a great place in Islamic Sufism, made in the hours before dawn (sahar). According to reports, she would stay awake until morning, weeping and lamenting, and would pray a thousand rak’ahs in a night; she said: “I do not pray in order to enter Paradise or to be protected from punishment, but to increase the community of our Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgment.”

Dua Text

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ۞ إِلٰهِي غَارَتِ النُّجُومُ وَنَامَتِ الْعُيُونُ، وَأُغْلِقَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْمُلُوكِ وَبَابُكَ مَفْتُوحٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ، إِلٰهِي وَسَيِّدِي مَا كَانَ نَصِيبِي مِنَ الدُّنْيَا أَعْطَيْتُهُ لِلْكُفَّارِ، وَمَا كَانَ نَصِيبِي مِنَ الْعُقْبٰى أَعْطَيْتُهُ لِعُصَاةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَلَا أُرِيدُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا ذِكْرَكَ وَلَا مِنَ الْعُقْبٰى إِلَّا رُؤْيَتَكَ، إِلٰهِي لَسْتُ فِي الْبَلْوٰى وَلَا أَشْكُو مِنَ الْبَلْوٰى، مُرَادِي مِنْكَ لَا سُؤَالِي بِلَا مَنٍّ وَلَا سَلْوٰى، وَإِنْ أَعْطَيْتَنِي الدُّنْيَا وَإِنْ أَعْطَيْتَنِي الْعُقْبٰى فَلَا أَرْضٰى مِنَ الدَّارَيْنِ إِلَّا رُؤْيَةَ الْمَوْلٰى

Transliteration

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. Ilahi gharatin-nujumu wa namatil-‘uyun, wa ughliqat abwabul-muluki wa babuka maftuhun lis-sa’ilin. Ilahi wa sayyidi ma kana nasibi minad-dunya a’taytuhu lil-kuffar, wa ma kana nasibi minal-‘uqba a’taytuhu li’usatil-mu’minin. Fala uridu minad-dunya illa dhikraka wa la minal-‘uqba illa ru’yatak. Ilahi lastu fil-balwa wa la ashku minal-balwa, muradi minka la su’ali bila mannin wa la salwa. Wa in a’taytaniyad-dunya wa in a’taytaniyal-‘uqba fala arda minad-darayni illa ru’yatal-mawla.

Meaning

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. My God, the stars have shone and eyes have fallen asleep. The doors of kings have been shut, but Your door is open to those who beseech You. My God, my Master, I gave my share of this world to the disbelievers, and I gave my share of the Hereafter to the sinful believers. From this world I want only Your remembrance, and in the Hereafter I long only for Your Beauty. My God, I am not in affliction, nor do I complain of afflictions. My desire is from You; it is neither manna nor the meat of quails. Even if You were to grant me this world and the Hereafter, I would not be content with them; I want only to behold the Beauty of my Lord (Mawla), and with that I am content.

What Is Asked in This Dua

From this world, only the remembrance of Allah is sought, and from the Hereafter, only to behold Allah’s Beauty; not the blessings of this world and the next, but solely the pleasure and Beauty of the Lord are desired.

When and How to Recite

It is a munajat recited before dawn (sahar), at night while everyone is asleep; it is recited at the time of tahajjud.

Virtue

The source book relates that while everyone was asleep, Rabi’a stayed awake and implored Allah, saying: “All doors are closed, but the door of my Creator is open; my share of this world is Your remembrance, my share of the Hereafter is Your Beauty; I have no complaint about afflictions, I seek Your pleasure”; and that she is an example for all Muslim women.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Rabi'a al-Adawiyya?

She is one of the great women saints of Islamic Sufism; she is famous for spending her nights in worship instead of sleep and for imploring Allah.

What is asked for in Rabi'a al-Adawiyya's munajat?

From this world only the remembrance of Allah, from the Hereafter only His Beauty; worship not for the sake of Paradise but for the pleasure of Allah.

When is this munajat recited?

It is recited before dawn (sahar), at the time of tahajjud while everyone is asleep.

Source

Majmu'at al-Ahzab, vol. 2, p. 125.

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: 30 September 2026 · Last updated: 9 October 2026