Comprehensive Du'as (Jawami' al-Du'a) from the Quran and Sunnah

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to like the comprehensive du'as (al-jawami') and leave what was other than that" (Sunan Abi Dawud 1482, graded sahih by al-Albani). Jawami' al-du'a are the few words that carry many meanings: a single sentence that asks for the good of this world and the next and seeks refuge from the harm of both. They help if you do not know how to put your needs into words, or you are short on time. This guide sets out which texts are established, with numbers, and when to join them to a du'a for a specific need.

Comprehensive du'as in one table

Short answer: The best-known and best-established is «رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ» (Quran 2:201), which was the Prophet's most frequent du'a (Bukhari 6389, Muslim 2690). Next are «اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِيَ» (Muslim 2720) and Aisha's du'a asking for "all the good" (Ibn Majah 3846, sahih).

What makes a du'a "comprehensive"?

Breadth of meaning, not length. Qatadah asked Anas which du'a the Prophet ﷺ made most often. Anas said it was: «اللَّهُمَّ آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ». The narration adds that whenever Anas wanted to make a du'a he made this one, and whenever he made a longer du'a he included it (Sahih Muslim 2690).

The opposite danger is going into unneeded detail until it becomes transgression. Abdullah ibn Mughaffal heard his son say, "O Allah, I ask You for the white palace on the right of Paradise when I enter it." He told him: "My son, ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge in Him from the Fire, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: There will be people in this ummah who transgress in purification and in du'a" (Sunan Abi Dawud 96, graded sahih by al-Albani). The Quran says: "Call upon your Lord in humility and privately. Indeed, He does not like transgressors" (7:55). The lesson from the story: ask Allah for Paradise as a whole, without specifying a palace and its location. That is what a jami' (comprehensive) du'a does.

Jawami' du'as in the Quran

The best known is 2:201 above, quoted of one group of people making du'a at Hajj. Others a person might memorise:

«رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا»

"Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no ability to bear. Pardon us, forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our Protector." Quran 2:286

«رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ»

"Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower." Quran 3:8

«رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ»

"Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful." Quran 59:10

Each opens a different door: the first asks for pardon and lighter burdens, the second for firmness on guidance, the third for a heart free of resentment toward other believers. For forgiveness in particular there is a separate article, Sayyid al-Istighfar and du'as for forgiveness, including the du'a of Adam in 7:23.

Jawami' du'as from the Sunnah

Aisha's du'a. The Prophet ﷺ taught Aisha this du'a, the fullest of the jawami' forms that reached us:

«اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ أَعْلَمْ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ أَعْلَمْ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لِي خَيْرًا»

Sunan Ibn Majah 3846, graded sahih by al-Albani

Meaning: "O Allah, I ask You for all good, in this life and the next, what I know of it and what I do not know. I seek refuge in You from all evil, in this life and the next, what I know of it and what I do not know. O Allah, I ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet asked You for, and I seek refuge in You from the evil that Your servant and Prophet sought refuge from. O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and whatever brings me closer to it in word or deed, and I seek refuge in You from the Fire and whatever brings me closer to it in word or deed. And I ask You to make every decree You have decreed for me good."

The phrase "what I know of it and what I do not know" is what makes it jawami': you ask for what you know you need and for what you do not know you need. It ends by asking that everything Allah decrees for you be good.

Setting right your religion, this life and the next. «اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِيَ الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي، وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ، وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ» (Sahih Muslim 2720, from Abu Hurayrah).

Four words. «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى», "O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and self-sufficiency" (Sahih Muslim 2721, from Ibn Mas'ud). The shortest of the comprehensive du'as, and easy to memorise.

Pardon and well-being. Ibn Umar said the Prophet ﷺ never left these words out, morning and evening: «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِي وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِي وَمَالِي» (Sunan Abi Dawud 5074, graded sahih by al-Albani). Abu Bakr reported: "Ask Allah for pardon and well-being, for no one has been given anything better than well-being after certainty" (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3558; hasan gharib according to al-Tirmidhi, hasan according to al-Albani).

Purifying the soul. «اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا، أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا» (Sahih Muslim 2722, from Zayd ibn Arqam).

From the general to the specific

A comprehensive du'a does not cancel a specific one. The Prophet ﷺ taught Istikhara and said that the person "names his need" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6382). There is no conflict. Start by praising Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ. He said to a man who prayed without doing so: "When one of you prays, let him begin by praising Allah and extolling Him, then send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, then ask for whatever he wishes" (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3477, graded sahih by al-Albani). Then make a jawami' du'a, then name your need.

A simple two-minute order could be:

When are the jawami' forms most useful? When you do not know what to ask for, when time is short, or when you are praying for the community as a whole. When the need is specific, naming it is better. The times when du'a is more likely to be answered are covered in the best times for du'a.

A general du'a and a du'a by name

A jawami' du'a belongs to every Muslim at any time, and it is the base everything else sits on. If you would also like a du'a that names a person and their need, Al-Aqsa Blessings offers a personal du'a said by name at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, with a video sent to your email, usually within 48 to 72 hours. It adds to the jawami' du'as you make yourself, and it promises no particular outcome, because the answer is with Allah alone.

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