Rabbana Dua 1: Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin
Abu Sa’id Ar-Rafi bin Al-Mu’alla (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Shall I teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur’an before you leave the mosque?” Then he (ﷺ) took me by the hand, and when we were about to step out, I reminded him of his promise to teach me the greatest Surah in the Qur’an. He (ﷺ) said, “It is ‘Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Alamin (i.e., Surat Al-Fatihah) which is As-Sab’ Al-Mathani (i.e., the seven oft-repeated Ayat) and the Great Qur’an which is given to me.”
What is the meaning of Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin?
The literal translation of the phrase “Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin” is “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe.” This comes from the second verse of Surah Al-Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran.
This is an important saying for a Muslim and is repeated multiple times every day. It can be said as dhikr for the sake of worshiping Allah, and it is also commonly recited during salat.
Other Common Written Forms
-
alhamdu lillahi rabbil alamin
-
alhamdulillah rabbil alamin
-
alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin
-
alhamdulillahirobbil alamin
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin in Arabic
In Arabic, “Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin” is written as:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Hadith on Verse 2 of Surah Al-Fatihah
Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Universe” is the epitome or basis of the Qur’an, the epitome or basis of the Book, and the seven oft-repeated verses.
Explanation (Tafsir) of This Ayat
As explained earlier, the character of this surah is that of a prayer. The prayer begins with praise of the One to whom our prayer is addressed—indicating that whenever one prays, one ought to do so in a dignified manner. It does not become a cultivated person to blurt out their petition.
Refinement demands that our requests be preceded by a wholehearted acknowledgment of the unique position, infinite benevolence, and unmatched excellence of the One to Whom we pray. Whenever we praise someone, we do so for two reasons: first, because excellence calls for praise, irrespective of whether that excellence has any direct relevance to us; second, we praise those we consider our benefactors, and in this case, our praise arises from a deep feeling of gratitude.
Allah is worthy of praise on both counts. It is incumbent on us to praise Him not only in recognition of His infinite excellence but also out of gratitude for the countless blessings He has lavished upon us. Notably, the phrase here is not merely “praise be to Allah,” but “all praise be to Allah alone.” Whenever there is beauty, excellence, or perfection—regardless of its form or manifestation—its ultimate source is none other than Allah Himself.
No human beings, angels, demigods, heavenly bodies, or any other created beings possess innate excellence; any excellence that exists is a gift from Allah. Thus, if there is anyone we ought to adore, worship, feel indebted to, and remain humble and obedient toward, it is the Creator of excellence, not its possessor.
In Arabic, the word “Rabb” has three meanings: (i) Lord and Master; (ii) Sustainer, Provider, Supporter, Nourisher, and Guardian; (iii) Sovereign, Ruler, He Who controls and directs. Allah is the Rabb of the universe in all three meanings of the term.
Rabbana Dua 2: Rabbana Atmim Lana Nurana
There are forty Rabbana duas mentioned in the Quran, each with its own context and purpose, supplicating Allah for specific blessings. Below is the last Rabbana dua—whether you are already familiar with it or not, this explanation will help you learn and memorize it.
This dua begins with “Rabbana atmim lana nurana” and is taken from Surah At-Tahrim, Verse 8.
Full Dua: Arabic Text, Transliteration & English Meaning
Here is the complete dua with its Arabic script, transliteration, and English translation:
الرَّبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Transliteration: Rabbana atmim lana nurana wa ghfir lana innaka ‘ala kulli shai’in qadeer
English Meaning: “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent.”
Translation of the Full Ayat (Surah At-Tahrim, Verse 8)
Believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance; [1] perhaps your Lord will expunge your evil deeds and admit you to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow. [2] This will be on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who have embraced faith and are with him; [3] their light will be running before them and on their right hands, and they will say: “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Surely You have power over everything.” [4]
Context & Significance of the Dua
Verses 3 and 4 of this ayat describe the light of believers preceding them as they journey toward Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. This imagery is also mentioned in Verses 12 and 13 of Surah Al-Hadid:
“On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right, [it will be said], “Your good tidings today are [of] gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein you will abide eternally.” That is what is the great attainment. On the [same] Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed, “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.”
This passage carries a warning from Allah: while we are in this world, we must turn to Him and seek sincere repentance [1]. Allah is Ar-Rahman (the Beneficent) and Ar-Raheem (the Merciful), and He may forgive our evil deeds and admit us to Jannah (Paradise) if we are sincere [2].
Those who fail to do so will be engulfed in darkness on the Day of Judgment. Both Surah Al-Hadid and Surah At-Tahrim tell us that believers will journey toward Paradise with their light, while they hear the wails of those in darkness—individuals held accountable for their past mistakes and shortcomings.
The believers, though filled with awe, will supplicate: “Rabbana atmim lana nurana wa ghfir lana innaka ‘ala kulli shai’in qadeer” (“Our Lord, perfect for us our light, and forgive us. Indeed, You are powerful over all things”).
Regarding this ayat, it is noted that when believers witness the hypocrites being deprived of light, they will pray to Allah to perfect their own light.
Rabbana Dua 3: Rabbana Innana Amanna
Rabbana duas are a series of 40 distinct verses from the Quran, all beginning with the Arabic word “rabbana”—which translates to “O, Lord” in English. These forty beautiful duas all start by addressing Allah, then proceed to supplicate Him for specific blessings, such as protection, love, guidance, prosperity, or forgiveness.
Rabbana duas are essential, as they cover all the necessities of a Muslim’s daily life. We must recognize that these Quranic ayats exist to serve us, but we must make the effort to recite them with complete sincerity and humility; insha’Allah, they will be accepted by Allah subhana wa ta’ala.
Below is the Rabbana dua from Surah Ali ‘Imran, Ayat 16, which begins with “rabbana innana amanna.” The core benefit of this dua is that it supplicates Allah for forgiveness and protection from Jahannam (Hellfire).
Full Dua: Arabic Text, Transliteration & Meaning
رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Transliteration: Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana dhunuubana wa qinna ‘adhaban-Naar
Meaning: Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire
Different Translations of the Dua
Variations of the dua’s translation include: “Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire.” “Our Lord! Lo! we believe. So forgive us our sins and guard us from the punishment of Fire;” “Our Lord! We do indeed believe, so forgive us our sins and keep us safe from the chastisement of the Fire.” “Our Lord! We have believed, so forgive our sins and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” “Our Lord, we really believe! Forgive our sins, and save us from the suffering of the fire (of hell).” “Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us our sins, and save us from the suffering of the Fire.” “O our Sustainer! Behold, we believe [in Thee]; forgive us, then, our sins, and keep us safe from suffering through the fire.”
Other Ways to Protect Ourselves From Hellfire
In Surah Ali ‘Imran, Verse 185, Allah reminds us: “Everyone is bound to taste death, and you shall receive your full reward on the Day of Resurrection. Then, whoever is spared the Fire and is admitted to Paradise has indeed been successful. The life of this world is merely an illusory enjoyment.”
Remember, Paradise is the true marker of success—not wealth or any other worldly possessions. Allah reminds us that all worldly things are illusory.
Most of our lives are spent working to survive, and this is permissible, but we must not forget that our true goal is Jannah (Paradise). We should make it a practice to recite this dua, as it draws us closer to this goal. Beyond reciting the dua, here is a list of good deeds that will be rewarded on the Day of Judgment:
-
Be merciful and forgiving to others. As the saying goes, “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
-
Pray regularly.
-
Weep out of fear for Allah, as stated in the Quran: “And they fall upon their faces weeping, and the Qur’an increases them in humble submission” (17:10).
-
Give to charity.
Fast.
Rabbana Dua 4: Rabbana Atina Min Ladunka Rahmatan
Background: The Story of the People of the Cave
For those unfamiliar with the story of the People of the Cave—mentioned in Surah Al-Kahf (literally meaning “the Cave”)—here is a brief summary:
The story revolves around a group of young men who sought refuge in a cave outside the city of Ephesus to escape religious persecution. The environment they lived in was oppressive, and they feared their devotion to Allah was being compromised. Thus, they took shelter in the cave, where they sought guidance from Allah and strived to do good.
Overwhelmed by adversity, these young men recited the following dua, which is recorded in Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 10.
Full Dua: Arabic Text, Transliteration & Meaning
In Arabic, the dua is written as:
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
Transliteration: Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi lana min amrina rashada
Meaning: Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.
Explanation of the Dua
The dua begins with “Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan”—immediately supplicating Allah, our Lord, to grant us mercy from Himself. Seeking Allah’s mercy sincerely throughout the day softens the heart, and Allah, in His forgiveness, responds to such sincere supplications.
It then continues with “wa hayyi lana min amrina rashada”—asking Allah to set our affairs in order and bestow upon us right guidance.
Subsequent Events & Lessons Learned
The Quran (Ayat 11-16) documents what happened next:
“So, We sealed up their hearing (putting them to sleep) in the Cave for a number of years. Thereafter We raised them up, so that We know which of the two groups had better calculated the period in which they remained (sleeping). We narrate to you their story with truth. They were young men who believed in their Lord and We gave them more guidance. We made their hearts firm when they stood up and said, ‘Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall never invoke any god other than Him, otherwise we would be saying something far from the truth.’”
From this story, we learn that when the young men faced hardship, they turned to Allah for help—and Allah responded with mercy by “sealing their hearing” and putting them into a deep sleep. This protected them from the evil of their surroundings.
We must be mindful of the evil we expose ourselves to, as harmful words and influences can contaminate our minds and hearts. It is crucial to learn this lesson early in life: guard the door of your mind, and do not let evil penetrate. Instead, seek out positive messages—listen to the Quran and the words of Allah. By immersing ourselves in good, we too can attain the peace and protection that allowed the People of the Cave to sleep soundly.
About the Author
