In the life of a Muslim, death is not the end—it is a transition to the next phase of existence. While we are separated from our loved ones who have returned to Allah ﷻ, Islam gives us powerful tools to remain connected with them spiritually. The greatest of these tools is duʿāʾ.
The Prophet ﷺ taught that one of the most lasting benefits a person can receive after death is the supplication of righteous children or loved ones. Offering duʿāʾ for our deceased relatives is not only an act of love—it is also an act of obedience to Allah ﷻ and a source of barakah for the one making the duʿāʾ.
What the Qur’an Says About Praying for the Dead
The Qur’an itself preserves the heartfelt duʿāʾs of the righteous for their deceased family members. One of the most beautiful and comprehensive is in Surah Al-Ḥashr:
رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
Transliteration:
Rabbanā ighfir lanā wa li-ikhwāninā alladhīna sabaqūnā bil-īmān, wa lā tajʿal fī qulūbinā ghillan lil-ladhīna āmanū, rabbanā innaka raʾūfun raḥīm.
Translation:
“Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and do not put in our hearts any hatred toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.”
[Surah Al-Ḥashr, 59:10]
This is a powerful duʿāʾ to recite often—for deceased parents, siblings, spouses, and fellow Muslims.
Duʿāʾs from the Sunnah for Deceased Relatives
The Prophet ﷺ made duʿāʾ for the dead often, especially during janāzah (funeral) prayers and at graves. Below are some authentic supplications from his Sunnah.
1. General Duʿāʾ for All Deceased Muslims
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا، وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنثَانَا، ٱللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى ٱلْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى ٱلْإِيمَانِ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma ighfir li-ḥayyinā wa mayyitinā, wa shāhidinā wa ghāʾibinā, wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā, wa dhakarinā wa unthānā. Allāhumma man aḥyaytahu minnā fa-aḥyihi ʿala al-islām, wa man tawaffaytahu minnā fatawaffahu ʿala al-īmān.
Translation:
“O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whom You keep alive from us, keep them alive upon Islam, and whom You cause to die, cause them to die upon faith.”
📚 Source: Sunan Abi Dawud (3201) – Classified as Ṣaḥīḥ
2. Duʿāʾ for a Specific Deceased Individual
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لَهُ وَٱرْحَمْهُ، وَعَافِهِ وَٱعْفُ عَنْهُ، وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ، وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ، وَٱغْسِلْهُ بِٱلْمَآءِ وَٱلثَّلْجِ وَٱلْبَرَدِ، وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ ٱلْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ ٱلثَّوْبَ ٱلْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ ٱلدَّنَسِ، وَأَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِّن دَارِهِ، وَأَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِّنْ زَوْجِهِ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma ighfir lahu wa irḥamhu, wa ʿāfihi waʿfu ʿanhu, wa akrim nuzulahu, wa wassiʿ mudkhalahu, waghsilhu bā al-māʾi wa al-thalji wa al-barad, wa naqqihi mina al-khaṭāyā kamā naqqayta al-thawba al-abyaḍa mina al-danas, wa abdilhu dāran khayran min dārihi, wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi, wa zawjan khayran min zawjihi.
Translation:
“O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, pardon him, and grant him security. Provide him a noble place and spacious entrance. Wash him with water, snow, and ice, and purify him from sins as a white cloth is cleansed of dirt. Replace his home with a better home, his family with a better family, and his spouse with a better spouse.”
📚 Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (963)
3. Duʿāʾ for Your Parents (Alive or Deceased)
رَبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا
Transliteration:
Rabbi irḥamhumā kamā rabbayānī ṣaghīrā.
Translation:
“My Lord, have mercy upon them as they raised me when I was small.”
[Surah Al-Isrāʾ, 17:24]
This short yet powerful Qur’anic duʿāʾ should be recited regularly for deceased parents. It expresses gratitude and love in a way only Allah ﷻ can fulfill.
Below is a collection of additional authentic duʿās for the deceased from the Qur’an and the Sunnah,
1. Qur’anic Duʿāʾ for General Forgiveness of Believers
رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَٰلِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ
Transliteration:
Rabbanā ighfir lī wa li-wālidayya wa lil-muʾminīna yawma yaqūmu al-ḥisāb.
Translation:
“Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day the account is established.”
📖 Surah Ibrāhīm, 14:41
🔗 Quran 14:41 – Quran.com
2. Duʿāʾ of Prophet Nūḥ ﷷ for His Parents and Believers
رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَٰلِدَيَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًۭا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ
Transliteration:
Rabbi ighfir lī wa li-wālidayya wa liman dakhala baytiya muʾminan wa lil-muʾminīna wa al-muʾmināt.
Translation:
“My Lord, forgive me, my parents, and every believer who enters my house, and all the believing men and women.”
📖 Surah Nūḥ, 71:28
🔗 Quran 71:28 – Quran.com
3. Duʿāʾ for the Believers Who Came Before Us
رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
Transliteration:
Rabbanā ighfir lanā wa li-ikhwāninā alladhīna sabaqūnā bil-īmān, wa lā tajʿal fī qulūbinā ghillan lil-ladhīna āmanū, rabbanā innaka raʾūfun raḥīm.
Translation:
“Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any hatred toward the believers. Indeed, You are Kind and Merciful.”
📖 Surah Al-Ḥashr, 59:10
🔗 Quran 59:10 – Quran.com
4. Duʿāʾ of the Prophet ﷺ When Visiting the Graveyard
ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ دَارَ قَوْمٍۢ مُّؤْمِنِينَ، وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَـٰحِقُونَ، نَسْأَلُ ٱللَّهَ لَنَا وَلَكُمُ ٱلْعَافِيَةَ
Transliteration:
As-salāmu ʿalaykum dāra qawmin muʾminīn, wa innā in shāʾ Allāh bikum lāḥiqūn, nasʾalu Allāha lanā wa lakumu al-ʿāfiyah.
Translation:
“Peace be upon you, O people of the believing dwellings! Indeed, we will, in shāʾ Allāh, join you. We ask Allah for well-being for us and for you.”
📚 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (975)
5. Duʿāʾ for All Deceased Muslims (from Janāzah Prayer)
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنثَانَا
Transliteration:
Allāhumma ighfir li-ḥayyinā wa mayyitinā, wa shāhidinā wa ghāʾibinā, wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā, wa dhakarinā wa unthānā.
Translation:
“O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females.”
📚 Sunan Abi Dawud (3201) – Ṣaḥīḥ
6. Duʿāʾ for a Believer Who Has Died
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لَهُ وَٱرْفَعْ دَرَجَتَهُ فِي ٱلْمَهْدِيِّينَ، وَٱخْلُفْهُ فِي عَقِبِهِ فِي ٱلْغَابِرِينَ، وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ يَا رَبَّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ، وَٱفْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ، وَنَوِّرْ لَهُ فِيهِ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma ighfir lahu, warfaʿ darajatahu fī al-mahdiyyīn, wakhlufhu fī ʿaqibihi fī al-ghābirīn, waghfir lanā walahu yā Rabb al-ʿālamīn, wafsaḥ lahu fī qabrihi, wanawwir lahu fīh.
Translation:
“O Allah, forgive him and raise his rank among the rightly guided. And be a successor to him in his descendants. Forgive us and him, O Lord of the worlds. Expand his grave for him and illuminate it for him.”
📚 Sahih Muslim (920)
Certainly. Below is a collection of additional duʿās for deceased loved ones, drawn from reputable Arabic duʿāʾ books, Islamic forums, and trusted religious sites like IslamWeb, Alukah.net, and Doror.net. These duʿās are not directly from the Qur’an or Sunnah, but they are theologically sound, linguistically appropriate, and commonly used by Arabic-speaking Muslims in personal prayer.
Disclaimer:
The following duʿās are not directly narrated in the Qur’an or authentic Sunnah. They are composed by scholars, imams, or believers over generations and are permissible to use as long as they are consistent with Islamic belief and etiquette. However, they should not be attributed to the Prophet ﷺ.
1. Duʿāʾ for Light in the Grave and Entry into Jannah
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱجْعَلْ قَبْرَهُ رَوْضَةً مِّنْ رِيَاضِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ، وَلَا تَجْعَلْهُ حُفْرَةً مِّنْ حُفَرِ ٱلنَّارِ، وَٱرْزُقْهُ نُورًا وَسَعَةً وَأَمْنًا إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma ajʿal qabrahu rawḍatan min riyāḍ al-jannah, wa lā tajʿalhu ḥufratan min ḥufar an-nār, warzuqhu nūran wa saʿatan wa amnan ilā yawmi yubʿathūn.
Meaning:
“O Allah, make his grave a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and do not make it a pit from the pits of Hell. Grant him light, spaciousness, and safety until the Day they are resurrected.”
2. Duʿāʾ Asking for Pardon and Divine Mercy
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱرْحَمْ فُقْدَانَنَا، وَٱغْفِرْ لِمَيْتِنَا، وَتَجَاوَزْ عَنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِ، وَٱجْعَلْهُ مِنَ ٱلْمَرْحُومِينَ، وَٱرْزُقْهُ جَنَّاتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma irḥam fuqdānanā, waghfir limaytinā, watajāwaz ʿan sayyiʾātih, wajʿalhu mina al-marḥūmīn, warzuqhu jannāti an-naʿīm.
Meaning:
“O Allah, have mercy on our loss, forgive our deceased, overlook his sins, make him among the recipients of Your mercy, and grant him the gardens of bliss.”
3. Duʿāʾ for Acceptance and Forgiveness
ٱللَّهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْهُ فِي عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّالِحِينَ، وَٱجْعَلْهُ مِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ، وَٱغْفِرْ لَهُ وَأَدْخِلْهُ فِي رَحْمَتِكَ، فَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّاحِمِينَ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma taqabbalhu fī ʿibādika aṣ-ṣāliḥīn, wajʿalhu mina al-muqarrabīn, waghfir lahu wa adkhilhu fī raḥmatik, fa anta arḥamu ar-rāḥimīn.
Meaning:
“O Allah, accept him among Your righteous servants, make him of those brought near, forgive him, and admit him into Your mercy, for You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
4. Duʿāʾ for Righteous Offspring to Continue Their Reward
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱجْعَلْ عَمَلَهُ ٱلصَّالِحَ فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ، وَأَجْرِ ٱلْخَيْرَ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ، وَلَا تَحْرِمْهُ أَجْرَ مَا أَحَبَّهُ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا
Transliteration:
Allāhumma ajʿal ʿamalahu aṣ-ṣāliḥ fī dhurriyyatih, wa ajri al-khayr ʿalā yadayh, wa lā taḥrimhu ajra mā aḥabbahu fī ad-dunyā.
Meaning:
“O Allah, place his good deeds within his offspring, cause goodness to continue through his hands, and do not deprive him of the reward of what he loved in this world.”
5. Duʿāʾ for Peace in the Afterlife
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱمْنَحْهُ سَكِينَةَ ٱلْقَبْرِ، وَرَوْحَهُ وَرَيْحَانَهُ، وَجَنَّةَ ٱلْمَأْوَىٰ، وَٱجْعَلْ ٱلْقُرْآنَ نُورًا لَهُ فِي ظُلُمَاتِهِ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma imnaḥhu sakīnata al-qabr, wa rawḥahu wa rayḥānah, wa jannata al-maʾwā, wajʿal al-Qurʾān nūran lahu fī ẓulumātih.
Meaning:
“O Allah, grant him peace in the grave, its breeze and fragrance, and Paradise as his home. Make the Qur’an a light for him in his darkness.”
6. Duʿāʾ for All Deceased Muslims in the Ummah
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱغْفِرْ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْقُبُورِ مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَٱلْمُسْلِمَاتِ، ٱلَّذِينَ شَهِدُوا لَكَ بِٱلْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ، وَمَاتُوا عَلَىٰ ٱلْإِيمَانِ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma ighfir li-ahli al-qubūri mina al-muslimīn wa al-muslimāt, alladhīna shahidū laka bi al-waḥdāniyyah, wa mātū ʿala al-īmān.
Meaning:
“O Allah, forgive the people of the graves from among the Muslim men and women who bore witness to Your Oneness and died upon faith.”
7. Duʿāʾ for Patience for the Family of the Deceased
ٱللَّهُمَّ ٱرْزُقْنَا ٱلصَّبْرَ وَٱلثَّبَاتَ، وَٱجْعَلْ مَصِيبَتَنَا هَذِهِ كَفَّارَةً، وَرِزْقًا لِلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْآخِرَةِ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma urzuqnā aṣ-ṣabra wa ath-thabāt, wajʿal maṣībatana hādhihi kaffārah, wa rizqan li ad-dunyā wa al-ākhirah.
Meaning:
“O Allah, grant us patience and strength, and make this calamity an expiation and a means of provision for this world and the next.”
✅ Summary: Key Moments to Use These Duʿās
- After your daily prayers
- When you visit the graveyard
- In your night prayers (Qiyām al-Layl)
- During Janāzah prayer
- On Friday, and in the last third of the night
How to Benefit the Deceased Beyond Dua
According to authentic hadith, there are other ways to benefit our dead relatives:
- Giving charity on their behalf
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Charity on behalf of the dead benefits them.”
— Sahih Bukhari & Muslim - Performing ʿUmrah or Hajj on their behalf (if you’ve done your own first).
- Reciting Qur’an with intention of reward – While scholars differ, many permit gifting the reward of Qur’an to the deceased, especially after duʿāʾ.
- Seeking forgiveness for them in your daily duʿāʾs and during Salah.
When and Where to Make Dua for the Deceased
- After every obligatory prayer
- During Qiyām al-Layl (night prayer)
- In Sujūd (prostration) – most humble and sincere moment
- At the grave, as the Prophet ﷺ did
- During the Janāzah (funeral)
- On Fridays and in the last third of the night
A Legacy That Lives On
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three:
- Sadaqah Jāriyah (continuous charity),
- Beneficial knowledge,
- Or a righteous child who prays for him.”
📚 Sahih Muslim (1631)
Being that “righteous child” or relative is a role of honor. Your duʿāʾ could be the reason Allah ﷻ shows them mercy today.
Final Words
No gift we offer the deceased can equal the power of a heartfelt duʿāʾ. When we lift our hands and whisper their names before Allah ﷻ, we not only remember them—we elevate them. Keep their memory alive in your prayer, give on their behalf, and ask the Most Merciful to grant them light in their grave and Jannah in the Hereafter.
May Allah ﷻ forgive our parents, our family, and all who returned to Him before us.
May He ﷻ unite us in Jannah al-Firdaws.
Āmīn.
References
- Qur’an 17:24, 25:74, 59:10
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 963
- Sunan Abi Dawud 3201
- Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
- Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn, Chapter on Janāʾiz
- IslamQA Fatāwā on duʿāʾ for the deceased
- Al-Adhkār by Imām Nawawī