Dua During Sujud: 4 Authentic Duas the Prophet ﷺ Made in Prostration

The closest you will ever be to Allah is with your forehead on the ground. That is why the Prophet ﷺ told us to make plenty of dua during sujud, and he left us the words he used there himself. Here are four authentic duas he made in prostration, with the Arabic, transliteration and meaning.

In this article

• Why sujud is the best place for dua
• Four duas the Prophet ﷺ made in sujud, from Bukhari and Muslim
• How to start using them in your own prayer

Why make dua during sujud

The body is at its lowest, and the servant is at his closest. In another hadith the Prophet ﷺ said to glorify Allah in ruku’ and to strive in dua in sujud (Sahih Muslim 479a). Begin with the tasbih, Subhana Rabbiyal-A’la (Sunan an-Nasa’i 1133, Sahih (Darussalam)), then add your dua.

1. Asking forgiveness for every sin

Abu Hurairah reports that the Prophet ﷺ used to say this in his sujud. It leaves nothing out: the small sins we forget, the big ones we regret, the old and the recent, the ones people saw and the ones only Allah saw.

Try this: say it slowly in one sujud of each prayer today.

2. Glory and forgiveness together

‘A’ishah said the Prophet ﷺ said this often in his ruku’ and sujud, acting on what the Qur’an told him. It is short enough to say in any prayer, and it pairs praising Allah with asking His forgiveness.

Try this: add it after Subhana Rabbiyal-A’la in each sujud.

3. Seeking refuge in Allah’s pleasure

‘A’ishah woke one night and found the Prophet ﷺ missing. Searching in the dark, her hand touched the soles of his feet: he was in sujud, saying this dua. We run from Allah’s anger to His pleasure, and from Him to Him, because there is nowhere else to run.

Try this: learn it one line at a time, starting with the first: Allāhumma a‘ūdhu bi riḍāka min sakhaṭik.

4. My face has prostrated to the One who created it

‘Ali describes this as part of the Prophet’s ﷺ night prayer. It turns sujud into a statement: my face, my hearing, my sight, all made by Allah, now placed on the ground for Him.

Try this: use it in your night prayer or other voluntary prayers.

Can I make dua in my own words?

The duas from the Sunnah are the best words to learn. Whether you can add your own words, or your own language, in sujud during the obligatory prayers is a fiqh question scholars discuss; we cover it in the Prophet’s ﷺ guide on supplication in prayer. For your own practice, ask a qualified local scholar.

Dua during sujud: bringing it together

Sujud is the moment we are closest to Allah, and the Prophet ﷺ filled it with glorification first and then dua: for forgiveness, for refuge, and in pure submission. You don’t need to learn all four today. Pick one, learn it well, and let it become part of every prayer.

Key lessons

• The nearest a servant is to his Lord is in sujud, so make plenty of dua there (Sahih Muslim 482).
• The Prophet ﷺ asked forgiveness for every sin in sujud: small and great, open and secret.
• He combined glorification with forgiveness: Subhanakallahumma Rabbana wa bihamdik, Allahummaghfir li.
• He sought refuge in Allah’s pleasure from His anger, and in Allah from Allah.

Questions people ask

May Allah make our sujud the closest moments of our lives to Him, and answer every dua we make there.

Save this to Pinterest so you have these four duas ready for your next sujud.