Dua for Parents: 3 Duas From the Quran and What the Hadith Add

Parents spend years asking Allah for their children. A dua for parents is one of the ways we can return that, whether they are with us or have passed away. Allah Himself taught us the words in the Quran. This guide gives three Quran duas for parents in Arabic with their meaning, and the authentic hadith that show what our duas can still do for them.

The Prophet ﷺ warned that a person whose parents reach old age, one or both, and who still does not enter Jannah through serving them, has truly lost (Muslim 2551). HadeethEnc explains that dutifulness to parents, especially in their old age and weakness, is one of the means of entering Paradise. Praying for them is part of that duty.

1. The best-known dua for parents: Rabbir-hamhuma

In Surah Al-Isra, Allah tells us how to treat parents in old age, and ends with the words to say for them:

The dua itself is the end of the verse: Rabbir-hamhuma kama rabbayani saghira, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small.” It asks for mercy in proportion to their care, and it comes straight after the command to lower ourselves to them in humility.

Try this: make it a habit to say it once after each obligatory salah, so it is said five times a day without extra effort.

2. Ibrahim’s dua: forgive me and my parents

Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) asked Allah for forgiveness for himself, his parents and all believers:

Transliteration: Rabbanagh-fir li wa li-walidayya wa lil-mu’minina yawma yaqumul-hisab. It looks ahead to the Day of Judgement, the day when forgiveness matters most for us and for them.

Try this: say it in your sujud, the position in which the Prophet ﷺ said a servant is closest to his Lord, so make dua in it (Muslim 482).

3. Nuh’s dua for his parents and every believer

Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) made a dua that begins with himself and his parents, then widens to his household and all believing men and women:

Transliteration of the dua part: Rabbigh-fir li wa li-walidayya wa li-man dakhala baytiya mu’minan wa lil-mu’minina wal-mu’minat. It is a good model: start with your parents, then include your home and the whole ummah.

Try this: when you pray for your parents, add one more person: a grandparent, a friend’s parent who has died, or someone who taught you.

4. Your istighfar can raise their rank in Jannah

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

The Arabic word walad covers a son or a daughter. Together with the well-known hadith that a righteous child who prays for a parent is one of three deeds that continue after death (Muslim 1631), it shows that our duas keep reaching them.

Try this: add “Allahummagh-fir li-walidayya” (O Allah, forgive my parents) to the istighfar you already say each day.

5. Honouring your parents after they die

Abu Usayd Malik ibn Rabi‘ah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a man asked the Prophet ﷺ whether there was any way left to honour his parents after their death. He replied:

Note on its grading: Sunnah.com lists Ibn Majah 3664 as Hasan (Darussalam), while the same hadith in Abu Dawud 5142 is listed as Da‘if (al-Albani). We use the Hasan grade here; the duas in the verses above stand on their own whatever the grade of this hadith.

Try this: visit or call one of your late parent’s old friends or relatives this month, and pray for your parent the same day.

Bringing it together

The Quran gives the words, and the hadith show the reach: mercy asked for them while they are alive, forgiveness asked for them after they die, and good deeds done in their name through their friends and family.

Reflection: “As they brought me up when I was small” is a humbling line to say. It reminds us that we are asking Allah to repay a debt we cannot repay ourselves: the nights they stayed awake, the duas they made that we never heard. A parent who is gone cannot add a single good deed to their record, but a child can still send them dua every day.

Questions people ask

Key lessons

• Allah taught us to ask mercy for our parents: “Rabbir-hamhuma kama rabbayani saghira” (17:24).
• Ibrahim and Nuh, peace be upon them, asked forgiveness for their parents (14:41, 71:28).
• A child’s istighfar can raise a parent’s rank in Jannah (Ibn Majah 3660).
• We can still honour parents after death: dua, keeping their promises, honouring their friends and relatives.

Part of our Dua series: see all our dua articles in one place.

Rabbir-hamhuma kama rabbayani saghira: may Allah have mercy on your parents and mine, the living and the departed.

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