Duas for Parents — Living and Deceased
The Qur'anic and prophetic supplications a Muslim makes for their mother and father — with Arabic, transliteration, translation, and references.
The Rank of Parents in Islam
In the Qur'an, kindness to parents (birr al-walidayn) is mentioned immediately after the command to worship Allah alone: "And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour" (Surah al-Isra 17:23). The Prophet ﷺ ranked obedience to parents above jihad for those whose parents still needed them (Sahih al-Bukhari 3004), and described their pleasure as the door to Allah's pleasure (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1899, sahih). One of the most powerful expressions of birr — especially after parents pass away — is steady, sincere du'a for them. The supplications below are the most authentic prophetic and Qur'anic duas a Muslim can offer for their mother and father, living or deceased.
The Core Duas for Parents
1. The Qur'anic Dua of Mercy
رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا
Transliteration: Rabbi-rhamhuma kama rabbayani saghira.
Translation: "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they raised me when I was small."
Source: Qur'an, Surah al-Isra 17:24. This is the dua Allah Himself taught the believer to make for parents, immediately after commanding gentleness in the preceding verse. Scholars including Imam al-Qurtubi held that this verse is the single most concentrated dua for parents in the entire Qur'an, applying equally during their life and after their death.
2. The Dua of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) for His Parents and All Believers
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ
Transliteration: Rabbana-ghfir li wa li-walidayya wa li-l-mu'minina yawma yaqumu-l-hisab.
Translation: "Our Lord, forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day the reckoning is established."
Source: Qur'an, Surah Ibrahim 14:41 — the prayer of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), the father of all the prophets after him. This dua includes the believer, the parents, and the wider ummah in a single sentence and is recommended after every prayer.
3. The Dua of Prophet Nuh (AS) for His Parents
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتِيَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
Transliteration: Rabbi-ghfir li wa li-walidayya wa li-man dakhala bayti mu'minan wa li-l-mu'minina wa-l-mu'minat.
Translation: "My Lord, forgive me, my parents, whoever enters my home as a believer, and all believing men and women."
Source: Qur'an, Surah Nuh 71:28. Imam Ibn Kathir notes this is the longest of the Qur'anic parent-duas because it extends to the household and the entire community of believers.
4. Dua of Gratitude for Parents' Upbringing
رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
Transliteration: Rabbi awzi'ni an ashkura ni'mataka-llati an'amta 'alayya wa 'ala walidayya wa an a'mala salihan tardahu wa aslih li fi dhurriyyati, inni tubtu ilayka wa inni mina-l-muslimin.
Translation: "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favour upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteous deeds pleasing to You, and reform my offspring for me. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am among those who submit."
Source: Qur'an, Surah al-Ahqaf 46:15. Allah instructs the believer to recite this when reaching the age of forty — a comprehensive dua tying together gratitude for parents, righteous action, and the next generation.
5. The Hadith of Ongoing Reward After Death
The Prophet ﷺ said: "When a person dies, their deeds come to an end except for three: a continuing charity (sadaqah jariyah), beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them."
Source: Sahih Muslim 1631 — narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA). This is why every dua a child makes for a deceased parent reaches them as a continuing gift; the child literally becomes part of the parent's record of good deeds long after the parent's life ends.
Practical Ways to Honour Parents Through Dua
- Add "Rabbi-rhamhuma kama rabbayani saghira" at the end of every fard prayer.
- Make istighfar for them in your sujud — Allah forgives what the parent cannot hear or refuse.
- Give sadaqah on their behalf and follow it with dua: "Allahumma-j'al thawaba hadhihi-s-sadaqati li-walidayya".
- Perform Hajj or 'Umrah on behalf of a deceased parent — the Prophet ﷺ permitted this when a woman from the Khath'am tribe asked him (Sahih al-Bukhari 1513).
- Maintain ties with their friends and relatives — the Prophet ﷺ counted this among the highest forms of birr after a parent passes (Sahih Muslim 2552).
Common Questions
Can I make dua for non-Muslim parents?
You may make dua for their guidance, health, and worldly well-being during their lifetime — the Prophet ﷺ himself made dua for his uncle Abu Talib's guidance. Asking forgiveness for those who died upon disbelief, however, is not permitted based on Surah at-Tawbah 9:113.
My parents have hurt me deeply. Must I still make dua for them?
The Qur'anic command of ihsan to parents is not conditional on their treatment of the child. However, where harm crosses Islamic boundaries, scholars allow physical and emotional distance while still maintaining a baseline of respect and continued dua for their guidance and forgiveness.
When is the best time to make dua for them?
In sujud, in the last third of the night, immediately after fard prayers, on Fridays especially in the hour before Maghrib, and on the days of Hajj. These are all times the Prophet ﷺ identified as moments of accepted du'a.
Do my parents feel my du'a after they have died?
Yes. Scholars including Ibn al-Qayyim describe in al-Ruh that the souls of deceased parents are presented with the deeds and du'a of their children, and that the rank of the deceased is raised by these supplications even when the parent themselves did not earn it.