Duas for Ramadan: Iftar, Laylat al-Qadr and Daily Duas
Duas of Ramadan with transliteration and meaning: the iftar dua (Abu Dawud 2357), the Laylat al-Qadr dua (Tirmidhi 3513) and Qur'anic duas 2:201 and 3:8.
This guide explains common views and sources. It is not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a scholar or imam you trust.
In the middle of the fasting verses, the Qur'an places a verse about dua. The meaning of 2:186 is that when My servants ask you about Me, I am near; I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. Scholars have long noticed where the verse sits: between the command to fast and the rules of the night of Ramadan. The month is a month of asking.
This article gives the duas most closely tied to Ramadan, with transliteration and the meaning in English. Learn the Arabic of one or two; say the rest in whatever language you pray in. Dates are expected: Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, and the actual date in your country may differ by a day.
The dua at iftar
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say when he broke his fast (Abu Dawud 2357, graded hasan):
Dhahaba al-zama'u, wabtallati al-'uruq, wa thabata al-ajru in sha' Allah.
Meaning: The thirst has gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is certain, if Allah wills.
Say it after the first date or sip of water, not before; the words describe what has just happened. Before breaking the fast, in the last minutes before Maghrib, make your own dua in your own words. The order of the sunnah at iftar, including what to break the fast with, is in the sunnah of iftar.
The dua of Laylat al-Qadr
Aisha asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) what she should say if she knew which night was Laylat al-Qadr. He told her to say (Tirmidhi 3513):
Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbu al-'afwa fa'fu 'anni.
Meaning: O Allah, You are Pardoning, You love pardon, so pardon me.
Some versions add "karim" (Generous) after "'afuwwun"; the shorter wording is the one with the best-known chain. The night is to be sought in the odd nights of the last ten (Bukhari 2017). For Ramadan 1448 the last ten nights are expected to begin on the evening of Saturday 27 February 2027, and the 27th night is expected on the evening of Friday 5 March 2027. Say the dua on every odd night, and ideally on all ten; details are in Laylat al-Qadr 2027 and the last ten nights and i'tikaf.
Qur'anic duas for the month
The Qur'an contains duas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the believers made, and which fit any night of Ramadan.
Qur'an 2:201
Rabbana atina fi al-dunya hasanatan wa fi al-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhab al-nar.
Meaning: Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim as the dua the Prophet (peace be upon him) made most often.
Qur'an 3:8
Rabbana la tuzigh qulubana ba'da idh hadaytana wa hab lana min ladunka rahmah, innaka anta al-Wahhab.
Meaning: Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Yourself; You are the Bestower.
Qur'an 2:286 (the end of al-Baqarah)
Rabbana la tu'akhidhna in nasina aw akhta'na. Rabbana wa la tahmil 'alayna isran kama hamaltahu 'ala alladhina min qablina. Rabbana wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih. Wa'fu 'anna, waghfir lana, warhamna. Anta mawlana fansurna 'ala al-qawm al-kafirin.
Meaning: Our Lord, do not hold us to account if we forget or err. Our Lord, do not lay on us a burden like that You laid on those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the people who deny the truth.
These three are short enough to say in sujud, after the tashahhud before the salam, or at iftar.
When to make dua in Ramadan
| Moment | Why |
|---|---|
| Just before Maghrib | The fasting person's dua at iftar is mentioned in reports in al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah |
| In sujud | The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught that the servant is closest to his Lord in prostration (Muslim) |
| Between adhan and iqamah | A time of acceptance mentioned in the collections of Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi |
| The last third of the night | Allah descends to the lowest heaven and asks who is calling on Him (Bukhari 1145; Muslim 758); in February this is roughly 02:30–05:30 in Europe |
| After the obligatory prayers | After the transmitted dhikr after salah |
| The odd nights of the last ten | Laylat al-Qadr (Bukhari 2017) |
Combine the moments with the timetable: the Ramadan timetable gives Maghrib for the iftar dua and Fajr for the end of the night.
A short Ramadan dua routine
- Suhoor: the morning adhkar, including al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and al-Nas three times (Abu Dawud 5082), from morning and evening adhkar.
- After each prayer: tasbih, then one of the Qur'anic duas above.
- Before Maghrib: five minutes of dua in your own words, then 2:201.
- At iftar: dhahaba al-zama'u, after the first date.
- After tarawih or witr: the Laylat al-Qadr dua, every night of the last ten.
Making dua well
- Begin with praise of Allah and salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him); end the same way.
- Ask with certainty, and ask for specific things: a named relative's health, a particular debt, a particular sin.
- Do not hurry; a dua repeated three times was the Prophet's habit, reported by Muslim.
- Include others: parents, the ummah, the people you have wronged.
- Keep a list on paper for the last ten nights so that tiredness does not empty your mind at 03:00.
The verse says I am near. The month is the proof.
Useful tools
Questions and answers
Is dua at iftar time especially accepted?
Several reports in the collections of al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah mention that the fasting person's dua at the time of breaking the fast is not rejected. Scholars differ on the strength of the chains, but the practice of making dua just before Maghrib is widespread and sound in itself.
Do I have to make dua in Arabic?
Outside the formal prayer, dua in your own language is fine and sincere. The transmitted Arabic wordings carry the extra value of following the Prophet (peace be upon him); learn one or two, and say the rest in the language you think in.
Which dua for Laylat al-Qadr?
The one the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught Aisha: 'Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul-'afwa fa'fu 'anni' (O Allah, You are Pardoning and love pardon, so pardon me), reported by al-Tirmidhi (3513). Say it on every odd night of the last ten, since the exact night is not known.
What about the 'Allahumma laka sumtu' dua at iftar?
That wording is reported by Abu Dawud through a chain that many hadith scholars considered weak. Many people still say it, and there is no harm in it, but the dua 'dhahaba al-zama'u…' (Abu Dawud 2357) is the one with the stronger basis.
Sources
- Qur'an 2:186
- Qur'an 2:201
- Qur'an 3:8
- Qur'an 2:286
- Sunan Abu Dawud 2357
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi 3513
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2017