اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ عَلَيْنَا حِكْمَتَكَ وَانْشُرْ عَلَيْنَا رَحْمَتَكَ وَذَكِّرْنَا مَنْزِلَ الذِّكْرِ اللَّهُمَّ أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ ظُلُمَاتِ الْوَهْمِ وَأَكْرِمْنَا بِنُورِ الْفَهْمِ وَافْتَحْ لَنَا أَبْوَابَ عِلْمِكَ وَزَيِّنَّا بِحِلْمِكَ وَاجْعَلْنَا أَهْلاً لِذِكْرِكَ وَأَهْلاً لِشُكْرِكَ وَأَحِبَّنَا لِطَاعَتِكَ وَأَوْزِعْنَا أَنْ نُؤَدِّيَ حَقَّكَ الَّذِي يَجِبُ عَلَيْنَا إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
O Allah, open to us Your wisdom and spread upon us Your mercy and remind us of the mention of You. O Allah, lead us out from the darkness of doubt and honour us with the light of understanding, and open to us the doors of Your knowledge, and adorn us with Your forbearance. Make us worthy of Your remembrance and worthy of Your gratitude, and make us beloved to obey You, and inspire us to fulfill Your right which is incumbent upon us. Verily, You are Most Capable of all things.
Allahumma-ftah 'alayna hikmataka wa-nshur 'alayna rahmataka wa dhakkirna manzila dhikr. Allahumma akhrijna min dhulumatil wahmi wa akrimna bi-nuri al-fahmi wa-ftah lana abwaba 'ilmik, wa zayyinna bi-hilmik, waj'alna ahlan li-dhikrik, wa ahlan li-shukrik, wa ahibbana li-ta'atik, wa awzi'na an nu'addiya haqqaka alladhi yajibu 'alayna. Innaka 'ala kulli shay'in qadir.
When to Read
This dua is specifically recommended to be recited at the beginning of a religious sermon (khutbah), lecture, or any learning session. It's a beautiful way to invoke Allah's guidance and blessings before embarking on seeking knowledge or listening to religious discourse, ensuring the heart and mind are receptive.
How to Read
Recite this dua sincerely with clear intention. It is typically recited by the speaker or teacher at the very start of their talk, before delving into the main content. If you are an attendee, you can also recite it silently to yourself as the lecture or sermon begins, asking Allah to benefit you from what will be said.
Virtues & Benefits
This supplication seeks Allah's assistance in acquiring beneficial knowledge, understanding it deeply, and retaining it. It asks to be guided out of confusion and into clarity, to be adorned with patience and forbearance, and to be enabled to remember Allah and thank Him, ultimately becoming people who are pleasing to Him and capable of fulfilling His commands. It sets a righteous tone for seeking knowledge, aiming for spiritual growth and intellectual clarity.
Source & Authentication
The narration describes that when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would begin his Friday sermon, he would say: 'Praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and from the evils of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, there is none to misguide him, and whomever Allah misguides, there is none to guide him. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. (Allahumma inna nas'alukal huda wat-tuqa wal-'afafa wal-ghina). O Allah, we ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and richness.' Then he would deliver his sermon. While this specific dua is for the start of a sermon/lecture more generally, the principle of starting with supplication for guidance and clarity applies. The dua provided in this entry is specifically for seeking wisdom and understanding at the outset of learning.