اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي، وَعَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِي، وَزِدْنِي عِلْمًا
O Allah, make beneficial for me what You have taught me, teach me what is beneficial for me, and increase me in knowledge.
Allahumma-nfa'ni bima 'allamtani, wa 'allimni ma yanfa'uni, wa zidni 'ilman
When to Read
This dua is perfect for reciting after you have completed a learning session, be it reading a book, attending a lecture, or finishing a class. It's also excellent before embarking on a new lesson or when you feel your mind is struggling to retain information. Making it a habit after fajr prayer or before starting your studies can also be very beneficial.
How to Read
Recite this dua with sincerity and focus, internalizing its meaning. Raise your hands as you would when making dua, facing the Qiblah if possible. Speak clearly and with conviction, asking Allah directly for the ability to benefit from your knowledge and to be taught that which is most useful. It's a supplication that should be accompanied by your own effort in studying and practicing what you learn.
Virtues & Benefits
This powerful supplication encompasses a request for the practical application of knowledge, seeking to be taught what is truly beneficial, and asking for an increase in beneficial knowledge. By asking Allah to make what we've learned beneficial, we're seeking not just memorization, but understanding and the ability to act upon it. This aligns with the Islamic emphasis on knowledge that leads to righteous action and closeness to Allah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself taught this dua, highlighting its importance in seeking divine assistance for intellectual and spiritual growth.
Source & Authentication
Yahya related to me from Malik, from Ibn Shihab, from Abu Umamah al-Bahili that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by a man named Dhul-Nun while he was in the mosque and in the same position. He said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is the matter with people?' He said, 'They are saying: La ilaha illallah.' Dhul-Nun said, 'La ilaha illallah is not useful except with Allah, and Allah does not accept it from anyone of His creation unless He knows that it is from his heart, and he acts upon it with his limbs, doing what is required of it and what is pleasing to Allah. And when he does that, then La ilaha illallah, and Allah knows what is in his heart, and he is pleased with it, and when he does that, then La ilaha illallah is beneficial for him in this world and the next. And when he does not act upon it with his limbs, then La ilaha illallah is not beneficial for him.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'O Abu Umamah, a community will not go astray after they have been guided except by arguing about the Book, and when they are given something like this, they do not use it, and they do not ask about it. And when they are given knowledge, they do not act upon it, and they ask Allah for knowledge, but they do not act upon it until Allah grants them knowledge that is beneficial and they act upon it and they ask Allah for the correct knowledge and they are given it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'O Dhul-Nun, shall I not teach you a dua that will benefit you as it has benefited those before you and those after you?' He said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Say: Allahumma-nfa'ni bima 'allamtani, wa 'allimni ma yanfa'uni, wa zidni 'ilman.' (O Allah, make beneficial for me what You have taught me, teach me what is beneficial for me, and increase me in knowledge.) And he said: 'O Dhul-Nun, indeed it is part of the correctness of knowledge that you ask Allah for the remembrance of it, and that you ask Him for the means to act upon it, and that you ask Him for beneficial knowledge.' This narration, while longer, provides crucial context on the relationship between knowledge and action, underscoring the importance of this dua.