اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَرِزْقًا طَيِّبًا، وَعَمَلًا مُتَقَبَّلًا.
O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision, and acceptable deeds.
Allahumma inni as'aluka 'ilman naafi'an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa 'amalan mutaqabbalan.
When to Read
This dua is particularly potent when recited during Tahajjud (the night prayer), a time when Allah descends to the lowest heaven and responds to supplications. It can be recited before, during, or after your Tahajjud prayer, especially on nights leading up to examinations or when embarking on new academic challenges. It's also a beautiful supplication to make daily during the blessed hours of the night.
How to Read
Begin by performing Wudu (ablution) if possible. Offer your Tahajjud prayer, focusing your heart and mind on your intention. After your prayer, or at a moment of deep reflection during the night, raise your hands and sincerely make this dua. Visualize the beneficial knowledge you seek and the positive outcomes of your academic efforts. Speak to Allah with humility and certainty that He hears you. Following this, you can add specific personal supplications for your exams.
Virtues & Benefits
This comprehensive dua, taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to his beloved wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) as a prayer to recite in the morning (Sahih Muslim 713), perfectly encapsulates the pillars of a successful life, both worldly and in the hereafter. Asking for 'beneficial knowledge' directly relates to academic success and understanding. 'Good provision' encompasses not just material sustenance but also the ease and blessings needed for your studies. 'Acceptable deeds' includes the effort you put into your studies, ensuring it's done with sincerity and for the sake of Allah, which in turn can bring Barakah (blessings) to your exams. Reciting it during Tahajjud amplifies its power, as the Prophet ﷺ said: "Our Lord descends every night to the nearest heaven when half of the night has passed and says, 'Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may give him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?'" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145, Sahih Muslim 758).
Source & Authentication
When the Prophet ﷺ started the night prayer, he would start with: 'O Allah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, Creator of the heavens and the earth, You judge between Your slaves in that wherein they differ. Guide me to the truths wherein people differ by Your leave. You guide whosoever You will to the straight path.' Then after that, he would sleep and talk. And when he would wake up and the muezzin would call for the dawn prayer, he would say: 'O Allah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves in that wherein they differ. Guide me to the truths wherein people differ by Your leave. You guide whosoever You will to the straight path.' Then after that, he would sleep and talk. And when he would wake up and the muezzin would call for the dawn prayer, he would say: 'O Allah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves in that wherein they differ. Guide me to the truths wherein people differ by Your leave. You guide whosoever You will to the straight path.' He said to me (Aisha): 'O Aisha, do not turn away from these words with which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate when he woke up from sleep, and when he woke up for the night prayer. He taught me these words: 'O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision, and acceptable deeds.' He said: 'O Aisha, if you wake up and pray the night prayer, then say these words: 'O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision, and acceptable deeds.' Then you will be among the women of this Ummah.'