اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ، وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ، الأَحْيَاءَ مِنْهُمْ وَالأَمْوَاتَ، اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْ شُيُوخَنَا وَعَجَائِزَنَا، وَصِغَارَنَا وَشَبَابَنَا، وَنِسَاءَنَا وَرِجَالَنَا، وَأَلِّفْ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَأَصْلِحْ ذَاتَ بَيْنِهِمْ، وَاهْدِهِمْ سُبُلَ السَّلامِ، وَنَجِّهِمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ، وَبَارِكْ لَهُمْ فِي أَسْمَاعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَارِهِمْ وَقُلُوبِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ، وَتُبْ عَلَيْهِمْ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ.
O Allah, forgive the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, those who are alive among them and those who have passed away. O Allah, have mercy upon our elders, our young ones, our men, and our women. Unite their hearts, mend the disputes between them, guide them to the paths of peace, and save them from darkness into light. Bless their hearing, their sight, their hearts, their spouses, and their offspring. Turn to them in forgiveness, for indeed You are the Ever-Relenting, the Most Merciful.
Allahumma-ghfir lil-muslimeena wal-muslimaati, wal-mu'mineena wal-mu'minaati, al-ahyaa'a minhum wal-amwaat, Allahumma-rham shuyookhana wa 'ajaa'izanaa, wa sighaaranaa wa shabaabanaa, wa nisaa'anaa wa rijaalanaa, wa allif bayna quloobihim, wa aslih thaata baynihim, wahdihim subulas-salaam, wa najjihim minadh-dhulumaati ilan-noor, wa baarik lahum fee asmaa'ihim wa absaarihim wa quloobihim wa azwaajihim wa dhurriyyaatihim, wa tub 'alayhim, innaka Antat-Tawwabur-Raheem.
When to Read
This is a comprehensive supplication that can be made at any time, especially after the obligatory prayers. It is particularly fitting to recite when you see or interact with elderly Muslims, or when you reflect on the immense value they bring to our communities. It’s a beautiful way to ask for Allah’s continued blessings and guidance upon them, recognizing their stage of life and their potential role as carriers of wisdom and experience.
How to Read
Recite this dua with sincerity and a clear intention of seeking Allah's grace for the elderly. Face the Qiblah if possible, raise your hands (as is customary in supplication), and utter the words with humility. Imagine the elderly individuals you know, or the concept of respected elders in our faith, as you make this plea to Allah. It’s a reminder for us to value and respect them, and this dua is a reflection of that respect.
Virtues & Benefits
This profound dua encompasses a request for forgiveness, mercy, guidance, and blessings for all Muslims, with a specific emphasis on the elderly ('shuyookh' and 'ajaa'iz'). It asks Allah to preserve their faculties (hearing, sight, heart), bless their families, and accept their repentance. Recognizing the elderly as a source of blessing means acknowledging the potential for their experience, patience, and accumulated knowledge to be a guiding light for younger generations. When they remain connected to Allah, their prayers are often considered more potent, and their presence a source of barakah (blessing) for the community.
Source & Authentication
Abu Dawud narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate for Muslims in the following way: 'O Allah, forgive the believing men and believing women, and the Muslim men and Muslim women, and unite their hearts, and mend the disputes between them, and place knowledge between them, and place mercy between them, and place righteousness between them, and grant them sustenance, and save them from misguidance, and bless them in their hearing, and their sight, and their hearts, and their wives, and their offspring, and accept their repentance, for indeed You are the Ever-Relenting, the Most Merciful.' Then he said: 'And the old men and old women.' (Sunan Abi Dawud 515). This addition highlights the specific concern for the elderly within the broader supplication.