اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ مُسْلِمًا سَوِيًّا، وَعَلِّمْهُ كِتَابَكَ، وَاحْفَظْهُ وَاجْعَلْهُ عَبْدًا صَالِحًا، وَاجْعَلْهُ يُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ، وَيُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ، وَيَحُجُّ البَيْتَ، وَيَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ، وَيَأْمُرُ بِالمَعْرُوفِ، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ المُنْكَرِ، وَيُقِيمُ حُدُودَكَ، وَيَجْتَنِبُ مَحَارِمَكَ، وَيُحِبُّكَ وَيُحِبُّ رَسُولَكَ، وَيُحِبُّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِ نَبِيِّكَ، وَيُحِبُّ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ، وَيُحِبُّ القُرْآنَ، وَيُحِبُّ العِلْمَ، وَيَطْلُبُهُ، وَيَخْشَاكَ خَشْيَةً حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُ يَرَاكَ، وَيَسْأَلُكَ الجَنَّةَ وَيَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ.
O Allah, make him a true Muslim, and teach him Your Book, and protect him and make him a righteous servant. Make him establish the prayer, pay the Zakat, perform Hajj to the House, fast Ramadan, command good, forbid evil, establish Your limits, avoid Your prohibitions, love You and love Your Messenger, love the family of Your Prophet, love Your righteous servants, love the Quran, love knowledge and seek it, and fear You as if you see Him. And ask You for Paradise and seek refuge in You from the Fire.
*Allahumma ij'alhu Musliman sawwiyan, wa 'allimhu Kitabak, wahfadhhu waj'alhu 'abdan salihan, waj'alhu yuqeemus-Salah, wa yu'til-Zakah, wa yahujjul-Bayt, wa yasoomu Ramadan, wa ya'muru bil-ma'roof, wa yanha 'anil-munkar, wa yuqeemu Hududak, wa yajtani-bu Maharimik, wa yuhibbuk wa yuhibbu Rasoolak, wa yuhibbu Ahl bayti Nabiyyik, wa yuhibbu 'ibadak-as-salihin, wa yuhibbul-Qur'an, wa yuhibbul-'ilm, wa yatlubuhu, wa yakhshaka khashyatan hatta ka'annahu yarak, wa yas'alukal-Jannah wa ya'udhu bika minan-Nar.*
When to Read
This is a beautiful general supplication that can be made for a newborn at any time. It is particularly fitting during the 'Aqiqah ceremony, when the child's head is shaved and an animal is sacrificed in gratitude to Allah. It is also appropriate to make this dua during the tahnik (chewing of dates and placing them in the baby's mouth) or anytime the parents wish to invoke Allah's blessings for their child's religious upbringing.
How to Read
This dua is best recited with sincere intention and heartfelt earnestness, ideally by the parents or a righteous guardian. While there isn't a specific number of times prescribed, reciting it regularly, especially after Salah, can be very beneficial. The focus should be on understanding the meaning and imbuing the child's life with these noble aspirations from their earliest moments.
Virtues & Benefits
This comprehensive dua seeks Allah's guidance for the child to embody the core principles of Islam, starting with the Shahada (implied in 'Musliman sawiyan'), followed by prayer (Salah), charity (Zakat), pilgrimage (Hajj), and fasting (Sawm). It also asks for the child to be inclined towards enjoining good and forbidding evil, upholding Allah's commands, and avoiding His prohibitions. Furthermore, it prays for a deep love of Allah, His Messenger, his family, righteous believers, the Quran, and beneficial knowledge. Ultimately, it asks for a profound God-consciousness and for the child to be granted Paradise and protected from the Hellfire. This ensures the child is raised with a strong foundation in faith and practice, guided by Allah's mercy.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: When a child was born to Abu al-Qasim (the Prophet ﷺ), he would supplicate: 'O Allah, make him a true Muslim, and teach him Your Book, and protect him and make him a righteous servant. Make him establish the prayer, pay the Zakat, perform Hajj to the House, fast Ramadan, command good, forbid evil, establish Your limits, avoid Your prohibitions, love You and love Your Messenger, love the family of Your Prophet, love Your righteous servants, love the Quran, love knowledge and seek it, and fear You as if you see Him. And ask You for Paradise and seek refuge in You from the Fire.' [Sunan Ibn Majah 3616]