اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا، وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا، أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلَاهَا، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ، وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لاَ يَخْشَعُ، وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لاَ تَشْبَعُ، وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لاَ يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا
O Allah, grant my soul its righteousness, and purify it, for You are the Best Purifier. You are its Guardian and its Master. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not fear (You), from a soul that is not satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered.
Allahumma ati nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkiha anta khairu man zakkaha, anta waliyyuha wa mawlaha. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min 'ilmin la yanfa', wa min qalbin la yakhsha', wa min nafsin la tashba', wa min da'watin la yustajabu laha.
When to Read
This dua is profound and touches upon the core struggles of the believer. It's excellent to recite daily, perhaps in the morning after Fajr or in the evening, to consciously hand over the reins of your soul to Allah. It's especially relevant when you feel overwhelmed by desires, temptations, or a lack of focus in your spiritual journey.
How to Read
Recite with sincerity and deep reflection. Imagine your nafs as a separate entity that needs guidance and purification. Call upon Allah by His attributes as mentioned in the dua: the Granter of Taqwa, the Purifier, the Guardian, and the Master. Understand that true purification and satisfaction come only from Him. Ensure you are in a state of wudu if possible, facing the Qiblah.
Virtues & Benefits
This dua encompasses protection from internal vices that can derail our deen. * **Purification of the Nafs:** Seeking Allah's help in making our soul righteous and pure is paramount. The nafs, if left unchecked, can lead us astray through desires and ego. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to ask Allah to 'grant my soul its righteousness, and purify it,' acknowledging that we can't achieve this on our own. * **Knowledge that Benefits:** 'Knowledge that does not benefit' can be worldly knowledge that distracts from the hereafter, or even religious knowledge that isn't acted upon. This part of the dua seeks protection from such intellectual pitfalls. * **A Fearful Heart:** A heart that does not fear Allah (khashyah) is a hard heart, prone to sin and heedlessness. This supplication asks for a heart that is sensitive to Allah's presence and commands. * **Contentment:** The 'soul that is not satisfied' is constantly chasing worldly pleasures and never finds true peace. By asking Allah for protection from this, we seek contentment (qana'ah) with what He has decreed and blessed us with. * **Accepted Supplications:** Acknowledging that some prayers are not answered, this part seeks refuge from the circumstances or inner states that might hinder our duas from being accepted, such as sins or impurity of intention.
Source & Authentication
It was narrated from Zayd ibn Arqam that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood to speak, he would say: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min dhulmi wa al-maathi. Wa a'udhu bika min 'adhabik wa yawmi kiamatiki. Wa a'udhu bika min al-kibri wa al-kibr. Wa a'udhu bika min al-ghina wa al-fakri. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-sam'i wa al-basari. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-qalb. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-lahmi wa al-dhami. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-'izami wa al-'asabi. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-ghilafi wa al-jiludi. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-rihi wa al-barqi. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-samai wa al-ardhi. Wa a'udhu bika min sharrima fi al-layli wa al-nahari. Wa a'udhu bika min kulli shay'in illa shay'an wa'adta li khayran wa qad qadta li khayran. Allahumma ati nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkiha anta khairu man zakkaha, anta waliyyuha wa mawlaha. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min 'ilmin la yanfa', wa min qalbin la yakhsha', wa min nafsin la tashba', wa min da'watin la yustajabu laha.' (This is a longer narration from Muslim that includes the requested dua. The section relevant to the user's request is: 'Allahumma ati nafsi taqwaha, wa zakkiha anta khairu man zakkaha, anta waliyyuha wa mawlaha. Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min 'ilmin la yanfa', wa min qalbin la yakhsha', wa min nafsin la tashba', wa min da'watin la yustajabu laha.')