1 Du‘ās for Memorization
Du‘ās for Developing a Good Memory
Introduction
Many of our students face the challenge of
remembering what they read. They often ask
for supplications and Quranic verses that can
help to develop a good memory.
Here below, we suggest a few supplications,
sūras and verses from the Holy Quran which
our esteemed teachers in Islamic seminaries
have been practicing for long.
We pray to the Almighty to grant tawfīq
(Divine success) to our youth and elders in
following these recitations and retaining what
they study.
Hasanayn Kassamali
Director@academyofislam.com
Academy for Learning Islam (A.L.I.)
Toronto, Canada.
Muharram 1443/August 2021
2 Du‘ās for Memorization
1) Before you read something that you want
to retain, recite this Du‘ā:
لله َّم ِص ِل َعلَى ا
َ * م ِ حي الر
َّ ِ
ن مح الر
َّ ِ بِس ِم
هللا
ُ ْ
ِ ُُم َّم ٍد َّو ِآل ُُمم ٍد * اَلَّله َّم اَخ ِرجنَا ِمن ظُلُم
ات َ ْ ْ ْ ُ َ َ
ُ َّ اَل. َوأ ْك ِرْمنَا بِنُ ْوِر الْ َف ْه ِم،الْ َوْه ِم
له َّم افْ تَ ْح َعلَْي نَا
.ك َ َوانْ ُش ْر َعلَْي نَا َخزآئِ َن عُلُ ْوِم،ك َ ِاب َر ْمحَت َ أبْ َو
ي ِ ِ َّ ك َي أرح ِم ِبِر ْمحت
َ ْ الرامح َ َ ََ
ْ َ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O
Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of
Muhammad1. O Allah: remove from us the
darkness of doubt (and error) and favor us
with the light of understanding. O Allah: open
for us the doors of Your mercy and unfold
for us the treasures of Your knowledge. O
Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of
Muhammad2. (Qummī, Al-Bāqiyāt al-Sālihāt).
1 Reciting Bismillāh . . . and salawāt before a Du‘ā is part of its
etiquette.
2 According to Hadith, it is recommended to begin and end a
supplication with salawāt.
3 Du‘ās for Memorization
2) Recite the following Quranic verse
regularly.
ِ لِنَجعلَها لَ ُكم تَ ْذكِرًة وتَعِي ها أُذُ ٌن و
ٌاعيَة َ ََ َ َ ْ َ َْ
Q 69:12 That We might make it for you a reminder
and that receptive ears might remember it.
3) The Holy Prophet (s) taught the following
supplication to Amīrul Mu’minīn Ali ibn Abī
Tālib ‘alayhis-salām for strengthening the
memory. Recite it at the end of every prayer.
لله َّم ِص ِل َعلَى ُُمَ َّم ٍد ُ َحي ِم * ا َّ الرمح ِن
ْ الر
ِ بِس ِم
َّ هللا
ِ ٍ
لى أ َْه ِل ٰ َّو ِآل ُُمَمد * ُسْب َحا َن َم ْن ََليَ ْعتَد ْي َع
ض ِ ُسْبحا َن َم ْن ََل ََيْ ُخ ُذ أ َْهل ْاْل َْر،َمَْلَ َكتِ ِه
َ
اَ ٰلل ُه َّم.الرِحي ِم
َّ ف ِ الرؤو ِ
ُ ُ َّ ُسْبحا َن،ِبَلْوان الْ َع َذاب
ِ ِ
صَراً َو فَ ْهماً َو َ َاج َع ْل ِِل ِِف قَ ْلِِب نُوراً َو ب
ْ
.لى ُك ِل َش ْى ٍء قَ ِد ٌيرٰ ك َع َ َّ إِن،ًِع ْلما
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O
Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of
Muhammad. 1Glory be to Him who does not
oppress the inhabitants of His kingdom. Glory
be to Him who does not seize the earth’s
4 Du‘ās for Memorization
inhabitants with various kinds of punishment
(that they deserve). 2Glory be to the All-gracious
and the All-merciful. 3O God, place in my heart
light, insight, understanding and knowledge.
Surely, You have power over all things. (Mafātīh
al-Jinān, Tr. Ali Quli Qarai, 1:64)
4) Recitation of Sūrat al-A‘lā (chapter 87 of
the Quran) is auspicious based on a number
of phrases contained in verses number 1,3,6,9
and 19 (al-Shahīd al-Thānī, Desire of the
Aspirant, p. 131, ICAS). Try to recite the sūra
at least once every day.
ِ َّ مح ِن َِّ بِس ِم
ك َ ِاس َم َربْ َسبِ ِح. الرحي ِم َٰ ْ الر
َّ اَّلل ْ
َّر ِ َّ ِ َّ
َ َوالذي قَد2 الذي َخلَ َق فَ َس َّو ٰى1 َعلَى ْ ْاْل
اء ث غ
ُ هَلع ج ف
َ 4ى ع ر م ل
ْ ا جرَخ أ ي ِ َّ وال3 فَه َد ٰى
ذ
ً َ ُ َ َ ٰ َ َْ َ َ ْ َ َ
ِ
َ إََّل َما َشاء6 ك فَ ََل تَ ْن َس ٰى َ ُ َسنُ ْق ِرئ5 َح َو ٰى ْأ
َونُيَ ِسُرَك7 اَّللُ ۚ إِنَّهُ يَ ْعلَ ُم ا ْْلَ ْهَر َوَما ََيْ َف ٰى
َّ
َسيَ َّذ َّكُر9 الذ ْكَر ٰىِ ت ِ فَ َذكِر إِ ْن نَ َفع8 لِْليسر ٰى
َ ْ َْ ُ
الَّ ِذي11 َويَتَ َجنَّبُ َها ْاْلَ ْش َقى10 َم ْن ََيْ َش ٰى
وت فِ َيها َوََل ُ ُ ُُثَّ ََل ََي12 َّار الْ ُك ْ َْب ٰى َ صلَى الن ْ َي
5 Du‘ās for Memorization
اس َم َربِِه
ْ َوذَ َكَر14 قَ ْد أَفْ لَ َح َم ْن تَ َزَّك ٰى13 ََْي َ َٰي
ُ َو ْاْل ِخَرة16 بَ ْل تُ ْؤثُِرو َن ا ْْلَيَا َة الدُّنْيَا15 صلَّ ٰى
َ َف
ِ الصح ِ
ُوِل
ٰ َ ف ْاْل ُ ُّ إِ َّن َٰه َذا لَفي17 َخ ْْيٌ َوأَبْ َق ٰى
ِ ِ صح18
19 ى ٰ ف إِبْ َراه َيم َوُمو َس ُُ
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-
merciful. Celebrate the Name of your Lord, the Most
Exalted, 1 who created and proportioned, 2 who
determined and guided, 3 who brought forth the
pasture 4 and then turned it into a black scum. 5 We
shall have you recite [the Quran], then you will not
forget [any of it] 6 except what Allah may wish.
Indeed, He knows the open and what is hidden. 7
And We shall ease you into facility. 8 So admonish,
for admonition is indeed beneficial: 9 he who fears
[God] will take admonition, 10 and the most
wretched will shun it 11—he who will enter the Great
Fire, 12 then he will neither live in it, nor die. 13
‘Felicitous is he who purifies himself, 14 celebrates the
Name of his Lord, and prays. 15 But you prefer the
life of this world, 16 while the Hereafter is better and
more lasting.’ 17 This is indeed in the former
scriptures, 18 the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
19.
Quran translation by Ali Quli Qarai.
