Smart Muslims use duas to help them throughout life. Memorise these powerful duas to help you study for exams.
Smart Muslims use duas to help them throughout life. Memorise these powerful duas to help you study for exams.
Anybody who has sat exams knows it’s an incredibly difficult time. Here are 12 inspiring duas to help you get through the exam period. These duas will only work if coupled with studying!
Duas to Recite Before Revising for Exams
Before opening our notes and textbooks, ask God to help us access and understand the knowledge. Whether you’re revising history, art or math, all knowledge has been created by Allah (SWT), and we should ask Him to help us avail of it:
Allhumma Akhrijni min zulumatil wahmi ,wa akrimni be nuril fahmi . Allahumma afta alayna abwaba rahmateka, wa anshur alyna khazaena uloomeka be rahmateka ya arrahamar rahemeen.
O God, please bring me out of the darkness of doubt and favour me with the light of comprehension, O God open to us the doors of your mercy and unfold for us the treasure of your knowledge by your mercy O the most merciful of the merciful ones.”
The prophets, messengers and imams divinely appointed by God were the best at understanding and comprehending knowledge. Before we start revising for the exam, ask God for the same power of memory and to teach us knowledge that is beneficial to us. There are two types of knowledge, religious and worldly. For exams, we’re usually studying for the latter. Worldly knowledge is beneficial when it helps us fulfil our religious duties. If passing an exam means we can get a good job, provide for our family and use our wealth in a way permissible by God, our worldly knowledge has served us well:
Allahumma infai’nii bimaa allamtanii wai’allimnii maa yanfa’iuunii. Allahumma inii asaluka fahmal-nabiyyen wa hifzal mursaleen al-muqarrabeen. Allahumma ijal leesanee iman bi dhikrika wa qalbi bi khashyatika. Innaka ala ma-tashai’u qadeer wa anta hasbun-allahu wa nai’mal wakeel.
Oh Allah! Make useful for me what you have taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me. Oh Allah! I ask you for the understanding of the prophets and the memory of the messengers, and those nearest to you. Oh Allah! Make my tongue full of your remembrance and my heart with awe of you. Oh Allah! You do whatever you wish, and you are my availer and protector and best of aid.
Here is another dua asking God to help us understand the subject we’re studying for our exams:
Allaahumma akrimnee binooril fahmi wa kharrajanee min zulumaatil wahmi waftah ai lainaa abwaaba lmak. Wan shur ai lainaa khuzzaanu mai rifatika yaa arhi amar raahi imeen. Allaahumma waffiqnee fil muti aalai ti bihi ablee jamee-ii mushkilaatil masaa-ili minal kutubi birahi matika yaa arhi amar raahi imeen.
O Allah, honor me by the light of understanding and take me out from the darknesses of doubt and open upon us the doors of Your knowledge and open upon us the treasure of Your recognition, O the best of the Merciful ones. O Allah, and give me Tawfeeq to study and solving all the difficult problems through books. By Your mercy, O the best of the merciful ones.”
Duas to Improve our Memory
Having strong memorisation skills is crucial to exam success. The Prophet (PBUH) advised his companions to recite the following dua after every prayer to help retain whatever it is they hear:
Subh’aana man laa ya-tadee aa’laa ahli mamlakatihee. Subh’aana man laa yaakhud’u ahlal arz’I bilwaanil a’d’aabi. Subh’aanar ra-oofir rah’eemi. Allaahummaj-a’l lee fee qalbee nooran wa bas’aran wa fahman wa I’lman innaka a’laa kulli shay-in qadeer.
Glory be to Him who does not treat the citizens of His Kingdom unjustly and harshly. Glory be to Him who does not let torment and pain come suddenly upon mankind. Glory be to the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Allah fill my heart and mind with true enlightenment, discerning intelligence, quick understanding and knowledge, Verily Thou art able to do all things.”
Regularly reciting this ayah of the Holy Quran can also boost memory:
LinajAAalaha lakum tathkiratanwataAAiyaha othunun waAAiya
That We might make it for you a reminder and that receptive ears might remember it.”
[69:12]
If you are struggling to remember things you’re reading or listening to in class, regularly try this dua from Imam al-Sadiq. Before reciting it, place your right hand on your forehead:
Innee as-aluka yaa mud’akkiral khayri wa faa-ilahoo wal aamira bihee an tus’alliya a’laa muh’ammadin wa aali muh’ammadin wa tud’akkiranee maa ansaaneehish shayt’aan
I beseech You, O He who reminds about doing good, does good and commands to do good. Send blessings on Muhammed and the family of Muhammed and let me remember what shaytan makes me forget.”
Duas for Anxiety about Exams
During exam season, our anxiety about the exams can get the better of us. It’s a debilitating and vicious cycle because the more anxious we feel about exams, the less we are able to focus on studying, which in turn increases our anxiety. There are many anxiety duas we can recite. The first thing we need to remind ourselves is that Allah (SWT) is in control of our affairs. We’re not alone:
Allahumma raḥmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi ṭarfata `ayn, wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, la illaha illa ant.
O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.”
God can make any task easy for us. Let’s beseech Him for help for our exams with this dua:
Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja ‘altahu sahla, wa anta taj ‘alul hazna ith-a shi’ ta’ sahlan
O Allah, there is no ease except in that which You have made easy, and You make the difficulty, if You wish, easy.”
Dua to Increase Concentration
Is focus your main issue? Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and food. With that, recite this dua:
Salla-l-laahu alaa muhammad wa aal-e muhammad. Allahumma inni asaluka yaa mudhakkira-l khayr wa faai’ilahu wa-l-aamira bihi dhakir-ni maa ansaani-hi-shaytan
Blessings of God be upon Muhammad and his progeny. O God, I ask you, the one who mentions goodness and actualizes it and commands it, remind me of that which the shaytan makes me forget.”
Dua for Verbal Exams
Not all exams are written. For example, exams testing how well we’ve grasped a language may require us to demonstrate our competence verbally. The best dua to recite for verbal exams is the one recited by Prophet Musa (as) before he set out to confront Pharoah – not much can top that in terms of intimidating! If it worked for Musa against the Pharoah, it would help us in front of our examiner:
Qala rabbi ishrah lee sadree. Wayassir lee amree. Wahlul AAuqdatan min lisanee. Yafqahoo qawlee
Moses said, ‘Lord, lift up my heart and ease my task for me. Untie my tongue, so that they may understand my words.”
[20:25-28]
A Short Dua to Increase our Knowledge
Sometimes, the best duas are short duas. Not only are they easy to remember, but they’re powerful in asking God for what we want. Want knowledge to help you pass an exam? Just ask for it:
Rabbi zidnee I’lmaa
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
A Dua to Understand a Difficult Topic
Before we can begin to remember something, we need to understand it. Understanding aids memory.
Allaahumma laa sahla illaa maa ja‛altahu sahlan, wa anta taj‛al-ul-ḥazna idhaa shi’ta sahlan
Oh Allah! Nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy.”
Duas to Recite After Studying
Once we’ve finished revising, we want to be able to recall it for the exam. Try this dua:
Allahumma inni astaodeeka ma qara’tu wama hafaz-tu. Farudduhu ‘allaya inda hajati elahi. Innaka ‘ala ma-tasha’-u qadeer wa anta hasbeeya wa na’mal wakeel
Oh Allah! I entrust you with what I have read and I have studied. Oh Allah! Bring it back to me when I am in need of it. Oh Allah! You do whatever you wish, you are my availer and protector and the best of aid.”
Start with Bismillah and Praise of God
Above all else, start your exam or study session with the name of God. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said:
Every matter of importance that is not begun with the praise of Allah will be left deficient.”
[Sunan ibn Majah]
Deficient here means the action will be deprived of blessings.
How to Avail of the Power of Exam Duas
These duas will be the most effective when we are disciplined about studying. Duas are not shortcuts to make up for lack of effort! Recite these duas whilst sincerely striving for success.
Good luck!
