Morning and evening duas (adhkar) every Muslim should know
The Prophet ﷺ taught short duas (supplications) to be read at the start of the day and just before sleep. Together they're called the morning and evening *adhkar*. They take less than two minutes each. This guide gives the most important ones in Arabic, transliteration, and translation.
Updated 9 May 2026
Why morning and evening adhkar?
There's a hadith in Tirmidhi: whoever reads them in the morning and evening, Allah suffices them against everything that worries them. The point isn't the magic of the words — it's the heart's posture: starting and ending the day by remembering Allah, asking for protection, and saying thank you.
They're also a gentle entry point to dhikr (remembrance) for beginners. You don't need to memorise all of them. Pick three, learn them by heart, and add one a month.
Three to start with
1. Ayatul Kursi (Quran 2:255). The most powerful single ayah for protection. Recite once in the morning and once before sleep — the Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever recites it before sleep, Allah's protection stays with them until morning. It's already on the Surah Al-Baqarah page.
2. The three Quls — Surah Al-Ikhlas (112), Al-Falaq (113), and An-Nas (114). The Prophet ﷺ would recite each three times in the morning and evening, blow into his palms, and wipe them over his body. Bukhari.
3. The Bismillah morning dua:
> Bismillah, alladhi la yadhurru ma'a ismihi shay'un fil-ardhi wa la fis-sama'i wa huwas-Sami'ul-Alim.
'In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing on earth or in heaven can cause harm. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.' Three times in the morning, three times in the evening. Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud.
Two more once you've got the first three
Sayyid al-Istighfar — the master of seeking forgiveness:
> Allahumma anta Rabbi, la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika ma istata'tu, a'udhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u bidhanbi, faghfir li, fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa ant.
Long, but Bukhari narrates: whoever says it sincerely in the morning, dying that day, enters Paradise; same in the evening. Worth memorising over a few weeks.
The first two ayahs of Surah Al-Baqarah's protection — verse 285 and 286 of Al-Baqarah, the last two ayahs of the surah. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites them at night, they suffice him. Bukhari & Muslim.
How to actually do it
Pick a fixed slot — right after Fajr is the classical time, but right before getting out of bed works fine. For the evening, after Maghrib or Asr, or just before sleep. The point is regularity, not the exact minute.
Keep a printed sheet by the bed or use the duas page on this site. Recite slowly. The translations are there to ground the meaning in your heart — you're not just performing Arabic, you're talking to Allah.
Do I have to know Arabic?
It helps, because the duas were taught in Arabic and the Arabic carries layers of meaning. But Allah understands every language. Start with transliteration if you must, learn the Arabic over time, and read the translation alongside.
Is it OK to read them from the phone?
Absolutely. Better to read consistently from the phone than skip because you can't find the printed sheet.
What's the difference between dua and dhikr?
Dua is asking — making a request to Allah. Dhikr is remembering — saying His names, glorifying Him. The morning and evening adhkar are mostly dhikr with some dua woven in.
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