The BEST Dua For Exams

As a Muslim we strive to increase our knowledge, not just of our religion Islam, but of the world and all it contains.

In fact, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasised just how important it is to acquire wisdom. In a hadith reported by Abu Hurairah, our Prophet (SAWS) said: "If anyone pursues a path in search of knowledge, Allah will thenby make easy for him a path to paradise..."

As part of this journey, an important aspect of testing this knowledge is through examinations. Exam season can be an extremely stressful time of the year for students and so we've decided to round up a collection of duas to help you cope with the pressure. 

The best dua for exams 🤲

The most well-known and all-encompassing dua for helping with exams is the following:

ربِّ زِدْنِي عِلْماً

Transliteration: Rabbi zidni 'ilma

Translation: "Oh my Lord, increase me in my knowledge"

Found in the Holy Qur'an [20:114], this dua is prescribed by God and the ayat (verse) references the Prophet (pbuh) as Allah tells him "Do not rush to recite a revelation of the Quran, O Prophet, before it is properly conveyed to you, and pray, "My Lord! Increase me in knowledge"".

3 more important duas for helping with exams 📖

1. Dua for making things easy

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ سَهْلَ إِلاَّ مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً، وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلاً

Transliteration: Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja'altahu sahlan, wa 'anta taj'alul hazna idha shi'ta sahlan

"Oh Allah, nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy"

Reported by Ibn Hibban as authentic, this dua can help that overwhelming feeling and stress that comes with studying and taking exams. In this dua we acknowledge that it is only Allah who can make difficult things easy.

2. Dua for patience

 رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًۭا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ

Transliteration: Rabbana afrigh 'alayna sabran wa thabbit aqdamana wansurna 'alal-qawmil-kafirin

Translation: "Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people"

In this verse of the Holy Qur'an [2:250], God gives us a dua for asking for patience. Whilst this is in the context of the battle of the believers against Goliath, the invocation of patience can also be used with reference to exams.

3. Dua for success

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةًۭ وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةًۭ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

Transliteration: Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil 'akhirati hasanatan waqina 'adhaban-nar

Translation: "Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire"

Found in a verse of the Holy Qur'an [2:201], in this supplication we ask Allah to give us everything good in this world, which can include our academic pursuits. Allah tells us to not just ask for worldly benefits, but to also grant us bounties in the Hereafter.