Dua for Studying for Exam Success

As students, we all know the pressure and stress that come with exams. Knowledge is a precious gift from Allah, and we spend countless hours studying, trying to absorb as much information as possible. However, sometimes it feels like no matter how much effort we put in, we just can’t seem to get the results we want. This is where dua comes in.

Dua is a powerful tool that can help us find success in our studies by seeking spiritual guidance and support. With exam season upon us, I would like to share my personal secrets for achieving good marks and exam success.

My Personal Experience

Personally, these are tried and tested tips that helped me achieve 90% marks in my graduation. It was an 8-semester course, and it was pretty tough to maintain the top position, but Alhumdulillah, I was able to maintain my position and topped all the semesters.

Before you draw conclusions about me, let me clarify that I am an average student like you and haven’t studied more than 5-6 hours a day. It is by the will of Allah that I got good grades because I sought His help every time I sat to study.

Effective Duas for Studying and Exam Success

1. Revise Your Intention Before Studying

Dua:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لاَ يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لاَ تَشْبَعُ وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لاَ يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا

Transliteration: 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.

Translation: O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the knowledge which does not benefit, from the heart that does not entertain the fear (of Allah), from the soul that does not feel contented, and from the supplication that is not responded to. [Sahih Muslim]

Practical Tip: Recite this dua before you start studying to ensure your intentions are pure and your efforts are beneficial.

2. Dua for Making Things Easy

Dua:

رَبِّ يَسِّرْ وَلَا تُعَسِّرْ وَتَمِّمْ بِالْخَيْرِ وَبِكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

Transliteration: Rabbi yassir wala tu’assir wa tammim bil khayr wa bika nasta’in.

Translation: O my Lord, make things easy for me, and do not make them difficult; complete them with goodness, and I seek refuge in You from hardship.

Practical Tip: Recite this dua whenever you feel overwhelmed by your studies or tasks.

3. Dua for Studying Difficult Subjects

Dua:

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

Transliteration: Rabbi ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri, wah-lul ‘uqdatan min lisani yafqahu qawli.

Translation: My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance], and ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech. [Quran 20:25-28]

Practical Tip: Use this dua especially during times of intense studying or when dealing with challenging subjects.

4. Dua for Knowledge

Dua:

رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Transliteration: Rabbi zidni ilma.

Translation: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge. [Quran 20:114]

Practical Tip: Recite this dua every time before starting your study sessions to seek Allah’s blessing for acquiring beneficial knowledge.

5. Dua for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety

It is normal to feel anxious during exams. It is recommended to recite this dua reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):

Dua: “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts, and from being oppressed by men.”

Dua for Stuttering

dua for studying

Dua:

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

Translation:
“O my Sustainer! Open up my heart and make my task easy for me, and loosen the knot from my tongue so that they might fully understand my speech.” (Quran 20:25-28)

Practical Study Tips

  1. Define Your Purpose for Studying:
    • Our purpose of studying should be to acquire knowledge so that we can benefit ourselves and others.
    • Dua: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ ‏لَا تَشْبَعُ ‏ ‏وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا‏ Translation: O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge which does not benefit, from a heart that does not entertain the fear (of Allah), from a soul that is not satisfied, and from the supplication that is not answered. [Sahih Muslim]
  2. Prepare for Your Task:
    • Read this dua before studying:
    أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِTransliteration: A’udhu billahi minash shaytanir rajeem. Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.Translation: I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
  3. Make a Timetable:
    • Outline your study plan. Define your hours of studying, subjects, and chapters. Ensure this timetable is realistic.
  4. Choose the Best Time and Place to Study:
    • Make a specific place for study to improve concentration. Early morning and after Maghrib are particularly effective times for studying.
  5. Hard Work and Consistency:
    • Besides making dua for success in the exam, you need to work hard. Quality study time is more effective than quantity.
    • Hard Work is not studying for 24 hours. Quality wins Over Quality. Read 3 hours a day but use that 3 hours to full.
    • Give your full Concentration. That hour after Fajr and Maghrib is the best time to Study and retain. During my graduation, I studied from 4 am to 9 am and nobody saw me ever saw me studying and they were always Surprised when I used to get the top Marks. So, Plan your Work and yes, everybody has their own “Super hour”.
    • Analyse your “Super Studying hour” by calculating which time of the day you feel most awake and ready to do an Interesting thing.
    • Charts and diagram are effective study tool:Represent your main points with diagrams and illustrations.
    • Highlight the main points of a text or essay with illustrations and diagrams, to explain tough concepts, break down texts, keep your brain engaged and inspire creativity in you when approaching exam time.
  6. Color Code Your Notes:
    • Color-coordinate your exam subjects to improve retention and make your notes more engaging.
  7. Actions to Increase Memorization Power:
    • Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah): True greed for knowledge, and persistent mutala’ah (studying). Imam Shafi’ie (rahimahullah) prescribed:
      • The use of a Miswak.
      • Sitting in the company of the ‘Ulama (Scholars).
      • Sitting in the company of the pious.
      • Abandoning futile talk.

6. Dua for success in Exams

dua for concentration and exam and dua for studying
Dua for exam success and memory

“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 shaitan makes me forget.”

7. Short Dua before Exam

Whenever you want to start studying, Start with this Dua-.Rabbi zidni ilma. This is a very Powerful dua for studying and It is Short and easy too. And It is a Quranic Dua and has been mentioned in Surah Taha chapter 20,verse 114.

dua when studying something difficult

اللهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلا مَا جَعَلتَهُ سَهْلا وَ أنتَ تَجْعَلُ الحزْنَ إذا شِئْتَ سَهْلا

Transliteration:
“Allahumma la sahla illama ja’altahu sahla wa anta taj’alul hazna idha shi’ta sahla.”

Translation:O Allah! There is nothing easy except what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if it be Your Will.

dua studying\

Then read ” Rabbi zidni ilma ” 3 times and start your exams with Bismillah. If you have time you can also read Darood sharif.

8. Dua for Tough Subjects

Arabic:
اللهم لا سهل إلا ما جعلته سهلا أنت تجعل الحزن إذا شئت سهلا.

Transliteration:
“Allahumma la sahla illama ja’altahu sahla anta taj ‘alu al hazana idha shi’ta sahla.”

Translation:
“Oh Allah! Nothing is easy except what you have made easy. If you wish, you can make the difficult easy.”

9.Dua for Viva and Interview Success

This is the Dua Which myMothermade us read Often.This Dua is from Surah Taha (Chapter 20), verses 25-28,

dua for studying

surah Taaha verse 25-28

Arabic:
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي.

Transliteration:
“Rabbi ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri, wah-lul ‘uqdatan min lisani yafqahu qawli.”

Translation:
“O my Lord! Open my chest for me and make my task easy for me, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they understand my speech.” (Surah Taaha, verses 25-28)

This is also a good Dua for a stammer

10. Another Dua you can read

Arabic:
سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يَعْتَدِي عَلَىٰ أَهْلِ مَمْلَكَتِهِ ۖ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يَأْخُذُ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ بِالظَّلْمِ ۖ سُبْحَانَ الرَّؤُوفِ الرَّحِيمِ ۞ اللَّهُمَّاْجَعَلْ لِي فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا وَبَصَرًا وَفَهْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.

Transliteration:
Subhanaman la ya’tadi ‘ala ahli mamlikatihi, subhanaman la ya’khudu ahla al-ardhi bialthalami, subhanar ra’uufi ar raheem. Allahumma ij’al li fi qalbi nooran wa basaran wa fahman wa ‘ilman, innaka ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer.

Translation:
Glory be to Him who does not oppress the inhabitants of His kingdom. Glory be to Him who does not wrong the people of the earth with injustice. Glory be to the Compassionate, the Merciful. O Allah, place in my heart light, sight, understanding, and knowledge. Indeed, You are capable of everything.

11.Dua after Studying by Sheikh Alfasy

Sheikh Alfasy Recommends 3 Dua from Quran that can help Us in seeking Knowledge.These are :

  • Surah Taha 25-28: The Dua Which we mentioned to read in Viva and Interview:”O my Lord ! open my chest for me and make my task easy for me and make loose the knot from my tongue so that they understand my speech” surah Taaha verse 25-28
  • Surah Taha 114:The dua which we mentioned as Dua for studying:Rabbi zidnee ‘ilman
  • As shura:83-85

12. Dua to pass exam

While waiting for results, you can read ayate karima– many times.It is the dua of yunus alaihi salan which brought him out of the belly of the fish so if you have given your best, read this dua many times and seek help from Allah. In sha Allah Allah will grant you success.

Arabic:
لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ.

Transliteration:
La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz zalimin.

Translation:
There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.

Pray for knowledge
By:Usmani, Mufti Muhammad Taqi

[Knowledge is light. It is a gift given by Allah almighty and cannot be merely acquired by sheer ability alone. We must beseech Allah for knowledge. Mufti Taqi Usmani advises students of Hadith how to pray and outlines a dua. He says:]

“Oh Allah! In truth we are not deserving of gaining this knowledge or becoming its student of deen; we have no capacity. The reality is that our smutty mouths and filthy tongues are not even good enough to be permitted to say the name of Muhammad Rasul Allah (صلي الله عليه و سلم) let alone be given the opportunity to study his Ahadith and utterances. Oh Allah!

We have absolutely no capacity to study the words of your beloved (صلي الله عليه و سلم), however, Oh Allah! You are the creator and maintainer of capacity. Through your grace, generosity and mercy, grant us this aptitude and fitness. Grant us the ability to value this blessing. Grant us the ability to fulfil the rights associated with this knowledge. The radiance and blessing which you have gifted within the Ahadith, we deserve none of it but Oh Allah!

We are definitely in need. We deserve nothing at all but are in need of everything. Oh Allah! Consider what we deserve, consider what we need and with your grace and generosity give us the radiance and blessing based on our needs. Give us the ability to fulfil the etiquette, conditions and requisites needed for acquiring this knowledge. Give us the proper understanding of this knowledge. Give us the ability to act and stay steadfast upon it.”

Finally,

Do you have any personal experiences or additional tips on how these duas have helped you? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Don’t forget to follow us on our Facebook page for more tips and duas to aid your studies and exam preparations.

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