Rabbi habli minas saliheen is the dua Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) made when he was old and still childless, asking Allah to grant him a righteous son. The four-word prayer is recorded in Surah As-Saffat verse 100, and Allah answered it by giving Ibrahim two of the greatest prophets as sons — Isma’il and Ishaq (peace be upon them both). Today, the same dua is used by Muslims praying for righteous offspring, for delayed children, and for protection of the children they already have.
This guide gives the dua in Arabic, transliteration, and English meaning, then walks through the Quranic context, the story of Ibrahim that led to it, when to recite it, and how to combine it with two related duas for offspring from Surah Aal Imran and Surah Al-Anbya.
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Rabbi Habli Minas Saliheen in Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Rabbi habli minas-saliheen
“My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.”
The dua is broken into four parts:
- Rabbi (رَبِّ) — “My Lord”. The most intimate form of address to Allah, used by all the prophets when making personal supplication.
- Hab li (هَبْ لِي) — “Grant me / gift me”. The verb habba (هَبَّ) means a free, unearned gift — used when asking for something one cannot earn or buy.
- Min (مِنَ) — “from among”. Implies the request is for at least one, possibly more.
- As-Saliheen (الصَّالِحِينَ) — “the righteous”. Plural of salih, meaning a person who is upright in their relationship with Allah and with people.
What Ibrahim asked for was not just a child — he asked for a child from the righteous. The condition came first: even if I have a son, let him be among Your righteous slaves. Many tafsir scholars draw the lesson that asking for “any child” is incomplete; a believer asks for a good child.
Quranic Source: Surah As-Saffat 37:100
The dua appears in Surah As-Saffat, the 37th chapter of the Quran, in verses 99–101:
“And he said: ‘Indeed, I will go to my Lord; He will guide me. My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.‘ So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy.”
Surah As-Saffat 37:99–101
The verse before it tells us Ibrahim was leaving his people, who had rejected his message and tried to throw him into the fire. Travelling alone, with no community, no land, and no children — he turns to his Lord with this single request. Allah answers it in the very next verse: “fabashsharnahu bi ghulamin haleem” — “We gave him good news of a forbearing boy”. That son was Isma’il (peace be upon him), born to Hajar in old age, and later Ishaq (peace be upon him), born to Sarah after both of them had given up hope (Surah Aal Imran 3:38, Surah Hud 11:71–73).
Related:
The Story Behind the Dua: Ibrahim’s Long Wait
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had spent his life calling his people, his father, and his community to the worship of Allah alone. By the time of this dua, he was an old man, his wife Sarah had passed her childbearing years, and he had still not been granted a child. He left his homeland for Allah, migrated to Sham, and only then made this prayer.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains: the boy mentioned in verse 101 is Isma’il, because Allah only mentions Ishaq (Isaac) several verses later, after the trial of the sacrifice — and Ishaq’s birth was announced separately to Sarah in Surah Hud. The order in As-Saffat (sacrifice first, Ishaq announced second) shows that the boy of the sacrifice was Isma’il, the answer to Rabbi habli minas saliheen.
This context matters when you make the dua. Ibrahim made it after sustained patience, after years of waiting, and after sacrificing his comfort for Allah. The dua sits at the intersection of trust (tawakkul) and longing — and Allah’s answer was greater than the request: not one righteous son, but two prophets in one bloodline.
When to Recite Rabbi Habli Minas Saliheen
- When asking Allah for a child. This is the primary use — for couples praying for offspring, especially after years of waiting.
- When asking Allah for righteous children, even if you already have children. The dua specifies righteous, so it remains relevant for parents praying for the quality of their children’s faith.
- In sujud (prostration) of any prayer. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The closest a slave is to his Lord is when he is in prostration, so increase your supplication therein” (Sahih Muslim 482). Whisper this dua in sujud during your sunnah and tahajjud prayers.
- In the last third of the night. Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night, asking who is calling Him so He may answer (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145). This is the most powerful time for any dua.
- On the days of fasting, especially Ramadan and the day of Arafah — both moments where the supplication of the believer is not turned away.
Two Related Duas for Righteous Offspring
The Quran preserves two more short duas for offspring that Muslims often recite alongside Rabbi Habli Minas Saliheen:
Zakariyya’s dua (Surah Aal Imran 3:38):
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibatan, innaka sami’ud-du’a
“My Lord, grant me from Yourself good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.”
Zakariyya’s second dua (Surah Al-Anbya 21:89):
رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ
Rabbi la tadharni fardan wa anta khayrul-warithin
“My Lord, do not leave me alone (without an heir), and You are the best of inheritors.”
Both Zakariyya’s duas were answered with the birth of Yahya (peace be upon him) at an age when his wife was barren and he himself was extremely old (Surah Maryam 19:7–9). Reciting all three duas together is a powerful way to ask for righteous offspring, modelled directly on what the prophets of Allah said.
What is the meaning of Rabbi Habli Minas Saliheen?
Rabbi habli minas-saliheen means “My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.” It is the dua Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) made asking Allah for a righteous son — recorded in Surah As-Saffat verse 100.
Where is Rabbi Habli Minas Saliheen in the Quran?
The dua is in Surah As-Saffat, verse 100 (37:100). Allah answers it in the very next verse: “So We gave him good tidings of a forbearing boy” (37:101) — a reference to Prophet Isma’il (peace be upon him).
Who said Rabbi Habli Minas Saliheen first?
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) said this dua. He had reached old age without a child, left his homeland for the sake of Allah, and made this supplication during his journey. Allah answered with two of the greatest prophets — Isma’il and Ishaq (peace be upon them).
When should I recite Rabbi Habli Minas Saliheen?
Recite it whenever you are asking Allah for righteous offspring — in sujud during your sunnah prayers, in tahajjud (the last third of the night), at iftar during Ramadan, on the day of Arafah, and any moment of sincere du’a. There is no fixed number of repetitions; sincerity matters more than count.
What other duas can I recite for righteous children?
Two complementary duas are Zakariyya’s prayer in Surah Aal Imran 3:38 — Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibah — and his second prayer in Surah Al-Anbya 21:89 — Rabbi la tadharni fardan. Both were answered with the birth of Prophet Yahya (peace be upon him).
Is this dua only for those without children?
No. The dua specifies righteous offspring — so parents who already have children continue to recite it, asking Allah to make their children among the righteous. It is also recited for grandchildren, future generations, and the dhurriyyah (descendants) as a whole.
Make this dua a habit. Whisper it in your prostrations, repeat it in the late hours of the night, and ask Allah for what He gave Ibrahim (peace be upon him) — a lineage that lifts the world rather than burdens it. Allah hears the believer who calls Him, and the same Lord who answered Ibrahim hears you today.
