Rabbi habli min ladunka zurriyyatan tayyibatan, innaka samee’u ad-du’a (رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ) is the supplication Prophet Zakariya (Zechariah) made for righteous offspring. It is preserved in the Quran in Surah Aal-Imran, verse 38, and translates as “My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of all supplication.” Zakariya was elderly, his wife was barren, and the moment that triggered this dua was witnessing Allah’s miraculous provision for Maryam in the prayer-niche of the temple. Allah answered him directly: the very next verse (3:39) records the angels announcing the birth of his son, Yahya (John).
This guide covers the full Arabic text with and without diacritics, the standardized transliteration, multiple authentic translations, the verse-by-verse Quranic context that gave rise to the dua, a word-by-word linguistic breakdown grounded in classical tafsir, an honest treatment of when and how often to recite it (including why the “324 times” and “100 times during pregnancy” practices are not supported by authentic sunnah), the other Quranic duas Muslims recite for righteous children, and a frequently-asked-questions section answering the most common search queries.
Key takeaways:
- Source: Surah Aal-Imran, verse 38 — the dua sits between 3:37 (Maryam’s miraculous out-of-season fruit) and 3:39 (the angels announcing Yahya).
- Speaker: Prophet Zakariya (Zechariah, AS), who was in old age with a barren wife when he asked.
- Trigger: He witnessed Allah giving Maryam fruits “of summer in winter and of winter in summer” in the mihrab — a sign that Allah’s provision transcends natural causation.
- Linguistic depth: “Min ladunka” means “from a place only You possess” — a request for a gift that comes by divine selection, not by ordinary means.
- How often to recite: There is no authentic hadith prescribing a fixed count. The “324 times” and “100 times during pregnancy” recipes circulating on dua sites are folk traditions, not sunnah.
- Answer: Allah answered immediately in 3:39 with the birth of Yahya, described in the Quran with four qualities: noble (sayyid), abstaining (hasur), a prophet, and from the righteous.
Table of Contents
Rabbi habli min ladunka in Arabic, transliteration & meaning
The full dua is preserved in Surah Aal-Imran, verse 38. The Arabic text with diacritical marks (mushaf form) reads:
رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ
And without diacritics (the modern simplified form used in everyday text):
رب هب لي من لدنك ذرية طيبة إنك سميع الدعاء
The standardized transliteration, following the convention used by Quran.com word-by-word:
Rabbi habli min ladunka zurriyyatan tayyibatan, innaka samee’u ad-du’a.
Related:
Three of the most widely-circulated English translations render the verse as follows. The variation between them is helpful: each translator captured a slightly different shade of the Arabic.
| Translator | English rendering of Quran 3:38 |
|---|---|
| Saheeh International | “My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.” |
| Mustafa Khattab (The Clear Quran) | “My Lord! Grant me — by Your grace — righteous offspring. You are certainly the Hearer of all prayers.” |
| Pickthall | “My Lord! Bestow upon me of Thy bounty goodly offspring. Lo! Thou art the Hearer of Prayer.” |
The word zurriyyatan tayyibatan — rendered “good,” “righteous,” or “goodly” offspring — carries a meaning much broader than just “well-behaved children,” which the linguistic breakdown below will unpack.
The Quranic context: Maryam’s miracle and Zakariya’s dua
This dua does not appear in isolation. It is the middle verse of a three-verse narrative arc in Surah Aal-Imran (verses 37, 38, and 39) that records one of the most striking moments in the lives of the prophets. Reading the three verses together is what gives the dua its full force.
Verse 3:37 — the trigger. Maryam (Mary) had been entrusted to the care of Prophet Zakariya as a young child. He had built her a private chamber in the temple (called the mihrab, the prayer-niche) and would visit her there. Every time he entered, he found her already provided with sustenance:
“Every time Zakariya entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision. He said, ‘O Maryam, from where is this [coming] to you?’ She said, ‘It is from Allah. Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account.'” (Quran 3:37)
Surah Aal-Imran 3:37
Ibn Kathir, in his Tafsir al-Quran al-‘Adheem, records the classical interpretation: Zakariya would find Maryam provided with fruits “of summer in winter, and of winter in summer.” Provision arrived out of season, from a source he could not trace. The miracle was not just the food. The miracle was the message it carried: Allah’s provision is not bound by the laws of cause and effect that govern the world we see.
Verse 3:38 — the dua. Witnessing this, Zakariya made his supplication. The next verse opens with the Arabic word hunalika (“at that moment,” “right there”) — the timing matters. Zakariya was elderly. His wife was barren. By every natural measure, the door to children was closed. But standing in front of evidence that Allah provides “without account,” the door reopened in his heart. He turned and asked.
Verse 3:39 — the answer. The angels called to him as he was praying in the mihrab and announced the birth of Yahya:
“So the angels called him as he was standing in prayer in the prayer chamber: ‘Allah gives you good tidings of Yahya, confirming a word from Allah and [who will be] honourable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous.'” (Quran 3:39)
Surah Aal-Imran 3:39
The arc is therefore: a sign of impossible provision (3:37), a dua born from that sign (3:38), an answer given in the same place the dua was made (3:39). Mufti Shafi notes in Ma’arif al-Quran that this sequence is itself a lesson: tayyib dua — the kind that asks for something pure in motive — tends to be answered in the same moment of sincerity in which it was offered, when offered in a state of true tawakkul (reliance on Allah).
Word-by-word linguistic breakdown
Every word of this dua carries weight. Classical scholars including Ibn Kathir, Sheikh Muhammad ibn Saleh al-‘Uthaymeen (in his Tafseer Aali ‘Imraan), and Mufti Muhammad Shafi (in Ma’arif al-Quran) drew specific attention to four word-choices. Understanding them changes the dua from a memorized phrase into a precisely-aimed request.
- رَبِّ (Rabbi) — “My Lord.” Zakariya addresses Allah with the most intimate divine name, Rabb — the One who creates, sustains, nurtures, and brings to maturity. He is asking for offspring he wants nurtured; he names Allah by the attribute he is asking from.
- هَبْ لِى (hab li) — “grant me,” “gift me.” The root هـ.ب (hab) means to give as a gift, with no expectation of return. Not arzuqni (provide me), not a’tini (give me), but hab li: gift it to me. He approaches as one who knows he has no claim, only the hope that Allah will give out of pure generosity.
- مِن لَّدُنكَ (min ladunka) — “from Yourself,” “from Your presence.” Ibn ‘Uthaymeen notes this is the most precise word in the dua. Min ladunka means “from a place only You possess.” It is the gift that does not pass through any intermediate cause — the gift Allah pulls directly from His own treasury, by-passing the ordinary laws of biology and circumstance. Zakariya’s body said “impossible”; his words said, “give me from a place where ‘impossible’ does not exist.”
- ذُرِّيَّةً (zurriyyatan) — “offspring,” “progeny,” “descendants.” The word is grammatically singular but carries a plural meaning — he is asking not just for a child, but for a line. He is asking for someone whose own children will continue what he started.
- طَيِّبَةً (tayyibatan) — “good,” “pure,” “wholesome,” “fragrant.” Ibn ‘Uthaymeen explains this single word covers three dimensions: good in speech, good in actions, and good in physical health. Zakariya did not just ask for a child; he asked for a child whose character, conduct, and constitution would all be sound. Tayyib is the same word the Quran uses for the “good word” (Quran 14:24) and for the “good soul” returning to its Lord (Quran 16:32). It is the highest praise the Arabic language carries.
- إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ (innaka samee’u ad-du’a) — “Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.” Ibn ‘Uthaymeen highlights a pattern here that runs throughout the Quran: when you ask Allah for something, end the dua by naming the attribute of Allah that delivers what you are asking for. He is not asking by an arbitrary attribute. He is asking by Sami’u ad-du’a — the One who hears, processes, and responds to supplication. The form of the dua is itself the proof that the dua will be answered.
Read the dua again with these meanings in mind: “My Sustainer, gift me — from the place only You possess — a line of descendants pure in speech, conduct, and body. You are the One who hears every supplication.” That is what was actually being asked.
Allah’s answer: the birth of Yahya in 3:39
The answer came in the very next verse. The angels called to Zakariya while he was still standing in prayer in the mihrab. Yahya (John the Baptist) was promised — and the Quran described him with four specific qualities (Quran 3:39, expanded in 19:7–15):
- Musaddiqan bi kalimatin min Allah — “confirming a word from Allah.” Yahya would attest to the prophethood of ‘Isa (Jesus) — the “Word from Allah.”
- Sayyid — “noble,” “honourable leader.” A man whose presence commands respect.
- Hasur — “abstaining” or “restrained.” Classical tafsir describes him as having complete mastery over his desires.
- Nabiyyan min as-saliheen — “a prophet from among the righteous.” Not just a righteous man, but a chosen prophet.
The pattern here is significant for anyone making a dua and waiting for an answer. Zakariya asked for offspring “good in speech, action, and body” — and Allah gave him a son whose listed qualities map precisely onto that request. The match is not a coincidence. It is the Quranic principle Ibn ‘Uthaymeen identified: when you ask Allah for something specific, by His specific attribute, He answers in the precise terms you asked.
Surah Maryam 19:7–15 fills in the picture further: Allah gave Yahya wisdom while he was still a child, made him gentle toward his parents, kept him pure (zakatan), and granted him “peace upon the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he is raised alive again.” This is the answered prayer. Every word Zakariya used in 3:38 came back to him, in detail, in the verses that followed.
When and how often to recite this dua
This is the section most other articles on this dua get wrong, and the section worth being most careful with. Many popular dua sites prescribe specific recitation counts: “recite 324 times for 16 days” or “recite 100 times daily from month one to month six of pregnancy.” These instructions are folk practices that have circulated for decades on Urdu and English dua sites. They are not recorded in any authentic hadith collection — not in Sahih al-Bukhari, not in Sahih Muslim, not in the four Sunan, and not in any classical book of supplication such as Hisn al-Muslim or Ibn Taymiyyah’s al-Kalim al-Tayyib.
What is established is this: the dua is a Quranic supplication, attributed to a prophet, and any Muslim may recite it any time, in any state, in any number of repetitions. It is a personal dua, not a fixed dhikr with a prescribed count. The Prophet ﷺ never tied this verse to a specific tally, and adding a count where no count was prescribed risks crossing into bid’ah (innovation in worship).
That said, classical scholarship on supplication identifies specific times of accepted dua — moments when Allah is more likely to answer. Reciting Rabbi habli min ladunka during one of these times is the sunnah-grounded approach:
- In the last third of the night, before Fajr — the time Allah “descends to the lowest heaven” and asks “who is calling upon Me that I may answer them?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145, Sahih Muslim 758).
- While in sujood (prostration) in any salah — the position in which the servant is closest to Allah, where the Prophet ﷺ said the worshipper “is closest to his Lord, so increase in supplication” (Sahih Muslim 482).
- Between the adhan and iqamah — a time of accepted dua noted in Sunan Abi Dawud 521 and Sunan al-Tirmidhi 212.
- After the obligatory salah, particularly Fajr and Asr — before the post-salah adhkar disperse the mind.
- On the day and the night of Friday (Jumu’ah), particularly the last hour before Maghrib — the special hour of accepted dua mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari 935.
- While fasting, especially at the moment of breaking the fast — “the dua of the fasting person is not rejected” (Sunan Ibn Majah 1753).
Both husbands and wives, whether trying to conceive, expecting a child, or already raising children, may recite this dua. It does not require wudu, though wudu is encouraged for any sincere act of worship. It can be recited silently or aloud, in salah or outside, in Arabic or paired with the meaning in your own language. The form of the recitation matters less than the sincerity of the asking — and the patience to wait for an answer Allah may deliver in His own timing.
Other Quranic duas for righteous offspring
Rabbi habli min ladunka is the most concise dua in the Quran for righteous offspring, but it is not the only one. Five other Quranic supplications address the same theme — some by Zakariya himself in different surahs, others by Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), and one as a general supplication for the worshippers Allah praises as “servants of the Most Merciful” (‘ibad ar-Rahman).
- Surah Maryam 19:4–6 (Zakariya) — the longer, more emotional version of the same prayer. Zakariya describes his weakness, his white hair, his barren wife, and his fear of what his family would do after his death. He asks for “an heir who will inherit me and inherit from the family of Yaqub.” Same prophet, same desire, different surah.
- Surah Al-Anbya 21:89 (Zakariya) — the shortest of his three duas: “Rabbi la tadharni fardan wa anta khayrul-waritheen” (“My Lord, do not leave me alone, though You are the best of inheritors”). The plea is honest: do not leave me without a successor.
- Surah As-Saffat 37:100 (Ibrahim) — “Rabbi hab li mina as-saliheen” (“My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous”). Allah answered this dua with the birth of Isma’il. The same verb (hab li) Zakariya used.
- Surah Ibrahim 14:40 (Ibrahim) — “Rabbi-j‘alni muqima as-salati wa min zurriyyati” (“My Lord, make me one who establishes the prayer, and [also] from my descendants”). A dua for descendants who pray. Ibrahim also asked Allah for wisdom and a righteous community in “Rabbi habli hukman” (Surah Ash-Shu’ara 26:83).
- Surah Al-Furqan 25:74 — “Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa zurriyyatina qurrata a‘yunin waj‘alna lil-muttaqina imama” (“Our Lord, grant us from our spouses and our offspring comfort to our eyes, and make us a leader for the righteous”). The most well-known offspring dua in the Quran, attributed to the worshippers Allah Himself praises.
- Surah Aal-Imran 3:35 (mother of Maryam) — the mother of Maryam vowing the child in her womb to Allah’s service. The dua immediately before Zakariya’s in the same surah — placed there by Quranic arrangement so the reader sees the chain of offspring duas being answered one after another.
A pattern stands out across these six duas. Five of the six use the same Arabic verb root هـ.ب (hab — “to gift”). Three of them name the offspring with a quality word: tayyib (pure), salihin (righteous), qurrata a‘yun (comfort to the eyes). The Quranic vocabulary for asking Allah for children is not “give me a child” — it is “gift me a kind of child,” with the kind specified by character. That distinction is the heart of all six duas, and it is what makes Rabbi habli min ladunka zurriyyatan tayyibatan a complete and self-sufficient prayer on its own.
Lessons for parents today
Beyond the linguistic detail, this dua carries practical instruction for Muslims trying to conceive, expecting a child, or raising children right now. Three lessons stand out from the way Zakariya asked and the way Allah answered.
One: ask Allah for the kind of child, not just for a child. Zakariya did not ask for “any” offspring. He asked for tayyib offspring — good in speech, action, and body. Parents today often ask for healthy children. The Quranic model adds two more layers: ask for upright character, and ask for sound conduct. The asking shapes the receiving.
Two: do not be limited by your circumstances when you ask. Zakariya was elderly. His wife was barren. By the logic of cause-and-effect, his request was impossible. He asked anyway — not because he denied his circumstances, but because he used the word min ladunka: “from a place only You possess.” When the natural causes are closed, the words “min ladunka” reopen the door. The believer asks knowing Allah is not bound by the visible.
Three: the parent’s own state matters. Zakariya was already a prophet, established in worship, standing in the mihrab when he made the dua. Allah’s answer was a son who himself became a prophet, established in worship, called to the world from his own mihrab. The character of the parent is the soil in which the character of the child grows. Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen drew this conclusion explicitly: a parent asking for a tayyib child should begin by asking for the tayyib state in themselves — in their speech, their earnings, their habits — so that the home the child enters is itself a place where good can take root.
Pair this dua with consistent effort: the means Allah has put in our hands (the lawful means of seeking conception, raising children on the deen, teaching them the Quran from young, asking Allah for beneficial knowledge through Rabbi zidni ilma), the avoidance of what is harmful (haram earnings entering the home, harsh speech, neglect), and trust that the gift comes from Him alone. That is the complete picture the dua points to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Rabbi habli min ladunka zurriyyatan tayyibatan mean in English?
It means “My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.” The phrase min ladunka (“from Yourself”) asks Allah for a child given directly by divine grace, not by ordinary means. The word tayyibatan (“good”) covers good in speech, in actions, and in physical health — not just well-behaved, but wholesome in every dimension. The closing phrase innaka samee’u ad-du’a (“Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication”) names the divine attribute by which the request is being made.
Where in the Quran is this dua, and who recited it?
The dua is preserved in Surah Aal-Imran, verse 38, the third chapter of the Quran. It was recited by Prophet Zakariya (the Zechariah of the Biblical tradition, peace be upon him). Zakariya was a prophet of the Children of Israel and the guardian of Maryam (Mary), the mother of ‘Isa (Jesus). At the time of the dua he was elderly and his wife was barren, with no surviving heir to continue his work after his death.
Why did Prophet Zakariya make this specific dua?
The verse opens with the Arabic word hunalika (“right there”) — meaning he made the dua at a specific triggering moment. The previous verse (Quran 3:37) describes Zakariya finding Maryam, his young ward, miraculously provided with sustenance in her prayer chamber. Ibn Kathir records the classical view that the food appeared “of summer in winter and of winter in summer.” Witnessing that Allah’s provision transcends the laws of nature reopened in Zakariya’s heart the hope of receiving a child — despite his old age and his wife’s barrenness. He turned and asked in the same place where he had just seen Allah’s miraculous provision.
How did Allah answer this dua?
Allah answered immediately, in the very next verse. Quran 3:39 records the angels calling to Zakariya while he was still standing in prayer in the mihrab, announcing the birth of his son Yahya (John the Baptist) and describing him with four qualities: confirming the word of Allah (a reference to ‘Isa), honourable (sayyid), restrained from worldly desires (hasur), and a prophet from among the righteous. Surah Maryam 19:7–15 adds further details — Yahya received wisdom as a child, was gentle to his parents, and was promised peace from Allah at his birth, at his death, and on the Day of Resurrection.
When and how often should this dua be recited?
There is no fixed count prescribed by any authentic hadith. The “324 times” and “100 times during pregnancy” recipes circulating on dua sites are folk traditions, not sunnah. The dua may be recited any time, in any number, by anyone — husband, wife, parent, or unmarried Muslim asking for future offspring. To follow the sunnah, recite it at the times of accepted dua: in the last third of the night before Fajr, while in sujood during salah, between the adhan and iqamah, after the obligatory salah, on the day or night of Jumu’ah, and at the moment of breaking the fast.
What other Quranic duas ask Allah for righteous offspring?
The Quran contains five other established duas for righteous offspring: Surah Maryam 19:4–6 (Zakariya, the longer version), Surah Al-Anbya 21:89 (Zakariya, the shortest version — “do not leave me alone”), Surah As-Saffat 37:100 (Ibrahim, asking for a child “from among the righteous” — answered with Isma’il), Surah Ibrahim 14:40 (Ibrahim, asking for praying descendants), and Surah Al-Furqan 25:74 (the worshippers Allah praises as ‘ibad ar-Rahman, asking for spouses and offspring who are “comfort to the eyes”). Memorizing one or two of these alongside Rabbi habli min ladunka turns the Quran into a complete prayer book for parenting and family life.
Memorize this dua and pair it with consistent effort
This is a short dua, just twelve Arabic words. Memorize the diacritized form so the pronunciation stays sound, recite it during the times of accepted dua, and pair it with the lawful means — raising children on the deen, teaching them the Quran, guarding the home from what is haram. Zakariya asked for a tayyib child while standing in a tayyib place, in a tayyib state. The dua works through that whole picture, not the words alone. Make it part of your daily adhkar, and pair it with the related duas above for a complete Quranic supplication on family.
mashallah