Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan (اَللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ) means “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan.” It is a famous supplication Muslims recite at the approach of Rajab, narrated from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (RA). The dua is recorded in Shu’ab al-Iman of al-Bayhaqi (#3534), Ibn al-Sunni’s ‘Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah (#660), the Mu’jam al-Awsat of al-Tabarani, and al-Nawawi’s al-Adhkar (#549) — but its chain has been graded weak (da’if) by Imam al-Nawawi, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, and Shaykh al-Albani because of two weak narrators in its isnad.
This guide covers what the dua means word-by-word, the full Arabic with and without diacritics, the original hadith and every collection that records it, the narrator chain with each scholar’s grading, the two scholarly positions on reciting a weak dua, when to say it, an authentic alternative dua for reaching Ramadan, and how the Sahaba and Salaf actually prepared for Ramadan during these two months.
Key takeaways:
- Meaning — “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan.”
- Narrator — Anas ibn Malik (RA), through Ziyad al-Numayri, then Za’idah ibn Abi al-Ruqad — both weak narrators.
- Primary collections — Shu’ab al-Iman #3534, Ibn al-Sunni #660, Mu’jam al-Awsat, Musnad Ahmad, al-Nawawi’s al-Adhkar #549.
- Not in — Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim. The dua is absent from the two most authentic collections.
- Grading — Weak (da’if) per al-Nawawi, Ibn Rajab in Lata’if al-Ma’arif, and al-Albani in Da’if al-Jami’.
- Authentic alternative — The dua of Mu’alla ibn al-Fadl: “Allahumma sallimni li-Ramadan wa sallim li Ramadan wa tasallamhu minni” (O Allah, deliver me safely to Ramadan, keep Ramadan safe for me, and accept it from me).
Table of Contents
Allahumma Barik Lana Fi Rajab Wa Sha’ban Meaning
The dua is a single sentence with three requests joined by the conjunction wa (“and”). Word-by-word, it asks Allah for three connected things: blessing in Rajab, blessing in Sha’ban, and the chance to reach the month of Ramadan. The third request — ballighna Ramadan — literally asks Allah to “cause us to reach” Ramadan, which scholars explain as a request for life and health until Ramadan begins.
| Transliteration | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Allahumma | اَللَّهُمَّ | “O Allah” — a vocative form unique to Allah’s name |
| barik | بَارِكْ | “bless” — imperative from barakah (increase, growth, abundance) |
| lana | لَنَا | “for us” — the worshipper joins the request to the community |
| fi Rajab | فِي رَجَبٍ | “in Rajab” (the seventh Islamic month, one of the four sacred months) |
| wa Sha’ban | وَشَعْبَانَ | “and Sha’ban” (the eighth Islamic month, immediately preceding Ramadan) |
| wa ballighna Ramadan | وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ | “and let us reach Ramadan” — balligh from the root b-l-gh (to cause to arrive) |
The word barakah (بَرَكَة) in Arabic does not mean “blessing” in the bland English sense. It carries the meaning of increase, multiplication, and continuous benefit. To ask Allah to put barakah in time is to ask Him to multiply the worship that fits inside it — so a small amount of prayer, charity, or Quran recitation in a blessed month carries the weight of much more. That is why the dua attaches barakah specifically to Rajab and Sha’ban: it treats these two months as a runway into Ramadan, and asks for the time spent on that runway to count.
Allahumma Barik Lana Fi Rajab in Arabic & Transliteration
The full dua with diacritical marks (tashkeel):
اَللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ
Without diacritics — the form most often pasted into text messages, status updates, and Arabic search bars:
اللهم بارك لنا في رجب وشعبان وبلغنا رمضان
Common English transliterations — all the same Arabic words, just romanized with different conventions:
Related:
| Spelling you may see | Notes |
|---|---|
| Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan | The most common English spelling. |
| Allahumma baarik lana fi Rajaba wa Sha’bana wa balligh-na Ramadan | The doubled “aa” cues the long vowel; case-marker endings (Rajab-a, Sha’ban-a) reflect Arabic grammar. |
| Allahumma baarik lana fi Rajabiw wa Sha’bana wa ballighna Ramadan | Preserves the tanwin idgham at Rajab-iw — closer to recited Arabic. |
| Allahumma bariklana firojaba wa shabana | Common South Asian / Indonesian phonetic spellings; same words. |
| Allahouma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan | French-influenced North African spelling; the ou stands in for the English u. |
The literal English translation is: “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan.” Some translators expand the third clause to convey its intent: “and allow us to reach Ramadan” or “and prolong our lives until Ramadan, that we may benefit from its merits and blessings.”
The Hadith Source — Where This Dua Comes From
The dua is reported from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through Anas ibn Malik (RA), one of the long-serving companions and a prolific narrator. The wording in the original Arabic:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا دَخَلَ رَجَبٌ قَالَ: «اَللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ، وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ»
“When Rajab came, the Prophet ﷺ would say: ‘O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan.’”
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA) — recorded in Shu’ab al-Iman of al-Bayhaqi #3534
The same wording, on the same chain, is recorded across multiple early hadith collections. The collections that preserve it:
| Collection | Reference | Compiler |
|---|---|---|
| Musnad Ahmad | Volume 1 | Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH) |
| Shu’ab al-Iman | #3534 | Imam al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH) |
| ‘Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah | #660 | Ibn al-Sunni (d. 364 AH) |
| al-Mu’jam al-Awsat | In the section on Rajab | Imam al-Tabarani (d. 360 AH) |
| Mukhtasar Zawa’id al-Bazzar | #662 | Imam al-Bazzar (d. 292 AH) |
| al-Adhkar (citing the above) | #549 | Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) |
The dua is not in Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim — the two most authentic hadith collections in Sunni Islam. That absence matters for the grading discussion in the next section: the chains that do exist run through narrators who fell short of the bar Bukhari and Muslim set.
Is the Hadith Authentic? — The Chain and the Daif Verdict
The honest answer is: the hadith is weak (da’if). That verdict is shared across centuries of scholarship and across schools of thought. The reason lies in two narrators in the chain who hadith scholars have criticised.
| Narrator in the chain | Verdict from hadith critics |
|---|---|
| Anas ibn Malik (RA) — the Companion | Trustworthy; the chain weakness begins after him. |
| Ziyad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Numayri | Classed da’if by Yahya ibn Ma’in. Abu Hatim al-Razi said: “He cannot be quoted as evidence.” Ibn Hibban listed him in Kitab ad-Du’afa (the book of weak narrators). |
| Za’idah ibn Abi al-Ruqad | “More da’if than Ziyad,” per Ibn Hajar. Imam al-Bukhari himself said his narrations are munkar (odd / rejected). Al-Nasa’i declared him weak. |
Three landmark scholars have graded this hadith da’if:
- Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) included it in al-Adhkar (#549) but noted the weakness in his other writings. The fact that he recorded it at all signals he considered it acceptable for the section on virtuous practice (fada’il) — a category where weak hadiths were traditionally permitted under conditions.
- Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (d. 795 AH) discussed the hadith in Lata’if al-Ma’arif — his classic guide to the Islamic months — and confirmed the chain’s weakness, while still acknowledging the practice of the Salaf in supplicating for the months.
- Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani (d. 1420 AH) graded it weak in Da’if al-Jami’ al-Saghir and in al-Silsilah al-Da’ifah. His grading is the one most often cited in contemporary discussions.
What does the grading da’if actually mean in practical terms? It means the chain has a defect — usually a weak narrator’s memory or trustworthiness — that prevents the hadith from rising to the level where it can be used as a binding proof. It does not mean the wording is fabricated (mawdu’) or that reciting it is forbidden. The next section explains the difference.
Two Scholarly Positions on Reciting a Weak Dua
Sunni scholarship has two well-known positions on what to do with a hadith graded da’if — especially when the hadith concerns supplication or the virtues of an act. Both positions agree the chain is weak; they differ on how to act on it.
- The classical position (Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali majority): A weak hadith may be acted upon for fada’il al-a’mal (the virtues of righteous deeds) and for du’a’, provided three conditions are met — the weakness is not severe, the hadith falls under a general principle established by stronger evidence, and the practitioner does not believe the specific wording is authentically from the Prophet ﷺ. On this view, reciting Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab is permitted because asking Allah’s blessing on the sacred months is anchored in the Quran’s general teaching about the four sacred months (Surah at-Tawbah 9:36) and in the established Sunnah of supplication.
- The position of contemporary Salafi scholars (al-Albani, Ibn ‘Uthaymin, Ibn Baz): Weak hadiths should not be acted upon as if they were authentic, and worship cannot be built on them. On this view, the specific words — tied to a specific time (the start of Rajab) — have no authentic chain and therefore should not be treated as a fixed Sunnah. However, the general meaning of the request — asking Allah for life, health, and the ability to reach Ramadan — is permissible because every Muslim is free to ask Allah for what is good. Sheikh al-Munajjid in IslamQA wrote that there is “no problem in a Muslim asking Allah to let him live until Ramadan” as long as it is not tied to a specific time as a fixed devotion.
What this means for the average Muslim: if you follow a Hanafi or Shafi’i scholar, reciting the dua at the start of Rajab is part of an established tradition with classical backing. If you follow a Salafi scholar, you may still ask Allah to bless Rajab and Sha’ban and to let you reach Ramadan — just don’t treat the specific Arabic wording as a confirmed Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. Either way, the act of asking Allah is praiseworthy.
When to Recite the Dua
The reports describe the Prophet ﷺ saying this dua “when Rajab entered.” That has produced two timing conventions among scholars who consider the practice acceptable:
- On sighting the new moon of Rajab (the first night of the month). This is the timing most often described in classical commentaries and the one cited by the Jamiatul Ulama and Hadith Answers fatwa platforms. The thinking: the hadith says “when Rajab came,” which most naturally points to the start of the month.
- Throughout Rajab and Sha’ban, repeatedly. Ibn Rajab in Lata’if al-Ma’arif reports that the Salaf would ask Allah for the ability to reach Ramadan for six months before it began (from Rajab onward), and then ask Him to accept it from them for six months after it ended. On this view, the dua is not a one-night ritual but a six-month rhythm of preparation.
There is no authentic narration tying the dua to a specific prayer (such as before or after a particular salah), nor to a specific number of repetitions. Treating it as a free supplication — said when the heart turns to it, during the two months leading up to Ramadan — matches both the wording of the hadith and the practice of the Salaf that Ibn Rajab describes.
An Authentic Alternative — The Salaf’s Dua for Reaching Ramadan
For a Muslim who wants the practice of asking Allah for Ramadan but prefers a chain free of the weakness of the Anas narration, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali records an alternative on the authority of the early Tabi’in scholars Mu’alla ibn al-Fadl and Yahya ibn Abi Kathir. The Salaf used to say:
اَللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْنِي إِلَى رَمَضَانَ، وَسَلِّمْ لِي رَمَضَانَ، وَتَسَلَّمْهُ مِنِّي مُتَقَبَّلًا
Allahumma sallimni ila Ramadan, wa sallim li Ramadan, wa tasallamhu minni mutaqabbalan
“O Allah, deliver me safely to Ramadan, keep Ramadan safe for me, and accept it from me.”
This is not a hadith from the Prophet ﷺ — it is the recorded practice of the Salaf — but Ibn Rajab cites it as part of how the early generations prepared for the month. The dua covers three concerns the believer naturally has at the approach of Ramadan: the chance to reach it alive and well, the protection of the month itself from being disrupted, and the acceptance of the fasting and worship that fill it. Many contemporary scholars recommend this wording precisely because it is documented practice rather than a disputed chain.
How the Sahaba Prepared for Ramadan in Rajab and Sha’ban
Beyond any single dua, the practical preparation of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions in the months leading up to Ramadan is recorded in authentic hadith. The clearest narration concerns the month of Sha’ban and comes from ‘Aishah (RA), recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 1969 and Sahih Muslim 1156:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast until we thought he would not break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would not fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ complete a month’s fast except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than in Sha’ban.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 1969 — narrated by ‘Aishah (RA)
That is the authentic Sunnah for these two months: more voluntary fasting in Sha’ban, and increased recitation of the Quran — which Anas ibn Malik described as the practice of the Companions on the approach of Ramadan, when the recitation of the Quran (qira’ah) markedly increased. Ibn Rajab summarised it in Lata’if al-Ma’arif with a useful framework: “The month of Rajab is the month of sowing, Sha’ban is the month of irrigation, and Ramadan is the month of harvest.”
One important clarification: there is no authentic Sunnah of any special prayer (salat) in Rajab itself. The famous “Salat al-Ragha’ib” that some communities perform on the first Friday night of Rajab has been declared a baseless innovation by Imam al-Nawawi, Imam Ibn al-Salah, and the majority of classical scholars. The authentic preparation is the simpler one: fast Sha’ban, recite the Quran, ask Allah for Ramadan — using either the popular Rajab dua (with awareness of its da’if grading) or the documented practice of the Salaf described above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of “Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban”?
It means “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan.” Barik is the imperative from barakah (increase, abundance, continuous benefit), so the dua is asking Allah to multiply the value of the two months leading up to Ramadan. The third clause — ballighna Ramadan — is a request to be allowed to reach the month of Ramadan, traditionally explained by scholars as a prayer for life and health.
Is the dua “Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab” from an authentic hadith?
The hadith is graded weak (da’if). It is reported from Anas ibn Malik (RA) through a chain containing two weak narrators — Ziyad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Numayri (classed weak by Yahya ibn Ma’in and Ibn Hibban) and Za’idah ibn Abi al-Ruqad (whose narrations Imam al-Bukhari himself labelled munkar / rejected). Three landmark scholars confirmed the weakness: Imam al-Nawawi, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in Lata’if al-Ma’arif, and Shaykh al-Albani in Da’if al-Jami’ al-Saghir.
When should you recite this dua — first night of Rajab or throughout the month?
Both are reported. The hadith’s wording — “when Rajab entered” — supports reciting it on sighting the new moon of Rajab, which is the timing the Jamiatul Ulama and Hadith Answers platforms cite. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in Lata’if al-Ma’arif records that the Salaf used to ask Allah for the ability to reach Ramadan repeatedly throughout the six months leading up to it. There is no authentic narration tying the dua to a specific number of repetitions or a particular prayer.
What is the full dua for reaching Ramadan in Arabic?
The full dua with diacritics is: اَللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ — transliterated as Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan. Without diacritics it is written: اللهم بارك لنا في رجب وشعبان وبلغنا رمضان. Translated: “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan.”
Can a weak (daif) hadith be used for a dua?
Sunni scholarship has two well-known positions. The classical Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali majority allow acting on weak hadiths for the virtues of righteous deeds (fada’il al-a’mal) and for supplication, provided the weakness is not severe and the practitioner doesn’t attribute the specific wording to the Prophet ﷺ with certainty. Contemporary Salafi scholars (al-Albani, Ibn ‘Uthaymin, Ibn Baz) hold that worship should be built only on authentic evidence — while still permitting the general meaning of asking Allah for life and Ramadan, since that is a general principle of supplication.
Is there an authentic alternative dua for reaching Ramadan?
Yes — Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali records the practice of the Tabi’in Mu’alla ibn al-Fadl and Yahya ibn Abi Kathir: “Allahumma sallimni ila Ramadan, wa sallim li Ramadan, wa tasallamhu minni mutaqabbalan” (اَللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْنِي إِلَى رَمَضَانَ، وَسَلِّمْ لِي رَمَضَانَ، وَتَسَلَّمْهُ مِنِّي مُتَقَبَّلًا) — “O Allah, deliver me safely to Ramadan, keep Ramadan safe for me, and accept it from me.” This is not a hadith from the Prophet ﷺ but it is documented practice of the early generations, free of the weak-narrator problem in the Anas narration.
What is the difference between “Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab” and “Allahumma ballighna Ramadan”?
They are two parts of the same single dua, often quoted separately. The full hadith wording is Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan — three connected requests joined by wa (and): bless us in Rajab, in Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan. When people search for “Allahumma ballighna Ramadan” or write it as a standalone phrase, they are quoting the third clause of the same dua. The authenticity discussion in this article applies to all three clauses together, since they are one continuous narration from Anas ibn Malik.
Is this dua mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim?
No. The dua is not recorded in either of the two most authentic hadith collections. The chains that do preserve it — Musnad Ahmad, Shu’ab al-Iman of al-Bayhaqi (#3534), Ibn al-Sunni’s ‘Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah (#660), Mu’jam al-Awsat of al-Tabarani, and al-Nawawi’s al-Adhkar (#549) — all run through narrators (Ziyad al-Numayri and Za’idah ibn Abi al-Ruqad) who did not meet the strict authenticity criteria of Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim. That is the structural reason for the da’if grading.
The dua is a beautiful expression of what every Muslim wants at the approach of Ramadan: more time, healthy life, and the strength to receive the month and offer worship Allah will accept. Whether you recite the popular wording — with awareness that its chain is weak — or the alternative dua of the Salaf, the act of turning to Allah for these two months is itself the worship the months are meant to inspire. May Allah let us all reach Ramadan, bless our preparation in Rajab and Sha’ban, and accept the fasting that follows.
Jazakallah