Dua for Good Spouse: 6 Authentic Duas from Quran & Sunnah

The dua for a good spouse is not a single fixed formula in the Quran or Sunnah, but a set of authenticated supplications that ask Allah for a righteous partner, for blessing in the marriage bond, and for protection from what is unlawful while waiting. The most direct of them is the prayer of the servants of the Most Merciful in Surah Al-Furqan 25:74 — “Rabbana hablana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yunin waj’alna lil-muttaqina imama” — which asks Allah for spouses and children who are a coolness to the eyes, and for a household that leads the God-conscious.

This guide walks through the six authenticated duas a believer can recite when seeking marriage: two from the Quran that ask Allah directly for a righteous spouse, two from the Sunnah that touch the same matter from different angles (companionship, chastity, and the Prophet’s ﷺ own wedding blessing), and two more Quranic petitions used by the Prophets when seeking partnership and provision. It also covers what the Prophet ﷺ said about choosing a spouse in Sahih al-Bukhari 5090, the best times to make these duas, and how Istikhara fits into the decision before a marriage proposal is finalized.

Is There a Specific Dua for a Good Spouse in the Quran or Sunnah?

The honest answer is that there is no single dua taught by the Prophet ﷺ with the explicit framing “to find a good spouse.” What the Quran and Sunnah preserve instead are supplications used by the Prophets and the believers in moments adjacent to marriage: Adam’s dua in the garden, Ibrahim’s dua for righteous companionship, Musa’s dua of need before he was given a wife, Zakariyya’s dua against loneliness, the closing dua of the servants of the Most Merciful, and the Prophet’s ﷺ blessing for newlyweds. Each of these is authenticated; together they form what the classical scholars describe as the dua bouquet for marriage.

This article gathers six of them. Two are direct petitions in the Quran (Surah Al-Furqan 25:74 and Surah Al-Qasas 28:24). One is the broader Ibrahimic dua in Surah As-Saffat 37:100. One is the dua of the senior Tabi’i Alqamah ibn Qays recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 3742 — not a prophetic hadith, but an authenticated supplication of a great companion-of-companions for a pious sitting companion. One is the Prophet’s own ﷺ blessing for newlyweds in Sunan Abi Dawud 2130. And one is the dua of Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3563 used to ask Allah to suffice the believer with what is lawful while waiting.

1st Dua: Rabbana Hablana Min Azwajina (Surah Al-Furqan 25:74)

This is the most direct Quranic dua for a spouse and is recited by both men and women. It appears at the closing of Surah Al-Furqan — verse 74 — among the qualities and prayers of ‘ibad ar-Rahman (the servants of the Most Merciful). It asks for two things at once: a spouse and offspring who are a coolness to the eyes (a believer’s joy and peace), and the higher rank of being imama lil-muttaqin — a model for the God-conscious.

Transliteration

Rabbana hablana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yunin waj’alna lil-muttaqina imama.

In Arabic

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

Meaning

“Our Lord, grant us from our spouses and offspring a coolness of our eyes, and make us a leader for the God-conscious.”

The phrase qurrata a’yun literally translates as “coolness of the eyes” — an Arabic idiom for the deepest form of joy and contentment, the kind that settles the heart instead of agitating it. Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir, links this dua to obedience: the believer is asking Allah to make the spouse not just a partner, but a partner whose faith and conduct bring rest to the eyes. The classical scholars note that the dua is in the plural — azwaj, dhurriyyat, a’yun — because it is being made on behalf of the entire community of believers, not the self alone. A full word-by-word breakdown of this dua and its tafsir context is in the dedicated guide.

2nd Dua: Rabbi Inni Lima Anzalta — Musa’s Dua (Surah Al-Qasas 28:24)

This dua is the lived prayer of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) at one of the most difficult moments of his life, preserved in Surah Al-Qasas, ayah 24. He had just fled Egypt as a fugitive, with no food, no shelter, and no patron. Arriving at the wells of Madyan, he saw two women holding back their flocks because they could not push through the crowd of shepherds. Without being asked, Musa watered their flocks for them, then withdrew to the shade of a tree and uttered this single, weighted sentence to his Lord.

Transliteration

Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir.

In Arabic

رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

Meaning

“My Lord, I am truly in need of whatever good You send down to me.”

The grammar of the dua is striking: Musa does not specify what he is asking for. He asks Allah for “whatever good” — khayr, an open-ended noun — that Allah chooses to send down. The reply, in the next verses, is a marriage to the daughter of Prophet Shu’ayb, employment, a household, and a place to belong. This is the reason classical commentators recommend it as a dua for a spouse: not because the word “spouse” appears in it, but because Musa’s dua opened the door, and Allah answered by giving him exactly what he needed without him having to name it.

3rd Dua: Rabbi Hab Li Min As-Salihin — Ibrahim’s Dua (Surah As-Saffat 37:100)

Prophet Ibrahim’s dua in Surah As-Saffat 37:100 is the broadest of the three Quranic petitions. It asks Allah for a righteous companion in general — whether that turns out to be a child (as it did for Ibrahim, who was given Isma’il), a spouse, or any righteous person in the believer’s household. Because the Arabic word salihin (the righteous) is unrestricted in gender or relationship, classical scholars include this dua among the supplications for marriage and family.

Transliteration

Rabbi hab li min as-salihin.

In Arabic

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Meaning

“My Lord, grant me from among the righteous.”

The verb hab (grant me) is the same root used in the Furqan dua (hablana), the link between the two petitions is not accidental: both ask Allah for a gift, both put the matter of salah (righteousness) at the centre of what is being requested. A believer making this dua is asking Allah, in the most open-ended language the Arabic of the Quran allows, for a righteous person in their life — in whatever form Allah chooses to grant it.

4th Dua: Allahumma Yassirli Jalisan Saliha (Sahih al-Bukhari 3742)

This is one of the most-shared duas for a pious partner online, but its source is worth being precise about: the wording “Allahumma yassir li jalisan saliha” is the supplication of Alqamah ibn Qays an-Nakha’i — a senior Tabi’i, a student of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, and not the Prophet ﷺ himself. It is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 3742, in the Book of the Virtues of the Companions, as a description of how Alqamah used to enter the masjid. Because the words come from inside Sahih al-Bukhari and from a great early authority, scholars consider them authenticated and recommended — while still distinguishing them from a direct prophetic dua.

Transliteration

Allahumma yassir li jalisan saliha.

In Arabic

اللَّهُمَّ يَسِّرْ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا

Meaning

“O Allah, make easy for me a righteous sitting companion.”

The Arabic word jalis means “one who sits with you” — a companion in the broadest sense. By using jalis rather than zawj (spouse), Alqamah’s dua reaches beyond marriage to friendship, study circles, and any sustained companionship. Many believers recite it with the intention that Allah grant them a righteous spouse as the closest of all jalis, and the popular variant “Allahumma yassir li zawji” (commonly searched online with 52 monthly impressions according to Google Search Console data for this post) is a later adaptation, not a separately attributed narration.

5th Dua: Barakallahu Laka — The Prophet’s ﷺ Wedding Blessing (Sunan Abi Dawud 2130)

When a marriage is contracted, the Prophet ﷺ taught the Companions a specific blessing to make for the newlywed. It is recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud 2130, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, and is graded Sahih. This is the dua a believer says to their own spouse on the night of the wedding, to friends and family who have just married, and even to one’s self when reflecting on the marriage bond.

Transliteration

Barakallahu laka, wa baraka ‘alayka, wa jama’a baynakuma fi khayr.

In Arabic

بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْرٍ

Meaning

“May Allah bless you, and shower His blessings upon you, and join the two of you together in goodness.”

The dua moves through three layers: baraka laka (blessing for you, as a gift), baraka ‘alayka (blessing upon you, as a covering and protection), and jama’a baynakuma fi khayr (a joining of the two of you in good). The Prophet ﷺ explicitly forbade the pre-Islamic congratulation “bir-rafa’i wal-banin” (with harmony and sons) and substituted this dua instead — an early correction of a fertility-based well-wish into a barakah-based one.

6th Dua: Allahumma Akfini Bihalalika — Protection in the Waiting Period (Tirmidhi 3563)

For believers waiting for marriage, the years before are often the hardest test of chastity. The Prophet ﷺ taught Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) a dua that is, in the original hadith, a supplication for being relieved of debt — but the wording also speaks directly to anyone seeking to be made independent of what is haram. It is recorded in Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3563 and graded Hasan.

Transliteration

Allahumma akfini bi-halalika ‘an haramika wa aghnini bi-fadlika ‘amman siwaka.

In Arabic

اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ

Meaning

“O Allah, suffice me with what You have made lawful, free from needing what You have made unlawful; and enrich me by Your favour, free from needing anyone besides You.”

The dua is built on two opposing requests: sufficiency through the lawful instead of the unlawful, and self-sufficiency through Allah’s grace instead of dependence on people. Ibn al-Qayyim cites it among the duas of tawakkul (reliance on Allah) and recommends it for anyone in a phase where the test is restraint — whether that test is debt, waiting for marriage, or any halal pursuit that requires patience.

What Makes a Spouse “Good” in Islam

The Prophet ﷺ gave a single criterion that the classical scholars consider the most decisive in choosing a spouse. Abu Hurayrah narrated: “A woman is married for four things: her wealth, her status, her beauty, and her religion. Choose the one with religion, and you will prosper” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5090). The same criterion applies in reverse when a woman chooses a husband: Imam Tirmidhi narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said “If a man whose religion and character please you comes to propose, marry your daughter to him; if you do not, there will be tribulation in the land and great corruption” (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 1085, graded Hasan).

The Prophet ﷺ also said: “The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is a righteous woman” (Sahih Muslim 1467). Together these narrations frame what “good” means in the Islamic sense: not a list of worldly attributes, but a person whose religion and character make the marriage a path toward Jannah for both partners. This is the lens through which all six of the duas above are recited — the believer is asking Allah for a partner who will be a means of reaching Him, not a means away from Him.

When and How to Recite These Duas

Dua is accepted at every moment, but the Sunnah identifies specific windows in which it is most likely to be answered. For a matter as weighted as marriage, believers are encouraged to choose those windows deliberately. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: who is calling on Me, that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me, that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145).

He ﷺ also said: “The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration, so increase in supplication in it” (Sahih Muslim 482). The recommended times for these duas are therefore: in the last third of the night during Tahajjud, in the sujud of any prayer (where the Arabic duas can be repeated in the believer’s heart and language), between the adhan and the iqamah, after each of the five fard prayers, and during the late afternoon hour on Friday. The dua is recited with full conviction in Allah’s response — without specifying a deadline, and without exhausting the believer’s patience.

Istikhara: Asking Allah Before Choosing a Spouse

Once a specific candidate is being considered — whether through family introduction, a community proposal, or a halal acquaintance — the dua for a good spouse moves into a second phase: Salat al-Istikhara, the prayer of seeking Allah’s guidance. Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to teach the Istikhara to the Companions for every matter just as he taught them a chapter of the Quran (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).

The form is straightforward: two rak’ahs of voluntary prayer (outside of the prohibited times), followed by the Istikhara dua in which the believer asks Allah to facilitate the matter if it is good for their religion, life, and end, and to divert it from them if it is bad — and to leave them content with whatever Allah chooses. Istikhara is not a request for a dream or a feeling, and the classical scholars are emphatic on this point: it is a request for Allah to facilitate or obstruct the matter through circumstance. After Istikhara the believer proceeds in the direction their heart inclines toward, knowing the outcome is being shaped by Allah’s decree.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most powerful dua for a good spouse from the Quran?

The most directly attested Quranic dua for a spouse is “Rabbana hablana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yunin waj’alna lil-muttaqina imama” — “Our Lord, grant us from our spouses and offspring a coolness of our eyes, and make us a leader for the God-conscious” — from Surah Al-Furqan 25:74. It is the prayer of ‘ibad ar-Rahman (the servants of the Most Merciful) and is recited by both men and women. Many believers pair it with Prophet Musa’s dua in Surah Al-Qasas 28:24 and Prophet Ibrahim’s in Surah As-Saffat 37:100.

What dua did Prophet Musa make for a spouse?

After fleeing Egypt as a fugitive and watering the flocks of the two women at the wells of Madyan, Musa (peace be upon him) sat under a tree and said: “Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir” — “My Lord, I am truly in need of whatever good You send down to me” (Surah Al-Qasas 28:24). Allah answered the open-ended dua by giving him marriage to the daughter of Prophet Shu’ayb (peace be upon him), employment as a shepherd, and a settled household — without Musa having to name any of these things explicitly.

Is there a specific dua for a pious husband or pious wife?

The Quran addresses both genders with one supplication: Surah Al-Furqan 25:74 above, which uses the gender-neutral plural azwaj (spouses). Prophet Ibrahim’s dua “Rabbi hab li min as-salihin” (Surah As-Saffat 37:100) — “My Lord, grant me from among the righteous” — is also recited by both men and women because the word salihin (the righteous) is gender-unrestricted in classical Arabic. There is no separately attributed dua in the Quran exclusively for a pious husband or exclusively for a pious wife.

What does “Allahumma Yassirli Zawji” mean and is it authentic?

The wording “Allahumma yassir li zawji” (O Allah, make my spouse easy for me) is a popular online adaptation, but it is not separately narrated in the canonical hadith collections. The closest authenticated wording is “Allahumma yassir li jalisan saliha” — “O Allah, make easy for me a righteous sitting companion” — recorded as the supplication of Alqamah ibn Qays, a senior Tabi’i, in Sahih al-Bukhari 3742. It is authenticated as a supplication, but it is not a direct prophetic hadith. For a spouse-specific request, the Quranic duas above carry a stronger chain of attribution.

What does Islam say about choosing a good spouse?

The Prophet ﷺ identified one decisive criterion: “A woman is married for four things: her wealth, her status, her beauty, and her religion. Choose the one with religion, and you will prosper” (Sahih al-Bukhari 5090). The same applies in reverse for a woman choosing a husband (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 1085, graded Hasan): religion and character before wealth, status, or appearance. Other narrations add that “the best object of benefit of the world is a righteous woman” (Sahih Muslim 1467). Religion (deen) is the foundation on which everything else rests.

When is the best time to recite the dua for a good spouse?

The most accepted times for any dua, applied to the matter of a spouse, are: the last third of the night during Tahajjud (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145), during sujud in any prayer (Sahih Muslim 482), between the adhan and the iqamah, after the five fard prayers, and the late afternoon hour on Friday before sunset. When a specific candidate is being considered, combine the dua with Salat al-Istikhara (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162) before finalizing the proposal.