Rabbana Amanna Bima Anzalta: Meaning, Arabic & Source (3:53)

Rabbana amanna bima anzalta wattaba’na ar-rasula faktubna ma’a ash-shahideen is a Quranic supplication of the Hawariyyun — the dedicated disciples of Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him). It is the dua they made when they pledged their faith to Allah and their following of the Messenger, asking to be recorded among the witnesses to truth. The verse is quoted in Surah Ali ‘Imran at ayah 53.

This guide gives the full Arabic of the dua with and without diacritics, an accurate transliteration, the established English meaning, the Quranic context in which the Hawariyyun spoke these words, a petition-by-petition breakdown of what the dua is asking for, the lessons classical commentators drew from it, and a frequently-asked-questions section that answers the most common reader queries about meaning, source, and pronunciation.

Rabbana Amanna Bima Anzalta in Arabic

The dua is short and easy to memorize. Below is the supplication clause of Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:53 in the Uthmanic mushaf, with and without diacritics, so it can be read by anyone learning the Arabic script.

With diacritics, for accurate pronunciation:

رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ

And without diacritics, as it commonly appears in print and search:

ربنا آمنا بما أنـزلت واتبعنا الرسول فاكتبنا مع الشاهدين

Transliteration

Rabbana amanna bima anzalta wattaba’na ar-rasula faktubna ma’a ash-shahideen

Common spelling variants in search include “Rabbana amanna bima anzalta,” “Robbana amanna bima anzalta,” “Rabbana aamanna bima anzalta,” and the longer phrasing “Rabbana amanna bima anzalta wattaba na ar-rasula faktubna ma’a ash-shahideen.” All refer to the same Quranic ayah at Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:53; the variation comes from regional transliteration habits, not from any difference in the Uthmanic text.

English Meaning

“Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed and have followed the Messenger, so record us among the witnesses [to truth].”

Source: Surah Ali ‘Imran, Ayah 53

The dua appears in the third surah of the Quran, Surah Ali ‘Imran, at verse 53 — within the long passage on Prophet ‘Isa that runs from roughly verse 45 to verse 60. The verse is quoted by Allah as the words of the Hawariyyun, the loyal disciples of ‘Isa, after they declared in verse 52: “We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, so bear witness that we are Muslims [in submission to Him].” The dua of 3:53 follows immediately as the supplication that seals their declaration.

رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ ٥٣

“Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed and have followed the Messenger, so record us among the witnesses [to truth].” — Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:53.

Rabbana amanna bima anzalta wattaba’na ar-rasula faktubna ma’a ash-shahideen.

Quranic Context: The Dua of the Hawariyyun

To understand the weight of this dua, it helps to read the verse immediately before it. Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:52 describes the moment when Prophet ‘Isa — sensing rejection from the broader community of Bani Isra’il — asked: “Who will be my supporters for [the cause of] Allah?” The Hawariyyun answered without hesitation:

“We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, so bear witness that we are Muslims [in submission to Him].” — Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:52.

Verse 53 is what they said immediately after — the dua that sealed their pledge to ‘Isa with a direct address to Allah. Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of these verses, notes that the Hawariyyun were the closest companions of ‘Isa, drawn from among the working people of his community: fishermen, dyers, and labourers who recognised the truth before the religious elites did. Their dua in 3:53 is therefore the dua of the early believer — the person who, on hearing the call of a prophet, affirms faith and asks to be recorded among the witnesses.

Classical commentators including al-Tabari note that the Quran preserves this dua in the words of an earlier community for a clear reason: the words are equally appropriate in the mouth of any believer at any time. The Hawariyyun followed ‘Isa; the Muslim follows the final Messenger ﷺ; the dua — “we have believed in what You revealed and have followed the Messenger” — works in both mouths.

What the Dua Is Asking For, Petition by Petition

The dua is a single ayah, but it contains three distinct petitions, each layered onto the one before it:

• Rabbana amanna bima anzalta — “Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed.” The dua opens with an affirmation of faith in revelation itself. The phrase bima anzalta — literally “in what You sent down” — covers every revelation from Allah: the Tawrah, the Injil, the Zabur, and the Quran. The Hawariyyun affirm belief in what was sent down to ‘Isa; in the mouth of a Muslim, the affirmation extends to what was sent down to Muhammad ﷺ.
• Wattaba’na ar-rasula — “And we have followed the Messenger.” Belief alone is incomplete; the dua pairs it with following. The verb ittaba’a means more than agreement — it carries the sense of walking behind, of taking the Messenger’s path as one’s own. The Hawariyyun followed ‘Isa; the Muslim follows the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
• Faktubna ma’a ash-shahideen — “So record us among the witnesses [to truth].” The verb uktub (“write, record”) asks Allah to enter the believer’s name into the register of those who bear witness. Ash-shahideen can mean both “the witnesses” (those who testify to the truth) and “the martyrs” (those who give their lives in its cause); classical commentators read it primarily in the first sense here, with the second sense available for those who go that far.

Lessons from This Dua

The dua of the Hawariyyun carries several lessons that classical commentators consistently draw out:

• Faith without following is not enough. The dua links amanna (we have believed) directly to wattaba’na (we have followed). Believing in what was revealed and following the Messenger who delivered it are not two separate acts — they are one declaration in two halves.
• The Hawariyyun model the response of the believer to any prophet’s call. The Quran preserves their dua precisely because the words fit any believer who, on hearing a true call, affirms belief and asks to be registered among those who bear witness.
• The dua is forward-looking. It does not list past good deeds; it asks Allah to record the speaker among the witnesses going forward. It is the dua of a fresh pledge.
• It pairs naturally with the shahada. Both declarations — “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is His Messenger” and “We have believed in what You revealed and followed the Messenger” — affirm faith and follow in one breath. Reciting them together is a way of internalising the pledge.

When to Recite This Dua

There is no narration that limits this dua to a particular time or place, but classical commentators highlight several moments in which its words are especially fitting:

• After reciting the shahada, particularly for a new Muslim or for any believer renewing their pledge.
• In sujood during salah, where the Prophet ﷺ taught that the worshipper is closest to Allah and most likely to have a dua answered.
• During istikhara, when asking Allah for guidance on a decision — alongside the istikhara dua itself.
• After studying a verse of the Quran or a hadith — the dua makes a fitting response to revelation received.
• Paired with related forgiveness duas such as Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana (Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:16), which begins with the same affirmation of faith.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Rabbana amanna bima anzalta mean?

The dua means “Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed and have followed the Messenger, so record us among the witnesses [to truth].” It contains three petitions in one ayah: an affirmation of belief in Allah’s revelation, a declaration of following the Messenger, and a request to be recorded among the shahideen — the witnesses to truth. The dua is quoted directly from Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:53.

Which surah and ayah is Rabbana amanna bima anzalta from?

The dua is from Surah Ali ‘Imran, the third surah of the Quran, at ayah 53. It sits within the long passage on Prophet ‘Isa (verses 45–60), immediately after verse 52 in which the Hawariyyun — the disciples of ‘Isa — declare: “We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, so bear witness that we are Muslims.”

Who in the Quran says Rabbana amanna bima anzalta?

The dua is quoted as the speech of the Hawariyyun — the dedicated disciples of Prophet ‘Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him). They are the same group named in Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:52 as “ansar Allah” (the helpers of Allah). Ibn Kathir notes that they were drawn from among the working people of ‘Isa’s community — fishermen, dyers, and labourers — who recognised the truth before the religious elites did.

What is Rabbana amanna bima anzalta in Arabic?

In Arabic, with diacritics: رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ. Without diacritics, as it commonly appears online: ربنا آمنا بما أنـزلت واتبعنا الرسول فاكتبنا مع الشاهدين. Both forms are the same Quranic ayah; the diacritics are pronunciation marks for learners and do not change the underlying text.

What does ‘ash-shahideen’ mean in this dua?

Ash-shahideen (الشاهدين) is the plural of shahid, which in Arabic carries two complementary meanings: “witness” (one who testifies to the truth) and “martyr” (one who gives their life in the cause of the truth). In the dua of Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:53, classical commentators including al-Tabari read the word primarily in the first sense: the believer asks to be recorded among those who bear witness to the truth of Allah’s revelation and His Messenger. The secondary sense — martyrdom in the cause of that truth — remains available for those whose witness goes that far.

When should this dua be recited?

There is no narration that limits the dua to a specific time, but its words are especially fitting after reciting the shahada, in sujood during salah, during istikhara when asking Allah for guidance on a decision, after studying a verse of the Quran or a hadith, and as a paired supplication alongside related forgiveness duas such as Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana (Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:16).