Rabbana Hablana Min Azwajina: Meaning, Arabic & Benefits

Rabbana hablana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yun waj’alna lil-muttaqina imama is the closing verse of Surah Al-Furqan (25:74), a heartfelt supplication asking Allah for righteous spouses, virtuous children, and the honour of leading the God-conscious. It’s the final words spoken by the Ibad ar-Rahman (the Servants of the Most Merciful) in the Qur’an, which makes it one of the most profound family duas ever recorded.

This guide walks through the Arabic, four English translations side by side, a word-by-word breakdown, and what classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explained about its meaning. You’ll also find when to recite it, how the dua applies at every stage of life from singlehood to parenthood, and the most common questions Muslims ask about it.

Pronunciation of Rabbana Hablana Min Azwajina

If you’re learning the dua for the first time, slow recitation matters more than speed. The verse contains two letters that English speakers often rush past: the heavy haa (ح) in hab lana, and the doubled raa in qurrata. The short video below walks through the verse word by word at a comfortable pace, so you can build correct pronunciation before adding it to your daily duas.

Rabbana Hablana Min Azwajina in Arabic, Transliteration & Translations

The full verse appears in Surah Al-Furqan, ayah 74. Here’s the Arabic with diacritics, the smooth-script version without diacritics, the transliteration, and four respected English translations side by side, so you can compare wording and pick the rendering that resonates most with you.

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

And without diacritics:

ربنا هب لنا من أزواجنا وذرياتنا قرة أعين واجعلنا للمتقين إماما

Transliteration

Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yun waj’alna lil-muttaqina imama.

Four English Translations Compared

Word-by-Word Meaning of Rabbana Hablana

The dua is short, just nine Arabic units, but each carries weight. Breaking the verse down word by word helps the meaning stay with you long after you’ve memorised the sound. Here’s what each piece is asking for:

Read together, the verse asks Allah for two gifts and one role. The two gifts: a spouse and children whose presence brings genuine spiritual joy, not just worldly comfort. The one role: to be among those whom the righteous follow, not the other way around. That last word, imama, is what scholars call a “high-aspiration” word; it asks not just for personal piety but for piety that becomes contagious.

Surah Al-Furqan 25:74: The Final Trait of Ibad ar-Rahman

This dua isn’t a standalone verse. It’s the climax of a passage in Surah Al-Furqan that runs from verse 63 to verse 74, where Allah lists eleven defining qualities of the Ibad ar-Rahman, “the Servants of the Most Merciful.” That passage describes how His true servants walk the earth with humility, spend their nights in prostration, fear the punishment of Hell, give in moderation, never associate partners with Allah, never bear false witness, and turn away from frivolous talk.

Then, after ten outward and inward acts of devotion, the passage closes with this dua. Their final distinguishing trait isn’t another act of worship; it’s a request. They ask Allah to extend their righteousness into their families and their legacy. Many scholars note that this ordering is deliberate: a true Servant of the Most Merciful sees personal piety as incomplete unless it shapes the next generation too.

The very next verse, 25:75, then promises these servants “the highest place in Paradise” as a reward for their patience, signalling that this family-centred dua is part of what earns that station.

Tafsir & Scholarly Commentary on the Dua

Classical scholars devoted detailed commentary to this verse, especially around the phrase qurrata a’yun. Here’s what three of the most respected tafsir works say about what the dua actually asks for.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Spouses and Children Who Obey Allah

In his tafsir of Surah Al-Furqan 25:74, Imam Ibn Kathir narrates from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the believers in this verse are asking Allah for “spouses and offspring who obey Him, so they may bring joy to our eyes in this world and the next.” Al-Hasan al-Basri added that the greatest joy a Muslim can experience is to see their family in obedience to Allah, while As-Suddi narrated that the verse extends the request to descendants, not only immediate children. The thread across all these narrations is the same: the joy being requested is not material; it is the joy of seeing those you love standing in prayer beside you.

Tafsir Al-Qurtubi: What “Qurrata A’yun” Literally Means

Imam Al-Qurtubi gives the linguistic explanation that has become the standard reading. Qurrata a’yun literally translates as “coolness of the eyes,” an old Arabic idiom rooted in desert life: tears of joy were warm, tears of grief were hot. To say someone’s eyes are “cool” is to say they have reached a place of complete relief, the kind of contentment that ends restless searching. Al-Qurtubi notes that when applied to spouses and children, this means a calm of the heart that comes from seeing your family pursuing piety, not a fleeting smile but an enduring peace.

Sahih Muslim 1631: A Righteous Child as Continuing Charity

Why this dua matters even after a parent’s death is captured in a famous hadith. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: a continuing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him” (Sahih Muslim 1631, narrated by Abu Hurayrah). A child raised on this dua isn’t just a worldly gift; they become a stream of reward that keeps flowing into a parent’s record long after the funeral. That’s why scholars describe Rabbana Hablana as one of the highest-yield investments a believer can make, planting reward that compounds beyond the grave.

When and How to Recite the Dua

There’s no narration restricting Rabbana Hablana to a specific time, which means it can be recited freely throughout the day. That said, there are five moments when du’a is most likely to be answered, based on hadith. Pairing this verse with one or more of these windows turns it from a casual recitation into a focused act of worship.

1. In sujud (prostration) during salah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said the closest a servant is to his Lord is while prostrating, so he encouraged abundant du’a in that position (Sahih Muslim 482).
2. In the last third of the night (Tahajjud). Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the final third of every night and asks who is calling Him so He may answer (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145).
3. Between adhan and iqamah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught that du’a made between the call to prayer and the standing for prayer is not rejected (Sunan Abi Dawud 521).
4. The last hour before Maghrib on Friday. A short window on Jumu’ah is described in hadith as a time when no Muslim asks Allah for something good without being granted it (Sahih al-Bukhari 935).
5. After fard (obligatory) prayer. The moment immediately after completing the obligatory salah, before standing up, is considered a time when du’a is heard.

One practical habit: pair the dua with a fixed daily anchor, such as your du’a after Fajr or your last words before sleep. Consistency matters more than volume. Three sincere repetitions, made with full attention, are weightier than thirty rushed ones.

Benefits of Rabbana Hablana at Every Stage of Life

One of the reasons this dua has stayed close to so many Muslims for centuries is that it doesn’t belong to any single life stage. The verse uses inclusive language; it asks for both azwaj (spouses) and dhurriyyat (offspring) without specifying that they already exist. That makes it equally suited to a single Muslim asking for what hasn’t arrived yet and a parent asking for blessing on what’s already there.

• If you’re single and seeking marriage: Recite it as a forward-looking dua. You’re not just asking for any spouse; you’re asking for one whose presence will be qurrata a’yun, a deep source of contentment, and for any future children to be raised in faith.
• If you’re engaged or recently married: Make it part of your daily du’a together. The dua sets the spiritual tone for what kind of marriage you’re building, one centred on shared piety rather than only worldly comfort.
• If you’re trying to conceive or expecting a child: Pair it with the duas of Prophet Zakariya and Prophet Ibrahim for offspring. You’re asking for a healthy pregnancy and for that child to be among the righteous before they ever take their first breath.
• If you’re parenting young children: Read it after Fajr while making du’a for each child by name. The Prophet (peace be upon him) made specific du’a for the children of his companions; the practice has prophetic precedent.
• If you’re parenting teens or adults: Recite it especially in moments of worry, when a child is going through a difficult phase or making choices you fear for. The dua reorients your concern from frustration to supplication.
• If your family situation is painful: A difficult marriage, a strained parent-child relationship, an estrangement, this dua gives you words to ask Allah for repair. The verse never promises speed; it promises that the request itself is honourable.

Related Quranic Duas for Family & Offspring

Rabbana Hablana sits within a small family of Quranic supplications for spouses and children. Each one approaches the same hope from a different angle, and reciting them together makes for a richer, more layered du’a session. Three to keep close:

• Prophet Zakariya’s dua for offspring (Surah Aali Imran 3:38): “Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibah, innaka samee’u-d-du’a.” (“My Lord, grant me from Yourself a pure offspring; You are the Hearer of supplication.”) This is the dua of an elderly man asking Allah for a child against the odds.
• Prophet Ibrahim’s dua for righteous offspring (Surah As-Saffat 37:100): “Rabbi hab li mina-s-saliheen.” (“My Lord, grant me a righteous one.”) A short, focused du’a asking specifically for a righteous child.
• Prophet Ibrahim’s dua for steadfast salah (Surah Ibrahim 14:40): “Rabbij’alni muqima-s-salati wa min dhurriyyati.” (“My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and from my offspring [as well].”) A model dua for parents who want their children to grow up praying.

Dua Source: The Full Verse in Context

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍۢ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا ٧٤

“And those who say, ‘Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us a leader [i.e., example] for the righteous.'”

Wallatheena yaqooloona rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yunin waj’alna lil-muttaqeena imama.

Quran 25:74 (Surah Al-Furqan), Sahih International translation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Rabbana hablana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yun” mean in English?

The most widely cited translation is Sahih International’s: “Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes, and make us a leader for the righteous.” Dr. Mustafa Khattab renders it more conversationally as “Bless us with spouses and offspring who will be the joy of our hearts.” Both capture the same request: spouses and children whose presence brings deep, lasting joy, plus the honour of being among those the righteous follow.

How is Rabbana Hablana Min Azwajina written in Arabic?

The full verse in Arabic with diacritics is: رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا. Without diacritics it reads: ربنا هب لنا من أزواجنا وذرياتنا قرة أعين واجعلنا للمتقين إماما. The verse is Quran 25:74 (Surah Al-Furqan), and you’ll find a verified copy of it in any printed mushaf as well as on Quran.com.

What are the benefits of reciting Rabbana Hablana Min Azwajina dua?

The benefits are exactly what the dua asks for: a righteous spouse whose presence brings spiritual peace, virtuous children who remain on the path of Allah, and the honour of being a model the God-conscious follow. Tafsir Ibn Kathir adds that the joy requested isn’t material; it’s the contentment of seeing your family obey Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also taught that a righteous child’s du’a continues to benefit a parent after death (Sahih Muslim 1631), making this one of the highest-yield duas a believer can make.

Can unmarried people recite Rabbana Hablana Min Azwajina?

Yes, absolutely. The verse uses the inclusive Arabic “min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina” without specifying that the spouse or children already exist. Single Muslims have always recited it as a forward-looking du’a, asking Allah for a righteous future spouse and pious children. Reciting it before marriage actually shapes the kind of partner you’re asking Allah to bring; one whose company would be qurrata a’yun, not just compatible but spiritually uplifting.

What does “qurrata a’yun” literally mean?

“Qurrata a’yun” literally means “coolness of the eyes.” It’s a classical Arabic idiom; in the desert culture of the early Arabs, tears of joy were warm and tears of grief were burning hot, so “cool eyes” became shorthand for the deepest possible relief and contentment. Imam Al-Qurtubi’s tafsir explains that when applied to spouses and children, the phrase points to a calm of the heart born from seeing your family in obedience to Allah, not a momentary smile but an enduring peace.

Is it “Rabbana Hablana” or “Allahumma Hablana” Min Azwajina?

The Quranic wording is “Rabbana hablana” (رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا), meaning “Our Lord, grant us.” Some Muslims also recite a personal du’a beginning with “Allahumma” (اللَّهُمَّ, “O Allah”) that uses the same request, and it’s perfectly fine as a personal supplication. But if you’re reciting this verse as it appears in Surah Al-Furqan 25:74, the correct opening is “Rabbana,” not “Allahumma.” Both are addressing Allah; only “Rabbana hablana” matches the exact Qur’anic text.