Rabbana Innana Amanna Faghfir Lana: Meaning, Arabic & Source (3:16)

Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana dhunubana wa qina ‘adhab an-naar is one of the most concise Quranic supplications in the entire mushaf — a single ayah that affirms faith, asks for the forgiveness of all sins, and seeks protection from the Fire in one breath. It is the dua quoted by Allah in Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:16 as the words of the people described in verses 15–17: the patient, the truthful, the obedient, those who spend in charity, and those who seek forgiveness in the hours before dawn.

This guide gives the Arabic of the dua with and without diacritics, an accurate transliteration, the established English meaning, the Quranic context that frames the verse, a petition-by-petition breakdown of what the dua is asking for, the benefits classical commentators drew from it, the recommended times to recite it, and a frequently-asked-questions section that answers the most common reader queries about pronunciation, source, and meaning.

Rabbana Innana Amanna in Arabic

The dua is short and easy to memorize. Below is the supplication clause of Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:16 in the Uthmanic mushaf, with and without diacritics, so it can be read by anyone learning the Arabic script.

With diacritics, for accurate pronunciation in salah or memorization:

رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

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

ربنا إننا آمنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا وقنا عذاب النار

Transliteration

Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana dhunubana wa qina ‘adhab an-naar

Common spelling variants in search include “Rabbana innana amanna,” “Rabbana innana amanna faghfirlana,” “Robbana innana amanna,” and “Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana zunubana.” All refer to the same Quranic ayah at Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:16; the variation comes from regional transliteration habits, not from any difference in the Uthmanic text.

English Meaning

“Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”

Source: Surah Ali ‘Imran, Ayah 16

The dua appears in the third surah of the Quran, Surah Ali ‘Imran, at verse 16. The verse opens with the relative pronoun alladhina yaqooloona — “those who say” — tying the dua directly to the description of the believers in the verses immediately before it. The full ayah reads:

ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ١٦

“Those who say, ‘Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’” — Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:16.

Alladhina yaqooloona Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana dhunubana wa qina ‘adhab an-naar.

Quranic Context: Who Says This Dua

To understand the weight of this dua, it helps to read the three verses around it. Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:15 begins by asking, “Shall I inform you of something better than that?” — better than the wealth and worldly pleasures listed in verse 14. The answer is the eternal reward of Jannah: gardens beneath which rivers flow, pure spouses, and the pleasure of Allah. Verse 16 then identifies the people who receive this reward by quoting their dua — the dua of Rabbana innana amanna. Verse 17 closes the passage by describing them in five clear attributes.

“The patient, the truthful, the obedient, those who spend [in the way of Allah], and those who seek forgiveness before dawn.” — Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:17.

Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of these verses, notes that the dua of 3:16 and the description in 3:17 are paired by design: the dua is the speech of those whose lives match the five qualities of patience, truthfulness, obedience, charity, and predawn istighfar. The classical commentators read 3:17 not as a list of separate types of believer but as five attributes of the same person — the one in whose mouth the dua of Rabbana innana amanna belongs.

What the Dua Is Asking For, Petition by Petition

Although it is a single verse, the dua contains three distinct petitions, each building on the one before it:

• Rabbana innana amanna — “Our Lord, indeed we have believed.” The dua opens not with a request but with an affirmation. The believer begins by stating the relationship that gives the dua its weight: faith in Allah. The particle inna (“indeed”) and the verb amanna (the perfect form of amana, “to believe”) together emphasize that the belief is real, present, and complete — not a hope, but a stated fact.
• Faghfir lana dhunubana — “So forgive us our sins.” The word dhunub is the broad Quranic term for sin, covering everything from minor lapses to major wrongs. By using the plural form dhunubana (“our sins”) rather than naming a specific category, the dua asks for comprehensive forgiveness. The connecting particle fa (“so”) ties the request directly to the affirmation of faith: because we have believed, forgive us.
• Wa qina ‘adhab an-naar — “And protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” The verb qina means more than “save us” — it carries the sense of shielding, of placing the believer behind a barrier. Forgiveness of sins removes the cause; protection from the Fire removes the consequence. The dua asks for both in the same breath.

Benefits of Reciting This Dua

The benefits of reciting Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana are anchored in what the dua itself asks for, and in the description of the people who say it in the Quran:

• It is a Quranic dua taught by Allah Himself, which gives it the highest possible weight: there is no supplication more beloved to Allah than the words He chose to put in the mouths of His believing servants.
• It asks for the forgiveness of all sins in a single phrase — not a specific category, but dhunubana, “our sins” as a whole.
• It seeks protection from the punishment of the Fire, which is the consequence the Quran most consistently warns against for those who reject faith or persist in sin.
• It is short enough to memorize in a single sitting, but comprehensive enough to be repeated in every salah, every tahajjud, and during every quiet hour of the day.
• It places the reciter in the company of the people described in 3:17 — the patient, the truthful, the obedient, the charitable, and those who seek forgiveness before dawn.

When to Recite This Dua

The Quran itself gives the most direct guidance on when to recite this dua: Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:17 names al-mustaghfirina bil-ashar — “those who seek forgiveness before dawn” — as the people in whose mouth this dua belongs. Al-ashar is the last portion of the night, the hour just before fajr. Ibn Kathir and other commentators read this as a specific recommendation: the dua of 3:16 is recited most fittingly in the final hours of the night, during tahajjud or while preparing for fajr.

Beyond the predawn hours, this dua fits naturally into several other moments of the day:

• In sujood during salah, where the Prophet ﷺ taught that the worshipper is closest to Allah and most likely to have a dua answered.
• In the tashahhud before the final salam, alongside other forgiveness duas such as Allahumma inni as’aluka al-huda.
• During the last ten nights of Ramadan, when the predawn hours of istighfar carry their greatest weight.
• After committing a sin, paired with the dua of Adam and Hawa: Rabbana zalamna anfusana.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana mean?

The dua means “Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” It contains three petitions in one short ayah: an affirmation of faith (innana amanna), a request for the forgiveness of all sins (faghfir lana dhunubana), and a request for protection from the Fire (wa qina ‘adhab an-naar). The dua is quoted directly from Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:16.

Which surah and ayah is Rabbana innana amanna from?

The dua is from Surah Ali ‘Imran, the third surah of the Quran, at ayah 16. The verse falls within a short passage (3:14–17) that contrasts the temporary pleasures of this world with the eternal reward of Jannah and identifies the people who receive that reward by quoting the dua they say.

What is Rabbana innana amanna in Arabic?

In Arabic, with diacritics: رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. Without diacritics, as it commonly appears online: ربنا إننا آمنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا وقنا عذاب النار. Both forms are the same Quranic ayah; the diacritics are pronunciation marks for learners and do not change the underlying text.

When should this dua be recited?

The verse immediately after the dua, Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:17, describes the people who say it as “those who seek forgiveness before dawn” (al-mustaghfirina bil-ashar). Classical commentators read this as a direct recommendation to recite the dua in the last third of the night, during tahajjud. It is also commonly recited in sujood, after the tashahhud before the final salam, and during the last ten nights of Ramadan.

Who, in the Quran, says Rabbana innana amanna?

The dua is the speech of the believers described in Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:15–17. The verses describe them by five attributes: the patient (as-sabirina), the truthful (as-sadiqina), the obedient (al-qanitina), those who spend in the way of Allah (al-munfiqina), and those who seek forgiveness before dawn (al-mustaghfirina bil-ashar). Ibn Kathir notes that these are not five separate groups but five qualities of the same person — the one in whose mouth this dua belongs.

What other duas are similar in theme to Rabbana innana amanna?

Several Quranic duas share the same theme of affirming faith and asking forgiveness. Rabbana zalamna anfusana (Surah Al-A’raf 7:23) is the dua of Adam and Hawa after the slip in the garden. Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanah (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:201) asks for good in this world, good in the hereafter, and protection from the Fire. Rabbana amanna bima anzalta (Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:53) is a parallel dua said by the followers of Prophet ‘Isa, asking to be recorded among the witnesses to truth.