Rabbi la tazarni fardan wa anta khairul warithin (رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ) is the dua of Prophet Zakariya (AS) recorded in Surah Al-Anbya, verse 89. Translated by Mustafa Khattab as “My Lord! Do not leave me childless, though You are the Best of Successors“, it is a concise, climactic supplication for righteous offspring that Allah answered with the birth of Yahya (AS).
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Rabbi la Tazarni Fardan in Arabic, Transliteration & Translation
The dua appears in Surah Al-Anbya (Chapter 21), verse 89, in the 17th Juz of the Quran. Below is the verse in Arabic with and without diacritics, the standard transliteration, and two of the most trusted English translations: Mustafa Khattab (The Clear Quran) and Saheeh International. The verse that immediately follows (21:90) records Allah’s response, which is what gives this short supplication its weight in classical commentary.
رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ
Without diacritics:
رب لا تذرني فردا وأنت خير الوارثين
Transliteration: Rabbi lā tadharnī fardan wa-anta khayru al-wārithīn.
You will see this rendered in English as Rabbi la tazarni fardan wa anta khairul warithin or …wa anta khairul wariseen. Both spellings refer to the same word; the Arabic letter ذ (dhāl) is most precisely written as “dh” but is commonly transliterated as “z” in English-language Islamic literature.
English Translations Side by Side
- Mustafa Khattab (The Clear Quran): “And ˹remember˺ when Zachariah cried out to his Lord, ‘My Lord! Do not leave me childless, though You are the Best of Successors.'”
- Saheeh International: “And [mention] Zechariah, when he called to his Lord, ‘My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while You are the best of inheritors.'”
- Pickthall: “And Zachariah, when he cried unto his Lord: My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the Best of inheritors.”
- Yusuf Ali: “And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to his Lord: ‘O my Lord! leave me not without offspring, though Thou art the best of inheritors.'”
The verse that follows, Quran 21:90, records Allah’s response: “So We responded to him and gave him John, and We made his wife fit for him.” Two miracles in one sentence: a son for an old man, and healing for a barren wife.
Word-by-Word Meaning of the Dua
A literal breakdown reveals layers most translations compress. Each word in this short supplication carries deliberate force, which is why classical mufassirin treat verse 21:89 as a model of how to ask Allah for things outside ordinary causes. Two words in particular — fardan and khayru al-wārithīn — deserve close attention.
Related:
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| رَبِّ | Rabbi | “My Lord” |
| لَا تَذَرْنِي | lā tadharnī | “Do not leave me” |
| فَرْدًا | fardan | “alone / single / childless / without successor” |
| وَأَنتَ | wa-anta | “and You” |
| خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ | khayru al-wārithīn | “the Best of those who inherit / the Best of Successors” |
On fardan: Classical Arabic dictionaries gloss this as being left singular, alone, with no continuation. In Tafsir Ibn Kathir, it carries the specific force of being without progeny to inherit one’s lineage and mission. Zakariya (AS) was the appointed guardian of Maryam in Bayt al-Maqdis (Surah Ali Imran 3:37) and a custodian of prophethood; “fardan” expresses fear of dying with no one to carry the message forward. The word is not merely emotional loneliness, it is the prophetic chain itself standing to be cut.
On khayru al-wārithīn: rendered as “Best of Successors” or “Best of Inheritors”, this phrase carries a theological balance. Zakariya (AS) is asking for an heir while affirming that Allah needs no heir — Allah inherits all things. The dua is petition wrapped in praise. As Ibn Kathir notes on this verse, it is “a supplication and a form of praise befitting the topic”. The supplicant submits even before the answer: if Allah does not grant a son, He remains the One to whom all things return.
The Story Behind Prophet Zakariya’s (AS) Dua
Prophet Zakariya (AS) was elderly, his wife was barren, and he was the appointed guardian of Maryam — the mother of Isa (AS). When he saw out-of-season provision miraculously appearing for Maryam in her prayer chamber (Quran 3:37), his hope for a child of his own was rekindled, and he turned to Allah in secret. The Quran preserves this prayer in three different surahs, each capturing a different stage.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, in its commentary on Surah Al-Anbya 21:89, transmits from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Said bin Jubayr (three of the most authoritative early mufassirin) that Zakariya’s wife was barren, that he was advanced in age, and that this was a true miracle of Allah. The same tafsir notes that he hid his prayer from his people. This detail comes directly from Quran 19:3, which describes him calling on his Lord nidā’an khafiyyā — “in a low voice” or “secretly”.
Allah answered him with Yahya (AS) — the prophet whose name Allah Himself describes in Quran 19:7 as one “We have not given to anyone before”. Yahya is the same prophet known to people of earlier scriptures as John the Baptist. He grew to become a model of righteousness referenced again in the Quran with words of remarkable tenderness (“And peace be upon him the day he was born and the day he dies and the day he is raised alive”, 19:15).
Three Stages of Zakariya’s Dua Across the Quran
A reader who studies only Surah Al-Anbya 21:89 misses two-thirds of the supplication. Zakariya’s plea unfolds in three stages across three surahs — each surah preserving a different facet of the same prayer. Reading them together is the closest a Muslim today can get to praying alongside the Prophet himself, walking through hope, weakness, and final submission.
Stage 1 — Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:38 (Initial Request)
“My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication.”
Quran 3:38
This is the opening petition — succinct, grateful, hopeful. It is made in the moment Zakariya is moved by what he witnesses with Maryam.
Stage 2 — Surah Maryam 19:4-6 (Detailed Plea)
“He said, ‘My Lord! Surely my bones have become brittle, and grey hair has spread across my head, but I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You, my Lord!… So grant me, by Your grace, an heir who will inherit ˹prophethood˺ from me and the family of Yaʿqūb.'”
Quran 19:4-6 (Mustafa Khattab)
Here Zakariya names his physical weakness and his theological need. He is not asking for a son simply to be a parent. He is asking for an heir to inherit prophethood — to keep the chain unbroken. The detail about brittle bones and white hair makes this one of the most emotionally vivid duas in the Quran.
Stage 3 — Surah Al-Anbya 21:89 (Climactic Concise)
“My Lord! Do not leave me childless, though You are the Best of Successors.”
Quran 21:89 (Mustafa Khattab)
Stripped to its bones. No description of weakness. Just submission and trust. This is the version most Muslims memorize and recite, because it concentrates the entire arc of his prayer into a single line. The arrangement of the three suras is not chronological in the Mushaf, yet read together they form a complete spiritual journey: hope, weakness, and total surrender.
Tafsir of Surah Al-Anbya 21:89
Classical commentary on this verse converges on three themes: the secrecy of Zakariya’s prayer, the precision of his Arabic word choice, and the immediate divine response. Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Tabari, and Tafsir al-Saʿdi all treat verse 21:89 as a model of how to ask Allah for outcomes that lie outside the normal chain of cause and effect.
On the Secrecy of the Prayer
Quran 19:3 records that Zakariya called on his Lord nidā’an khafiyyā — a hidden call. Ibn Kathir comments that he made the dua quietly, hiding it from his people, because he knew Allah hears the silent supplication of the heart as fully as the loud one. The lesson is direct: heartfelt private dua is closer to acceptance than public showmanship. There is a long tradition among the Salaf of considering hidden dua superior to open dua, and this verse is one of its proof-texts.
On the Word “Fardan”
Ibn Kathir explains that being left “alone” here means being left without a son who could be a Prophet after him — not personal loneliness, but the loss of the prophetic chain in his lineage. The desire was not selfish. It was for the continuation of Allah’s message through a righteous descendant. This reading is supported by what Zakariya says in Surah Maryam 19:5-6: “I fear ˹what˺ my relatives ˹might do˺ after me… so grant me an heir who will inherit ˹prophethood˺ from me.”
On “Khayru al-Wārithīn”
Ibn Kathir treats this phrase as both supplication and praise. Zakariya is in effect saying: “If You do not grant me a son, I trust Your decree — You are the Best of Inheritors of all that I leave behind.” This kind of submission folded into the petition is what makes verse 21:89 one of the most spiritually mature duas in the Quran. The supplicant has already accepted whatever answer comes before he hears it.
Allah’s Immediate Response (21:90)
The verse that follows reads: “So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon him Yahya, and cured his wife for him. Indeed, they used to hasten in doing good and call upon Us with hope and fear, and they were humbly submissive to Us.” Mufassirin read this verse as the model of an answered dua: hope balanced with fear of Allah, urgency in good deeds, and humility — the very profile Zakariya, his wife, and Yahya would all share.
When and How to Recite This Dua
There is no fixed time, place, or numerical count authenticated in the Sunnah for reciting Surah Al-Anbya verse 89 specifically. Like any sahih dua taken from the Quran, it can be recited at any moment, and is especially appropriate during the times the Prophet (ﷺ) emphasized as moments of accepted supplication.
Recommended Times for Any Dua (from the Sunnah)
- The last third of the night, during Tahajjud
- Between the adhan and iqamah
- During sujud in salah, when the servant is closest to Allah
- On Friday afternoon, in the hour before Maghrib
- After completing the fardh prayers
- While fasting, especially in the moments before iftar
A Note on Counts (“Recite 100 Times for a Baby Boy”)
Some popular blogs and folk-tradition pamphlets prescribe specific counts for this verse — 100, 313, or 786 times — for outcomes like marriage, employment, or a male child. None of these counts is authenticated in any of the canonical hadith collections. No Prophetic narration assigns a specific number to verse 21:89. The general principle laid down by classical scholars is that any sahih dua may be repeated as the supplicant wishes, with sincerity and presence of heart, but inventing a fixed count and attributing it to the Sunnah is incorrect and is a route to bidʿah.
What matters is clean intention, correct understanding of the Arabic, presence of heart, and conviction that Allah hears and responds in His own time and wisdom. A single recitation made with full understanding outweighs a hundred made absent-mindedly.
Authentic Hadith Duas for Righteous Children
Alongside Surah Al-Anbya 21:89, the Sunnah preserves authenticated supplications for offspring that come directly from the Prophet (ﷺ). These hadith-based duas pair well with Zakariya’s (AS) prayer, and unlike folk wazifa counts they carry verified isnād chains in the major hadith collections.
Sahih al-Bukhari 141 — The Bismillah Supplication Before Intimacy
The Prophet (ﷺ) said that when a husband approaches his wife, if he says:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، اللَّهُمَّ جَنِّبْنَا الشَّيْطَانَ وَجَنِّبِ الشَّيْطَانَ مَا رَزَقْتَنَا
Bismillāh, Allāhumma jannibnā ash-shaytān wa jannib ash-shaytān mā razaqtanā.
“In the name of Allah; O Allah, keep us away from Satan, and keep Satan away from what You have provided us.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 141 / Sahih Muslim 1434
If Allah has decreed a child for them as a result, no harm will reach the child from Satan. This narration is in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, making it the most authenticated supplication for righteous offspring in the Sunnah. It carries far more weight than any unverified wazifa count.
Surah Al-Furqan 25:74 — A Quranic Companion to Zakariya’s Dua
“Our Lord, grant us spouses and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us a model for the righteous.”
Quran 25:74
Reciting Quran 21:89, Quran 25:74, and the Sahih al-Bukhari 141 supplication together gives a couple a complete, fully-sourced spiritual program drawn from the Quran and the authentic Sunnah, not from folklore. This is the same combination scholars at Dar al-Ifta and similar fatwa councils consistently recommend to couples praying for righteous children.
