Rabbi Irhamhuma Kama Rabbayani Sagheera is the Quran’s own teaching to children. It is a seven-word dua from Surah Al-Isra 17:24 in which Allah commands you to ask Him for mercy on your parents the same way they raised you when you were small. Muslims recite it for living parents and for those who have passed away, making it one of the most powerful daily supplications in Islam.
By Effat Saleh · Founder of islamtics · Sources: Quran 17:23-24, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Sahih Muslim 1631 · Updated 2026-05-10
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The Dua in Arabic, Transliteration & English
The dua appears in Surah Al-Isra, verse 24, and is the only supplication for parents that Allah Himself commands children to recite in the Quran. The full Arabic text, the line-by-line transliteration, and a faithful English rendering follow. The video below walks through the pronunciation word by word so you can recite it correctly the first time.
The Rabbi Irhamhuma dua written in Arabic with the diacritical marks (tashkeel):
رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا
And without the diacritical marks:
رب ارحمهما كما ربياني صغيرا
The transliteration in Latin script:
Rabbi irhamhuma kama rabbayani sagheera
The English translation by Saheeh International:
Related:
“My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.“
Word-by-word breakdown of the dua:
| Transliteration | Arabic | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbi | رَّبِّ | My Lord |
| Irhamhuma | ارْحَمْهُمَا | Have mercy upon them both |
| Kama | كَمَا | Just as |
| Rabbayani | رَبَّيَانِي | They raised and nurtured me |
| Sagheera | صَغِيرًا | When I was small (helpless and dependent) |
Word-by-Word Meaning of Rabbi Irhamhuma
Most translations render the dua as a single English sentence, but the Arabic carries layers no English word can fully hold. Each of the four key roots (rabb, raḥima, rabba, ṣaghura) is doing serious theological work. Understanding them turns a recited phrase into a heartfelt conversation with Allah.
Irhamhuma (ارْحَمْهُمَا): The verb is in the imperative form from the root r-ḥ-m, the same root as Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem. The suffix -huma is critical: it is the dual pronoun in Arabic, meaning “the two of them.” Arabic has a separate grammatical form for “two” that English collapses into the plural. The dua is asking mercy for both parents at once, not generically. Even if only one parent is alive, you say it for both; the verse keeps them paired.
Kama (كَمَا): “Just as,” “in the same manner.” This is not a casual comparison. It binds Allah’s mercy to the specific quality of the mercy your parents already showed you. You are asking Allah to mirror their care. It is the most humbling word in the dua.
Rabbayani (رَبَّيَانِي): Past-tense verb from the root r-b-w, meaning to nurture, cultivate, and raise from a state of weakness to a state of strength. The same root gives us the word Rabb: Lord, Cherisher, and Sustainer. By using this verb for parents, the Quran subtly elevates their role: they performed a small rububiyya (lordship of nurturing) over you in your infancy that mirrors Allah’s larger Lordship over all creation.
Sagheera (صَغِيرًا): Often translated simply as “young,” but linguistically it means “small,” and it carries the weight of total dependency. A sagheer child cannot feed itself, clean itself, or speak. The word reminds you that the mercy your parents gave you was given when you could give nothing back. Now they are aging; they may need that same one-way mercy from you. The dua hands the work back to Allah on their behalf.
Why This Dua Comes Right After Quran 17:23
Verse 24 of Surah Al-Isra does not stand alone. It completes a two-verse instruction that begins one ayah earlier in 17:23, and the order matters. The Quran first tells children how to act with their parents, then tells them how to pray for them. Conduct comes first; supplication seals it.
“Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect (‘uff’), nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honor.”
Quran 17:23
Verse 17:23 forbids the smallest sigh of impatience. The Arabic word ‘uff’ is closer to a single exhaled breath than an actual word. Scholars including Imam Al-Qurtubi note that if even ‘uff’ is forbidden, every harsher form of disrespect is forbidden by extension.
Verse 17:24 follows immediately: “And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say: ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them as they raised me when I was small.'” The structure is deliberate. Outward conduct (humility, gentle speech) and inward supplication (this dua) form one act of obedience. You serve them with your tongue, your body, and your heart, and you ask Allah to serve them where you cannot.
What Tafsir Ibn Kathir Says About Verse 17:24
Imam Ibn Kathir, the 14th-century scholar of Quranic exegesis, devotes a long passage to this verse. His central insight is that the dua applies to parents both during their lifetime and after their death, not just in old age, as a surface reading of 17:23 might suggest.
Ibn Kathir cites the famous hadith of Anas ibn Malik to anchor the warning behind the dua. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ascended the minbar and said “Amin” three times. When the companions asked what for, he replied that Jibril had come to him and said: “May the one whose parents reach old age, either one of them or both, and he does not enter Paradise through them, may he be far removed from Allah’s mercy. Say Amin.” So I said Amin. The hadith is recorded by al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and by Imam At-Tirmidhi.
The lesson Ibn Kathir draws from this pairing: aging parents are not a burden to endure. They are a guaranteed pathway to Jannah for any child who serves them with patience, gentleness, and this dua on their lips. Missing that pathway, when Allah literally placed it in your home, is treated by the Prophet ﷺ as a tragedy worth saying “Amin” three times to.
Reciting This Dua for Deceased Parents
One of the most-asked questions about this dua is whether it can be recited for parents who have already passed away. The answer is yes, and according to several mufassirin, that is one of its primary intended uses. The Sahih Muslim hadith below frames why.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: a continuing charity, knowledge from which others benefit, or a righteous child who supplicates for him.”
Sahih Muslim 1631 (narrated Abu Hurayrah)
Rabbi Irhamhuma is the canonical supplication that fulfils that third category. It is the gift the deceased can still receive after the door of personal action has closed for them. Every recitation by a child reaches the parents in the grave as ongoing mercy. Imam An-Nawawi, in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, calls this one of the most evidence-rich pillars of Islamic teaching on what continues after death.
If your parents have passed away, build a regular routine: recite Rabbi Irhamhuma after every fardh salah, on Fridays between Asr and Maghrib, and whenever you visit their grave. Pair it with charity given on their behalf and short Quranic recitation when you can. For more Quranic supplications connected to death and the deceased, see our guide to duas for the dead.
When and How to Recite Rabbi Irhamhuma
There is no single fixed time for this dua, but classical scholars of fiqh and tafsir highlight several windows where supplication is more readily accepted. Anchoring Rabbi Irhamhuma to one or more of these times turns it from a one-off recitation into a steady current of mercy reaching your parents every day.
- Immediately after every fardh salah, before standing up from the prayer mat. The post-salah window is among the strongest times for accepted dua, as the Prophet ﷺ said when asked when dua is most heard: “In the last part of the night, and after the obligatory prayers” (At-Tirmidhi).
- In your last sajdah of any salah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The closest a servant comes to his Lord is while he is in sujood, so make abundant supplication” (Sahih Muslim 482).
- In the last third of the night, during tahajjud, when Allah descends to the lowest heaven. This is the time for the heaviest, most personal duas.
- Friday between Asr and Maghrib, the hour of acceptance referenced in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (Sahih al-Bukhari 935).
- When visiting their grave: face the qiblah, give the standard greeting of the people of the graves (As-salamu ‘alaykum dara qawmin mu’minin), then recite the dua.
How to recite: face the qiblah where possible, raise your hands at chest level, recite the verse from Surah Al-Isra 17:24 first (Allah’s command, “wakhfid lahuma janahaaththulli mina arrahmati waqul…”), then continue with the dua itself. Repeat three or seven times. Speak softly, slowly, and with intention. There is no requirement to recite it in Arabic if you cannot. The meaning in your own language carries the same sincerity, but learning the Arabic is highly recommended for the barakah of the original wording.
Companion Dua: Rabbighfirli Waliwalidayya (Surah Ibrahim 14:41)
Rabbi Irhamhuma is not the only Quranic dua for parents. The second canonical supplication was taught by Prophet Ibrahim and recorded in Surah Ibrahim 14:41. Many scholars recommend reciting both back-to-back as a single paired dua for parents, one asking for mercy, the other asking for forgiveness.
“Rabbana ighfir li wa li walidayya wa lil mu’minina yawma yaqumul hisab.”
Quran 14:41
“Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day the account is established.”
The difference between the two duas: Surah Al-Isra 17:24 asks Allah for raḥma (mercy), the broader station that encompasses forgiveness, kindness, and elevation. Surah Ibrahim 14:41 asks for maghfira (forgiveness), the specific erasure of sins. Mercy is the umbrella; forgiveness is one limb beneath it. Recited together, they cover the full need: erase what is past, and grant what is to come. Read our full guide to the companion dua and its sources at Rabbighfirli Waliwalidayya, and see our complete collection of duas for parents for more options to add to your daily routine.
5 Practical Acts of Kindness Toward Parents
The dua is the spiritual half of the obligation. The other half is what fiqh calls birr al-walidayn, the outward kindness through your speech, your time, and your wealth. Verses 17:23-24 frame both halves as one inseparable duty. Here are five concrete actions every Muslim child can build into a weekly routine.
- Speak softly, always. Verse 17:23 forbids even the syllable ‘uff’. Lower your voice, slow your replies, and never let frustration leak into your tone. The classical scholars treated this as the easiest test of whether your faith has reached your character.
- Visit them in person every week. A phone call is good; physical presence is better. The Prophet ﷺ said the dutiful child does not stop coming to their parent’s door even when they are turned away.
- Spend on them before you spend on your own children. The fiqh ruling on financial maintenance places parents’ need above the children’s preferences when both are present. If your parents need anything you can provide, prioritize them.
- Make dua for them in your private salah. The dua of a child for a parent is described in hadith as one of the supplications Allah does not turn away. Pair Rabbi Irhamhuma with Rabbighfirli Waliwalidayya in your sujood.
- Maintain their friendships after they pass. The Prophet ﷺ said the highest form of birr after a parent’s death is to honor the people they loved (Sahih Muslim 2552). Visit their old friends, send them gifts, attend their gatherings.
Key takeaways:
- Rabbi Irhamhuma Kama Rabbayani Sagheera is from Quran 17:24, the only dua for parents Allah Himself commands children to recite.
- The verb irhamhuma is dual: it asks mercy for both parents at once, even when only one is still alive.
- Per Sahih Muslim 1631, a righteous child’s dua is one of three things that keeps benefiting parents after their death.
- Best times to recite: after every fardh salah, in your last sajdah, in tahajjud, and when visiting their grave.
- Pair it with the companion dua Rabbighfirli Waliwalidayya from Surah Ibrahim 14:41 for mercy plus forgiveness.
What does “Rabbi Irhamhuma Kama Rabbayani Sagheera” mean in English?
It means “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they raised me when I was small.” The Arabic verb irhamhuma uses the dual pronoun, so the dua asks Allah’s mercy for both parents at the same time, even if only one is currently alive.
Where in the Quran is the dua “Rabbi Irhamhuma”?
The dua appears in Surah Al-Isra, verse 24 (Quran 17:24). It directly follows verse 17:23, where Allah commands children not to even say ‘uff’ to their parents and to address them with respect.
Can I recite this dua for parents who have passed away?
Yes. Tafsir Ibn Kathir explicitly notes that the dua applies to parents both in their lifetime and after their death. Sahih Muslim 1631 confirms that a righteous child’s supplication is one of the three things that keeps reaching the deceased after their deeds end.
What’s the difference between Rabbi Irhamhuma and Rabbighfirli Waliwalidayya?
Rabbi Irhamhuma (Quran 17:24) asks Allah for mercy on parents (the broader station that includes forgiveness, kindness, and elevation). Rabbighfirli Waliwalidayya (Quran 14:41) asks specifically for forgiveness of sins. Many scholars recommend reciting both back-to-back so the request covers mercy plus forgiveness.
When is the best time to recite the dua for parents?
Five windows are most strongly recommended in the hadith literature: immediately after every fardh salah, in your last sajdah, during tahajjud in the last third of the night, on Friday between Asr and Maghrib (the hour of acceptance), and when visiting their grave facing the qiblah.
Can I make dua for non-Muslim parents?
You may ask Allah for general well-being, guidance, and good treatment in this life for non-Muslim parents while they are alive. Asking for forgiveness of sins specifically is, per the majority of scholars based on Quran 9:113, reserved for parents who died as Muslims. Continue making dua for guidance, and continue showing them kindness. That is the consistent Quranic instruction even when religion differs.
