Dua for Marriage: Duas From the Quran and Sunnah for a Righteous Spouse
There is no single dua for marriage that the Prophet ﷺ prescribed for finding a spouse. The duas Muslims rely on come from the Quran: the dua of Musa (AS) when he was alone and in need, “My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need” (28:24); the dua for spouses who are “comfort to our eyes” (25:74); and “Our Lord, give us in this world that which is good” (2:201), which scholars of tafsir explain includes a good spouse. You can also ask Allah in your own words, in any language.
This guide gives each dua in Arabic, with a transliteration and meaning, then covers the times dua is most likely to be answered, whether you can ask for a particular person, and what to do when the answer seems slow to come.
| Dua | Source | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir | Quran 28:24 | Asking Allah for whatever good He has written for you, including a spouse |
| Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yun | Quran 25:74 | A spouse and family who bring you joy in this life and help you towards the next |
| Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah | Quran 2:201 | A complete dua for good in this world, which includes a good spouse, and in the Hereafter |
| Your own words | Permitted in any language | Asking for exactly what you need, including help with a specific proposal |
The Best Duas for Marriage From the Quran
1. The Dua of Musa (AS): “I Am in Need of Whatever Good You Send Me”
رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
Transliteration: Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqir.
Meaning: “My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.” (Quran 28:24)
Musa (AS) made this dua after fleeing Egypt. He arrived in Madyan alone, with no home and no work, and found two women holding their flocks back from the crowded well. He watered their animals for them, then sat in the shade and said these words. A few verses later, the women’s father invites him to their home and offers him one of his daughters in marriage (Quran 28:27).
Two things make this dua so fitting for anyone hoping to marry. Musa (AS) did not name what he wanted. He admitted his need and left the choice of “whatever good” to Allah, and what came was a wife, a home and work. He also made the dua straight after doing something good for others, not while sitting and waiting.
2. The Dua for “Comfort to Our Eyes”
رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
Transliteration: Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyyatina qurrata a’yunin waj’alna lil-muttaqina imama.
Meaning: “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.” (Quran 25:74)
This dua comes at the end of Surah al-Furqan, in the description of “the servants of the Most Merciful”. It asks for more than a spouse. It asks for a spouse and children who are a “comfort to the eyes”, someone you are glad to come home to, and for the whole family to be an example of righteousness. Single people use it while they search, and married couples keep using it for the rest of their lives, which says something about what a good marriage is for.
3. The Dua for Good in This World and the Next
رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Transliteration: Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina ‘adhaban-nar.
Meaning: “Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Quran 2:201)
Anas ibn Malik reported that this was the dua the Prophet ﷺ made most often (Sahih al-Bukhari 6389). In his commentary on the verse, Ibn Kathir lists what the scholars of tafsir said the “good of this world” includes: well-being, a spacious home, sufficient provision, beneficial knowledge and “pleasing mates”, among other things. So when you make this dua with marriage in mind, you are asking for a good spouse within a request for everything else you need.
4. A Dua in Your Own Words
Dua does not have to be in Arabic, and it does not have to be a fixed formula. Allah says: “Call upon Me; I will respond to you” (Quran 40:60), and “I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me” (Quran 2:186). Speak to Him plainly about what you want. For example:
“O Allah, make it easy for me to marry a righteous spouse who loves You, who will help me in my Deen and be kind to me, and make our home one of peace. Guide me to them, and guide them to me.”
Being specific about character is fine. Many people find it helps to name the qualities they have written down as non-negotiables, so that the dua and the search pull in the same direction.
Can You Make Dua to Marry a Specific Person?
Yes. Scholars allow a man to ask Allah to make it easy for him to marry a particular woman, and a woman to ask the same about a particular man. IslamQA (answer 219260) adds two pieces of advice. First, a general dua for a righteous spouse is better, because it leaves the choice with Allah and protects your heart from becoming fixed on one outcome. Second, if you do name someone, attach a condition: “O Allah, if marrying this person is good for me, make it easy for me.”
That condition is the heart of Istikhara, the prayer for guidance before a decision. If a proposal is on the table, pray Istikhara as well as making dua. We explain the prayer and its supplication in our guide to how to perform Istikhara for marriage.
When to Make Dua for Marriage
You can make dua at any time. The Sunnah points to certain moments when it is especially likely to be answered:
- The last third of the night. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah descends to the nearest heaven when the last third of the night remains and asks: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145). A few rak’ahs of night prayer before Fajr, followed by dua, is a habit many people keep throughout their search.
- In sujood. “The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication” (Sahih Muslim 482).
- Between the adhan and the iqamah. “The supplication made between the adhan and the iqamah is not rejected” (Sunan Abi Dawud 521, graded sahih by al-Albani). If you pray at the mosque, this is the few minutes you spend waiting for the prayer to start.
- The hour on Friday. The Prophet ﷺ said there is a short time on Friday when a Muslim who is praying and asks Allah for something is given it (Sahih al-Bukhari 935).
- While travelling. The dua of a traveller is one of three that are answered without doubt (Sunan Abi Dawud 1536, graded hasan by al-Albani). A long journey for work, Umrah or a family visit is time worth using.
Ask for Others, and Let Others Ask for You
Two narrations are easy to overlook when you are focused on your own search.
The first is about praying for other people. The Prophet ﷺ said that when a Muslim makes dua for his brother in his absence, an angel says, “And for you the same” (Sahih Muslim 2732). If you have a friend, sibling or cousin who is also looking for a spouse, make dua for them by name. You lose nothing, and the angel’s words cover you too.
The second is about parents. The Prophet ﷺ named “the supplication of a father for his child” among three supplications that are undoubtedly answered (Sunan Ibn Majah 3862, graded hasan by Darussalam). If your parents are alive, ask them to make dua for your marriage. For many families, this simple request also opens a conversation that has been hard to start.
What Can Hold a Dua Back
The Sunnah names a few things that stand between a person and an answered dua. Each is worth checking honestly.
- Impatience. “The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience (by saying, ‘I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted’)” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6340). The danger is not the delay itself, but giving up on dua because of it.
- Unlawful income. The Prophet ﷺ described a traveller, dishevelled and dusty, raising his hands and calling “O Lord, O Lord”, while his food, drink and clothing were from unlawful sources, and asked how such a person could be answered (Sahih Muslim 1015).
- Cutting family ties. In the narration about the three outcomes of dua (below), the Prophet ﷺ excluded someone who has cut off his relatives (Al-Adab al-Mufrad 710). Marriage searches sometimes cause real tension at home. Disagreeing with family is not the same as cutting them off, but if a relationship has broken down, mending it is part of the work.
When Your Dua Seems Unanswered
Months or years of asking without a proposal can make anyone wonder whether their dua is being heard. The Sunnah answers this directly. The Prophet ﷺ said that a Muslim who makes dua is given one of three things: the request is granted soon, or it is stored up for them in the Hereafter, or an equal harm is turned away from them. When the Companions said they would then make a lot of dua, he replied, “Allah has more still to give” (Al-Adab al-Mufrad 710, graded sahih by al-Albani).
He also said that Allah is generous and “is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him” (Sunan Abi Dawud 1488, graded sahih by al-Albani). No sincere dua is wasted. A proposal that fell through may be the harm that was turned away. The spouse you have not met yet may be the answer still on its way.
If rejection has worn you down, our piece on why rejection does not define your next search may help, and women carrying the extra pressures of the search may find the hidden struggles Muslim women face when seeking marriage familiar.
Dua and Effort Go Together
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ whether he should tie his camel and rely on Allah, or leave it loose and rely on Allah. He replied: “Tie it and rely upon Allah” (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2517, graded hasan by Darussalam). Dua for marriage works the same way. It is not a replacement for telling your family you are ready, asking trusted people to look out for you, or meeting someone suitable. It is what you do alongside all of that.
Allah also promises that “whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect” (Quran 65:2 to 65:3). Many couples can point to an introduction that came from somewhere they never expected. For the practical side of the search, from setting your priorities to involving the Wali, follow our guide on how to find a spouse in Islam.
A Note on Wazifas and Fixed Counts
Search for “dua for marriage” and you will find many wazifas: a verse or name of Allah to recite a set number of times, often with a promise of quick results. These counts are not found in the Quran or the authentic Sunnah. Scholars differ on them. Some allow a recitation that has been found helpful, as long as the person does not believe the number is required or that the result is guaranteed. Others prefer to stay with the duas taught in the Quran and Sunnah. If you are unsure, ask a scholar you trust, and treat any claim that a recitation will “guarantee” a marriage within days with caution. Only Allah decides when and whom you marry.
The Dua for a Newly Married Couple
Once the search ends in a Nikah, a different dua takes over. When the Prophet ﷺ congratulated someone on his marriage, he said:
بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْرٍ
Transliteration: Barakallahu laka wa baraka ‘alayka wa jama’a baynakuma fi khayr.
Meaning: “May Allah bless for you, and may He bless on you, and combine both of you in good” (Sunan Abi Dawud 2130, graded sahih by al-Albani).
It is the dua guests say to the couple at the Nikah, and a good one to learn now, while you are still making dua for your own.
Make Dua, Then Take the Next Step
Dua asks Allah to open a door. Pure Matrimony is one way to walk through it: a marriage platform for practising Muslims, where you can describe the Deen and character you are looking for and involve your Wali and family from the first conversation. Keep making dua for the right person, and create your free profile so they have a way to find you.