Dua for Parents Mercy and Forgiveness

Dua for parents in Islam- Dua, which means invocation or to call out is an act of supplication. For Muslims, it is a prayer that means to call out to God. It is a conversation with Allah. The act of conversation with Allah in which a person either ask for wishes or seek forgiveness is called ‘Dua’.  

Dua has high power, it is said it can change the lives of people. If someone makes dua with pure intentions, it will be accepted. Muslims make dua for parents, for themselves and their loved ones. Here in this article, different dua for parents are mentioned. Moreover, Quranic verses and hadiths on parents’ importance and making dua for them are also mentioned.  

Importance of dua

Dua has very importance in Islam. This can be measured from the below-given hadiths which say; 

الدعاء مخُ العبادة. (Sunan Al Tirmidhi) 

Translation: ‘Dua is the core of Ibadat’. 

الدعاء هو العبادة 

Translation: ‘Dua is Ibadat’. 

These hadiths tell how much dua is important which is why it is called as ‘Ibadat’. Ibadat means making contact with Allah. If a person is suffering, he must make dua with ‘Tawakkul’ and he should also make dua for his parents and family.  

Dua for parents in Islam

A parent’s love is selfless, it can’t be measured. Children can’t return the love that parents give them from start. One of the best ways to repay parents’ love, is to include them in your duas daily, recite a few verses for them and ask for their forgiveness from Allah.  

Children must do good deeds and do dua for parents because the reward will be given to parents as well. They are “Sadaqah e Jariya” (continuing charity) for parents.  

1- Dua for mercy on parents

رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا  

Translation: ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them [my parents] as they brought me up [when I was] small’. 

This verse 24 of Surah Al-Isra is a dua is for asking mercy on parents. 

2- Dua for Parents who are sick

Being a parent and witnessing them suffer illnesses can be a stressful stage of life. The most one can accomplish is supportive and make Dua for parents.

Hazrat Aishah (RA) claims she has heard that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was known to seek refuge with Allah for a few of the members of his household. He would rub them with his right hand telling them:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ النَّاسِ أَذْهِبِ البَاسَ، اشْفِهِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي، لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلَّا شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا 

Oh, Allah! Allah is the Sustainer of Mankind! Eliminate the disease, heal the illness. You are the one who can cure.  You are the One Who cures. There is no cure except Your cure. Grant us a cure that leaves no illness.

3- Dua for parents forgiveness

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِیْ وَ لِوَالِدَیَّ وَ لِمَنْ دَخَلَ بَیْتِیَ مُؤْمِنًا وَّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنٰتِؕ-وَ لَا تَزِدِ الظّٰلِمِیْنَ اِلَّا تَبَارًا۠ (۲۸) 

Translation: ‘My Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and whoever enters my house in faith, and ˹all˺ believing men and women. And increase the wrongdoers only in destruction.” 

This verse 28 of Surah Nuh is for seeking forgiveness for one’s own self and parents.

۞ وَٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًۭٔا ۖ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًۭا وَبِذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱلْجَارِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْجَارِ ٱلْجُنُبِ وَٱلصَّاحِبِ بِٱلْجَنۢبِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًۭا فَخُورًا ٣٦ 

Translation: ‘Worship Allah ˹alone˺ and associate none with Him. And be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, near and distant neighbors, close friends, ˹needy˺ travelers, and ˹bondspeople˺ in your possession. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful.” 

۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّۢ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًۭا كَرِيمًۭا ٢٣ 

Translation: For your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And honor your parents. If one or both of them reach old age in your care, never say to them ˹even˺ ‘ugh,’ nor yell at them. Rather, address them respectfully. 

Hadith for making dua for parents

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) has said: “Deceased man’s deeds come from three things; Sadaqah e Jariya, beneficial knowledge, and a descendant who prays for him.” 

It’s an order from Allah to make dua for parents for their healthy and happy lives and their forgiveness when they left this world. The person should pray to Allah for mercy on his late parents and forgiveness.

Hadith about parents

Following are hadiths that shows importance of parents.  

عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (ع) أَنَّهُ قَالَ: بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ أَكْبَرُ فَرِيضَـةٍ

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Goodness towards (one’s) parents is the greatest obligatory act” 

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): مَا مِنْ وَلَدٍ بَارٍّ نَظَرَ إِلـى أَبَوَيْهِ بِرَحْمَةٍ إِلاَّ كَانَ لَهُ بِكُلِّ نَظْرَةٍ حَجَّةٌ مَبْرُورَةٌ. فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللٌّهِ وَ إِنْ نَظَرَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ نَظْرَةٍ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ. أَللٌّهُ أَكْبَرُ وأَطْيَبُ

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “Every righteous child who casts a look of mercy and affection upon his parents shall be granted, for every look of his, rewards equivalent to that of an accepted Hajj.” 

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): مَنْ أَصبَحَ مُطِيعاً لِلٌّهِ فِي الْواَلِدَينِ أَصبَحَ لَهُ بَابَانِ مَفْتُوحَانِ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وإِنْ كَانَ وَاحِداً فَوَاحِداً 

The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “One, who follows the orders of Allah with regards to obeying parents, shall have two doors of Paradise opened up for him. And if there happens to be only one parent, one door of Paradise shall open up for him.” 

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللٌّهِ (ص): مَنْ حَجَّ عَنْ وَالِدَيهِ أَوْ قَضى عَنْهُمَا مَغْرَماً بَعَثَهُ اللٌّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِـيَامَةِ مَعَ الأَبْرَارِ 

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said that “One who performs Hajj on behalf of his parents and repays their debts shall be raised by Allah on the Day of Judgement amongst the righteous ones.” 

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص): نَظَرُ الْوَلَدِ إِلَى وَالِدَيْهِ حُبّاً لَهُمَا عِبَادَةٌ

The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “The look of a child towards his parents out of love for them is an act of worship.”   

Dua for parents sunnah

Abu Usaid said once someone asked the Prophet (P.B.U.H): “Do my parents have rights over me after they die?” For which the Prophet replied: “Yes, you must pray to Allah to have mercy upon your parents and for his forgiveness, fulfil the promises your parents made to anyone, maintain ties of their kinship and respect their friends”  

Dua for Parents Conclusion

Islam has emphasized the importance of parents and their rights. It can be evaluated from the verses of the Quran how much it is important to respect parents. Our Prophet (P.B.U.H) has stated the importance of parents and making dua for parents. Parents raise their children with so much love and care that the children can’t repay even half of it.

Therefore, children should maintain good relations with their parents, respect them, listen to them and make dua for their parents. Children’s dua for their parents is so powerful. If someone’s parents are not in this world, they should always make dua for their parents and respect their relations.

Dua for parents FAQS

Q1. What is dua? 

Dua is an Islamic term that means ‘an act of supplication’. 

Q2. What does it mean by dua for parents? 

Making dua for parents means children praying to Allah for their parent’s health, happiness, forgiveness, and mercy upon them.

Q3. What is dua for mercy on parents? 

There is a Quranic verse for mercy on parents, which children must recite as dua for their parents. This verse is mentioned here; 

رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا 

The translation of this Quranic verse is ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them [my parents] as they brought me up [when I was] small’. 

Q4. What is dua for seeking forgiveness for parents? 

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ 

The translation of this verse is: “Our Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day when the judgment will come to pass.” 

Q5. Which hadith tells us about the importance of making dua for parents? 

The following hadith tells us about the importance of making dua for parents; 

“When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased)” [Muslim].