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Quran terms and duas, with Arabic, transliteration and English meaning
Everything on this page is on one screen so you can search it. Type a word — “sleeping”, “travelling”, “tajweed”, “juz” — and the list narrows as you go. Each dua gives the Arabic, an easy-to-read transliteration and a plain British English meaning; each term gets a one-line explanation in everyday words.
Everyday duas
Short supplications for the ordinary moments of the day. Read the transliteration aloud slowly at first — the Arabic is there so you can follow along and, in time, read it directly.
Dua before eating
Bismillaah
In the name of Allah.
Said just before the first mouthful. If you forget and remember mid-meal, say Bismillaahi awwalahu wa aakhirahu — “in the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end”.
Dua after eating
Alhamdu lillaahil-lazee at‘amanaa wa saqaanaa wa ja‘alanaa muslimeen
All praise is for Allah, who fed us and gave us drink and made us Muslims.
Dua before sleeping
Bismika Allaahumma amootu wa ahyaa
In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.
Said as you lie down. Many also recite Ayat al-Kursi and the last three surahs before sleeping.
Dua on waking up
Alhamdu lillaahil-lazee ahyaanaa ba‘da maa amaatanaa wa ilayhin-nushoor
All praise is for Allah, who gave us life after He had caused us to die, and to Him is the return.
Dua for travelling
Subhaanal-lazee sakhkhara lanaa haazaa wa maa kunnaa lahu muqrineen wa innaa ilaa rabbinaa lamunqaliboon
Glory be to Him who has placed this at our service, though we could never have managed it ourselves; and truly to our Lord we are returning.
Said when you set off — boarding a car, train or plane.
Dua for a safe journey (asking for ease)
Allaahumma hawwin ‘alaynaa safaranaa haazaa watwi ‘annaa bu‘dah
O Allah, make this journey of ours easy, and shorten its distance for us.
Dua when entering the home
Bismillaahi walajnaa wa bismillaahi kharajnaa wa ‘alaa rabbinaa tawakkalnaa
In the name of Allah we enter, and in the name of Allah we leave, and upon our Lord we rely.
Dua when leaving the home
Bismillaah, tawakkaltu ‘alallaah, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah
In the name of Allah; I place my trust in Allah; there is no power and no strength except with Allah.
Dua when entering the masjid
Allaahummaf-tah lee abwaaba rahmatik
O Allah, open for me the doors of Your mercy.
Said stepping in with the right foot first.
Dua when leaving the masjid
Allaahumma innee as’aluka min fadlik
O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty.
Dua before wudu
Bismillaah
In the name of Allah.
Dua after wudu
Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illallaah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluh
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
Dua before entering the toilet
Allaahumma innee a‘oozu bika minal-khubthi wal-khabaa’ith
O Allah, I seek Your protection from all impurity and harmful things.
Dua after leaving the toilet
Ghufraanak
I seek Your forgiveness.
Dua before studying or seeking knowledge
Rabbi zidnee ‘ilmaa
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
A verse of the Quran (Ta-Ha 20:114), commonly read before study.
Dua when something is difficult
Allaahumma laa sahla illaa maa ja‘altahu sahlaa
O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy.
Dua for forgiveness (istighfar)
Astaghfirullaaha wa atoobu ilayh
I seek Allah's forgiveness and I turn to Him in repentance.
Dua for your parents
Rabbir-hamhumaa kamaa rabbayaanee sagheeraa
My Lord, be merciful to them as they raised me when I was small.
From Surah al-Isra (17:24).
What to say when you sneeze
Alhamdulillaah
All praise is for Allah. The person who hears it replies Yarhamukallaah (may Allah have mercy on you), and the sneezer answers Yahdeekumullaahu wa yuslihu baalakum.
Dua when it rains
Allaahumma sayyiban naafi‘aa
O Allah, let it be a beneficial rain.
Tasbih after salah
Subhaanallaah · Alhamdulillaah · Allaahu akbar
Glory be to Allah · All praise is for Allah · Allah is the greatest — said 33, 33 and 34 times after the fard prayer.
Ayat al-Kursi (the Verse of the Throne)
Allaahu laa ilaaha illaa huwal-hayyul-qayyoom…
Allah — there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. The opening of Surah al-Baqarah 2:255, widely read after salah and before sleeping.
Quran and Islamic terms explained
The words you meet in a qaida class, in the mushaf margins or at the masjid — in plain English, without the jargon.
- Surahسُورَة
- A chapter of the Quran. There are 114 of them, from Al-Fatiha to An-Nas.
- Ayahآيَة
- A verse of the Quran; literally a sign. Surahs are made up of ayahs.
- Juzجُزْء
- One of the 30 roughly equal parts the Quran is divided into, so it can be read across a month.
- Para
- The Urdu word for a juz — one of the 30 parts. Commonly used in UK masjids.
- Rukuرُكُوع
- A short section within a surah, marked in the margin of most mushafs as a natural place to pause.
- Mushafمُصْحَف
- A physical printed copy of the Quran.
- Tajweedتَجْوِيد
- The rules for pronouncing the Quran correctly — giving every letter its proper sound and length. Tajweed rules explained simply.
- Qaidaقَاعِدَة
- The beginner's primer: the letters, their sounds, the vowel marks and joining, learnt in order before reading the Quran itself. How to learn to read the Quran.
- Makhrajمَخْرَج
- The point in the mouth or throat where a letter's sound is made — lips, tongue, palate or throat. All 28 letters and their makhraj.
- Maddمَدّ
- A lengthened vowel, held for roughly two counts or more instead of one. How madd works.
- Ghunnahغُنَّة
- A nasal hum on noon and meem, held about two counts, with the sound resonating through the nose. How ghunnah works.
- Qalqalahقَلْقَلَة
- A slight bounce or echo on the letters ق ط ب ج د when they carry a sukoon. How qalqalah works.
- Harakatحَرَكَات
- The short vowel marks written above and below the letters.
- Fathaفَتْحَة
- A small stroke above a letter giving a short “a” sound — بَ is “ba”.
- Kasraكَسْرَة
- A small stroke below a letter giving a short “i” sound — بِ is “bi”.
- Dammaضَمَّة
- A small loop above a letter giving a short “u” sound — بُ is “bu”.
- Sukoonسُكُون
- A small circle marking a letter with no vowel — the sound stops dead on that letter.
- Tanweenتَنْوِين
- A doubled vowel mark adding an “n” to the end of a word — “an”, “in”, “un”.
- Shaddahشَدَّة
- A mark meaning the letter is doubled, so you dwell on it slightly.
- Waqfوَقْف
- A stopping point. Small symbols in the mushaf tell you where stopping is required, allowed or best avoided.
- Hifzحِفْظ
- Memorising the Quran. Someone who has memorised all of it is a hafiz.
- Tilawahتِلَاوَة
- Reciting the Quran aloud.
- Tarteelتَرْتِيل
- Reciting slowly and clearly, at a measured pace — the way the Quran itself asks to be read.
- Bismillahبِسْمِ اللَّهِ
- “In the name of Allah” — said before starting almost anything.
- Alhamdulillahالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
- “All praise is for Allah” — said in gratitude.
- SubhanAllahسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ
- “Glory be to Allah” — said in awe or wonder.
- Allahu akbarاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
- “Allah is the greatest” — said in salah and in praise.
- InshaAllahإِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ
- “If Allah wills” — said about anything in the future.
- MashaAllahمَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ
- “What Allah has willed” — said when admiring something good.
- Dhikrذِكْر
- Remembrance of Allah — short phrases repeated, often on the fingers or beads.
- Tasbihتَسْبِيح
- Glorifying Allah by repeating SubhanAllah; also the name for the beads used to count it.
- Duaدُعَاء
- A supplication — asking Allah for something, in any words, at any time.
- Sunnahسُنَّة
- The practice of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ; also a category of prayer that is recommended rather than obligatory.
- Fardفَرْض
- Obligatory. The five daily prayers are fard.
- Wuduوُضُوء
- The ritual washing before salah — hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head and feet.
Carry on inside Quran Closer
Once these phrases feel familiar, the next step is reading the script itself. The free qaida course starts at the very first letter, and the word-by-word reader shows you the meaning of every word as you go.