Can Quranic Verses Be Used in Supplications and Invocations?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
Is it permissible to use Quranic verses in supplications, remembrances, and protective invocations?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Using Quranic Verses in Supplications
Yes, it is permissible to use Quranic verses in supplications, remembrances, and protective invocations (ta‘wiz). The Quran contains numerous supplications taught by the Prophets and others, which are far superior to many of the invocations that people may come up with. However, it is important to use these verses appropriately and in their correct context. The Quran is a source of immense blessings, and its verses can be used for spiritual healing, as Allah (Most High) says:
“We send down the Quran as a healing and mercy for the believers, but it only increases the wrongdoers in loss.” [Quran, 17:82]
Examples of Quranic supplications include:
- “Our Lord! Accept (this) from us. You are indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [Quran, 2:127]
- “Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” [Quran, 2:201]
- “Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver (of all bounties).” [Quran, 3:8]
Quranic Verses for Protection
Quranic verses can also be used for protection and spiritual fortification. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would recite the last three chapters of the Quran (Surat al-Ikhlas, Surat al-Falaq, and Surat al-Nas) and blow into his palms, then wipe over his body three times before sleeping. [Ibn Hibban]
Similarly, ‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would recite the Mu‘awwidhat (chapters for seeking protection) over himself when he was unwell, and when his illness worsened, she would recite them and use his hand to wipe over his body, seeking the blessing of his hand. [Bukhari]
Other powerful verses for protection include Surat al-Fatiha, Surat al-Baqara, or Ayat al-Kursi for safeguarding against Shaytan’s harm.
Healing and Mercy
The Quran is a source of light, healing, and unmatched remedy. Allah revealed it as guidance, mercy, and healing for the believers:
“Say, (O Prophet,) ‘It is a guide and a healing to the believers.” [Quran, 41:44]
And,
“O humanity! Indeed, there has come to you a warning from your Lord, a cure for what is in the hearts, a guide, and a mercy for the believers.” [Quran, 10:57]
By reciting it with reflection and conviction, one finds healing for both physical and spiritual ailments.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
