“Allahumma anfani bima allamtani” is a wonderful dua for knowledge. Here’s the prayer in full, along with its Arabic writing, what it means, how to say it in English, and where it comes from in Islamic teachings.
This dua comes from the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who encouraged seeking beneficial knowledge and using it for good deeds.
So, when you say this prayer, you’re asking Allah to help you use the knowledge you’ve gained for good things. It’s a beautiful way to seek guidance and blessings in your studies and actions.
Allahumma Anfani Bima Allamtani in Arabic
The dua is written in Arabic is:
اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي وَ عَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِي وَ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
Transliteration
Allaahumman fa’nee bima ‘allamtanee wa ‘allimnee ma yanfa’unee wa zidnee ‘ilma.
Allaahumma Anfani Bima Allamtani Meaning in English
Allahumma anfani bima allamtanee means O Allah benefit me with what You have taught me, and teach me that which will benefit me, and grant me knowledge which will benefit me.
Another similar dua from Anas bin Malik RA that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicating:
اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي ، وَعَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِي، وَارْزُقْنِي عِلْمًا تَنْفَعُنِي بِهِ
Transliteration: Allahumman fa’nee bi-maa ‘allam-ta-nee wa ‘allim-nee maa yanfa’u-nee war zuq-nee ‘ilman tanfa’u-nee bih.
Meaning: O Allah benefit me with what You have taught me, and teach me that which will benefit me, and grant me knowledge which will benefit me.
[Collected by an-Nasaa’i 4/444, al-Hakim 1/ 510, Bayhaqi 1/158 & authenticated by Albani in Silsilah No. 3151]
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Text of the Hadith
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah used to say: ‘
Allahummanfa’ni bima ‘allamtani, wa ‘allimnima yanfa’uni, wa zidni ‘ilman. Wal-hamdu Lillahi ‘ala kulli hal. [O Allah, benefit me by that which You have taught me, and teach me that which will benefit me, and increase my knowledge. Praise is to Allah in all circumstances].’”
[Collected by Al-Tirmidhi 3599 and Ibn Majah 251]
This Hadith is a powerful supplication that teaches us about the importance of knowledge in Islam and how we should approach it. It’s a special prayer that helps us understand our relationship with knowledge.
In the supplication, there are three important sentences that guide us towards achieving this noble goal.
The first sentence is from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “O Allah, benefit me through that which You have taught me…”
This means asking Allah to help us benefit from the knowledge we acquire. Because the main reason for seeking knowledge is to use it in a good way.
In Islam, any knowledge that comes from the Qur’an and the authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is really important. We should seek this kind of knowledge because it helps us worship Allah better.
If we don’t use our knowledge for good, it can actually become harmful. So, it’s important to always seek knowledge with the intention of using it to do good deeds and please Allah.
The second part of this teaching is when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “…and teach me that which will benefit me…”
Here, it’s asking Allah to give us knowledge that is really helpful. This includes understanding the laws of Islam (called the Sharee’ah) so we can follow them properly. When we have this knowledge, we get three main benefits:
- a. We know what we have to do as Muslims, like how to pray and how to treat others.
- b. We learn about Allah, His Names, and His Attributes.
- c. We understand what we need to do to obey Allah better.
One way we can tell that Allah wants good for us is when He helps us learn and understand this important knowledge. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) showed us this by his own actions:
“Whoever Allāh intends good for, He will grant him Fiqh (understanding) of the Deen (al-Islām).” [Reported by al-Bukhāree, no. 71]
Getting knowledge alone isn’t enough to achieve goodness; we have to act on what we learn.
The third part is when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “…and increase me in knowledge.”
It’s like when Allah tells us in the Quran to ask Him to increase our knowledge. This is because knowledge is good, and having more of it is a good thing. And the way to get more knowledge is by:
- (a) working hard,
- (b) really wanting to learn,
- (c) asking Allah for help,
- (d) seeking help from Allah, and
- (e) always feeling like we need Allah’s help.
When we keep trying to learn and act on what we know, and keep asking Allah for more knowledge, we’ll stay on the right path until we meet Allah.
What an amazing situation to be in, and what a wonderful outcome it will be when this person is rewarded by their Lord!
It’s really important to understand that when someone asks Allah for beneficial knowledge, to use what they learn, and to gain more knowledge, they also have to take action to learn and benefit from it.
This means going through the steps of learning, improving, and growing along the way.
Just praying for knowledge isn’t enough. We also have to work hard to learn and understand.
Al-‘Allāmah Ib-nul-Qayyim explained that not gaining knowledge happens when we don’t do these six things:
- Not asking questions
- Not listening well
- Not understanding properly
- Not memorizing
- Not sharing knowledge with others
- Not acting upon what we know
It’s really beautiful for a Muslim to understand how important knowledge is and to ask Allah to guide them on the path of gaining beneficial knowledge.
This includes being successful in using that knowledge and improving ourselves through learning and action.
The need for knowledge is even greater than the need for food and drink because we need knowledge every moment of our lives.
[Taken from the book ‘Explanation of Comprehensive Supplications from the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) (‘Fiqh al-Ad’iyah wal-Adhkār’) Shaykh Abdur-Razzāq ibn Abdul-Muhsin al-Badr]
Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan explained it like this:
“When you say, ‘Oh Allah, benefit me by that which you have taught me…’ it’s because having knowledge alone isn’t enough. You could know a lot but not use it, and then your knowledge becomes useless. It’s like being a donkey carrying books around but not getting anything from them.
So, the point isn’t just to gain knowledge; it’s to gain knowledge and use it in a way that helps you. If the knowledge doesn’t help you, then it’s not worth much. In fact, it could even be bad for you, and you might end up in a bad place in the afterlife.
When you say, ‘Teach me that which will benefit me…’ you’re asking Allah to help you learn things that are useful. Because if Allah doesn’t teach you, you won’t learn anything that really helps you.
And when you ask for ‘knowledge that will benefit me,’ you’re not just asking for any knowledge; you’re asking for knowledge that actually helps you. Useless knowledge won’t do you any good and might even be a problem for you.
So, this hadith teaches us how important it is to seek useful knowledge and to ask Allah to help us learn and use it properly. It shows that knowledge and action go hand in hand.
You can’t just do good things without knowing why, and you can’t just know things without doing good things with that knowledge. Allah wants us to use our knowledge to do good deeds.”
[Excerpt of Shaikh Saalih al-Fawzaan’s explanation of the above hadeeth from Explanation of Buloogh al-Maraam – Vol. 6 Kitaab al-Jaami’; Chapter: adh-Dhikr wad du’a. – Pg: 347-348 Translator: Abu Fouzaan Qaasim]