A collection of various du'a that may be recited while studying or working.
Du'as before/during study
اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً وَ إنْتَ تَحْعَلُ الْحزْنَ إذَا شِئْتَ سَهْ
O Allah! There is nothing easy except what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if it be Your Will
[Ibn Hibban]
اللَّهُمَّ الْطُفْ بِىْ فِىْ تَيْسِيْرِ كُلِّ عَسِيْرٍ فَاِنَّ تَيْسِيْرَ ; كُلِّ عَسِيْرٍ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيْرٌَ
Allahumma Tufiltuf bi fi taysiri kulli 'asirin, fainna taysirra kuuli 'asirin 'alaika yassirun
O Allah! Make easy for me every difficult thing, with Your special favour and Kindness, for it is easy for You to make every difficult thing easy
أللِّهُم النّفَعنِي بِمَا عَلَّمتَنِي وَ عَلِّمنِيِ مَا يَنفَعنِي
Allahumma infa'nii bimaa 'allamtanii wa'allimnii maa yanfa' unii
O Allah! Make useful for me what You taught me and teach me knowledge that will be useful to me.
اللهم اني اسالك العفو والعافية
Allahumma inni as'alukal 'afuwawal-afiya
O Allah! I seek your forgiveness and well being (meaning in examination, memory, and concentration etc)
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا , وَ رِزْقًا طَيَّبًا , وَ عَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً
Allahumma inni as'aluka 'Ilman naafi'an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa 'amalan mutaqabbalan
O Allah! I ask You for knowledge that is of benefit, a good provision and deeds that will be accepted.
[Ibn Majah and others]
اللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى اَسْئَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّه عَاجِله وَ اجِلِه مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَ مَا لَمْ اَعْلَمْ
Allahumma inni as'aluka min al khairi kullihi 'ajilihi wa ajilihi, ma 'alimtu minhu wa ma lam a'alam
O Allah! I ask You for all the good which is in the present or in the future, which I know and which I do not know
[a comprehensive du'a taught to Aisha by the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa sallam)]
Du'as for anxiety/difficulty
اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَ الْحَزَنِ ، وَ الْعَجْزِ وَ الْكَسَلِ ، وَ الْبُخْلِ وَ الْجُبْنِ ، وَ ضَلَعِ الدِّيْنِ وَ غَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma inni a'udhubika minal hammi wal hazan, wal 'ajzi wal kasal, wal bukhli wal jubn, wa dhala'id-dayni wa ghalabatir rijaal
O Allah! I seek refuge in You from grief and sadness, from weakness and from laziness, from miserliness and from cowardice, from being overcome by debt and from being overpowered by men (other people)
[Sahih al-Bukhari 7:158]
اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي اُنْزِلُ بِكَ حَاجَتِىْ وَ اِنْ قَصُرَ رَابِىْ وَ ضُعْفَ عَمَلِى افْتَقَرْت ;ُ اِلى رَحمَتِكَ
Allahumma inni unzila bika haajati wa-in qasuura rubbi wa du'fa 'amali iftaqartu illa Rahmatika
O Allah! I ask You to answer my needs, though my intellect is weak, and my actions are defective, O Allah! I am in need of Your Mercy
حَسْبِيَ اللهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
HasbiyAllahu wa ni'mal wakeel
Allah is my availer and protector and the best of aids.
رَبِّ اِنِّىْ مَغْلُوْبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ
O Allah! I am overpowered, so help me.
[surah al-Qamar, 54:10]
This was the du'a of sayyidna Nuh (alayhis salam) after 950 years of preaching to a stubborn people.
Du'as for Knowledge
اللَّهُم¡ اِنِّى اَسْئَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَجِيْحًا
Allahumma inni as'aluka 'ilman-naaji'han
O Allah! I ask You for useful Knowledge
سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
Glory be to you, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise
[surah Baqarah; 2:32]
رَبِّ زدْنيِ عِلْماً وَ رْزُقْنيِ فَهْماً
Rabbi zidni 'ilman war zuqni fahman
O Allah! Advance me in Knowledge and true understanding
يَا عَلِيمُ عَلِّمْنِىْ
Ya Alimu, alimni
O All-Knowing, grant me knowledge
رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا
O my Lord! Advance me in Knowledge
[surah Ta-Ha; 20:114]
Du'as after studying
اَللَّهُمَّ ذَكِّرْنِِىْ مِنْهَ ، وَ عَلِّمْنِىْ مِنْهُ مَا جَهِلْتُ
Allahumma zakkirni minhu, wa 'alimni minhu ma jahiltu
O Allah! Assist me to remember it, and teach me whatever I am ignorant of it
Allahhumma inni astaodeeuka ma qara'tu wama hafaz-tu. Faradduhu 'allaya inda hagati elayhi
O Allah! I entrust You with what I have read and I have studied. (O Allah!) Bring it back to me when I am in need of it.
صلى الله على محمد وال محمد اللهم اني أسألك يا مدخر الخير وفاعله والآمر به ذكرني ما انسانيه الشيطان
SallAllahu 'ala Muhammad wa 'aali Muhammad. Allahumma inni as'aluka ya Mudhakkiral khayr wa faa'ilahu wal-aamimira bihi dhakirni ma ansaanihi-shaytan
Blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad and his progeny. O Allah! I ask You, The One who mentions goodness and actualizes it and commands it, Remind me of that which the shaytan makes me forget
اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعَنِىْ بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِىْ وَ عَلِّمْنِىْ مَا يَنْفَعَنِىْ
Allahummanf'ani bima 'allamtani, wa 'allimni ma yaufa'uni
O Allah! Let the knowledge that You have granted me, be useful for me, and teach me whatever can be fruitful for me
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
Our Rabb! accept from us. You indeed, You are the all-Hearing, the all-Knowing.
[Surah Baqarah, 2:127]
Study Tips:
1. Do the prayers at their correct times.
2. Pray a 2 rakat nafl prior to exam
3. Remember its all in Allahs will if you are to pass
4. Say بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ (In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind) - before commencing the exam - indeed before anything that you do.
5. Recite some du'as (like the ones listed above), and keep in constant dhikrullah (i.e. the daily dhikrs when waking, dressing, eating, sleeping, etc)
6. Come home and pray 2 rakat nafl after the exam for shukr (offer thanks to Allah) for granting you the strength and persistence and ability to complete the exam and accomplish goals inshaAllah
7. Increase in your reading and listening of the Qur'an and performing more ibadah (worship) (i.e. nafilah (voluntary) prayers and deeds). Keep away from bad actions and deeds - Follow up a bad deed with a good deed, to cancel it out.
8. Recite salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wa salllam [durud] in abundance