Allah says in the Holy Quraan:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ

“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you’” [Ghafir 40: 60]

Before you even begin studying, or sitting for an exam, it is essential that you connect yourself spiritually to Allah ﷻ. What better way to do that than prayers and duaas?

We all speak different languages. But the beauty of spirituality crosses all the barriers of language, race and colour. For maintaining a connection with Allah ﷻ, you don’t specifically need to make duaas in Arabic. We should make duaas in whatever language we are the most comfortable in and feel a stronger connection with Allah ﷻ.

However, there are quite a few important duaas Allah ﷻ mentions in the Quraan specifically for us and many more that our beloved Prophet ﷺ has mentioned in his Sunnah. We should gain benefit from them as well.

Here are a few of those golden duaas for exams, studies, interviews or any other sort of trial you are going through.

Remember: No examiner is too big in front of Allah. And no exam is bigger than life itself.

1. a) Duas for gaining knowledge:

Allah says in the Quraan:

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي  وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي  وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي  يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

“O my Sustainer! Open up my heart and make my task easy for me, and loosen the knot from my tongue so that they might fully understand my speech.”  [TaHa 20: 25 – 28]

Allah teaches us in the Quraan:

رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

“My Lord Increase me in knowledge.” [TaHa 20: 114]

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ   وَاجْعَل لِّي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ   وَاجْعَلْنِي مِن وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّعِيمِ

“My Lord, grant me wisdom, join me with the righteous; give me a good name among later generations; make me one of those given the Garden of Bliss.” [Ash-Shu’ara 26: 83 – 85]

قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا  ۖ  إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ 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.” [Baqarah 2: 32]

1. b) Duaa for studying something difficult:

The Prophet ﷺ advised us to recite the following duaa in any time of trials. We can read this duaa for exams, studies, or for any other type of trials that we are facing.

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ سَهْلاً إِلّاَ مَا جَعَلّتَهٌ سَهْلاً وَأَنّتَ تَجّعَلَ الحَزَنَ إِذَا شِئتَ سَهْلاً

“O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy. And if You wish, You make the difficult easy.” [Hisnul Muslim]

1. c) Duaas when suffering from stress, tension or anxiety:

The Prophet ﷺ said that one should recite the following duaa for exams, studies, or in any other times of stress or trials.

اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَ الْحَزَنِ ، وَ الْعَجْزِ وَ الْكَسَلِ ، وَ الْبُخْلِ وَ الْجُبْنِ ، وَ ضَلَعِ الدِّيْنِ وَ غَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

“O Allah! Certainly, I seek refuge in you from concern and grief and I seek refuge in you from inability and laziness, and I seek refuge in you from cowardice and miserliness and I seek refuge in you from the overpowering of debts and from the subjection of man.” [Bukhari]

اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَا أَنْتَ

“O Allah, I hope for Your mercy, so give me not over to myself even for as little as the wink of an eye, and set right all my affairs, there is no God but You” [Abu Dawud]

1. d) Dua for exams (before or during exam):

Allah says in the Quraan:

وَإِنْ يُرِيدُوا أَنْ يَخْدَعُوكَ فَإِنَّ حَسْبَكَ اللَّهُ ۚ هُوَ الَّذِي أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِ وَبِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Should they intend to deceive you, verily Allah is All-Sufficient for you. He is the One Who has strengthened you and the believers with His help.” [Anfaal 8: 62]