Back to School During Covid-19: Du'as to Teach Your Children
Many children in the UK will be heading back to school over the next couple of weeks, and of course parents are concerned about how to protect their physical and mental health during the ongoing pandemic.听
Although we should implement any protections that are in our control - maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask etc. - it is important to remember that there is much that we can't control. We are limited in our abilities and dependent upon Allah to protect us, for no harm can befall us or our loved ones except by His Will.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, 'If you were to rely upon Allah with reliance due to him, he would provide for you just as he provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with empty stomachs and return full'. [Tirmidhi]
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He (saw) also said, 'People whose hearts are like the hearts of birds (meaning they rely on Allah or are soft-hearted) will enter Paradise'. [Muslim]
Thus, while teaching your children how to take care of themselves as they head back to school, it is also important to remind them to call upon Allah for help and trust in Him.听
Ibn al-Qayyim said, 'Du'a听is one of the most beneficial remedies. It is the enemy of calamity; it repels it, cures it, prevents its occurrence, and alleviates it or reduces it if it befalls. It is the weapon of the believer'.
With that in mind, we've put together a quick list of protective du'as you can teach your children to recite before they go back to school.听
Firstly, teach your children to entrust their affairs to Allah every time you leave or enter the house, asking Allah to protect you all as the only One with the power to do so.
Du'a for leaving the house:
亘賽爻賿賲賽 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 貙 鬲賻賵賻賰賾賻賱賿賭鬲購 毓賻賱賶 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 賵賻賱丕 丨賻賵賿賱賻 賵賻賱丕 賯購賭賵賾賻丞賻 廿賽賱丕賾 亘賽丕賱賱賾賻賴
Bismi-llaahi, tawakkaltu 'ala-llaahi, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa bi-llaah.
In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah. [Abu Dawud]
Du'a for entering the house:
亘賽爻賿賭賲賽 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 賵賻賱賻噩賿賳賭丕貙 賵賻亘賽爻賿賭賲賽 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 禺賻賭乇賻噩賿賳賭丕貙 賵賻毓賻賱賭賶 乇賻亘賾賽賳賭丕 鬲賻賵賻賰賾賱賿賭賳丕
Bismi-llaahi walajnaa, wa bismi-llaahi 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 place our trust. [Abu Dawud]
Secondly, here are a couple of du'as they can recite to protect themselves and others from illness:
Du'a for protection from a sudden affliction
亘賽爻賿賲賽 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 丕賱賻賾匕賽賷 賱賻丕 賷賻囟購乇購賾 賲賻毓賻 丕爻賿賲賽賴賽 卮賻賷賿亍賹 賮賽賷 丕賱兀賻乇賿囟賽 賵賻賱賻丕 賮賽賷 丕賱爻賻賾賲賻丕亍賽 賵賻賴購賵賻 丕賱爻賻賾賲賽賷毓購 丕賱賿毓賻賱賽賷賲購
Bismillaahi-Ladhee laa ya岣島rru ma士a ismiHi shay示un fil-ar岣峢i wa laa f墨s-samaa示i wa Huwa As-Samee士ul-Aleem.
This du'a has been taken from the following hadith:
The Prophet (saw) said, 'Whoever repeats, "In the Name of Allah, with Whose Name nothing is harmed on earth nor in heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing" three times [in the evening] will not be stricken with a sudden affliction until he reaches the morning. And whoever repeats this three times in the morning听will not be stricken with a sudden affliction听until he reaches the evening'. [Abu Dawud]
Du'a to avoid bringing harm to oneself or to other Muslims
丕賱賱賻賾賴購賲賻賾 賮賻丕胤賽乇賻 丕賱爻賻賾賲賻賵賻丕鬲賽 賵賻丕賱兀賻乇賿囟賽 毓賻丕賱賽賲賻 丕賱賿睾賻賷賿亘賽 賵賻丕賱卮賻賾賴賻丕丿賻丞賽 賱丕賻 廿賽賱賻賴賻 廿賽賱丕賻賾 兀賻賳賿鬲賻 乇賻亘賻賾 賰購賱賽賾 卮賻賷賿亍賺 賵賻賲賻賱賽賷賰賻賴購
兀賻毓購賵匕購 亘賽賰賻 賲賽賳賿 卮賻乇賽賾 賳賻賮賿爻賽賷 賵賻賲賽賳賿 卮賻乇賽賾 丕賱卮賻賾賷賿胤賻丕賳賽 賵賻卮賽乇賿賰賽賴賽
賵賻兀賻賳賿 兀賻賯賿鬲賻乇賽賮賻 毓賻賱賻賶 賳賻賮賿爻賽賷 爻購賵亍賸丕 兀賻賵賿 兀賻噩購乇賻賾賴購 廿賽賱賻賶 賲購爻賿賱賽賲賺
Allaahumma Faatira-ssamaawaati wal-ar岣峣, 士Aalimal-ghaybi wa-shahaadati, laa ilaaha illa Anta, Rabba kulli shay示in wa-Maleekahu, a士oodhu biKa min sharri nafsee听wa min sharri-shaytaani听wa shirkihi, wa an aqtarifa 士alaa nafsee soo示an aw ajurrahu ilaa muslim.听
O Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and visible, there is no true god but You, Lord of all things and their Sovereign. I seek refuge in You from the evil of myself and the evil of Shaytaan and听his (encouragement to commit) idolatry, and from bringing evil to myself or to another Muslim. [Tirmidhi]
Thirdly, during these stressful times, it is also important to lighten your children's hearts and take care of their mental health. These du'as will help them if they are feeling worried about going back to school:
Du'a for anxiety (and other worries!)
貙鈥嬝з勝勝戀庂囐徺呝戀� 廿賽賳賾賽賷 兀賻毓購賵賿匕購 亘賽賰賻 賲賽賳賻 丕賱賴賻賲賾賽 賵賻丕賱丨購夭賿賳賽貙 賵賻丕賱毓賻噩賿夭賽 賵賻丕賱賰賻爻賻賱賽 賵賻丕賱亘購禺賿賱賽 賵賻丕賱噩購亘賿賳賽
賵賻囟賻賱賿毓賽 丕賱丿賾賻賷賿賳賽 賵賻睾賻賱賻亘賻丞賽 丕賱乇賾賽噩賻丕賱賽
Allaahumma, innee a'oodhu biKa min-al-hammi wal-hazni, wal-'ajzi wal-kasali, wal-bukhli wal-jubni, wa 岣峚l'i-ddayni wa ghalbati-rrijaal.
O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men. [Abu Dawud]
Du'a for feeling restless or apprehensive during sleep, or being afraid to go to sleep:
貙兀賻毓購賵賿匕購 亘賽賰賻賱賽賲賻丕鬲賽 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 丕賱鬲賾賻丕賲賾賻丕鬲賽 賲賽賳賿 睾賻囟賻亘賽賴 賽賽 賵賻毓賽賯賻丕亘賽賴賽
賵賻卮賻乇賾賽 毓賽亘賻丕丿賽賴 賵賻賲賽賳賿 賴賻賲賻夭賻丕鬲賽 丕賱卮賾賻賷賿丕胤賽賷賿賳賽 賵賻兀賻賳賿 賷賻丨賿囟購乇購賵賿賳賻
A-'oodhoo bikalimaati-llaahi-ttaammaati min gha岣峚biHi, wa 'iqaabiHi, wa sharri 'ibaadiHi, wa min hamazaati-shayaateen wa an yah岣島roon.
I take refuge in the perfect words of Allah from His anger and punishment, and from the evil of His servants, and from the taunt of devils and from their presence. [Abu Dawud]
Fourthly, here's a du'a you can make yourself to protect your children as they head back to school:
Du'a for protecting children
兀購毓賽賷賿匕購賰購賲賻丕 亘賽賰賻賱賽賲賻丕鬲賽 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 丕賱鬲賾賻丕賲賾賻丞賽貙 賲賽賳賿 賰購賱賾賽 卮賻賷賿胤賻丕賳 賺 賵賻賴賻丕賲賾賻丞貙 賺 賵賻賲賽賳賿 賰購賱賾賽 毓賻賷賿賳 賺 賱丕賲賾賻丞
U-'eedhukumaa bi kalimaati-llaahi-ttaammati, min kulli shaytaanin, wa haammatin, wa min kulli 'aynin laamma.
Ibn Abbas related that the Prophet (saw) used to seek refuge in Allah for Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn (his grandsons), saying, 'Your forefather (i.e. Ibrahim) used to seek refuge with Allah for Ismail and Ishaaq with this [supplication]: "I take refuge in the perfect words of Allah from every devil, and vermin, and from every evil, harmful, envious eye"'. [Bukhari]
Finally, in addition to their health, you and your children may also be concerned about how their education has been affected by months away from a classroom. Here are a couple of du'as they can recite to help them study:
Du'a for increasing knowledge
乇賻亘賽賾 夭賽丿賿賳賽賷 毓賽賱賿賲賸丕
Rabbee zidnee 'ilman.
O my Lord, increase me in knowledge. [Qur'an, 20:144]
Du'a for a difficult task (e.g. studying a difficult topic)
丕賻賱賱賾賻賴購賲賾賻 賱賻丕 爻賻賴賿賱賻 廿賽賱賾賻丕 賲賻丕 噩賻毓賻賱賿鬲賻賴購 爻賻賴賿賱丕賸 賵賻兀賻賳賿鬲賻 鬲賻噩賿毓賻賱購 丕賱賿丨賻夭賻賳賻 廿賽匕賻丕 卮賽卅賿鬲賻 爻賻賴賿賱丕賸
Allaahumma laa sahla illaa ma ja-'altahu sahlan wa Anta taj'alul-hazana idha shi'ta sahlan.
O Allah! Nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy'. [Ibn Hibban]
May Allah protect you and your loved ones from illness, stress and hardship, ameen.
While reciting the above du'as, don't forget that giving charity is also an essential protection against calamity. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, 'Rush to give charity, for indeed calamities cannot go beyond it' [Tabarani].
You can learn more in our previous article about the power of charity during a crisis.
As children around the world begin the academic year, some online and some in school, why not give some Sadaqah towards needy children to support them while protecting yourself from calamity? You can sponsor an orphan, donate a school kit or feed schoolchildren in war-torn Yemen.
May Allah put barakah in whatever you spend for His sake, ameen.
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