Everyone forgets. Everyone makes mistakes. This dua at the end of Surah Al-Baqarah teaches us to ask Allah not to hold us accountable for them, and to ask for His pardon, forgiveness and mercy. It is in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 286. You may also see its first words spelled as ‘Rabbana la tu’akhidhna’ or ‘Rabbana la tuakhizna’. They are the same words.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Roman English
Rabbanaa laa tu’aakhidhnaa in naseenaa aw akhta’naa. Rabbanaa wa laa tahmil ‘alaynaa isran kamaa hamaltahu ‘alal-ladheena min qablinaa. Rabbanaa wa laa tuhammilnaa maa laa taaqata lanaa bih. Wa’fu ‘annaa waghfir lanaa warhamnaa, anta mawlaanaa fansurnaa ‘alal-qawmil-kaafireen.
Hindi (हिन्दी)
रब्बना ला तुआख़िज़्ना इन्नसीना औ अख़्तअना। रब्बना व ला तहमिल अलैना इस्रन कमा हमल्तहू अलल्लज़ीना मिन क़ब्लिना। रब्बना व ला तुहम्मिल्ना मा ला ताक़त लना बिह। वअ्फ़ु अन्ना वग़्फ़िर लना वर्हम्ना, अन्त मौलाना फ़न्सुरना अलल्-क़ौमिल-काफ़िरीन।
ऐ हमारे रब! अगर हम भूल जाएँ या हमसे ग़लती हो जाए तो हमें न पकड़। ऐ हमारे रब! हम पर वैसा बोझ न डाल जैसा तूने हमसे पहले लोगों पर डाला। ऐ हमारे रब! हमसे वह बोझ न उठवा जिसकी हमें ताक़त नहीं। और हमें माफ़ कर दे, हमें बख़्श दे और हम पर रहम कर। तू ही हमारा मालिक (सरपरस्त) है, तो काफ़िर क़ौम के मुक़ाबले में हमारी मदद कर।
Urdu (اردو)
اے ہمارے رب! اگر ہم بھول جائیں یا ہم سے غلطی ہو جائے تو ہمیں نہ پکڑ۔ اے ہمارے رب! ہم پر ایسا بوجھ نہ ڈال جیسا تو نے ہم سے پہلے لوگوں پر ڈالا۔ اے ہمارے رب! ہم سے وہ بوجھ نہ اٹھوا جس کی ہم میں طاقت نہیں۔ اور ہمیں معاف فرما، ہمیں بخش دے اور ہم پر رحم فرما۔ تو ہی ہمارا مالک (کارساز) ہے، پس کافر قوم کے مقابلے میں ہماری مدد فرما۔
Meaning in English
Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not place on us a burden like the one You placed on those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelieving people.
Quran Reference
- Surah: Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2), verse 286, the last verse of the Surah
- Read online: Quran 2:286 on Quran.com
- Just before the dua: the verse says that Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.
- Related verses: Quran 2:284 and 2:285, which come right before it
Word-by-Word Meaning
- Rabbana – our Lord
- La tu’akhidhna – do not hold us accountable
- In nasina – if we forget
- Aw akhta’na – or make a mistake
- Wa la tahmil ‘alayna isran – and do not place on us a heavy burden
- Kama hamaltahu ‘ala alladhina min qablina – like the one You placed on those before us
- Wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bihi – and do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear
- Wa’fu ‘anna – and pardon us
- Wa-ghfir lana – and forgive us
- Wa-rhamna – and have mercy on us
- Anta mawlana – You are our Protector
- Fansurna ‘alal-qawmil-kafirin – so help us against the disbelieving people
The Background of This Dua
The verse before it, Quran 2:284, says that Allah will call people to account for what they show or hide in their hearts. This made the Companions very worried. The Hadith below tells us what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told them to do, and how Allah then revealed the last two verses of the Surah.
The first part of Quran 2:286 says that Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. After that comes this dua, which believers are taught to make.
Simple Explanation
This dua has several requests:
- Do not hold us accountable for forgetting or mistakes. We are human and we forget.
- Do not place a heavy burden on us like the one placed on people before us.
- Do not give us more than we can bear. We ask Allah to keep our tests within our strength.
- Pardon us, forgive us and have mercy on us. The three words are close in meaning, but each one asks for something: to remove the effect of sins, to cover them, and to give us Allah’s mercy.
- You are our Protector, so help us. We end by turning to Allah for help.
The last part of the dua is about helping the believers against those who oppose them. Many Muslims use the first parts to ask Allah for forgiveness of their mistakes and for ease.
What Does the Authentic Hadith Say?
1. Allah answered these requests. In Sahih Muslim 126, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when Quran 2:284 was revealed, a fear entered the Companions’ hearts like never before. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told them to say: ‘We have heard, we have obeyed and we submit.’ Then Allah put faith in their hearts and revealed the last verses of the Surah. For the requests in this dua, Allah answered: ‘I have done so.’ The same narration is in Jami at-Tirmidhi 2992, which is graded Sahih.
References: Sahih Muslim 126 and Jami at-Tirmidhi 2992
2. The last two verses at night. In Sahih Al-Bukhari 5009, Abu Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: whoever recites the last two verses of Surat Al-Baqarah at night, they will be enough for him. Scholars explain ‘enough’ in different ways, such as protection from harm, or taking the place of some of the night prayer. This dua is the end of those two verses (2:285 and 2:286).
Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5009
3. Allah has forgiven mistakes and forgetfulness. In Sunan Ibn Majah 2045, Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah has overlooked, for this Ummah, mistakes, forgetfulness and what people are forced to do. Al-Albani graded it Sahih. Scholars add that this does not remove every worldly responsibility, so for details please ask a trusted scholar.
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah 2045
Benefits and Lessons
- Be humble about your mistakes. We are asked to say ‘if we forget or make a mistake’. This reminds us that being human means forgetting.
- Allah does not give more than we can bear. If you feel tired and under pressure, read You Are Not Lazy. You Are Exhausted. on our site.
- Ask Allah in detail. The dua asks for no blame, no heavy burden, no unbearable burden, pardon, forgiveness and mercy.
- Call on Him as your Protector. ‘Anta mawlana’ means that Allah is our Protector and Helper.
- Make dua with the words of the Quran. The words of this dua are the words Allah taught the believers.
When Can I Make This Dua?
Allah invites us to call upon Him (Quran 40:60). The Hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari 5009 encourages reciting the last two verses of Surat Al-Baqarah at night. To follow it, recite both verses (2:285 and 2:286) in full. You can also make this dua any time you want to ask for forgiveness for forgetting or making mistakes.
Common Questions
Does this dua mean we can be careless? No. It is a request for Allah’s mercy when we forget or make mistakes. We should still try our best to follow Allah’s commands.
Is there a fixed reward for reciting only the dua part? We have not found an authentic Hadith that sets a number or a special reward for reciting only this dua. The authentic virtues we found are for the last two verses (Bukhari 5009) and for Allah’s answer in Sahih Muslim 126.
Does this dua remove anxiety? Some websites say it does. We have not found this as a fixed benefit in the Quran or authentic Hadith, so this is not verified. It is still a good dua of mercy and hope.
Were these verses given from a treasure under the Throne? Some websites say so. We did not verify the grade of this narration, so it is not verified here.
Are the Hindi and Urdu lines the Quran? No. The Arabic is the word of Allah. The other lines are only to help you read and understand. Please learn the correct pronunciation from a qualified teacher.
More Duas from Surah Al-Baqarah
- Rabbana Afrigh Alayna Sabran: Dua for Patience (Quran 2:250)
- Rabbana Atina Fid Dunya Hasanah (Quran 2:201)
References
- Quran 2:284–286 – quran.com/2/286
- Quran 40:60 – quran.com/40/60
- Sahih Muslim 126 – sunnah.com/muslim:126
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 2992 – sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2992
- Sahih Al-Bukhari 5009 – sunnah.com/bukhari:5009
- Sunan Ibn Majah 2045 – abuaminaelias.com
Conclusion
This dua is a gift from Allah. It teaches us to ask for forgiveness for our forgetfulness and mistakes, for ease, and for His mercy. Allah answered it for the believers in the Hadith above.
May Allah forgive our mistakes, ease our burdens, pardon us and have mercy on us. Ameen.
