This is an explanatory page about the supplication said on completing the Quran: the circulating text with its origin and grading, the ruling on supplicating at completion, and authentic wordings suitable for it. If you are looking for the recitation itself, that lives in the Quran section.
The ruling on supplicating at completion
Supplication is an act of worship encouraged at all times, and a number of early Muslims gathered their families at the completion of a reading and supplicated. However, no specific wording is authentically reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, for that moment, nor a required number or formula. The summary is therefore:
- Supplicating after completion is permissible and good, falling under unrestricted supplication that no text fixed in wording.
- It is not from the Sunnah to single out a specific text and attribute it to the Prophet; doing so attributes what is not established.
- What is related from some early Muslims about gathering and supplicating are reports about them, not prophetic narrations, and should be described that way.
- Supplicating after completion congregationally in Ramadan night prayer is a matter of scholarly disagreement, and its breadth means neither doing it nor leaving it should be condemned.
The balance is simple: supplicate with whatever good you wish, bind no one to a wording, and do not attribute the wording to the Prophet.
The circulating text: "O Allah, have mercy on me through the Quran"
The best known text printed at the end of many copies of the Quran is this:
The supplication
اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي بِالْقُرْآنِ، وَاجْعَلْهُ لِي إِمَامًا وَنُورًا وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً، اللَّهُمَّ ذَكِّرْنِي مِنْهُ مَا نَسِيتُ، وَعَلِّمْنِي مِنْهُ مَا جَهِلْتُ، وَارْزُقْنِي تِلَاوَتَهُ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ، وَاجْعَلْهُ لِي حُجَّةً يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Our position on it should be stated plainly: its meaning is excellent and there is no harm in supplicating with it, but it is not established as a prophetic narration through a reliable chain. It became widespread through books of supplications and printed editions. Use it as a fine supplication from the words of scholars, and do not describe it as "the supplication the Prophet used to say at completion".
As for the very long formulas recited in some gatherings that run for pages, most are later compositions assembled from scattered supplications. There is no objection to their meanings when free of excess or artificiality, but they must not be treated as a binding text.
Authentic wordings suitable for completion
If you want to close with wording that is soundly transmitted, these come from the Quran itself, which is the closest fit for the occasion.
The closing verse of al-Baqarah, about which Muslim records that it is not asked for without being granted:
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:286
Verified recitation
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
The supplication for firmness on guidance after knowledge:
The supplication
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ
And the supplication for acceptance of deeds:
The supplication
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
All of these are from the Quran, so whoever uses them at completion has closed the Quran with the Quran, which is the safest and most comprehensive choice.
When it is said, and the settings of completion
| Setting | What is done | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Individual completion at home | The reader finishes an-Nas and then supplicates freely | No raised voice or fixed formula required |
| Completion in night prayer | The imam and congregation supplicate after the recitation | A disputed matter; the room for difference is wide |
| Completion by a memoriser | Family gathers, supplication and thanks to Allah | Reported practice of early Muslims, not an established Sunnah |
| Completion in Ramadan | Many readers aim for the final nights | No specific night is designated in the texts |
Many readers begin al-Fatihah and the opening of al-Baqarah immediately after finishing, signalling that the bond with the Quran does not break. This is a good habit understood as a practical arrangement, not as a Sunnah.
Etiquette at completion
- Thanks before requests: let your first words be praise for the completion rather than a request.
- Lowered and private: quiet supplication is more complete; Allah praised the one who called upon his Lord in a hidden call.
- Connected to action: whoever completes the Quran without a change in character or deeds has missed its greatest aim. Set a small measured daily portion afterwards.
- A new beginning: write down the plan for the next complete reading on the day you finish; divide the Quran across the days you have with the khatma planner, and the Quran section keeps your reading position saved automatically.
- Continued remembrance: follow completion with sourced remembrances organised by time on the azkar page.
Common mistakes
- Attributing the text to the Prophet: the most common error, explained above.
- Binding people to one formula: supplication is unrestricted, and objecting to another person's wording narrows what the religion left broad.
- Excess in wording: straining for rhyme and length until supplication becomes a display of eloquence, when what is asked for is need, not composition.
- Treating completion as a numbers target: rushing to finish a count before the month ends produces recitation without reflection, and reflection is better than quantity.
- Leaving the Quran afterwards: the weakest completion is the one that becomes the last meeting with the Quran.
Frequently asked questions
Is a specific supplication for completing the Quran reported from the Prophet
No specific wording is authentically established from the Prophet for the completion of the Quran. Supplicating then falls under general recommended supplication, and the widely circulated text "O Allah, have mercy on me through the Quran" is a fine supplication known from books of supplications rather than an authentic prophetic narration.
What is the ruling on the completion supplication in Ramadan night prayer
Scholars differ: some considered it good based on the practice of early Muslims, others held that singling it out within the prayer has no basis. The disagreement is broad, so neither the one who does it nor the one who leaves it should be criticised, and it should never become a cause of dispute in a mosque.
May I supplicate with wording other than the circulating text
Yes, and that is better. Supplicate with your own words for whatever good you wish, or choose a Quranic supplication such as "our Lord, accept from us" and "our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate". Closing the Quran with the Quran is the most comprehensive and the safest in attribution.
Should a reader start a new complete reading straight after finishing
Many readers recite al-Fatihah and the opening of al-Baqarah after finishing, joining the end of the Quran to its beginning. It is a good habit rather than a required Sunnah. What matters practically is fixing the plan for the next reading the same day; the Quran section keeps your reading position saved automatically so you never lose your place.
Where can I read the full Quran in Uthmani script with recitation
The Quran section presents complete surahs in Uthmani script with per-verse recitation and a saved reading position. The page you are reading now is dedicated to the supplication texts and their ruling only.
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Data sources
- Kuwaiti Encyclopaedia of Fiqh, entry on completing the Quran and the supplication of completion
- Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmu al-Fatawa, on supplication at the completion of the Quran
- Al-Nawawi, Al-Adhkar, chapter on what is said upon completing the Quran
- Ibn Kathir, Fadail al-Quran
- Sahih Muslim, the supplication at the end of al-Baqarah
- Sunan al-Tirmidhi, on the states in which supplication is answered
Last updated: 14 October 2026