We ask that Allah ﷻ grant you success in both this life and the hereafter. While Allah ﷻ is the ultimate Doer of all things, He has ordained this world as a realm of means, requiring us to take appropriate measures and prepare diligently, alongside placing our trust in Him through supplication. Therefore, in addition to your studies, you may consider reciting the following duʿās:

رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

“My Lord! Increase me in knowledge” (Quran 20:114)

رَبِّ ٱشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي، وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي، وَٱحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي، يَفْقَهُوا۟ قَوْلِي

“My Lord, expand my chest for me, ease my task for me, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech.” (Quran 20:25-28)

اللَّهُمَّ انْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي، وَعَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِي، وَارْزُقْنِي عِلْمًا تَنْفَعُنِي بِهِ

“O Allah, benefit me with the knowledge You have taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and provide me with knowledge that brings benefit to me.”^[1]

اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إِلاَّ ما جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً، وأنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الحَزْنَ سَهْلاً إذَا شئتَ

“O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy, and You can make difficulty easy if You will.”^[2]

The esteemed Muḥaddith Shaykh Muhammad Awwamah (may Allah ﷻ preserve him) advises the following actions and supplications to enhance studies and, specifically, to improve memory:^[3]

1. Pray two rakʿas of nafl salah; in the first rakʿa after sūrat al-Fātiḥa, recite

فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ ۚ وَكُلًّا آتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۚ وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُودَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَالطَّيْرَ ۚ وَكُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ

“We explained the decision to Sulayman and granted each of them wisdom and knowledge. We placed the mountains and birds at Dawud’s n service and they all engaged in Allah’s glorification. It is We Who did it all.” (Quran 21:79)

– In the second rakʿa after sūrat al-Fātiḥa, recite sūrat al-Kawthar. After the salām, recite the following duʿāʾ:

اللّٰهُمَّ افْتَحْ عَلَيْنا حِكْمَتَكَ وَ انْشُرْ عَلَيْنا رَحْمَتَكَ وَ أَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنا بَرَكاتِكَ وَ لا تُنْسِنا ذِكْرَكَ وَ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ عَلىٰ خَيْرِ خَلْقِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ آلِهِ وَ أَصْحابِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ

“O Allah, open Your wisdom for us, spread Your mercy upon us, do not let us forget Your remembrance, and send blessings and salutations upon Your greatest creation Muhammad ﷺ, his family, and all his companions.”

2. After reading any book, recite the following duʿāʾ:

سُبْحانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَ لا إِلٰهَ إِلّا الله وَ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَ لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ إِلّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ عَدَدَ كُلِّ حَرْفٍ كُتِبَ وَ عَدَدَ كُلِّ حَرْفٍ يُّكْتَبُ إِلىٰ يَوْمِ الدِينِ

“All Glory and praise belongs to Allah! There is none worthy of worship besides Allah! Allah is the greatest! There is no might and power except with Allah the most high (may Allah be praised with this) to the number of letters that have been written and that will be written till the Day of Judgement”

3. Before starting a book or lesson, recite the following duʿāʾ:

اللّٰهُمَّ افْتَحْ عَلَيْنا حِكْمَتَكَ وَانْشُرْ عَلَيْنا رَحْمَتَكَ يا ذا الْجَلالِ وَالْإكْرامِ

“O Allah! O Possessor of grandeur and honor! Open up Your wisdom to us and spread Your mercy upon us!”

4. Recite the following durūd on the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ frequently between Maghrib and ʿIsha :

اللّٰهُمّ صَلّ وَ سَلِّمْ وَ بارِكْ عَلىٰ سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ وَّآلِهِ كَما لا نِهايَةَ لِكَمالِكَ وَ عَدَدَ كَمالِهِ

“O Allah send blessing and salutations upon our Master Muhammad ﷺ and his family to the amount of Your limitless perfection and the number of his perfection.”

Note: These actions are proven through experience, not necessarily from hadith, to be effective in increasing one’s memory.^[4]

And Allah knows best.

Ml. Muhammad Bilal Khizar
Student, Darul Iftaa Chicago

Checked and Approved:

Mf. Abrar Mirza
Head Mufti, Darul Iftaa Chicago