Surah Al-Kahf (الكهف) • The Cave

The dua of the People of the CaveRabbana atina min ladunka rahmah · Quran 18:10

Also written Dua of Ashab al-Kahf · Rabbana atina mil ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi lana min amrina rashada · رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً

18:10

إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

idh awā l-fit'yatu ilā l-kahfi faqālū rabbanā ātinā min ladunka raḥmatan wahayyi lanā min amrinā rashadan

[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."

— Saheeh International

When the young men sought refuge in the cave and said, ‘Our Lord, grant us Your mercy, and find us a good way out of our ordeal,’

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

(Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave. They said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!"

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

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What is The dua of the People of the Cave about?

Verse 10 of Surah Al-Kahf opens the story of the young believers who fled to a cave to protect their faith. As they took shelter, they made this dua: "Our Lord, grant us mercy from Yourself, and arrange for us a right course in our affair." The dua is short because their situation was urgent, and it asks for the two things a person in trouble needs most: mercy, and guidance to the right decision. Allah answered by making them sleep for three hundred and nine years and by making them a sign for later generations. The verse is often recited by people facing a decision whose outcome they cannot see.

When is it recited?

  • Read on Fridays as part of Surah Al-Kahf, whose recitation on Friday is an established Sunnah.(al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak; al-Bayhaqi, graded sahih by al-Albani)
  • As a dua when facing a difficult decision.

Sources: Quran 18:10 · al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak; al-Bayhaqi. Reviewed by Ummatey editorial, October 2026.

Word by Word

إِذْidhWhen
أَوَىawāretreated
ٱلْفِتْيَةُl-fit'yatuthe youths
إِلَىilāto
ٱلْكَهْفِl-kahfithe cave
فَقَالُوا۟faqālūand they said
رَبَّنَآrabbanāOur Lord
ءَاتِنَاātināGrant us
مِنminfrom
لَّدُنكَladunkaYourself
رَحْمَةًۭraḥmatanMercy
وَهَيِّئْwahayyiand facilitate
لَنَاlanāfor us
مِنْmin[from]
أَمْرِنَاamrināour affair
رَشَدًۭاrashadan(in the) right way
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