Is There A Special Dua For Strengthening Memory?
Is there a special dua for strengthening memory?
A Muslim makes dua to Allah and presents his wishes to Him as well as performing necessary preparations and holding to the causes tightly. He also makes dua to Allah in order to strengthen his memory and get rid of forgetfulness as well as making mental exercises and similar activities provided for scientifically.
There is a narrative transmitted from Ibn Abbas on this issue, athough there are some doubts about its authenticity, “Ali came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and said, ‘I would sacrifice my parents for you! This Qur’an does not stay in my chest but goes away (I forget it). I do not think that I have the power to learn it by heart.’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) answered him, ‘O Abu al-Hasan! (In this issue) May I teach you the words that Allah will make favorable for you, from which the person who learns them will benefit if you teach them, and that will make the thing you learn stay in your chest?’ Ali (ra) said, ‘Yes, o Messenger of Allah, teach me!’ Upon this, Prophet Muhammad (saw) stated, ‘Wake up in the last one third of Friday night if you can. Because that is a witnessed time (when angels are also present). Duas that are made at that time are acceptable. My brother Yaqub also called on his children, ‘Soon will I ask my Lord for forgiveness for you.’ (Yusuf, 12/98) If you cannot wake up at that time, wake up in the middle of the night. If you cannot do it either, wake up before night. Establish a four-rakat prayer. Recite the chapters of Fatiha and Ya-Sin in the first rakat, Fatiha and Ha-Mim (Surah al-Dukhan) in the second rakat, Fatiha and Alif-Lam-Lim Tanzil al-Kitab (Surah al-Sajdah) in the third rakat, and Fatiha and Tabaraka al-Mufassal (Surah al-Mulk) in the fourth rakat . Send praise and thanks to Allah after tashahhud. Recite salat upon me and other prophets. Ask forgiveness of believer men and women and your believer brothers and sisters who lived and died before your time . Then recite this dua:
“O, Allah! May You have mercy on me by making me stay away from sins for all my life. May You have pity on me due to my attempt to do useless things. May You let me be busy with the things from which You will be pleased. O Allah, Who is the Creator of skies and earth! O Allah! O Rahman! For the sake of your glory and the light of your face, may you force my heart to learn it like you did teach your book to me. May you let me recite it in a way for which You will give consent. O the Creator of skies and earth! For the sake of your glory and the light of your face, I ask you to make my eyes lighten with your book, open my tongue and heart with it, and refresh my chest and wash my body with it. Because You are the only one to help me find the right path, You are the only one to bestow it to me. Power and strength come from Allah, Who is great and supreme, to reach everything.” O Abu al-Hasan (Ali)! Repeat all these in three or seven Friday nights. Your dua will be accepted with the permission of Allah. I swear by the name of Dhul-Jalal Who sent me for religious purposes that no believer who made this dua deprived of its acception.”
Ibn Abbas (ra) says, “I swear by the name of Allah, Ali (ra) came back to the Messenger of Allah (saw) after five or seven Friday nights and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Before I was only able to learn only four or five verses. And I would forget them too when I recited them by myself. Today I can learn up to 40 verses and it is like the Book of Allah stands before my eyes when I recite them by myself. In the past, I would listen to your words and it would fly away my mind when I wanted to repeat it after you. Today I can tell a hadith to another person after you without missing even a letter.’ Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said to Ali (ra), ‘O Abu al-Hasan! I swear by the name of the Lord of the Ka’bah that you are a believer!’” (Tirmidhi, Da’awat, 131).
Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA
