Dua for Protection of Children: The Prayer Parents Have Made for Centuries

Bukhari 3371 records the Prophet seeking protection for al-Hasan and al-Husayn and referring to Ibrahim's prayer for Ismail and Ishaq. The report contains a request for refuge in Allah's perfect words from devils, harmful creatures and the evil eye. Its wording should be distinguished from grammatical adaptations addressed to a child.

The wording in the cited report

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْ كُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ

A'udhu bi kalimatillahit-tammati min kulli shaytanin wa hammatin, wa min kulli 'aynin lammah.

This asks for refuge in Allah's perfect words from the harms named. The Arabic displayed in the linked Bukhari report begins A'udhu. A commonly used adaptation begins U'idhuka when addressing one boy or U'idhuki for one girl. U'idhukuma addresses two; it is not the same as the plural U'idhukum used for a male or mixed group.

These distinctions help a reader understand the language. Do not label an adapted form as a verbatim quotation of this particular report, or assume that one pronoun covers every number and gender. A knowledgeable Arabic teacher can help with pronunciation and an appropriate form.

Maryam's mother's prayer

The closing words of Quran 3:36 include:

وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

Wa inni u'idhuha bika wa dhurriyyataha minash-shaytanir-rajim.

Maryam's mother asks Allah's protection for her daughter and her descendants from Satan. This is an excerpt from a particular Quranic account. It is not a clinical prediction about a child's safety, health or development.

Quran 14:40 also records Ibrahim asking to establish prayer, including among his descendants. The request concerns the speaker's own worship as well as the next generation; prayer for children need not focus only on danger.

A practice alongside everyday care

You can make dua for children while continuing the practical responsibilities of care: appropriate supervision, listening and seeking help when something is wrong. These responsibilities should not be ranked below an app routine or a streak of recitations.

The Bukhari report cited here does not prescribe a school-departure ritual, a fixed morning-and-evening count or a compulsory hand-blowing sequence. An optional family reminder is different from attributing those details to this narration. Respect a child's comfort when teaching or reading aloud.

The mention of the evil eye is not a way to diagnose a child's symptoms, identify a supposed culprit or explain an accident. Do not delay appropriate care while trying to determine a spiritual cause. Nor should a parent be blamed for illness or injury because a prayer was forgotten.

For a son or daughter, the son's dua guide and daughter's guide distinguish Quranic requests from personal wording. Teach gradually, with meaning, without promising that memorisation or consistency guarantees a particular outcome.

Explore Dua and Dhikr

Find DeenBack’s Dua Collection and dhikr counter in the app.

Free to download. A paid plan is required to use the app’s tools.