رَبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۚ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking for that which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.” [Quran 11:47]
It was a moment of heartbreak.
The waves had swallowed everything. The towering flood carried away homes, land—people. And among them was his son.
Prophet Nuh (AS) had spent centuries calling his people. Patiently. Tirelessly. But when the punishment came, when he saw his own son among the drowning, his heart trembled. He called out, pleading for him.
“My Lord, my son is of my family, and Your promise is true…” [Quran 11:45]
But Allah (SWT)’s response was clear: “O Nuh, he is not of your family. Indeed, he was of unrighteous conduct.” [Quran 11:46]
And in that moment, Prophet Nuh (AS) realised—not everything we love is good for us. Not everything we desire is part of Allah (SWT)’s plan.
So he immediately turned back to his Lord, making this dua of humility:
“My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking for that which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.”
This is the dua of surrender. Of realising that we don’t always know what’s best. How often do we beg for things—certain they will bring us happiness—only to realise later they were never meant for us?
This dua teaches us to trust. To ask with hope, but submit with humility. To accept that Allah (SWT)’s wisdom is far greater than our desires.
So if you’ve ever prayed for something and watched it slip away—say this dua. If you’ve ever questioned why Allah (SWT) didn’t give you what you so desperately wanted—say this dua.
Because true success isn’t getting what you want. It’s being granted only what leads you to Him.
