Dua for Entering the Masjid — Arabic Text and Meaning

The dua for entering the masjid is a short Sunnah supplication that opens with seeking Allah's mercy the moment you step through the mosque door. It takes only a few seconds — and it connects every visit to the masjid with a conscious act of worship.

The Dua for Entering the Masjid

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ

Transliteration:

Allāhumma iftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik

Translation:

"O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy."

Source: Sahih Muslim 713

This dua is a request for Allah's mercy to flow into your heart and your worship from the very first step inside the masjid. The word abwāb (gates, plural) signals a request not for a trickle of mercy but for all of Allah's mercies to be opened — a profoundly ambitious supplication compressed into a single line.

Send Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ When Entering

The full Sunnah upon entering the masjid also includes sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ:

Say:

Bismillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu waṣ-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh

Translation:

"In the name of Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah."

Then follow with the main dua: Allāhumma iftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik.

This sequence — sending salawat first, then asking Allah — reflects a core principle of Islamic supplication: honouring the Prophet ﷺ before presenting your own request to Allah.

Entering with the Right Foot

Alongside the dua, step into the masjid with your right foot first. This is an established Sunnah that applies to entering any honoured or blessed space. When leaving, exit with the left foot first.

The combination of the right foot, the salawat, and the dua for mercy creates a complete, mindful entry — transforming a physical threshold into a moment of worship.

The Dua for Leaving the Masjid

When you exit the masjid, there is a paired supplication from the same hadith:

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ

Transliteration:

Allāhumma innī asʾaluka min faḍlik

Translation:

"O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty."

Source: Sahih Muslim 713

As you leave with your left foot, you ask Allah to send His fadl (bounty, favour, generosity) with you back into the world. The pairing is beautiful: you enter asking for mercy, you leave asking for bounty — the masjid becomes the place where mercy and provision are both sought from Allah.

Why These Duas Matter

The masjid is the House of Allah. Every time you walk through its doors you are entering a space set apart for His worship. These duas mark that transition consciously — they tell your heart: this is not ordinary ground.

The Prophet ﷺ was deliberate about the etiquette of the masjid because he understood that how you enter shapes how you pray. A person who pauses, sends salawat, and asks for Allah's mercy before praying is already in a state of remembrance before the first takbir.

Making these duas habitual is simple: attach them to the physical act of crossing the threshold. Right foot in → send salawat → say Allāhumma iftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik. Left foot out → say Allāhumma innī asʾaluka min faḍlik. Within a few weeks it becomes as automatic as removing your shoes.

Looking for more duas? Browse our complete Dua Collection — organized by occasion with full Arabic text, transliteration, and translation.

Related Duas and Tools

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