Dua for Protection: Best Islamic Duas for Safety

Here are the most powerful duas for protection in Islam — recite these to seek Allah's shield from evil, harm, and Shaytan.

1. Ayat al-Kursi — The Greatest Verse of Protection

Ayat al-Kursi (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255) is the single most powerful verse in the Quran for divine protection.

Arabic:

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Transliteration:

Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwal-ḥayyul-qayyūm, lā ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa lā nawm, lahu mā fis-samāwāti wa mā fil-arḍ, man dhallathī yashfa'u ʿindahu illā bi'idhnih, yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum, wa lā yuḥīṭūna bishay'in min ʿilmihi illā bimā shā', wasiʿa kursiyyuhus-samāwāti wal-arḍ, wa lā ya'ūduhu ḥifẓuhumā, wa huwal-ʿaliyyul-ʿaẓīm

Translation:

"Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great."

Source: Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:255

2. Last Two Verses of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:285–286)

Arabic:

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ ۝ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

Transliteration:

Āmanar-rasūlu bimā unzila ilayhi min rabbihi wal-mu'minūn, kullun āmana billāhi wa malā'ikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulihi, lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min rusulihi, wa qālū samiʿnā wa aṭaʿnā, ghufrānaka rabbanā wa ilayka al-maṣīr. Lā yukalliful-lāhu nafsan illā wusʿahā, lahā mā kasabat wa ʿalayhā mak-tasabat, rabbanā lā tu'ākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭa'nā, rabbanā wa lā taḥmil ʿalaynā iṣran kamā ḥamaltahu ʿalal-ladhīna min qablinā, rabbanā wa lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih, wa'fu ʿannā waghfir lanā warḥamnā, anta mawlānā fanṣurnā ʿalal-qawmil-kāfirīn

Translation:

"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, saying: 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say: 'We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the final destination.' Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. It will have the consequence of what good it has gained, and it will bear the consequence of what evil it has earned. 'Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.'"

Source: Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:285–286

3. Morning and Evening Protection Dua

This is one of the most verified duas for daily protection, graded sahih by scholars.

Arabic:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

Transliteration:

Bismillāhil-ladhī lā yaḍurru maʿasmihi shay'un fil-arḍi wa lā fis-samā'i wa huwas-samīʿul-ʿalīm

Translation:

"In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing on earth or in the sky can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

Source: Abu Dawud 5088, Tirmidhi 3388 — sahih

Recite this three times each morning and three times each evening.

4. Mu'awwidhatayn — Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas

The Mu'awwidhatayn ("the two verses of seeking refuge") are Surah Al-Falaq (113) and Surah An-Nas (114). They are recited together and form the most complete supplication for seeking Allah's protection.

Surah Al-Falaq (113)

Arabic:

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ۝ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

Transliteration:

Qul aʿūdhu bi-rabbil-falaq, min sharri mā khalaq, wa min sharri ghāsiqin idhā waqab, wa min sharrin-naffāthāti fil-ʿuqad, wa min sharri ḥāsidin idhā ḥasad

Translation:

"Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the dawn, from the evil of what He has created, from the evil of the darkening night when it settles, from the evil of those who blow on knots, and from the evil of the envier when he envies."

Surah An-Nas (114)

Arabic:

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ ۝ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ ۝ إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ ۝ مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ ۝ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ ۝ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ

Transliteration:

Qul aʿūdhu bi-rabbin-nās, malikin-nās, ilāhin-nās, min sharril-waswāsil-khannās, alladhī yuwaswisu fī ṣudūrin-nās, minal-jinnati wan-nās

Translation:

"Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer, who whispers in the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind."

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

When and How to Recite

Ayat al-Kursi:

• After every obligatory prayer (fard salah)
• Before sleeping — the Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites it before sleep, Allah appoints a guardian over him and no devil will come near him until morning (Bukhari 2311)

Last two verses of Al-Baqarah (2:285–286):

• At night before sleeping — the Prophet ﷺ said they suffice the one who recites them (Bukhari 4008)

Morning and evening protection dua:

• Three times after Fajr (morning adhkar)
• Three times after Asr or before Maghrib (evening adhkar)
• Consistency is key — the Prophet ﷺ said nothing will harm you that day or that night if you maintain this

Mu'awwidhatayn (Surah Al-Falaq and An-Nas):

• Every morning, every evening — three times each
• Before sleeping — blow into cupped hands and wipe over the body (Bukhari 5017)
• After every obligatory prayer — recited once
• During illness — the Prophet ﷺ recited them and wiped over himself when he was sick (Bukhari 5016)

Virtues and Rewards

On Ayat al-Kursi: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death." (Narrated by al-Nasa'i in al-Sunan al-Kubra, graded sahih by Ibn Hibban and al-Albani)

On the last two verses of Al-Baqarah: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him." (Bukhari 4008) Ibn al-Qayyim explained this means they suffice him from all harm through the night and earn him reward.

On the morning/evening dua: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever says 'Bismillahil-ladhi la yadurru ma'asmihi shay'un fil-ardi wa la fis-sama'i wa huwas-sami'ul-alim' three times in the morning and three times in the evening — nothing will harm him." (Abu Dawud 5088, Tirmidhi 3388 — sahih). Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man was afflicted with a calamity and when he learned this dua, he was protected.

On the Mu'awwidhatayn: The Prophet ﷺ said: "No person has ever sought protection with anything like the Mu'awwidhatayn." (Abu Dawud 1463, graded sahih). They cover protection from created things, the darkness, black magic, the evil eye, and the whisperings of Shaytan.

Related Duas

• Dua for Success — supplications to ask Allah for success in this life and the next
• Dua for Forgiveness — seeking Allah's pardon is the ultimate form of protection from consequences
• Dua for Exam — protection from stress and anxiety during tests
• Morning and Evening Adhkar — the complete set of morning and evening supplications from the Sunnah
• Dua for a Traveller — specific duas for protection when journeying