"Allāhumma-j'al fī qalbī nūrā…" is part of the Prophet's ﷺ night prayer (Sahih Muslim, 763), asking Allah to place light in the heart, tongue, hearing, sight, above and below. It's a dua for when you want to bring something good into a room, not just receive it.
Why This Dua Matters
The days are longer now, and the morning often glares through the window, asking more of you before you've even begun. There is something about this time of year that makes the soul reach for something it can't always name.
It reaches for light. Not the kind that comes through a window, but the kind that lives in a heart that remembers its Lord: the kind that, when someone sits near you, they feel something without knowing why.
This dua was part of the Prophet's ﷺ night prayer. He asked for light not in one place, but in every direction, inward and outward, above and below. It's a reminder that nūr isn't a feeling to be waited for. It's something to be asked for, deliberately, until it arrives.
The Dua in Arabic, Transliteration & Translation
Arabic
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا، وَفِي لِسَانِي نُورًا، وَفِي سَمْعِي نُورًا، وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا، وَمِنْ فَوْقِي نُورًا، وَمِنْ تَحْتِي نُورًا
Transliteration
Allāhumma-j'al fī qalbī nūrā, wa fī lisānī nūrā, wa fī sam'ī nūrā, wa fī baṣarī nūrā, wa min fawqī nūrā, wa min taḥtī nūrā.
“O Allah, place light in my heart, light on my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light above me and light below me.”
How to Make This Dua Part of Your Week
When you say it as a question as much as a prayer
Move through it slowly, with every sense. Where is the light dimming this week, and what would it take to ask for it back?
When you want to bring something into the room
Nūr in the heart shapes everything that follows: the word chosen, the patience held, the moment of softness when hardness would have been easier.
When you give as an act of passing light on
Allah (SWT) is Al-Nūr, the source of all light. Every act of sadaqah is the believer taking what they've been given and extending it toward someone in the dark.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Allahumma ij'al fi qalbi nooran" mean?
It means "O Allah, place light in my heart," the first line of a longer dua asking for light in the heart, tongue, hearing, sight, and from above and below.
Where does this dua come from?
It's part of the Prophet's ﷺ night prayer, recorded in Sahih Muslim (hadith 763).
What does "nur" (light) mean in this context?
Nūr refers to spiritual clarity, guidance and goodness, not physical light. Asking for it "in every direction" is a request for that clarity to shape everything you perceive and do.
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