Qur’anic supplication · meaning, pronunciation and practice
The Qur’an teaches a brief request for increased knowledge. Its simplicity makes it approachable, but understanding its setting prevents an important mistake: a supplication for learning is not a guarantee of a particular examination result. Ask اللّٰه (ALLAH), then take the honest steps that learning needs.
Read the complete Qur’anic source
Qur’an study · Taha
Ayah 20:114
A full learner transliteration is not displayed here. Listen to the complete ayah and use the Arabic with a capable teacher rather than guessing its sounds from English letters.
Transliteration can help you begin, but it cannot reproduce every Arabic sound or replace listening, tajwid study, or correction from a capable teacher.Read from right to left. Each column keeps one Arabic word, its reading aid and its contextual gloss together. Select a word to hear it.
Each word card: Arabic · reading aid · contextual gloss
Saheeh International is the primary reading. The two named comparisons make translation choices visible; none is presented as the Arabic Qur’an itself.
So high [above all] is Allāh, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muḥammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur’ān before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."
Then exalted be Allah, the True King! And hasten not (O Muhammad) with the Qur'an ere its revelation hath been perfected unto thee, and say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.
High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."
Sources used for this ayah panelOpen the Arabic, audio and translation notes
- Arabic and word segmentation
- Quran Foundation Quran.com Content API snapshot for Qur’an 20:114. The selected riwayah and Mushaf text field are recorded with the source data.
- Reading aids
- A full learner transliteration is not displayed; use the recitation and Arabic with a capable teacher. Transliteration is not Qur’an.
- Word audio and contextual glosses
- Quran Foundation word data. Glosses help align words; they are not presented as a complete translation.
- Named translations
- Saheeh International (resource 20), M. Pickthall (resource 19), and A. Yusuf Ali (resource 22).
- Complete recitation
- Mishari Rashid al-‘Afasy, Quran Foundation recitation resource 7.
Tawheed Club reverence note: Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (Peace and blessings be upon him). This editorial note is separate from the named translations above, which are displayed word-for-word without alteration.
The verse addresses the reception of the Qur’an and cautions against haste before revelation has been completed. The request for increased knowledge comes at its end. Displaying the complete verse preserves that setting even when you are learning the short supplication within it. A modern study session is an application; it is not the original event to which the verse refers.
The panel keeps the Arabic text, transliteration, word meanings and named translations visibly distinct. Use the full verse to identify where the supplication begins. A quoted phrase must not silently include or omit surrounding narrative words.
Understand what you are asking
Use the panel to identify the address to the Lord, the request for increase and the word for knowledge. These are a reading aid, not a claim that English and Arabic divide every idea in exactly the same way. A word-level gloss and a full translation serve different purposes. Listen to the complete recitation as well as individual words so that the phrase is heard as connected Arabic.
Read the full named translation before using an individual word gloss. A gloss is a small reading aid: Arabic grammar and connected meaning do not always map onto separate English words. If two translations differ, compare their wording with a capable teacher rather than inventing a combined version labelled as revelation.
Learn the pronunciation with care
Use the complete verse recitation where available, or listen to a capable Qur’an reader. Then listen to one short phrase, follow its Arabic words and repeat after the reader. Compare the sound with the text instead of guessing pronunciation from English spelling. Use word audio where available, then return to the connected phrase.
Transliteration is temporary support. It does not represent every Arabic sound or replace recitation teaching. Ask a qualified reader about sounds you cannot distinguish and suitable stopping places. Practise at a pace that lets you listen accurately. The number of practice attempts is a learning choice, not a prescribed devotional count. A reading difficulty is a reason for patient support, not ridicule.
Bring the meaning into ordinary life
Choose one specific learning question. Read the material, note what is unclear and ask someone who can explain it. When you discover an error, correcting it is part of learning rather than an embarrassment to hide. The supplication can shape that attitude without replacing effort. A higher mark is not the only possible sign of progress: a clearer explanation or a better question may show something useful has changed.
No fixed repetition count, special examination ritual or promised grade is established by this verse. It should not be sold as a secret formula that makes study unnecessary. The practical learning advice on this page is not additional revelation.
When learning this text as Qur’an, preserve its wording. You can record personal reflections separately, clearly labelled as your own thoughts. A display, printout or audio recording is a way to access the words; it is not an object with independent protective power.
Teach a younger learner gently
Ask the child to choose one thing they genuinely want to understand. Learn the short request with a capable reader, then work on that question together. Praise an honest “I do not understand yet” and show how to ask a clearer question. For an older learner, compare knowing an answer by memory with explaining why it is correct. Keep the exercise warm and realistic.
Offer a way to answer that suits the learner: speech, pointing to a labelled phrase or a short written explanation. Correct one specific misunderstanding at a time. Do not rank siblings by memory speed or claim to know a child’s spiritual standing from a pronunciation attempt. Keep the learning record private and free of unnecessary personal details.
Check understanding and keep a useful record
What two things can a learner do after making this supplication, and what result does the verse not guarantee?
Save the phrase you have reached, the meaning you can explain and one pronunciation question for your next session. Finishing the reading is different from memorising accurately; note these as separate learning aims. Revisit the source after a mistake and explain what changed in your understanding.
If you print the verse, choose only the pages you need and avoid wasting paper. Keep Qur’anic text clean and handle it respectfully. Ask a knowledgeable local teacher about appropriate handling when a printed copy is no longer needed; do not scatter or casually discard it.