Qur’anic supplication · meaning, pronunciation and practice
Wanting your family to pray begins with taking your own prayer seriously. Ibrahim’s supplication, peace be upon him, joins a request about his own worship with concern for his descendants and acceptance of his prayer. Learn its short wording with attention to each part.
Read the complete Qur’anic source
Qur’an study · Ibrahim
Ayah 14:40
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.
My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication.
My Lord! Make me to establish proper worship, and some of my posterity (also); our Lord! and accept my prayer.
O my Lord! make me one who establishes regular Prayer, and also (raise such) among my offspring O our Lord! and accept Thou my Prayer.
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 14:40. 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.
Surah Ibrahim records this request within Ibrahim’s prayer. The complete verse is short, but it contains more than a wish about children. Read from the first address to the final request for acceptance. The wording about descendants must not be replaced by a sweeping statement that everyone in a family will automatically be righteous.
The Arabic source, named translations and learning aids have different roles. The explanation below is an educational guide, not additional revelation. Bring any uncertainty about the wording back to the source panel and a capable teacher.
Understand what you are asking
The first request concerns being one who establishes prayer. Next comes concern for descendants. The ending asks for acceptance. These ideas belong together: the speaker seeks help with worship and does not treat acceptance as something he controls. A family routine may help someone learn, but a routine itself is not the One to whom the prayer is directed. The Arabic wording should remain the reference point while the translation explains its connected meaning.
The One being addressed is اللّٰه (ALLAH). Keep your attention on the meaning rather than the appearance of a progress badge. Learning a sacred text calls for care, but a beginner should be supported patiently, not embarrassed for needing help.
Learn the pronunciation with care
Begin by listening to the complete verse through the verified recitation control, once it is available, or with a capable Qur’an reader. Follow the Arabic from right to left. Listen to a short phrase, point to the same words and repeat after the reader. A transliteration can help you find your place, but English letters cannot represent every Arabic sound.
Use the word meanings as reading support, then return to a full named translation. Arabic grammar does not always divide into one English word for each Arabic word. Do not combine fragments from different translations and label the result as the original text. Ask a qualified reader about sounds and stopping places you are unsure of. A sensible amount of practice is a teaching choice, not a newly prescribed devotional count.
Bring the meaning into ordinary life
You could use the study to prepare a small learning routine: find a suitable moment to read, listen attentively and identify a pronunciation question. If you are an adult helping children, consider your own example before making a long list of demands. Keep practical organisation separate from religious prescription. An app reminder or a family timetable can be a tool, but the verse does not establish a new prayer time or a new number of repetitions.
This short supplication is not a complete manual of prayer. Do not derive the number of daily prayers, their units or detailed rulings from it alone. Those subjects need their own authenticated teaching. Do not present a missed learning session as evidence that a person’s du‘a has been rejected.
Teach a younger learner gently
Invite a younger learner to find the parts about the speaker, descendants and acceptance. Use plain text labels rather than a competitive family chart. Ask what an adult could do to make learning easier, such as explaining a word patiently or arranging a quiet space. An older learner can discuss why asking for help and making an effort are not opposites. Do not compare siblings’ faith by their reading speed.
Give the learner time to explain in their own words before correcting them. Focus on one point at a time: recognising the addressee, finding a request or distinguishing source text from an example. Let them answer by speaking, pointing or writing. These are suggested teaching methods, not claims about a guaranteed learning result. Keep private family information out of shared classroom notes.
Check understanding and keep a useful record
Which part asks about the speaker’s own worship? Why would a reading-completion mark be different from evidence that someone has established prayer in daily life?
Keep three learning aims separate: reading the page, explaining the meaning and reciting accurately. Reaching the end of a page does not prove memorisation or establish a person’s spiritual standing. In your own notes, record the phrase you reached and one question to return to; use the site’s save or assignment controls where they are available and working.
If you print the verse, select only what you need and avoid wasting paper. Keep Qur’anic text clean and handle it respectfully. Do not scatter or casually discard it. Ask a knowledgeable local teacher about suitable handling when a printed copy is no longer needed. The paper, screen and audio device are ways to access the words, not objects with independent protective power.