Qur’anic supplication · meaning, pronunciation and practice
A short supplication can carry a serious lesson. This verse brings together a request for forgiveness, a request for mercy and praise of the One being asked. Learn the difference between its introductory instruction and the prayer itself.
Read the complete Qur’anic source
Qur’an study · Al-Mu'minun
Ayah 23:118
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.
And, [O Muḥammad], say, "My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of the merciful."
And (O Muhammad) say: My Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for Thou art Best of all who show mercy.
So say: "O my Lord! grant Thou forgiveness and mercy for Thou art the Best of those who show mercy!"
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 23:118. 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.
This is the closing verse of Surah Al-Mu’minun. The complete panel begins with an instruction to say the following words. When studying the verse as Qur’an, read it fully. When identifying the supplication within it, recognise that the introductory instruction and the address to the Lord have different roles.
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
Forgiveness and mercy appear together; the wording should not be flattened into a vague wish to feel better. The ending praises the Lord as the best of those who show mercy. The phrase is not permission to imagine divine mercy as limited by human weakness. Stay with what the verse affirms and avoid inventing a visual representation of the One being addressed.
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
After noticing a mistake, a learner can pause, ask sincerely and consider what needs putting right. If the mistake involved another person, merely completing a reading screen is not the same as repairing the harm. This is a practical reflection, not a full legal account of repentance. Ask for qualified guidance if a situation involves rights, serious harm or an uncertain duty.
The verse does not specify a daily number, a material reward or a deadline for an answer. It is not a replacement for taking responsibility. The phrase about mercy should be read as revealed praise, not as a basis for claiming that duties and other people’s rights no longer matter.
Teach a younger learner gently
Invite the learner to identify the two requests and the concluding praise using the displayed meaning. A simple text-only sorting activity is enough: request, request, praise. You could discuss a fictional example of careless speech and ask what a responsible next step might be. Do not pressure a child to describe private wrongdoing or imply that a pronunciation mistake makes the prayer worthless.
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
Can you identify the instruction, the address, the two requests and the praise? Why is understanding the words different from simply finishing the screen?
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.