Dua for the Deceased — Death Dua in Arabic With Urdu & English

When death touches a family, the most valuable gift the living can give is dua. Below are the authentic supplications from the Qur’an and Sunnah for the moment the news arrives (fotgi ki dua / inteqal ki dua), for the deceased themselves, for the janazah prayer, and for visiting the graveyard — each in Arabic with transliteration, Urdu, and English, and each copyable with one tap.

1. The Dua on Hearing of a Death

This is the first thing said on receiving the news of a death or any calamity — the verse of Surah Al-Baqarah with the addition taught by the Prophet ﷺ (Sahih Muslim, narrated by Umm Salamah):

إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا

TransliterationInnā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji'ūn. Allāhumma-jurnī fī muṣībatī wa akhlif lī khayran minhā

Urduبے شک ہم اللہ کے ہیں اور اسی کی طرف لوٹنے والے ہیں۔ اے اللہ! مجھے میری مصیبت میں اجر دے اور مجھے اس سے بہتر بدلہ عطا فرما۔

MeaningIndeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it for me with something better.

2. Dua for Forgiveness of the Deceased

From the dua the Prophet ﷺ made for a deceased Muslim, recorded in Sahih Muslim:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَأَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ

TransliterationAllāhumma-ghfir lahu warḥamhu wa 'āfihi wa'fu 'anhu wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi' mudkhalahu

Urduاے اللہ! اسے بخش دے، اس پر رحم فرما، اسے عافیت دے، اس سے درگزر فرما، اس کی مہمانی کو باعزت بنا اور اس کی قبر کو کشادہ فرما۔

MeaningO Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, grant him wellbeing, pardon him, honour his arrival, and make his entrance spacious.

For a woman, the pronouns change: Allāhumma-ghfir lahā warḥamhā… (اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهَا وَارْحَمْهَا).

3. The Janazah Dua (For All the Living and the Dead)

Recited in the funeral prayer, this dua covers the entire ummah — recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud and others:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا

TransliterationAllāhumma-ghfir li-ḥayyinā wa mayyitinā wa shāhidinā wa ghā'ibinā wa ṣaghīrinā wa kabīrinā wa dhakarinā wa unthānā

Urduاے اللہ! ہمارے زندوں کو اور ہمارے فوت شدگان کو، حاضر کو اور غائب کو، چھوٹے کو اور بڑے کو، مرد کو اور عورت کو بخش دے۔

MeaningO Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females.

4. Dua When Visiting the Graveyard

The greeting the Prophet ﷺ taught for the people of the graves (Sahih Muslim):

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ لَنَا وَلَكُمُ الْعَافِيَةَ

TransliterationAs-salāmu 'alaykum ahla d-diyāri mina l-mu'minīna wa l-muslimīn, wa innā in shā' Allāhu bikum lāḥiqūn, nas'alu Llāha lanā wa lakumu l-'āfiyah

Urduاے مومنوں اور مسلمانوں کی بستی والو! تم پر سلامتی ہو، اور ہم ان شاء اللہ تم سے ملنے والے ہیں۔ ہم اللہ سے اپنے لیے اور تمہارے لیے عافیت مانگتے ہیں۔

MeaningPeace be upon you, dwellers of these abodes from among the believers and Muslims. We will, if Allah wills, be joining you. We ask Allah for wellbeing for us and for you.

5. Dua for Deceased Parents

From the Qur’an itself (Surah Al-Isra 17:24) — a dua that never expires for as long as the child lives:

رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

TransliterationRabbi-rḥamhumā kamā rabbayānī ṣaghīrā

Urduاے میرے رب! ان دونوں پر رحم فرما جیسے انہوں نے بچپن میں میری پرورش کی۔

MeaningMy Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small.

What Else Reaches the Deceased?

Alongside dua, the scholars mention charity given on their behalf, and the deeds mentioned in the hadith of ongoing reward: sadaqah jariyah, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who prays for them. Regular dua — especially by children for parents — remains the simplest and most enduring gift.

If you need words to send to the family, see our Islamic condolence messages. For the meaning and background of inna lillahi itself, see the main guide, and for the Arabic text to copy, the Arabic text page.

What is fotgi ki dua?

Fotgi ki dua is the Urdu term for the dua said on hearing of a death: inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un, with the addition Allahumma-jurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha. The full dua with Urdu translation is the first one on this page.

Can I make dua for the deceased in my own language?

Yes. Outside of the formal prayer, dua may be made in any language and in your own words. The Arabic duas taught by the Prophet ﷺ carry particular virtue, which is why they are provided here with translation.

Which dua should I recite for someone who just passed away?

Begin with inna lillahi (dua 1), then make dua 2 for their forgiveness. If attending the janazah, dua 3 is recited in the prayer itself.