Teaching children daily duas is one of the most practical and impactful forms of Islamic parenting. When a child learns to say Bismillah before eating, Alhamdulillah in gratitude, and duas before sleeping and waking — they grow up with Allah in their everyday life.
This guide contains 20 essential daily duas — with full Arabic text, easy transliteration, and English meaning — organized by when they are recited. Perfect for children aged 3–12.
Teaching Tip: Don't try to teach all 20 duas at once. Pick 2–3 duas that apply to your child's daily routine and repeat them consistently for 2 weeks before adding new ones. Repetition is key — children learn duas fastest through daily practice, not memorization sessions.
Duas for Morning
When Waking Up
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana wa ilayhin-nushur
Meaning: "All praise is for Allah who gave us life after having taken it from us, and unto Him is the resurrection." (Bukhari)
Morning Remembrance
أَصْبَحْنَا وَأَصْبَحَ الْمُلْكُ لِلَّهِ
Asbahna wa asbahal-mulku lillah
Meaning: "We have reached the morning and so has all sovereignty — to Allah." (Muslim)
Duas Before & After Eating
Before Eating
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismillah
Meaning: "In the name of Allah." The simplest and most important dua — every child should know this from age 2. (Bukhari)
After Eating
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا وَرَزَقَنِيهِ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi at'amani hadha wa razaqanihi
Meaning: "All praise is for Allah who fed me this and provided it for me." (Tirmidhi)
When Forgetting Bismillah Before Eating
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ
Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu
Meaning: "In the name of Allah, at its beginning and at its end." (Abu Dawud)
Duas for Entering & Leaving Home
When Entering the Home
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلَجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا
Allahumma inni as'aluka khayral-mawlaji wa khayral-makhraji. Bismillahi walajna wa bismillahi kharajna
Meaning: "O Allah, I ask You for goodness upon entering and goodness upon leaving. In the name of Allah we enter, and in the name of Allah we leave." (Abu Dawud)
When Leaving the Home
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
Bismillahi tawakkaltu 'alallahi wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
Meaning: "In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah." (Tirmidhi)
Duas for the Bathroom
Before Entering the Bathroom
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-khubuthi wal-khaba'ith
Meaning: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from evil and from the evil ones." (Bukhari)
After Leaving the Bathroom
غُفْرَانَكَ
Ghufranaka
Meaning: "I seek Your forgiveness." (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi) — Short and easy for young children to memorize.
Duas for Sleep & Bedtime
Before Sleeping
بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya
Meaning: "In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live." (Bukhari)
Before Sleeping (longer version)
اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَحْيَا وَبِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ
Allahumma bismika ahya wa bismika amut
Meaning: "O Allah, in Your name I live and in Your name I die." (Bukhari)
Duas for Travel & Transport
When Getting Into a Vehicle
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ
Subhanal-ladhi sakhkhara lana hadha wa ma kunna lahu muqrinin. Wa inna ila Rabbina lamunqalibun
Meaning: "Glory be to He who has made this subservient to us, though we were not capable of that, and verily to our Lord we shall return." (Quran 43:13-14)
Duas for Protection
Morning & Evening Protection Dua
أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّاتِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ
A'udhu bikalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaq
Meaning: "I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created." — Recite 3 times in the morning and evening. (Muslim)
Dua for Protection from Harm
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ
Bismillahil-ladhi la yadurru ma'asmihi shay'un fil-ardi wa la fis-sama'
Meaning: "In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing in the earth or sky can cause harm." — Recite 3 times in the morning and evening. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)
Short Surahs to Memorize Alongside Duas
Alongside daily duas, encourage your child to memorize these short Surahs from Juz Amma — they are short, beautiful, and complete the child's Salah education:
- Surah Al-Fatiha (7 verses) — essential for Salah
- Surah Al-Ikhlas (4 verses) — "Say He is Allah, the One"
- Surah Al-Falaq (5 verses) — protection from evil
- Surah An-Naas (6 verses) — protection from whispers
- Surah Al-Kawthar (3 verses) — shortest Surah
- Surah Al-Asr (3 verses) — the importance of time
How to Teach Duas to Young Children
- Model, don't just instruct: Say the dua yourself, visibly, before eating, sleeping, etc. Children imitate what they see.
- Repetition over sessions: Say the dua with them every single time, not just during "lesson time."
- Use songs and rhymes: For very young children (3–5), many duas can be taught in a sing-song tone.
- Explain what they're saying: Even a 4-year-old can understand "we say Bismillah to tell Allah we're starting."
- Celebrate milestones: When they recite a dua correctly without help for the first time, celebrate it!