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Question :

Is there a du’aa’ for a person whom we love to be guided?.

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, there are many du’aa’s which we may say for those whom we love and those whom we do not love to be guided. We can say: O Allaah guide him; O Allaah, make him guided and a guide to others; O Allaah, open his heart to the truth; O Allaah, help and guide him; O Allaah, take him by the forelock and guide him to righteousness and piety; O Allaah, bring him back to You; and so on.

Du’aa’s for guidance that have been narrated in the Sunnah include the following:

Al-Bukhaari (4392) and Muslim (2524) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “Daws (a well known tribe) are doomed, they have disobeyed and been stubborn. Pray to Allaah against them.” He said: “O Allaah, guide Daws and bring them here.”

2 – Muslim (2491) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I used to call my mother to Islam when she was still a mushrik. I called her one day and she said something about the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that I did not like to hear. I came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) weeping, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I have been calling my mother to Islam and she refuses. I called her today and she said something about you that I did not like to hear. Pray to Allaah to guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’ The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘O Allaah, guide the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’ I went back, feeling optimistic because of the du’aa’ of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When I came back, I went to the door and found it locked. My mother heard my footsteps and said, ‘Stay where you are, O Abu Hurayrah.’ I could hear the sound of water. She washed herself (did ghusl), put on her chemise and quickly covered her head with her head cover, then she opened the door and said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.’ I went back to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), weeping with joy, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah (S), good news! Allaah has answered your prayer and guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah.’ He praised and thanked Allaah.”

3 – al-Bukhaari (3036) and Muslim (2475) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not refuse me permission to enter (upon him in his house) since I became Muslim, and whenever he saw me he smiled at me. I complained to him that I could not sit firmly when riding a horse and he struck me on the chest with his hand and said, “O Allaah, guide him and make him a guide to others.”

The du’aa’ should be accompanied with certain faith in a response, and you should choose the times when a response is more likely, such as the last third of the night, between the adhaan and iqaamah, whilst prostrating, and after ‘Asr on Friday, as well as seeking to ensure that one’s income and food are halaal, and other etiquettes of du’aa’. See question no. 36902.

And Allaah knows best.

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