What is dua?
Du‘ā’ (دُعَاء) comes from the root د ع و, meaning to call. Dua is calling on Allah: asking Him for something, seeking His help or His forgiveness. The Prophet ﷺ said:
الدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ“Supplication is worship.”
He then recited the verse: “And your Lord says: Call upon Me; I will respond to you” (Quran 40:60).
What is dhikr?
Dhikr (ذِكْر) comes from the root ذ ك ر, meaning to remember or mention. Dhikr is remembering Allah and mentioning Him with praise, such as saying subḥānallāh, alḥamdulillāh, lā ilāha illallāh and Allāhu akbar.
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ“Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.”
The Prophet ﷺ said that two phrases are light on the tongue, heavy on the scale and beloved to the Most Merciful: “Subḥānallāhi wa biḥamdihi, subḥānallāhil-‘aẓīm” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6406).
The difference
- Dua is a request: “O Allah, forgive me”, “O Allah, guide me”.
- Dhikr is remembrance and praise: “Glory be to Allah”, “All praise is for Allah”.
- Dua is often about your needs. Dhikr is about Allah’s greatness.
- Both are acts of worship, and both can be said at any time, aloud or quietly.
When they come together
Many duas begin with dhikr. Praising Allah first and then asking is a pattern found throughout the Quran and Sunnah. Surah Al-Fatihah itself follows it: the first half praises Allah, and then comes the request, “Guide us to the straight path”.
The dua of the Prophet Yunus inside the whale contains no direct request at all. It is pure dhikr and admission of fault:
لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”
The Prophet ﷺ said that no Muslim calls on Allah with these words for anything except that Allah answers him (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3505).
Allah is near
Whether you are asking or remembering, the Quran reminds you that Allah hears:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the caller when he calls upon Me.”
