Question # 349: Is there any duaa or supplication that a pregnant can say during her nine months?
bismi-llahi r-raḥmani r-raḥīm,
Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).
Dear questioner,
First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.
Shorter Answer: There is no known du‘aa in the saheeh Sunnah that are specifically meant for the pregnant woman or the baby. Whatever has been narrated concerning this is either fabricated or has been compiled by some scholars from verses and du‘aas that are suited to the occasion, without attributing any of that to Islamic teachings per se. Nevertheless, the entire Qur’an is healing and if one recites over the pregnant woman who is in labor that which speaks of things being made easier, such as the verse: “Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you” (Soorah al-Baqarah, 2:185); and that which speaks of childbirth and delivery, such as the verse: “And no female conceives or gives birth, but with His Knowledge” (Soorah Faatir 35:11) – this will In sha Allah be beneficial.
Long Answer: [There is no known] …du‘aa in the saheeh Sunnah that are specifically for the pregnant woman or the baby. Whatever has been narrated concerning that is either fabricated or has been compiled by some scholars from verses and du‘aas that are suited to the occasion, without attributing any of that to Islamic teachings per se.
Example of a fabricated report
There is a report which says that when the time of birth drew near for Faatimah (ra), the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) instructed Umm Salamah and Zaynab bint Jahsh to come and recite beside her Aayat al-Kursi and the verse “Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth…” (Soorah al-A‘raaf, 7:54, and Soorah Yoonus, 10:3), and to recite al-Mu‘awwidhatayn (the last two soorahs). But this is a fabricated hadith. (See: al-Kalim at-Tayyib (p. 161) by Ibn Taymiyah, annotated by al-Albaani)
Example of ijtihaad
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) answered: “[As for any verses that may be recited for the purpose of making childbirth easier for the woman], I do not know of anything of that nature in the Sunnah, but if one recites over the pregnant woman who is in labor that which speaks of things being made easier, such as the verse: “Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you” (Soorah al-Baqarah, 2:185); and that which speaks of childbirth and delivery, such as the verse: “And no female conceives or gives birth, but with His Knowledge” (Soorah Faatir 35:11) – this will be beneficial; it has been tried and tested, by Allah’s leave. The entire Qur’an is healing; if the reciter and the one to whom it is recited believe in its impact then it must inevitably have an effect, because Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) says in the Qur’an: “And We send down from the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers) nothing but loss” (Soorah al-Isra’ 17:82). This verse is general in meaning; healing and mercy includes healing of hearts from the diseases of doubt and desire, as well as the healing of bodies from physical disease. (Audio recording Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb)
The prayer of a mother for her child is answered, so there is the hope that the prayer of the pregnant woman for her baby will be accepted by Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), if she fulfills the conditions of supplication and avoids any impediments to it receiving a response. She should offer a great deal of supplication, asking for the baby’s well-being and that he be righteous, guided and enabled to do good, and that he will honor his parents.
(The above reply is based on answer provided by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid)
Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.
Wassalaam
