The prayer for a long life is not merely a simple wish of every human being, but a prayer that the Prophet taught us so that we can live our lives with good values, be useful, and prosper both in this world and the hereafter. This prayer begins with a request for a long and blessed life, not just a number that continues to increase without any meaningful significance. Come on, friends, let’s explore the complete text of the prayer for a long life and also the spiritual guidance for practicing it.
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The Sunnah Prayer for a Long Life in Islam
One of the prayers for a long life that we can practice is:
اللَّهُمَّ أَكْثِرْ مَالِي، وَوَلَدِي، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَنِي وَأَطِلْ حَيَاتِي عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ، وَأَحْسِنْ عَمَلِي وَاغْفِرْ لِي
Allāhumma aktsir mālī wa waladī, wa bārik lī fīmā a‘ṭaytanī, wa aṭil ḥayātī ‘alā ṭā‘atika, wa aḥsin ‘amalī, wa-ghfir lī.
Meaning: “O Allah, increase my wealth and my children, and bless what You have given me. Extend my life in obedience to You, improve my deeds, and forgive my sins” (HR. Bukhari and Muslim).
This prayer reflects a balance between worldly requests (wealth and long life) and blessings in the hereafter (obedience and forgiveness). It is a prayer that not only asks for long life, but also that we may use that life for good deeds. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also explained the value of a long life in his saying, “The best of people are those who live long and do good deeds. Conversely, the worst are those who live long but do bad deeds” (HR. Tirmidhi No. 2330, hasan sahih).
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Prayer for Long Life and Safety in This World and the Hereafter
There are other prayers that you can recite to ask for safety, blessings, and sustenance. These include a peaceful and useful life, and a noble end.
O Allah, we ask You for safety in religion, health in the body, increase in knowledge, blessings in sustenance, repentance before death, and mercy at the time of death, and forgiveness after death. O Allah, ease for us the agony of death, deliver us from the Fire, and forgive us on the Day of Reckoning.
اَللهُمَّ اِنَّا نَسْئَلُكَ سَلاَمَةً فِى الدِّيْنِ وَعَافِيَةً فِى الْجَسَدِ وَزِيَادَةً فِى الْعِلْمِ وَبَرَكَةً فِى الرِّزْقِ وَتَوْبَةً قَبْلَ الْمَوْتِ وَرَحْمَةً عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَمَغْفِرَةً بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ. اَللهُمَّ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا فِىْ سَكَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالنَّجَاةَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَالْعَفْوَ عِنْدَ الْحِسَابِ
Allahumma inna nas-aluka salamatan fiddin wa afiyatan fil-jasadi wa ziyadatan fil-ilmi wa barakatan firrizqi, wa taubatan qablal-maut, wa rahmatan indal-maut, wa maghfiratan ba’dal maut. Allahumma hawwin alaina fi sakaratil maut, wannajatan minannaari, wal afwa indah hisab.
Meaning: “O Allah, we ask You for safety in religion, health in the body, increase in knowledge, blessings in sustenance, repentance before death, mercy at death, and forgiveness after death. And ease for us the agony of death, and save us from the torment of Hell, and grant us forgiveness on the Day of Reckoning.”
Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any hatred for those who believe. Our Lord, You are Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ
rabbanagfir lanā wa li’ikhwāninal-lażīna sabaqūnā bil-īmāni wa lā taj‘al fī qulūbinā gillal lil-lażīna āmanū rabbanā innaka ra’ūfur raḥīm(un).
“Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who believed before us, and do not put in our hearts any hatred for those who believe. Our Lord, You are the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.” (QS. Al-Hashr verse 10).
رَبَّنَاا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana aatina fiddunya hasanah wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qinaa adzabannaari.
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
Meaning: O our Lord, give us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
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Practices for a Long Life and Blessings
In this life, we need to make the best use of our time every day. We can do this through practices that lead us to a long life and blessings.
Preserving Faith and Avoiding Sin
Ibn Qayyim may Allah have mercy on him in Ad-Daa’ wa Ad-Dawaa’ on page 87 states, “Among the effects of sin is shortening one’s lifespan and depriving it of blessings. Just as good deeds can extend one’s lifespan, evil deeds shorten it.”
In the remaining time that we do not know when death will come, it is best for us to always maintain our faith and avoid sin. Committing one sin is like a drop of ink spoiling a whole jug of milk. The blessings that we strive to maintain can disappear just like that because we are tempted to commit sin.
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Honoring Parents Can Be a Prayer for a Long Life
From Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, “Whoever wishes for their lifespan to be extended and their provision to be increased should honor their parents and maintain ties with their relatives” (HR. Ahmad).
Generally, parents have devoted all their energy and time to raising us and giving us the best. When they grow old, the energy to face the hardships of old age comes from our sincerity in being devoted to them. Their prayers can be one of the sources of blessings for the lives we live.
Maintaining Good Relations with Fellow Muslims
From Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah said, “Whoever wants to have his sustenance expanded and his life extended, let him maintain good relations with his relatives” (HR. Bukhari and Muslim).
This hadith explains the relationship between the kindness we show to our relatives and close friends and the blessings in our lives. Someone who maintains good relations with others, inshaAllah, will receive sustenance and blessings in their life.
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Extending Good Deeds through Almsgiving
We live in this world only temporarily, and the length of a person’s life is a secret known only to Allah SWT. However, even though we will not be able to worship anymore in the future, there are deeds that continue to flow, as if our lives were long in carrying out those deeds.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “When a person dies, all their deeds are cut off except for three things: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and a righteous child who always prays for their parents” (HR. Muslim).
Charity is one of the deeds that will make our lives seem long. Because its benefits flow and are uninterrupted. Charity can be a prayer for a long life that becomes a light, accompanying us in the hereafter.
