Every school run, holiday trip or visit to family is a chance to practise this dua, which comes from the Quran itself.
The dua
First say اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ three times, then:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ، وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ
Subhana-lladhi sakhkhara lana hadha wa ma kunna lahu muqrinin, wa inna ila rabbina la-munqalibun.
“Glory be to the One who has made this available to us, for we could never have done it by ourselves, and to our Lord we will surely return” (Quran 43:13–14). The Prophet ﷺ said this when setting out on a journey (Sahih Muslim 1342).
What it means, simply
- Subhana-lladhi sakhkhara lana hadha: “Thank You, Allah, for giving us this car (or train, or plane).”
- Wa ma kunna lahu muqrinin: “We couldn’t have made it work by ourselves.”
- Wa inna ila rabbina la-munqalibun: “And one day we will all go back to Allah.”
Learn it in three car journeys
- Journey 1: Allahu akbar ×3 and “Subhana-lladhi sakhkhara lana hadha”.
- Journey 2: add “wa ma kunna lahu muqrinin”.
- Journey 3: add “wa inna ila rabbina la-munqalibun”.
Say it together every time the car starts. Within a couple of weeks, children usually remind the adults.
Teacher’s tip: let your child be the “dua leader” for each journey. Giving them the job makes sure they never forget it.
Related: What dua should my child say when leaving the house?
