My sister recently gave birth to her first baby a week back and miraculously endured a ‘short’ 4 hour labour. My mum was with her during labour reciting certain duas and azkar, which immensely helped her.
She requested me to share the azkar with friends so that it may help other sisters too in pregnancy and labour.
1) Weeks before labour she read:
- Surah Baqarah, Yaseen and Ar-Rahman on some water for my sister in the last few weeks and gave it to her to drink. Since all of Quran is Shifa you can read other parts of the Quran too.
- Surah Baqarah, verse 20 (2:20): Verily Allah is capable of everything.
- وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ “Praise is to you (Allah), yours is dominion of the heavens and the earth and all they contain.” (Part of dua that Prophet pbuh used to read in tahajjud http://www.islamawareness.net/Dua/Fortress/016.html)
2) When arriving at the hospital for labour she read Surah Bani Israel verse 80 “O my Lord! Let my entry be good, and my exit be good. And grant me from You an authority to help me.” (17:80)
3) On every contraction she read the following:
- First verse of Surah Fatihah :” All praises for Allah Lord of the Worlds.”
- Surah Hud verse 57 (11:57): “Verily my Lord is a protector over everything.”
- Surah Falaq and Surah Nas
- Ayat ul Kursi
4) At the peak of contraction, she read the following:
- Prophet (pbuh)’s dua: O Ever Living, O Self Subsisting and Sustainer of all, by your mercy I seek assistance (http://www.alhudapk.com/reading-material/duas/mornig_evening/pg16.asp)
- Surah Mariam verse 1 (19:1) “Kaaf Haa Yaa Ain Suad”
- Surah Mariam verse 21 (19:21): ” He said, So it will be, your Lord said: That is easy for me…” She would read this verse on small pieces of dates and give to my sister to eat.
If the labour is long, she said do lots of Istighfar.
5) During the pushing stage, she read the following:
- Surah Mariam (19) verse 1 and 21 stated above continuously
- Oh Allah, help me with the Holy Spirit (Angel Gabriel) [The Prophet pbuh read this dua for a companion: Oh Allah help him with the holy spirit: (Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 8, Number 444) while giving her sips of water.
6) She made an intention to give some sadaqah and read nawafil at every stage of difficulty during the labour, and also whilst arriving and departing from the hospital. On difficulty in labour she read: “Praise is to you (Allah), yours is dominion of the heavens and the earth and all they contain.” (stated in 1)
7) After birth, she said she thanked Allah with utmost humbleness and fulfilled all vows of nawafil and sadaqaat and remembered verse 3 of Surah An-Nasr: So glorify the Praises of your Lord, and ask for His Forgiveness (110:3)
8) She read duas of protection against evil eye for my sister and baby after birth.
The belief that Allah is with you, and that He will most certainly help you and that He can make the impossible possible is essential. And also to be immensely grateful afterwards and to remember Him is essential too.
By an Anonymous Mama