The dua for parents, in the Quran

The verses

1. Al-Isra' 17:23-24

   1. ۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا

      waqaḍā rabbuka 'allā taʿbudū 'illā 'iyyāhu wabil-wālidayni 'iḥsānā | immā yablughanna ʿindaka l-kibara 'aḥaduhumā 'aw kilāhumā falā taqul lahumā 'uffiw walā tanharhumā waqul lahumā qawlan karīmā

      And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.

      Al-Isra' 17:23

   2. وَٱخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا

      wakhfiḍ lahumā janāḥa dh-dhulli mina r-raḥmati waqur rabbi rḥamhumā kamā rabbayānī ṣaghīrā

      And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."

      Al-Isra' 17:24

2. Ibrahim 14:41

   1. رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ

      rabbana ghfir lī waliwālidayya walil-mu'minīna yawma yaqūmu l-ḥisāb

      Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established."

      Ibrahim 14:41

3. Nuh 71:28

   1. رَّبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيْتِىَ مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ وَلَا تَزِدِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ إِلَّا تَبَارًۢا

      rabbi ghfir lī waliwālidayya waliman dakhala baytiya mu'minaw walil-mu'minīna wal-mu'mināti walā tazidi ẓ-ẓālimīna 'illā tabārā

      My Lord, forgive me and my parents and whoever enters my house a believer and the believing men and believing women. And do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction."

      Nuh 71:28

4. Al-Ahqaf 46:15

   1. وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـٰلِحًا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِى فِى ذُرِّيَّتِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

      wawaṣṣayna l-insāna biwālidayhi 'iḥsānā | ḥamalat-hu 'ummuhū kurhaw wawaḍaʿat-hu kurhā | waḥamluhū wafiṣāluhū thalāthūna shahrā | ḥattā 'idhā balagha 'ashuddahū wabalagha 'arbaʿīna sanatan qāla rabbi 'awziʿnī 'an 'ashkura niʿmataka llatī 'anʿamta ʿalayya waʿalā wālidayya wa'an 'aʿmala ṣāliḥan tarḍāhu wa'aṣliḥ lī fī dhurriyyatī | innī tubtu 'ilayka wa'innī mina l-muslimīn

      And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims."

      Al-Ahqaf 46:15

When to say it

At any time, for living parents as for parents who have passed away: praying for them does not stop with their death.

The hadith counts the dua of a righteous child among the deeds that continue after death.

The merit of this dua