Dua for Travelling on a Plane: A Traveller's Guide to Peace of Mind

Boarding a flight combines anticipation and nerves. Engines rumble as the plane rises into the sky, and you feel so far above the ground. For Muslims, this moment has always been met with a simple, powerful act: turning to God and asking Allah for protection, ease, and blessing before the journey. Dua al Safar is the name for the supplication for travel. It was initiated by the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), who commanded us to make travel supplications many years before the very existence of aeroplanes. They have equal strength and power at 35,000 feet, as they were on the back of a camel while crossing the desert.

This booklet contains the most important air travel duas for you to learn and recite, the appropriate times to recite each of these duas, as well as their meanings.

Why Should We Make Duas Before Flying?

In Islamic tradition, air travel has always been a vulnerable state. You leave your safe and comfortable home to trust a mode of transport that has a level of unpredictability and unreliability, and then you place yourself in God’s hands. Unlike a ritual, dua before and during the journey is a state of mind. It eliminates stress and replaces it with a peaceful state of mind, knowing that Allah, not the logistics, is in charge of the journey.

Many travellers report that peace before takeoff comes from dua, regardless of audience.

The Most Popular Dua for Travel (Dua al-Safar)

This is the most recognised dua for travel. Because it is flight-specific, referring to being "carried" by the sky and the earth, I believe it is the most apt dua for flying.

Arabic:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفَرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى، وَمِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضَى
اللَّهُمَّ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفَرَنَا هَذَا وَاطْوِ عَنَّا بُعْدَهُ
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ، وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الْأَهْلِ
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ، وَكَآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ، وَسُوءِ الْمُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ وَالْأَهْلِ

Transliteration:

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
Subhanal-lathi sakhkhara lana hatha wama kunna lahu muqrineen, wa inna ila Rabbin lamunqaliboon
Allahumma inna nas'aluka fi safarina hatha al-birra wattaqwa, wa minal-'amali ma tarda
Allahumma hawwin 'alayna safarana hatha watwi 'anna bu'dah
Allahumma antas-sahibu fis-safar, wal-khalifatu fil-ahl
Allahumma inni a'oothu bika min wa'tha-is-safar, wa ka'abatil-manthar, wa soo'il-munqalabi fil-mali wal-ahl

Translation:

 "Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.
Glory is to Him. Who has provided this for us, though we could never have accomplished it by ourselves, and to our Lord we shall return.
O Allah, we ask You for righteousness and piety in this journey of ours and for deeds that please You.
O Allah, make this journey easy for us and let its distance be shortened for us.
O Allah, You are our Companion on the road and the Guardian of our family in our absence.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardships of travel, from a distressing scene, and from finding our family or property in an unfortunate state upon our return."

This Dua is said when the traveller has gotten to their seat, so for flying, this Dua ought to be said after one has gotten on the plane and gotten settled (just before the time you would put your seatbelt on).

A Shorter Dua for Boarding

If you want something brief and easy to remember/say before the plane starts to move, this works well also:

 Arabic: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
 Transliteration: Bismillah
 Translation: "In the name of Allah."

This can be said as the plane begins to move toward the runway (a time when people begin to say Allah’s name before doing important steps/tasks).

Dua for Takeoff and Turbulence

Many scholars encourage saying this when taking off and during moments of turbulence:

 Arabic: حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
 Transliteration: Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal-wakeel
 Translation: "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs."

Because of the nature of moments of turbulence, there tends to be a heightening of anxiety/nervousness due to a lack of control, but this dua is meant to reinforce the concept that control is outside of the mechanism of the aircraft.

Dua upon Safe Arrival

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said this dua when he would return from traveling, and so it is said upon safe arrival:

 Arabic: آيِبُونَ تَائِبُونَ عَابِدُونَ لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُونَ
 Transliteration: Ayiboona ta'iboona 'abidoona lirabbina hamidoon
 Translation: "We return, repentant, worshipping, and praising our Lord."

This was reportedly said by the Prophet (peace be upon him) upon returning from a journey, expressing both relief and gratitude in the same breath.

Practical Advice for Reciting Dua on a Flight

• These Duas are meant to be said quietly. The traveller is not expected to disturb their fellow travellers when reciting them.
• Keep a card or use your phone. Travellers often save the transliteration and translation to a notepad or picture to look at later.
• This can be taken with common sense. Dua does not mean travellers can be reckless. Safety precautions like arriving early and checking documents can be done in conjunction with Dua.
• This should be done before each flight. From long to short flights, saying these as a routine can be a preparation and a way to ground yourself.

Final Thoughts

Travelling and taking flights now in our modern era is kind of like taking a trip on long ancient journeys. You have to leave what you know. You have to trust the process. Travellers should not feel completely isolated on their journeys.

Domestic or international, these duas should be recited on flights in order to form a mindfulness and faith practice.