اللَّهُمَّ عَلِّمْنِي مَا يَنْفَعُنِي وَانْفَعْنِي بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي وَزِدْنِي عِلْمًا
Allahumma 'allimni ma yanfa'uni wanfa'ni bima 'allamtani wa zidni 'ilma
O Allah, teach me what benefits me, let me benefit from what You have taught me, and increase me in knowledge.
Three-part knowledge du'a: (1) Teach me what is beneficial — filter out useless information at the source; (2) Let me benefit from what I already know — many people have knowledge that sits unused; (3) And then increase me more. The second request is the most neglected — how much do you know that you don't act on? Knowing without benefiting is the worst kind of knowledge.
Related Du'as
اللَّهُمَّ أَلْهِمْنِي رُشْدِي وَأَعِذْنِي مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي
O Allah, inspire me with right guidance and protect me from the evil of myself.
Hasanاللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لَا تَشْبَعُ وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not humble itself, from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered.
Sahihاهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
Guide us to the straight path — the path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray.
Sahihاللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَضِلَّ أَوْ أُضَلَّ أَوْ أَزِلَّ أَوْ أُزَلَّ أَوْ أَظْلِمَ أَوْ أُظْلَمَ أَوْ أَجْهَلَ أَوْ يُجْهَلَ عَلَيَّ
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from going astray or being led astray, from slipping or being caused to slip, from wronging others or being wronged, from behaving ignorantly or being treated with ignorance.
Sahih