اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ
Allahumma inni as'aluka 'ilman nafi'an wa a'udhu bika min 'ilmin la yanfa'
O Allah, I ask You for knowledge that is beneficial, and I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit.
Not all knowledge is equal. You can memorize facts that never change your behavior, earn degrees that never humble you, and accumulate information that never brings you closer to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ distinguished between 'ilm nafi' (knowledge that transforms) and 'ilm la yanfa' (knowledge that merely decorates). This du'a asks for the former and seeks protection from the latter.
Related Du'as
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي وَسَدِّدْنِي، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالسَّدَادَ، وَاذْكُرْ بِالْهُدَى هِدَايَتَكَ الطَّرِيقَ، وَبِالسَّدَادِ سَدَادَ السَّهْمِ
O Allah, guide me and keep me straight. O Allah, I ask You for guidance and straightness — and when you think of guidance, think of the guidance of the road, and when you think of straightness, think of the straightness of the arrow.
Sahihاللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِّي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَإِنْ كُنتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِّي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability through Your power, and I ask of Your great bounty. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not. And You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs — decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if You know this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs — turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, then make me content with it.
Sahihاللَّهُمَّ فَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ وَعَلِّمْهُ التَّأْوِيلَ
O Allah, give him deep understanding of the religion and teach him the interpretation.
Sahihرَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
Sahih