رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking You for that of which I have no knowledge. And if You do not forgive me and have mercy on me, I will be among the losers.
Rabbi innī aʿūdhu bika an asʾalaka mā laysa lī bihi ʿilmun, wa-illā taghfir lī wa-tarḥamnī akun mina-l-khāsirīn
Reference
This is from the Qur'an, Sūrat Hūd (11), verse 47, where the verse begins with the words ‘He said’:
- Qur'an 11:47
Explanation
The verb aʿūdhu comes from the root ʿ-w-dh, meaning to take shelter, so the speaker places himself under Allah's protection from asking Him for something he has no knowledge about. He then says that unless Allah forgives him and shows him mercy, he will be among the khāsirīn. This word comes from khusrān, meaning loss, and the khāsirīn are those who end in loss. The verse thus joins a turning to Allah for refuge with a plea for His forgiveness and mercy.