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AL Qur'an, the last of the Divine Scripturas from the Lord of the World, mentions supplications from many a eminent and prominent of prophets chosen by Allah, a number of which we have already published in our blog. Today, we share an invocation attributed to Prophet Eesa (Jesus, may peace be upon him) which he along with his trusted disciples made to the One True God, affirming that they believed in the God and that they may be counted among those who believed and bore witness.
This invocation is mentioned in Āyah 53 of Sūrah Āl ʿImrān (3:53) whcih we will discuss along with the context, meaning, and its lessons for us today.
Arabic Text (Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:53):
رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا بِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
Translation (Meaning)
“Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed and followed the Messenger, so write us down among those who bear witness.” (Qur’an 3:53)
Context of Revelation
This verse comes as part of the story of Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus) عليه السلام and his disciples (al-Ḥawāriyyūn). Prophet ʿĪsā was sent to the Children of Israel with clear miracles and divine guidance. But when Prophet ʿĪsā became conscious of their rejection of the faith, he asked: “Who will be my helpers in the cause of God?” [ This was the stage when many of his people rejected him and plotted against him. But a small group — his true disciples — responded to his call with faith and sincerity.] This when asked for the allegiance, the loyal disciples replied: “We are [your] helpers in God’s cause. We believe in God. Bear you witness that we have surrendered ourselves to Him. Our Lord, we believe in what You have bestowed from on high, and we follow the messenger, so write us down among those who bear witness [to the truth].” (Verses 52-53)
In the verse just before this (3:52), in verse 52 Allah says:
“But when ʿĪsā sensed disbelief from them, he said, ‘Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah?’ The disciples said, ‘We are Allah’s helpers; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (submit to Him).’”
Then, in verse 53, they turn directly to Allah with this heartfelt duʿā — affirming their faith and asking Allah to count them among the witnesses to truth.
Detailed Explanation (Tafsīr)
1. رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا بِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ “Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed…”
- This is a declaration of īmān (faith) in Allah’s revelation — in the Injīl (Gospel) that Allah revealed to Prophet ʿĪsā, and by extension, belief in all divine scriptures.
- They are acknowledging that guidance only comes from Allah and that whatever He reveals is the truth.
- Lesson: True believers submit wholeheartedly to Allah’s revelation — not picking and choosing, but accepting His message in full.
2. وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ “And we followed the Messenger…”
- They declare that their faith is not only verbal, but shown through obedience — following the Messenger of Allah (ʿĪsā عليه السلام).
- Faith without action is incomplete; true īmān requires following the messenger sent by Allah.
- Lesson: Every believer must follow their Prophet’s example — and for us, that means following the teachings and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ faithfully.
3. فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ “So record us among those who bear witness.”
They ask Allah to include them among the shāhidīn (witnesses) — those who:
- Bear witness to the truth of Allah’s Oneness (Tawḥīd),
- Bear witness to the truth of His prophets, and
- Will testify on the Day of Judgment that they believed and lived by the truth.
According to Tafsir Ibn Kathīr, the disciples prayed to be among those who would testify to the truth of all prophets — including Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whose coming ʿĪsā had foretold (see 61:6).
So this duʿā also contains a longing for unity with all true believers across time.
- Lesson: Muslims should also desire to be counted among those who bear witness — by living Islam, speaking truth, and defending it with sincerity.
Spiritual Lessons from the Verse
- True faith includes both belief and action:
- The disciples said: “We have believed and followed.”
- Faith in the heart must be reflected in obedience in life.
- The believers are always few, but sincere. Just like the disciples of ʿĪsā, those who truly stand for truth may be few — yet Allah honors them eternally.
- Prayer strengthens faith. After declaring belief, they supplicate — asking Allah for firmness and acceptance. This shows humility and recognition that faith needs divine support.
- We must strive to be witnesses of truth. Not just by words, but by living as examples of honesty, justice, and submission to Allah.
- Unity of the prophetic message. This verse beautifully connects the followers of ʿĪsā and the followers of Muhammad ﷺ — all sincere believers share the same creed: submission to Allah.
Practical Reflection (for Us Today)
You can recite this verse as a duʿā to renew your īmān and commitment:
رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا بِمَا أَنْزَلْتَ وَاتَّبَعْنَا الرَّسُولَ فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
“Our Lord, we have believed in what You revealed and followed the Messenger; so write us down among those who bear witness.”
Say it with sincerity — meaning: “O Allah, I believe in Your Book, I follow Your Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ), so count me among those who testify to the truth and live by it.”
It is a prayer worthy of careful study by everyone who claim to surrender himself to God. This is indeed the meaning of Islam as understood by the disciples and as understood by true Muslims, who actually surrender themselves to God. Anyone who suppresses his testimony and is reluctant to give it in favour of his religion is a sinner at heart. If he claims to be a Muslim but chooses a lifestyle other than that of Islam, or tries to live according to Islam within his own private life but not in the generality of this social life, or does not strive to establish a Divine method in the life of his society either to evade hardship or to spare his own life at the cost of his faith, then he is one who does not give full testimony to this religion, or, indeed, he gives a testimony against it. In so doing, he makes a testimony which deters others from accepting this faith. Can we contemplate the fate of a person who deters others from accepting the Divine faith through his own claim that he is a believer when actually he is not?
No invocation / supplication or even simple verse in Qur'an is without reflection by the believers. We must ponder over each, and try to be close to Allah by remembering Him in the same words that revered prophets of Allah remembered Him. And if these invocations are made with utter sincerity, let there be no doubt that these will not be accepted by Allah.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
For more Rabbana themed supplications, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations (Dua / دُعا) from Qur’an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: reference to which are given below:
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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