قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا ﴿۴﴾ وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِنْ وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا ﴿۵﴾ يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا ﴿۶﴾

﴾4﴿ Qaala Rabbi innee wahanal 'azmu minnee washta 'alar ra'su shaibanw wa lam akum bidu'aaa'ika Rabbi shaqiyyaa
﴾5﴿ Wa innee khiftul mawaaliya minw waraaa'ee wa kaanat imra atee 'aqiran fa hablee mil ladunka waliyyaa
﴾6﴿ Yarisunee wa yarisu min aali Ya'qoob, waj'alhu Rabbi radiyya

﴾4﴿ He said, O my Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has turned white with age, yet never have I been, in my supplication to You, my Lord, deprived (unfortunate)
﴾5﴿ And indeed, I fear [what] my relatives [will do] after me (regarding the religion), and my wife is barren. So grant me from Yourself an heir [to carry on the faith]
﴾6﴿ Who will inherit from me and inherit from the family of Jacob pease be upon him, and make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]

[4] This verse serves as evidence that, in supplication, it is from the Sunnah of the prophets to seek closeness to Allah by mentioning their own weakness and need, as well as the blessings of Allah, the Most High.
The mention of (al-ʿaẓm) (the bone) is due to the fact that when the bones weaken, the whole body becomes weak.
The phrase (wa lam akun biduʿā’ika rabbi shaqiyyan) means: "O my Lord, You have made it a habit with me to accept my prayers, for whenever I have supplicated, You have never disappointed me."
And this, too, is one of the best forms of intercession in du‘ā.
[5] In this verse as well, there is tawassul (seeking closeness to Allah) through the mention of one’s need. In the first part of the verse, the reason for asking for a son is mentioned—that his relatives and cousins were not suitable to preserve the religion after his death. Therefore, having a child was necessary.
The phrase (wa kānat imra’atī ʿāqiran) indicates that there were no apparent means for having a child, and the phrase (min ladunka) also reinforces that he was not relying on outward means, but seeking a child through divine intervention alone.
[6] Here, the meaning of inheritance (mīrāth) is the inheritance of religion. The reference to āl Yaʿqūb also indicates that this religion is the legacy passed down by all the prophets of Banī Isrā’īl.
The intended inheritance is not material wealth, because prophets (peace be upon them) do not leave behind wealth as inheritance. Instead, they leave behind religious knowledge—as mentioned in authentic hadiths.
The word (raḍiyyan) means one who is chosen and pleasing in matters of religion.