What it means
التماس دعا (eltemâs-e do’â) is a formal phrase meaning “I beg for your prayers” or “please pray for me.” Both words are Arabic in origin: التماس (eltemâs) comes from the Arabic root لمس (l-m-s), in the sense of seeking or earnestly requesting, while دعا (do’â) means prayer or supplication, from the Arabic root دعو (d-‘-w), to call or to invoke. Together the phrase expresses humble petition for the other person’s spiritual intercession. It is used almost exclusively as a closing line in formal or semiformal written communication, particularly letters to religious figures, teachers, or respected elders. A modern equivalent used in less formal contexts is دعام کن (do’âm kon), meaning “pray for me.”
How to use it
- با احترام، التماس دعا. (Bâ ehterâm, eltemâs-e do’â.) “With respect, I ask for your prayers.”
- در پایان نامه نوشت: التماس دعا. (Dar pâyân-e nâme nevesht: eltemâs-e do’â.) “At the end of the letter he wrote: please pray for me.”
- التماس دعا دارم از شما. (Eltemâs-e do’â dâram az shomâ.) “I humbly ask for your prayers.”
- ممنون از محبتتون، التماس دعا. (Mamnun az mohabbatatun, eltemâs-e do’â.) “Thank you for your kindness, I ask for your prayers.”
Cultural note
التماس دعا is a fixture of traditional Persian letter-writing etiquette and remains in active use in religious, academic, and formal personal correspondence in Iran. It signals humility and spiritual connection, acknowledging the recipient as someone whose prayers carry weight. In clerical and seminary culture it appears in nearly every letter. Even in contemporary Iran, receiving a letter that closes with التماس دعا signals that the sender holds the recipient in high esteem and regards the relationship as one grounded in faith and mutual regard, not mere social formality.