Anxiety & Distress

Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn.

Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.

Said upon any affliction. Whoever says it and then supplicates, 'O Allah, reward me for my affliction and replace it with something better', Allah replaces it with something better. (Sahih Muslim 918)

[ Surah Al-Baqara 2:156 ]

Rabbanā afrigh ʿalaynā ṣabran wa thabbit aqdāmanā wanṣurnā ʿalal-qawmil-kāfirīn.

Our Lord, pour upon us patience, make our feet firm, and give us victory over the disbelieving people.

[ Surah Al-Baqara 2:250 ]

Rabbanā lā tu'ākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭa'nā. Rabbanā wa lā taḥmil ʿalaynā iṣran kamā ḥamaltahu ʿalal-ladhīna min qablinā. Rabbanā wa lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih. Waʿfu ʿannā waghfir lanā warḥamnā, Anta Mawlānā fanṣurnā ʿalal-qawmil-kāfirīn.

Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or fall into error. Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with more than we have strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.

To each request in this verse Allah answered: 'Yes.' (Sahih Muslim 126). Whoever recites the last two verses of al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him. (Sahih al-Bukhari 5009)

[ Surah Al-Baqara 2:286 ]

Allāhumma Mālikal-mulki tu'til-mulka man tashā'u wa tanziʿul-mulka mimman tashā', wa tuʿizzu man tashā'u wa tudhillu man tashā'. Biyadikal-khayr, innaka ʿalā kulli shay'in Qadīr. Tūlijul-layla fin-nahāri wa tūlijun-nahāra fil-layl, wa tukhrijul-ḥayya minal-mayyiti wa tukhrijul-mayyita minal-ḥayy, wa tarzuqu man tashā'u bighayri ḥisāb.

O Allah, Owner of all sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honour whom You will and humble whom You will. In Your hand is all good. Indeed, You are over all things competent. You cause the night to enter the day and the day to enter the night, You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living, and You provide for whom You will without measure.

[ Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:26-27 ]

Ḥasbunallāhu wa niʿmal-wakīl.

Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.

Said by Ibrahim ﷺ when he was cast into the fire, and by the Prophet ﷺ and his companions when they were warned that an army had gathered against them. (Sahih al-Bukhari 4563)

[ Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:173 ]

Rabbanā akhrijnā min hādhihil-qaryatiẓ-ẓālimi ahluhā, wajʿal lanā min ladunka waliyyan wajʿal lanā min ladunka naṣīrā.

Our Lord, take us out of this town whose people are oppressors, and appoint for us from Yourself a protector, and appoint for us from Yourself a helper.

[ Surah An-Nisaa 4:75 ]

Rabbi innī lā amliku illā nafsī wa akhī, fafruq baynanā wa baynal-qawmil-fāsiqīn.

My Lord, I have power over none but myself and my brother, so separate us from the defiantly disobedient people.

Said by Prophet Musa ﷺ

[ Surah Al-Maaida 5:25 ]

Ḥasbiyallāhu lā ilāha illā Huwa, ʿalayhi tawakkaltu wa Huwa Rabbul-ʿArshil-ʿaẓīm.

Sufficient for me is Allah; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne.

Whoever says it seven times morning and evening, Allah suffices him in whatever worries him. (Sunan Abi Dawud 5081)

[ Surah At-Tawba 9:129 ]

Innamā ashkū baththī wa ḥuznī ilallāh.

I only complain of my anguish and my grief to Allah.

Said by Prophet Yaʿqub ﷺ

[ Surah Yusuf 12:86 ]

Rabbanā ātinā min ladunka raḥmatan wa hayyi' lanā min amrinā rashadā.

Our Lord, grant us mercy from Yourself and prepare for us right guidance in our affair.

Said by The People of the Cave

[ Surah Al-Kahf 18:10 ]

Rabbish-raḥ lī ṣadrī, wa yassir lī amrī, waḥlul ʿuqdatan min lisānī, yafqahū qawlī.

My Lord, expand for me my breast, ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech.

Said by Prophet Musa ﷺ

[ Surah Taa-Haa 20:25-28 ]

Rabbanā innanā nakhāfu an yafruṭa ʿalaynā aw an yaṭghā.

Our Lord, we are afraid that he will hasten against us or that he will transgress.

Said by Prophets Musa and Harun ﷺ

[ Surah Taa-Haa 20:45 ]

Annī massaniyaḍ-ḍurru wa Anta arḥamur-rāḥimīn.

Adversity has truly touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful.

Said by Prophet Ayyub ﷺ

[ Surah Al-Anbiyaa 21:83 ]

Lā ilāha illā Anta, Subḥānaka innī kuntu minaẓ-ẓālimīn.

There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.

Said by Prophet Yunus ﷺ

The supplication of Dhun-Nun. No Muslim ever supplicates with it in any matter except that Allah answers him. (Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi 3505)

[ Surah Al-Anbiyaa 21:87 ]

Wa ufawwiḍu amrī ilallāh, innallāha Baṣīrun bil-ʿibād.

And I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of His servants.

[ Surah Ghafir 40:44 ]

Rabbanak-shif ʿannal-ʿadhāba innā mu'minūn.

Our Lord, remove from us the punishment; indeed, we are believers.

[ Surah Ad-Dukhaan 44:12 ]

Annī maghlūbun fantaṣir.

I am overpowered, so help me.

Said by Prophet Nuh ﷺ

[ Surah Al-Qamar 54:10 ]

Allāhumma innī `abduk, ibnu `abdik, ibnu amatik, nāsiyatī biyadik, māḍin fiyya ḥukmuk, `adlun fiyya qaḍā'uk, as'aluka bikullis’min huwa lak, sammayta bihi nafsak, aw anzaltahu fī kitābik, aw `allamtahu aḥadan min khalqik, aw‘ista'tharta bihi fī `ilmil-ghaybi `indak, an taj`ala ‘l-Qur'āna rabī`a qalbī, wa nūra ṣadrī, wa jalā'a ḥuznī, wa dhahāba hammī.

O Allah, I am Your slave, and the son of Your male slave, and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand (i.e. you have control over me). Your Judgment upon me is assured, and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation, or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness, and the reliever of my distress.

[ Ahmad 1/391, and Al-Albani graded it authentic. Hisn al-Muslim 120 ]

Allāhumma 'innī 'a`ūdhu bika mina ‘l-ḥammi wa ‘l-ḥuzn, wa ‘l-`ajzi wa ‘l-kasal, wa ‘l-bukhli wa ‘l-jubn, wa ḍala`id-dayn, wa ghalabatir-rijāl.

O Allah, I seek refuge in you from grief and sadness, from weakness and from laziness, from miserliness and from cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by men (i.e. others).

[ Al-Bukhari 7/158. See also Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/173. Hisn al-Muslim 121 ]

Lā ilāha illallāh al-`Aẓīmul-Ḥalīm, lā ilāha illallāh Rabbu ‘l-`Arshi ‘l-'Aẓīm, lā ilāha illallāh Rabbus-samāwāti wa Rabbu ‘l-arḍ wa Rabbu ‘l-`Arshi ‘l-Karīm.

There is none worthy of worship but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing. There is none worthy of worship but Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is none worthy of worship but Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne.

[ Al-Bukhari 8/154, Muslim 4/2092. Hisn al-Muslim 122 ]

Allāhumma raḥmataka arjū falā takilnī ilā nafsī ṭarfata `ayn, wa aṣliḥ lī sha'nī kullah, lā ilāha illā ant.

O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment). Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You.

[ Abu Dawud 4/324, Ahmad 5/42. Al-Albani graded it as good in Sahih Abu Dawud 3/959. Hisn al-Muslim 123 ]

Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu minaẓ-ẓālimīn.

There is none worthy of worship but You, glory is to You. Surely, I was among the wrongdoers.

[ At-Tirmidhi 5/529. Al-Hakim declared it authentic and Ath-Thahabi agreed with him 1/ 505. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmidhi 3/168. Hisn al-Muslim 124 ]

Allāh, Allāhu Rabbī lā ushriku bihi shay'a.

Allah, Allah is my Lord. I do not associate anything with Him.

[ Abu Dawud 2/87. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Mdjah 2/335. Hisn al-Muslim 125 ]

Allāhumma lā saḥla illā ma ja`altahu saḥla wa anta taj`alu ‘l-ḥazna idhā shi'ta saḥla.

O Allah, there is no ease other than what You make easy. If You please You ease sorrow.

[ Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (no. 2427), and Ibn As- Sunni (no. 351). Al-Hafidh (Ibn Hajar) said that this Hadith is authentic. It was also declared authentic by 'Abdul-Qadir Al-Arna'ut in his checking of An-Nawawi's Kitabul-Athkarp. 106. Hisn al-Muslim 139 ]

Qaddarallāhu wa mā shā'a fa`al.

It is the Decree of Allah and He does whatever He wills.

[ "The strong believer is better and more dear to Allah than the weak believer, and in each of them there is good. Be vigilant for what is to your benefit and seek the help of Allah and do not falter. But when you are striken by some setback, do not say: 'If only I had done such and such,' rather say: 'It is the Decree of Allah and He does whatever He wills.' For verily the saying 'if (i.e. if only I had) begins the work of the Devil." Muslim 4/2052. Hisn al-Muslim 144 ]

Lā ilāha illallāh!

There is none worthy of worship but Allah!

[ Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 6/181, Muslim 4/2208. Hisn al-Muslim 245 ]