Duas for worry, sadness and distress

The duas

1. Against worry and sadness

   اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

   Allâhumma innî a'ûdhu bika mina l-hammi wa l-hazan, wa l-'ajzi wa l-kasal, wa l-jubni wa l-bukhl, wa dala'i d-dayni wa ghalabati r-rijâl

   O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sadness, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from the burden of debt and from being overpowered by men.

2. In times of great distress

   لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ

   Lâ ilâha illâ Llâhu l-'Azhîmu l-Halîm, lâ ilâha illâ Llâhu Rabbu l-'arshi l-'azhîm, lâ ilâha illâ Llâhu Rabbu s-samâwâti wa Rabbu l-ardi wa Rabbu l-'arshi l-karîm

   There is no deity except Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no deity except Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is no deity except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne.

   This dua has its own page: Dua for distress (al-karb)

3. When overwhelmed and in need of Allah

   اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

   Allâhumma rahmataka arjû fa-lâ takilnî ilâ nafsî tarfata 'ayn, wa aslih lî sha'nî kullah, lâ ilâha illâ ant

   O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye. Set right all my affairs. There is no deity except You.

4. The prayer of Yunus in affliction

   1. وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَـٰضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

      wadha n-nūni 'idh dhahaba mughāḍiban faẓanna 'al lan naqdira ʿalayhi fanādā fi ẓ-ẓulumāti 'al lā 'ilāha 'illā 'anta subḥānaka 'innī kuntu mina ẓ-ẓālimīn

      And [mention] the man of the fish [i.e., Jonah], when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."

      Al-Anbiya' 21:87

   The page for this verse: The supplication of Yunus

5. For relief from debt

   اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ

   Allâhumma-kfinî bi-halâlika 'an harâmik, wa aghninî bi-fadlika 'amman siwâk

   O Allah, suffice me with what You have made lawful so I need not what You have forbidden, and enrich me by Your bounty so I need no one besides You.

6. When grief weighs you down

   O Allah, I am Your servant, child of Your servant, child of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand. Your judgement upon me is carried out, Your decree upon me is just. I ask You by every name that belongs to You, by which You have named Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your Book, or which You have taught to any of Your creation, or which You have kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen: make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the lifting of my sadness and the going of my worry.

7. When distress closes in on you

   اللَّهُ اللَّهُ رَبِّي لَا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا

   Allâhu Llâhu rabbî lâ ushriku bihi shay'â

   Allah, Allah is my Lord; I associate nothing with Him.

8. When something becomes too hard for you

   O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy, and You make what is hard easy when You will.

9. When something you attempted does not work out — instead of saying "if only"

   قَدَرُ اللَّهِ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ

   Qadaru Llâhi wa mâ shâ'a fa'al

   It is Allah's decree, and He does what He wills.

10. When a loss or a misfortune strikes

    إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي، وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا

    Innâ lillâhi wa innâ ilayhi râji'ûn, Allâhumma-jurnî fî musîbatî, wa akhlif lî khayran minhâ

    To Allah we belong, and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and give me something better in its place.

11. When something happens that you did not want

    الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ

    Al-hamdu lillâhi 'alâ kulli hâl

    Praise be to Allah in every circumstance.

When to say them

These duas are said when the pain comes, as many times as you need. They replace neither the help of loved ones nor that of a doctor.

If you are going through deep distress, talk to someone you trust near you today.