Supplications for Relief from Distress
In the Prophetic tradition, there are several established supplications that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited during times of distress and anxiety. Here are some of these supplications:
- (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sorrow, from incapacity and laziness, from stinginess and cowardice, from the burden of debt, and from the oppression of men).
- According to Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: (Whenever he faced worry or grief, he would say: O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, I seek relief through Your mercy).
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to recite during moments of panic: (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from His wrath and punishment, the evil of His servants, the whispers of devils, and their presence with me).
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: (O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for; do not leave me to myself, even for the blink of an eye, and rectify all of my affairs; there is no deity but You).
- He also mentioned: (Whenever a servant is afflicted by a calamity and recites: “Indeed, to Allah we belong and indeed to Him we will return,” and prays, “O Allah, reward me for my calamity and replace it with something better,” Allah will reward him for his calamity and replace it with something better).
- He further stated: (No one will experience worry or sorrow and say: “O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant and Your maid, my forelock is in Your hand, Your decree is executed upon me, and Your judgment on me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours, which You have named Yourself, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or have kept knowledge of in the unseen with You, to make the Qur’an the joy of my heart, the light in my chest, the removal of my grief, and the departure of my worry,” except that Allah will remove his worry and replace his sorrow with joy).
- According to Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), it was reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would supplicate during times of distress: (There is no deity but Allah, the Great Most Forbearing; there is no deity but Allah, Lord of the Great Throne; there is no deity but Allah, Lord of the heavens, the earth, and the Honorable Throne).
Methods for Relieving Distress
There are several strategies for alleviating distress for Muslims, including the following:
- Supplication and turning to Allah, as He mentions: (And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me, so let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be guided).
- Seeking forgiveness and repentance to Allah; as Allah says: (And O my people, seek forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers and add strength to your strength, and do not turn away as criminals).
- Establishing and maintaining prayer; Allah says: (And seek help through patience and prayer. And indeed, it is a difficult thing except for the humbly submissive).
- Fearing Allah in both private and public; as He states in His Book: (O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims).
- Persistence in sending prayers and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); (Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and greet him with peace).
- Increasing the remembrance of Allah and obedience to Him.
- Placing trust and reliance on Allah; (And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die and glorify Him with praise. And sufficient is He as Knowing of the sins of His servants).
Times and Places for Answered Supplications
There are numerous specific times and places where Allah answers the prayers of Muslims, including:
- The supplication of one who goes to sleep in a state of purity while remembering Allah; as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: (There is no Muslim who goes to bed remembering Allah while pure, and then awakens in the night to ask Allah for goodness in this world or the Hereafter, except that He will grant it to him).
- Prayers offered in the last third of the night; as the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: (Our Lord descends every night to the nearest heaven when the last third of the night remains, saying: Who is calling upon Me that I may respond to him? Who is asking Me that I may give him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me that I may forgive him?).
- The prayer of a righteous child; as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: (When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him).
- The supplication of a traveler; he (peace be upon him) said: (There are three supplications that are surely answered: the supplication of the oppressed, the supplication of the traveler, and the supplication of a parent for their child).
- The prayer of the distressed; as Allah mentions: (Is He not best who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil?).
- The supplication made by the oppressed; as the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: (The supplication of the oppressed is accepted even if he is an evildoer; his guilt is upon himself).
- The one who frequently remembers Allah; the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: (There are three whose supplications are not rejected: the one who remembers Allah frequently, the oppressed, and the just ruler).
- The supplication of one who awakens from sleep with the prescribed prayer; as he (peace be upon him) said: (Whoever awakens at night and says: There is no deity except Allah, alone without partner; to Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs the praise, and He is over all things competent; praise be to Allah, and glory be to Allah, and there is no deity except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah; then he asks: O Allah, forgive me, or supplicates, he will be responded to. If he performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted).
- The supplication of one Muslim for another in their absence; as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: (The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is accepted; at his head there is an angel assigned who, whenever he prays for his brother, the angel says: Ameen, and for you the same).