Supplications for Alleviating Worries
Prescribed Supplications
In the prophetic tradition, there are a number of established supplications attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which Muslims can recite at any time, especially during moments of anxiety and distress. Below are some of the prescribed supplications:
- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The supplications of one who is distressed: O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself, not even for the blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. There is no deity but You.”
- Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When you are faced with distress, say: ‘Allah, Allah is our Lord, there is no partner to Him.’
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from betrayal and cowardice, from the burden of debt and the dominance of men.”
- Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would supplicate in times of distress: “There is no deity but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing. There is no deity but Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no deity but Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and the Lord of the Noble Throne.”
- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated: “No one is afflicted with worry or sorrow and says: ‘O Allah, indeed I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand, Your decree upon me is established, and Your judgment regarding me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You, which You named Yourself, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen, that You make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the removal of my sorrow, and the departure of my worry,’ except that Allah, the Exalted, will remove his worry and replace his sorrow with joy.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “If any one of you is afflicted with sadness or distress, let him say: ‘Allah, Allah is my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him.’
- From the Prophet (peace be upon him): “The supplication of Dhul-Nun when he called out while in the belly of the fish: ‘There is no deity but You, glory be to You, indeed I have been one of the wrongdoers,’ no Muslim invokes it in any situation except that Allah responds to him.”
General Supplications
Muslims can call upon Allah using concise phrases from the heart. Here are some general supplications that one might find beneficial:
- O Allah, I implore You by Your One and Unique Name, and by Your Greatest Name, to relieve me of what I experienced last night and what I have encountered today.
- O Allah, remove all afflictions from me, O Knower of the hidden, O Rescuer from all calamities, help me.
- O Allah, I call upon You as one who is in desperate need, whose strength has weakened, and whose options have diminished, the supplication of the drowning one in dire need. O Allah, have mercy on me and aid me.
- O Allah, be gentle with me, and assist me with Your relief.
- O Allah, Knower of worries and burdens, Rescuer from great distress, alleviate that which distresses me.
- O Allah, grant me relief and a way out from all that burdens and worries me, both in this world and the Hereafter.
- O Allah, remove all afflictions from me, O Knower of the hidden, and Rescuer from every hardship, assist me.
- O Allah, have mercy on me and provide assistance; be gentle with me and grant me Your help, for You are my refuge.
- O Allah, forgive me the sins that tear apart the trust and forgive me the sins that cut off hope.
- O Allah, I ask You, O Remover of anxiety, O Disperser of distress, Answerer of the supplication of the needy, Merciful in this world and the Hereafter, I ask You to have mercy on me with a mercy from Yourself that will suffice me against the mercy of others.
- O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, O Light, O Most Sacred, O Living God, O Most Merciful, forgive me the sins that bring about calamity, forgive me the sins that cause regret, and forgive me the sins that withhold my share.