Significant Supplications for Alleviating Adversity
Allah, the Exalted, has decreed that worldly life is filled with trials and challenges, as it serves as a realm of testing and tribulation. As mentioned in the Holy Quran: “(He who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving).” Every individual in this life faces hardships and tribulations, and supplication is a profound act of worship which serves as a means for alleviating distress and removing worries, by Allah’s decree. Among the noteworthy supplications for this purpose are the following:
Quranic Supplications for Relief from Adversity
The entire Holy Quran is a source of goodness and benefit, and its recitation brings tranquility, peace of mind, and an uplifted spirit. Many appropriate supplications can be found within its verses to seek relief from adversity, including:
- (Allah is sufficient for me; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne).
- (My Lord, expand for me my breast, and ease for me my task, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech).
- (There is no deity except You; exalted are You; indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers).
- (Indeed, I only complain of my suffering and my sadness to Allah).
- (Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful).
Prophetic Supplications for Alleviating Difficulty
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of supplication, particularly in times of adversity. The beloved Prophet would seek refuge from afflictions, as narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): “The Messenger of Allah would seek refuge from severe trials, the misery of hardships, bad decrees, and the mockery of enemies.” Several significant supplications from the Sunnah can be recited to seek relief from trials:
- (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from severe trials, the misery of hardships, bad decrees, and the mockery of enemies).
- (O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your female servant; my forelock is in Your hand. Your command over me is forever executed, and Your decree upon me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours, by which You named Yourself or revealed in Your Book, or taught to one of Your creation, or kept secret in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my sight, the removal of my sadness, and the departure of my worries).
- (There is no deity except Allah, the Mighty and Forbearing; there is no deity except Allah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, and Lord of the Mighty Throne).
- (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sadness, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and stinginess, from the burden of debts, and the dominance of men).
- (O Allah, I ask You for well-being in this life and the Hereafter. O Allah, I ask You for forgiveness and well-being in my religion, my worldly affairs, my family, and my possessions. O Allah, cover my faults and calm my fears. O Allah, protect me from in front of me, from behind me, from my right side, from my left side, and from above me. I seek refuge in Your greatness from being attacked from below).
- As the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “No servant is afflicted by worry or sadness, and then says: O Allah, indeed, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your female servant; my forelock is in Your hand. Your command over me is forever executed, and Your decree upon me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours, by which You named Yourself, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to one of Your creation, or kept secret in the knowledge of the unseen with You; to make the great Quran, the spring of my heart, the light of my breast, the removal of my sadness, and the departure of my worry.” Except that Allah would remove his sadness and worry and replace it with joy.