Prayer of Istikhara
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught his companions a specific supplication for seeking guidance when facing indecision between two matters. This prayer, known as the Istikhara prayer, is as follows: (O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and I seek Your ability through Your power, and I ask You for Your immense bounty; for You have power and I do not, and You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs—or he said: in my immediate and future matters—then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it).
Furthermore, the prayer continues: (And if You know that this matter is harmful to me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs—or he said: in my immediate and future matters—then divert it from me, and divert me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me satisfied with it).
Authentic Supplications for a Troubled Heart
There are several supplications from the Sunnah of the Prophet that Muslims can utilize to seek solace for the heart and alleviate confusion. Some of these include:
- (O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your maidservant, my forelock is in Your hand; Your command is enforced upon me, and Your decree is just regarding me. I ask You by every name that is Yours, which You have named Yourself, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to one of Your creatures, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the mighty Quran the spring of my heart, the light in my chest, the removal of my sadness, and the departure of my anxiety and sorrow).
- (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sorrow, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from the burden of debt, and from the oppression of men).
- (O Allah, I ask You for all that is good, both immediate and deferred, that which I know and that which I do not know. I ask You for Paradise and for that which brings me closer to it, in word or deed, and I seek refuge in You from the Fire and from that which draws me closer to it, in word or deed. I ask You for what Muhammad asked You for, and I seek refuge in You from what Muhammad sought refuge from. And if You decree a matter for me, make its outcome righteous).
General Supplications for a Restless Heart
A Muslim can call upon Allah (the Exalted) in any manner, using their own words and expressions. Here are several additional supplications that one can recite for peace of mind:
- I ask You by Your mighty name and ancient sovereignty, and I ask You, O Allah, by Your power that safeguarded Yunus in the belly of the whale, and Your mercy that healed Ayoub after his trials, not to leave me with any worry, sorrow, distress, or illness except that You alleviate it.
- O Allah, You do not burden a soul beyond its capacity; do not impose upon me the hardships of life that I cannot bear, and keep me distant from the calamities of this world as You kept the east far from the west.
- O Allah, if I wake up in sadness, let me end my day in joy; if I sleep in distress, awaken me in relief; and if I am in need, do not leave me to rely on anyone besides You. Preserve me for those who love me and protect my loved ones.
- There is no deity but You, glorified are You! Indeed, I have been among the wrongdoers. O Allah, relieve my distress, provide me companionship in solitude, fulfill my needs, and the needs of the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
- O Allah, lead me out of darkness into light, guide me through all stages of my life, and forgive my sins, O Lord of the worlds.
- O Allah, do not allow me to be among the wrongdoers; save me from every hardship and make for me a way out, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
- O Allah, I ask You for unwavering faith, beneficial knowledge, sincere certainty, a righteous religion, immunity from all calamities, and complete wellness. I also ask You for continual well-being, gratitude for wellness, and independence from others.