Supplications for Relief from Worry and Distress
This article highlights a collection of supplications from the prophetic tradition (Sunnah) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would recite during times of worry and distress:
- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sorrow, from helplessness and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from the burden of debt, and from oppression by men.”
- Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say during distress: “None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Most Great, the Most Forbearing. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the earth and the Lord of the Noble Throne.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) also stated: “Whenever a person faces worry or sorrow and then says: ‘O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your male servant, and the son of Your female servant. My forelock is in Your hand. Your decree over me is carried out, and Your judgment concerning me is just. I ask You by every name that You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen, to make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my breast, the removal of my sorrow, and the departure of my worry,’ except that Allah would remove his worry and substitute his sorrow with happiness.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned: “The supplications of the distressed are: O Allah, I hope for Your mercy, so do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye, and rectify all my affairs for me. There is no deity but You.”
- Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If distress, hardship, or calamity befalls you, say: ‘Allah, Allah is our Lord; there is no partner with Him.'”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised: “If any of you is afflicted by grief or distress, let him say: ‘Allah, Allah is my Lord; I do not associate anything with Him.'”
- As narrated by the Prophet (peace be upon him), “The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Jonah) when he called out while in the belly of the whale: ‘There is no deity but You, praise be to You; indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.’ A Muslim who calls upon Allah with this invocation in any matter will undoubtedly have his supplication answered.”
Relief for the Prophets in the Qur’an
The Holy Qur’an recounts numerous instances in which relief was granted to the Prophets (peace be upon them) during times of distress, including the following:
- Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and his deliverance from fire, as Allah says: “They said, ‘Burn him and support your gods if you are to act.’ We said, ‘O fire, be coolness and safety upon Ibrahim.’ They intended for him harm, but We made them the most debased.” (Qur’an 21:68-70).
- Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and the salvation of him and his people from Pharaoh, as mentioned: “And We certainly favored Musa and Harun. And We saved them and their people from the great affliction.” (Qur’an 37:114-115).
- Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) and his preservation from drowning, as stated: “And Nuh called to Us, and We are the best of respondants. And We saved him and his family from the great affliction.” (Qur’an 37:75-76).
- Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him) and his rescue from sacrifice, as Allah says: “But when he reached with him [the age of] exertion, he said, ‘O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. So what do you think?’ He said, ‘O my father, do as you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient.’ And We called to him, ‘O Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the vision.’ Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. Indeed, this was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice.” (Qur’an 37:102-107).
Addressing Worry and Sorrow
The Islamic tradition outlines several means to alleviate sorrow and distress, including:
- Acceptance of divine decree and complete reliance on Allah, as stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him), “No hardship befalls a believer, nor any worry or fatigue, even a thorn that pricks him, but that Allah expiates some of his sins by it.”
- Offering supplications and seeking Allah’s help through His beautiful names.
- Engaging in sincere repentance to Allah and steering clear of sinful actions.
- Increasing the remembrance of Allah, which brings comfort to the heart. As mentioned in the Qur’an: “Indeed, by the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest.” (Qur’an 13:28).