Dua for Anxiety: Islamic Supplications for Worry & Distress

Anxiety does not exempt you from being a believer. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) felt it. The prophets before him felt it. Allah (SWT) sent down comfort and specific supplications precisely because distress is part of being human.

These duas are not magic formulas. They are direct speech to Allah — a turning of the heart toward the only One who can actually relieve what you are carrying. Recite them when anxiety tightens in your chest, when worry will not leave you alone, or when grief has settled in and refuses to move.

The Duas for Anxiety and Distress

1. The Comprehensive Dua for Grief and Anxiety (Dua al-Karb)

This is the most complete dua the Prophet ﷺ taught for times of distress. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "No one is afflicted with anxiety or grief and then says these words, except that Allah will remove his anxiety and grief and replace it with joy."

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي

Transliteration:

Allahumma inni abduka, ibnu abdika, ibnu amatika, nasiyati biyadika, madin fiyya hukmuka, adlun fiyya qadauka, as'aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka, aw anzaltahu fi kitabika, aw allamtahu ahadan min khalqika, aw ista'tharta bihi fi ilmil-ghaybi indaka, an taj'alal-Qurana rabia qalbi, wa nura sadri, wa jala'a huzni, wa dhahaba hammi.

Translation:

"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. Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You — that You make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the departure of my sorrow, and the disappearance of my anxiety."

Source: Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6307; Ahmad, 3704. The companion in the narration reported that the Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, should we learn these words?" He replied: "Yes, everyone who hears them should learn them."

2. The Dua of Yunus — From the Belly of the Whale

This is the dua Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) recited while inside the whale, in the depths of the ocean, in total darkness. Allah ﷻ says in the Quran that He responded to this dua and saved him. The Prophet ﷺ told his companions: "No Muslim man calls upon Allah with it in any matter except that Allah will respond to him."

Arabic:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Transliteration:

La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin

Translation:

"There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."

Source: Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:87. The hadith establishing its use as a dua for distress is narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3505; al-Hakim, 1/505. Al-Tirmidhi graded it hasan.

What makes this dua so powerful is its structure. It begins with tawhid — there is no god but Allah. It moves to tasbih — declaring Allah's perfection and transcendence. Then it ends with istighfar in spirit — an acknowledgment that the one reciting it has shortcomings. It is simultaneously a declaration of faith, an act of glorification, and an admission of human limitation. There is no more honest supplication to make in a moment of distress.

3. Hasbi Allahu — When Overwhelmed and in Need of Tawakkul

When anxiety comes from feeling powerless — when circumstances are outside your control and all you can do is surrender — this verse from the Quran is the prescription.

Arabic:

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

Transliteration:

Hasbi Allahu la ilaha illa huwa alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabbul-arshil-azim

Translation:

"Allah is sufficient for me. There is no deity except Him. Upon Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the great Throne."

Source: Surah At-Tawbah, 9:129. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever says this seven times in the morning and seven times in the evening, Allah will be sufficient for him in whatever concerns him." Narrated by Abu Dawud, 5081; Ibn al-Sunni, 71. Graded hasan by Ibn al-Qayyim.

The Arabic word hasbi means "sufficient for me" — a direct statement that Allah is enough. Not that everything will be easy. Not that the difficulty will disappear immediately. But that Allah is enough to carry you through whatever it is. This is the core of tawakkul, and reciting it — especially the morning and evening — is one of the most consistent protections against anxiety taking root.

4. The Dua of the Distressed Person — Asking for Mercy

This is a shorter dua, direct in its ask. It is a recognition that without Allah's mercy, you cannot trust yourself with your own affairs.

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Transliteration:

Allahumma rahmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata ayn, wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu, la ilaha illa ant

Translation:

"O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for. Do not leave me in charge of my own affairs for even the blink of an eye. Rectify all of my affairs for me. There is no deity except You."

Source: Narrated by Abu Dawud, 5090; Ahmad, 5/42. Graded hasan by al-Albani.

The line "Do not leave me in charge of my own affairs for even the blink of an eye" is one of the most honest things a person can say. Anxiety often comes from the illusion that we are supposed to be in control — of outcomes, of other people, of the future. This dua strips that illusion away and replaces it with total reliance on Allah.

The Quranic Foundation: Remembrance Brings Peace

All of these duas rest on a single Quranic premise. Allah ﷻ states directly:

Arabic:

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

Transliteration:

Ala bidhikrillahi tatma'inn al-qulub

Translation:

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."

Source: Surah Ar-Ra'd, 13:28

This verse is not a suggestion. It is a statement of fact about how the human heart works. The heart was created in a state of fitrah — natural orientation toward Allah. When it loses that connection through distraction, sin, or simply forgetting — anxiety fills the gap. Dhikr is not a coping mechanism. It is the restoration of what the heart was designed for.

When to Recite These Duas

There are specific moments when anxiety peaks and these duas are most needed.

At night when sleep will not come. This is when the mind runs through everything that went wrong and everything that could go wrong tomorrow. Recite the dua of Yunus in the dark — it was revealed for exactly that kind of darkness, both literal and internal.

When a difficult situation is out of your hands. You have done what you can. The outcome is not yours to control. This is the moment for "Hasbi Allahu" — the declaration that Allah is sufficient. Say it seven times as you would in the morning or evening dhikr.

When grief has settled in and will not lift. Not panic, not acute worry — but the low, heavy kind of sorrow that sits on the chest. The comprehensive dua (Dua al-Karb, from al-Bukhari 6307) is for this. It is longer, it requires more presence, and its request — that the Quran become the spring of your heart — is specifically a request for long-term relief from sorrow, not just a quick fix.

Immediately after each obligatory prayer. This is when your connection to Allah is freshest. Making dhikr and dua in those moments builds a daily practice of turning to Allah rather than letting anxiety build unchecked through the day. If your anxiety is linked to a specific pressure like exams, see the dua for exams article for focused supplications.

When you feel the anxiety rising before it peaks. Do not wait until you are overwhelmed. The moment you feel the tightening — recite. The earlier you turn to Allah, the less ground the anxiety has to cover.

What Islam Says About Anxiety and Distress

Islam does not tell you that feeling anxious means your faith is weak. The Prophet ﷺ himself was given specific duas for distress. The companions experienced fear, grief, and sorrow — and the Prophet ﷺ taught them how to address it spiritually rather than dismissing it or telling them to simply be stronger.

The Quran describes the human experience honestly. Allah ﷻ says He created the human being in a state of hala' — anxiety and restlessness — and that this very nature is what drives people to turn to Him (Surah Al-Ma'arij, 70:19-22). The natural state of the human being, without connection to Allah, is one of restlessness. This is not a design flaw. It is a design feature that points toward the only real solution.

Anxiety is also not a sign that your dua has not been accepted. The relief may come immediately. It may come gradually. It may come in a form you were not expecting — not the removal of the difficulty itself, but the granting of patience and peace while you move through it. Ibn al-Qayyim wrote that Allah responds to dua in one of three ways: He gives you what you asked for, He repels a harm from you equivalent to what you asked, or He stores the reward for the Day of Judgment. None of these is a rejection.

What you carry right now has not escaped Allah's notice. He is Al-Latif — the Subtly Kind, aware of every detail — and Al-Qarib — the Near One. He is closer to you than your jugular vein (Surah Qaf, 50:16).

Tips for Memorizing the Longer Dua (Dua al-Karb)

The comprehensive dua from al-Bukhari 6307 is longer than the others. Break it into three sections to memorize it:

Part 1 — Who you are before Allah: "Allahumma inni abduka, ibnu abdika, ibnu amatika, nasiyati biyadika, madin fiyya hukmuka, adlun fiyya qadauka..." (I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your female servant — my forelock is in Your hand, Your command is forever executed over me, Your decree is just.)

Part 2 — How you are asking: "...as'aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka, aw anzaltahu fi kitabika, aw allamtahu ahadan min khalqika, aw ista'tharta bihi fi ilmil-ghaybi indaka..." (I ask You by every name — those You revealed, those You taught to creation, and those You kept in the knowledge of the unseen.)

Part 3 — What you are asking for: "...an taj'alal-Qurana rabia qalbi, wa nura sadri, wa jala'a huzni, wa dhahaba hammi." (Make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the departure of my sorrow, and the disappearance of my anxiety.)

Memorize Part 3 first — it is the ask, it is the most meaningful, and it will motivate you to learn the rest. Recite it aloud after Fajr each day for one week, and it will hold.

Related Duas

The duas above focus on distress and anxiety. Two related practices deepen their effect.

Morning and evening adhkar — the full set of morning and evening remembrances reported from the Prophet ﷺ include several protective duas that build a daily spiritual shield against anxiety. Incorporating the dua for qunoot into your nightly witr prayer adds another layer of supplication. If you do not yet have a consistent adhkar practice, starting there is the single highest-return investment in your spiritual wellbeing. The dhikr counter on Islamful can help you track your daily remembrances.

Istighfar — seeking Allah's forgiveness. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever regularly seeks forgiveness, Allah will make for him a relief from every worry, a way out from every hardship, and will provide for him from where he does not expect." (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1518; Ibn Majah, 3819.)

For a broader collection of authenticated duas for every occasion, visit the dua collection. If you want to build your prayer routine as a framework for daily dhikr, check your prayer times for your location. And if questions about permissibility come up — whether something you are considering to manage stress is halal — the halal and haram checker gives you instant answers grounded in Islamic sources.

Wallahu a'lam — والله أعلم — Allah knows best.