Duas for anxiety, worry and distress

Anxiety is not a sign that Allah has left you. Some of the most beautiful duas in the Sunnah were taught precisely for a chest that feels tight.

The dua for anxiety and grief

The Prophet ﷺ taught: no one is struck by worry or grief and says these words except that Allah removes his grief and replaces it with relief —

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ... أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي

"...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 anxiety." (Musnad Ahmad 3712; graded authentic by Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Albani)

The dua of Yunus

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

*La ilaha illa Anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin.*

"There is no god but You, glory be to You, I was among the wrongdoers." (Qur'an 21:87) Allah then says: "So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers." (Qur'an 21:88) The Prophet said that no Muslim supplicates with these words in any matter without Allah answering him. (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3505)

A short dua for a heavy day

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from the burden of debt and being overpowered by men." (Sahih al-Bukhari 2893 — Abu Umamah reported that when he persisted on it, Allah removed his worry and settled his debt)

What if the anxiety does not lift?

Dua works with means, not instead of them. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah has not sent down a disease without also sending down a cure for it." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5678) Seeking treatment is prophetic, not a lack of faith. Speak to a doctor or counsellor, keep your prayers, protect your sleep, and let the night prayer be where you say what you cannot say to anyone else.

Why the night helps

In the last third of the night there is no audience and nothing to perform. Standing there, saying the words above in your own language after them, is one of the most direct forms of relief a believer has. Our page on the [best time to pray Tahajjud](/learn/best-time-to-pray-tahajjud) explains how to find that window where you live.

If you are struggling alone

Reach out. Isolation multiplies anxiety, and the believer is a mirror to his brother. If there is no one nearby, use the contact page on this site — a real person will read it.