Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.
Worry, sadness, and distress are among the conditions of worldly life that people experience, and no one is completely free from them. Allah has given the believer great doors through which to turn back to Him, including du'a, dhikr, reliance upon Allah, and thinking well of Him. The Muslim does not face tightness of the chest alone; he returns to his Lord, in whose hand is the relief of distress, the opening of hearts, and the easing of affairs.
Worry is often connected to something a person fears or expects in the future. Sadness is often over something that has already passed. Distress is severe tightness and hardship that weighs heavily on the heart and soul. The Muslim treats all of these with faith, acceptance, patience, taking the proper means, and frequent du'a and dhikr.
Dhikr does not mean abandoning practical steps. The Muslim combines du'a with action. If the worry is due to debt, he takes steps toward repayment. If it is due to illness, he seeks treatment. If it is due to a problem, he works to solve it through permissible ways. Through all of that, his heart remains attached to Allah.
This supplication is comprehensive: worry and sadness weaken the heart, helplessness and laziness prevent action, cowardice and miserliness weaken the self, and being overcome by debt and men can deeply disturb a person’s life.
Narrated by Al-Bukhari.
This supplication is built upon tawhid and glorifying Allah. It reminds the heart that no matter how great the distress is, Allah is greater, and the Throne, heavens, and earth are all under His dominion and control.
Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
This du'a combines three great meanings: tawhid, declaring Allah free of imperfection, and admitting one’s own shortcoming.
Allah says: {فَنَادَى فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ . فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الغَمِّ وَكَذَلِكَ نُنْجِي المُؤْمِنِينَ} [الأنبياء: 87-88]. A hadith about its virtue was narrated by Al-Tirmidhi and others, and graded authentic or hasan by a number of scholars.
This du'a gathers servitude, acceptance of Allah’s decree, seeking nearness to Allah through His beautiful names, and asking to benefit from the Qur’an.
Narrated by Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, and others; graded authentic or hasan by a number of scholars.
This du'a is especially fitting during anxiety and inner unrest, because the servant declares complete need for Allah’s mercy and asks not to be left to the weakness of the self even for a brief moment.
Narrated by Abu Dawud, Ahmad, and others; graded hasan by a number of scholars.
This dhikr is very short, but immense in meaning. It steadies the heart upon the foundation of salvation: the oneness of Allah, acknowledging His lordship, and negating shirk.
Narrated by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, and others; graded hasan or authentic by a number of scholars.
It includes seeking nearness to Allah through two of His great names, Al-Hayy and Al-Qayyum, and asking Him to rectify all affairs, which is exactly what the worried and distressed person needs.
Narrated by An-Nasa’i in Al-Kubra and others; graded hasan by a number of scholars.
Its meaning is: Allah is enough for us, and He is the best One to whom we entrust our affairs.
Allah says: {وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الوَكِيلُ} [آل عمران: 173]. It is also mentioned in Sahih Al-Bukhari that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said it when he was thrown into the fire, and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions said it when they were told that people had gathered against them.
Seeking forgiveness is among the greatest causes of relief, expanded provision, and the lifting of hardship. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, frequently sought forgiveness and repented to Allah.
Allah says regarding Nuh, peace be upon him: {فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا . يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَارًا . وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ أَنْهَارًا} [نوح: 10-12].
Sending blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is among the greatest forms of dhikr. It is a cause of raised ranks, forgiveness of sins, and sufficiency from worry when done abundantly and sincerely for Allah.
Allah says: {إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا} [الأحزاب: 56]. The Ibrahimic salawat is agreed upon.
| Dhikr or Du'a | When Is It Said? | Brief Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and sadness | During worry and sadness | Al-Bukhari |
| None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing | During distress | Al-Bukhari and Muslim |
| None has the right to be worshipped except You, glory be to You | During hardship and distress | Al-Anbiya': 87-88, and a hadith graded hasan or authentic by a number of scholars |
| O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant | During worry and sadness | Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, and others |
| O Allah, Your mercy I hope for | During tightness and distress | Abu Dawud and Ahmad |
| Allah, Allah is my Lord; I do not associate anything with Him | During distress | Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad |
| O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, by Your mercy I seek help | During worry and tightness | An-Nasa’i in Al-Kubra and others |
| Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs | During fear and tightness | Al 'Imran: 173, and Al-Bukhari |
No. Sadness does not contradict faith. The prophets and righteous people experienced sadness, but the believer does not object to Allah’s decree, does not despair of His mercy, and treats sadness with patience, du'a, and taking the proper means.
Among the most authentic reports is the supplication of distress: “None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing...” It is established in the two Sahihs.
Yes. It is legislated for the Muslim to say it during worry and distress, and Allah says after mentioning it: {وَكَذَلِكَ نُنْجِي المُؤْمِنِينَ}.
Yes. It is permissible to repeat du'a and persist in asking Allah. In fact, persistence in du'a is one of the greatest doors of servitude.
If sadness becomes severe or prolonged until it affects a person’s life, worship, and relationships, he should combine du'a and dhikr with seeking permissible advice and treatment from trustworthy specialists.
The adhkar of worry, sadness, and distress open for the Muslim the door of returning to Allah during tightness. They remind him that relief is in Allah’s hand and that the heart finds rest only in His remembrance. So the Muslim should preserve these supplications, be truthful in reliance upon Allah, and take permissible means, for Allah is near and responsive, and His mercy is wider than all the worries of His servants.