Duas for anxiety, sorrow, and distress
Duas for anxiety, sorrow, distress, fear of a ruler or enemy, debt, difficulty, and panic — the Prophet's ﷺ words for hard hours.
When life tightens, the Prophet ﷺ left us words that simultaneously lift the heart to Allah and lighten the shoulders. These duas are often spoken at threshold moments — before meeting an unjust ruler, in panic, when a debt cannot be repaid.
The collection: dua for anxiety and sorrow, for distress, when encountering an enemy or one in authority, fearing an unjust ruler, against an enemy, when afraid of a group of people, for one afflicted with doubt in his faith, for settling a debt, for one whose prayer is disrupted by Satan, when something becomes difficult, upon committing a sin, for expelling the devil, and when panicked.
Each is from authentic sources, with audio and references.
Fifteen Quranic supplications stand alongside the chapters above. Among them: the dua of Yunus (peace be upon him) in the darkness (21:87), the words of Ayyub (peace be upon him), which only describe his state (21:83), "Allah is sufficient for us" (3:173), the complaint of Yaqub (peace be upon him) of his anguish and grief (12:86), the istirja said at a loss (2:156), and the refuge from the whisperings of the devils (23:97–98). These are words set down in the Book of Allah, each with its sura and ayah.
Chapters in this category
- 36.Supplication for anxiety and sorrow2 dua
- 37.Supplication for distress4 dua
- 38.Upon encountering an enemy or those of authority3 dua
- 39.Supplication for one who fears the injustice of a ruler2 dua
- 40.Supplication against an enemy1 dua
- 41.What to say when afraid of a group of people1 dua
- 42.Supplication for one afflicted with doubt in his faith3 dua
- 43.Supplication for settling a debt2 dua
- 44.Supplication for one whose prayer is disrupted by Satan1 dua
- 45.Supplication for when something becomes difficult1 dua
- 46.Supplication upon committing a sin1 dua
- 47.Supplications for expelling the Devil and his whisperings3 dua
- 128.What to say when panicked1 dua
Supplications from the Quran
- The supplication of Yunus — Dhun-NunQuran 21:87
- Ayyub's supplication in illness and afflictionQuran 21:83
- "Allah is sufficient for us"Quran 3:173
- "Allah is sufficient for me"Quran 9:129
- Complaining to Allah aloneQuran 12:86
- Istirja — at loss and calamityQuran 2:156
- Against the promptings of the devilsQuran 23:97–98
- Ayyub's supplication about the harm of SatanQuran 38:41
- The supplication of the overcomeQuran 54:10
- On fear of an unjust manQuran 20:45–46
- Refuge from someone who inspires fearQuran 19:18
- Refuge from the whisperings of SatanQuran 7:200
- For patience, firmness and victoryQuran 2:250
- For relief from a calamityQuran 44:12
- Praise for deliveranceQuran 23:28
Related categories
- Morning and evening adhkarMorning and evening adhkar — a collection of duas and remembrances of Allah to be recited after Fajr and after Asr, with Arabic text, translation, and audio.
- Duas before sleep and upon waking upDuas and adhkar to recite before sleep and upon waking, including Ayat al-Kursi, al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, and an-Nas with translation and audio.
- Daily duas — clothing, home, and the streetDuas when dressing and undressing, entering and leaving the home, and using the toilet — the complete set of everyday adhkar.
- Duas for wudu and prayerAdhkar before and after ablution (wudu), and all duas inside prayer — from takbir to salam, including sujood, ruku, tashahhud, and salawat on the Prophet ﷺ.
- Duas before and after eatingAdhkar before eating, after eating, when drinking, for the host, for the one who gave you drink, for iftar at someone's home, and for the first fruits of the season.
- Duas for travelThe complete traveler's duas: before setting out, on mounting, on ascents and descents, on entering a town, on stopping, and on returning home.