Heart pounding in your ears. Hands shaking. Sweat soaking, seeping into the corners of your shirt. Your stomach churning, doing somersaults, as your breathing gets faster.
These sensations may be a familiar experience for you if you’ve ever suffered from anxiety.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, with the focus in 2023 being on anxiety. The latest statistics show that over 37% of women and 30% of men experience anxiety. It is a natural response to the challenges of life and difficulties we face, but for some of us, this normal emotion can spiral out of control. Whether it’s our finances in the current cost of living crisis, relationships, the pressures of exam season upon us, or challenges we face at work, it is important that we learn how to recognise when we are experiencing anxiety and that we learn to manage those feelings, so that they don’t become overwhelming.
There are many steps we can take to manage feelings of anxiety, be it talking to someone, taking care of our physical health through diet and exercise, or breathing techniques. As believers, though, we know that all good and all protection from harm is from Allah, and that by seeking help from Him, we can find ways to cope.
Our beloved Prophet (saw) shared with us words that have the power to quell our anxiety and in which we can find relief from distress. Here we share 8 Du’as to Overcome Anxiety.
- Allahumma ‘inni ‘a’udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazani, wal’ajzi wa-lkasali, wal-bukhli wal-jubni, wa dhala’id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijal
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحُزْنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
“O Allah, I seek refuge in you from grief and sadness, from weakness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by others.” (Bukhari)
This was a du’a that the Prophet (saw) would consistently be heard repeating.
2. Lā hawla walā quwwata illā billāh
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
Ibn al Qayyim said: “Whoever is overburdened by worries and anxiety should frequently recite: Lā hawla walā quwwata illā billāh – “There is no might and no power except with Allah.”
This phrase, known as ‘hawqalah’, has a profound effect, despite being so concise. The Prophet (saw) described it as a “gate from Paradise” and a “treasure from Paradise” which “lies beneath the Throne” of Allah. Imam an-Nawawi explained that this is because it “embodies complete submission, entrusting one’s affairs to Allah and obedience to Allah… that the slave is powerless in his own affairs.” It is a reminder to the one who says it of their own weakness and inability, but that all strength to overcome the trials they face comes from God. When someone utters this statement, the Prophet (saw) explains, that Allah responds, “My slave has submitted and surrendered himself.” (al-Hakim).
People with anxiety often may struggle with social situations, or feel a sense of overwhelm or impending dread. Ibn al-Qayyim said, “it has an amazing effect of helping one to accomplish difficult work, bear hardships, enter upon kings and those he fears, and undergo dreadful experiences.”
3. Allahumma ‘inny ‛abduk-ibnu-‛abdik-ibnu-amatik, naṣiyati biyadik, maḍhin fiyya ḥukmuk, ‛adlun fiyya qaḍa’uk, as’aluka bi kull-ismin huwa lak, sammayta bihi nafsak, aw anzaltahu fi kitabik, aw ‛allamtahu aḥadan min khalqik, aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‛ilmil-ghaybi ‛indak, an taj‛al-al-qur’ana rabi‛a qalbi, wa nura ṣadri, wa jala’a ḥuzni, wa dhahaba hammi
اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّي عَبْـدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْـدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِـكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَـدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤكَ أَسْأَلُـكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّـيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أِوْ أَنْزَلْتَـهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْـتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِـكَ أَوِ اسْتَـأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الغَيْـبِ عِنْـدَكَ أَنْ تَجْـعَلَ القُرْآنَ رَبِيـعَ قَلْبِـي، وَنورَ صَـدْرِي وجَلَاءَ حُـزْنِي وذَهَابَ هَمِّـي
“O Allah, I am Your slave and the son of Your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand. Your Judgment upon me is assured, and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress.”
Regarding this beautiful du’a, asking for the Qur’an to be our source of solace and comfort, the Prophet (saw) said “There is no one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says this, but Allah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy.” Abdullah ibn Mas’ud then asked, “Should we learn this?” The Prophet (saw) replied, “Of course, everyone who hears it, should learn it.” (Ahmad)
4. Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyumu, bi-rahmatika astaghith, Aslih li sha’ni kullahu, fala takilni ila nafsi ṭarfata ayn.
يا حَيُّ يَا قَيَّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأنِي كُلَّهُ ولاَ تَكِلْنِي إلى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَينٍ
“O Allah, I hope in Your Mercy, so do not abandon me to myself, even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.”
The Prophet (saw) actually described this as the “supplication of the distressed.” (an-Nasa’i). In a similar narration, he advised his daughter Fatima (ra) to say this morning and evening.
5. Allahumma, la sahla illa ma ja ‘altahu sahla, wa anta taj‘alul hazna idha shi’ ta’ sahla.
اللّهُـمَّ لا سَـهْلَ إِلاّ ما جَعَلـتَهُ سَهـلاً، وَأَنْتَ تَجْـعَلُ الْحَـزَنَ إِذا شِـئْتَ سَهـْلاً
“O Allah, there is no ease except in that which You have made easy, and You make the difficulty, if You wish, easy.” (Ibn Hibban)
A reminder to us all that nothing is possible without the help of Allah. No task is too great, and that any challenge or difficulty can be overcome by His Help.
7. Hasbiy Allahu, la ilaha illa huwa, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu, wa huwa rabbu al ’arshi al- ‘adhim.
حسبى الله لا إله إلا هو عليه توكلت وهو رب العرش العظيم
“Allah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship but Him. I have placed my trust in Him, and He is the Lord of the Majestic Throne.” (Qur’an 9:129)
The final verse of Surah at-Tawbah, the Prophet (saw) encouraged us to recite it seven times every morning and seven times every evening.
“Allah will grant whoever recites this 7 times in the morning or evening sufficiency from which whatever matters that brings him or her grief.” (Abu Dawud)
8. Allahu, Allahu Rabbi, La ushriku bihi shay’a.
اللهُ اللهُ رَبِّ لا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئاً
“Allah, Allah is my Lord; I do not associate anything with Him.”
This repeated calling upon Allah, and affirming His tawhid, was one that the Prophet (saw) advised his family to say.
His beloved wife Aisha (ra) said, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) gathered his household and said, ‘When any of you is overcome with sorrow or distress, he should recite (the aforementioned).” (Ibn Hibban)
He also taught the companion, Asma bint Umais, “Shall I not teach you some words to say when in distress?”
8. Rabbi-ishrah li sadri, wa yassir li amri, wahlul ‘uqdatan min lisani yafqahu qawli.
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي
“My Lord, lift up my heart and ease my task for me. Remove the impediment from my tongue so that they may understand my speech.” (Qur’an, 20:25-28)
The beautiful du’a of the Prophet Musa (as), when tasked with approaching the tyrannical Pharaoh, calling upon him to submit the Oneness of God. He was overwhelmed and daunted by the task ahead, but despite this he (as) made no excuses. Instead, he sought solace and help from Allah in achieving it, asking for Allah to settle his nerves, remove his fears, and give him the confidence to speak. A comfort for anyone struggling with their confidence or clarity of speech.
Many of the families HHUGS work with suffer from anxiety and other mental health difficulties. You can help them overcome this through professional therapy, by donating to our work here. By alleviating their financial hardship, you can also remove one of the major causes of anxiety for so many families struggling at this time.