Prayer Supplication (Dua) for the distressed From the Hadith

Click Here to Download PDF

1. When in Distress, Utter These Words For Comfort

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Shall I not tell you something with which, if distress or an affliction from the afflictions of this world befall any of you, and he supplicates with it, then he will be relieved from it / it will bring him joy? It was said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ ), “Yes”, he (ﷺ) said, “The supplication of Dhun-Nūn (Prophet Yūnus):

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنْ الظَّالِمِينَ

Transliteration: “Laa ilaaha illaa anta subḥaanaka innee kuntu minaẓ-ẓaalimeen”

Translation: “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except you. Glory be to you!
Indeed I was among the wrongdoers.” (21:87).
[Narrated by Nasāī in Sunan al-Kubrā and ‘amal al-yawm wal laylah]

2. A Prophetic Supplication to be Recited Regularly

The Prophet (ﷺ) would frequently say:

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

Transliteration: “Allaahumma inni a`oodhu bika minal-hammi wal-ḥazani wal-`ajzi wal-kasali wal-bukhli wal-jubni wa ḍala`id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijaal.”

Translation: “O Allah, I seek refuge in you from anxiety and sadness, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.”

[Narrated by Bukhāri]

3. Utter These Words When in Distress

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to Asmā bint `Umais, “Shall I not teach you words which you utter in distress?

اللَّهُ اللَّهُ رَبِّي لاَ أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا

Transliteration: “Allaahu Allaahu Rabbi laa ushriku bihee shay’aa”

Translation: “Allah, Allah is my Lord; I do not associate anything as partner with Him.”

[Narrated by Abū dāwūd]

4. Utter These Prophetic Words When in Distress

Whenever a matter would distress the Prophet (ﷺ), he would say:

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ

Transliteration: “Yaa Ḥayyu Yaa Qayyoom, bi-raḥmatika astagheeth”

Translation: “O Ever Living, O Sustainer! Through your mercy, I seek assistance”

[Narrated by Tirmidhī]

5. Recite These Prophetic Words When in Distress

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say when he was in distress:

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ العَظِيمُ الحَلِيمُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ العَرْشِ العَظِيمِ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الأَرْضِ، وَرَبُّ العَرْشِ الكَرِيم

Transliteration: “Laa ilaaha illallahul-`Azeem-ul-Ḥaleem. Laa ilaaha illallaahu Rabbul-`arshil-‘Azeem. Laa ilaaha illallaahu Rabbus-samaawaati wa Rabbul-arḍi, wa Rabbul-`arshil-Kareem.”

Translation: “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Allah, the Incomparably Great, the Forbearing. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Allah, the Lord of the heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the Noble Throne.”

[Narrated by Bukhārī and Muslim]

6. The Supplications to be Made by One Who is Distressed

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The Supplications to be made by one who is distressed are:

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

Transliteration: “Allaahumma raḥmataka arjoo, falaa takilnee ilaa nafsee ṭarfata `ayn, wa-aṣliḥ lee sha’nee kullah, laa ilaaha illaa anta.”

Translation: “O Allah! Your mercy is what I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of myself even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me all my affairs. “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except you.”
[Narrated by Abū dāwūd]

7. Recite This When Distressed, Allah Will Relieve You From The Distress

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,“No one is ever afflicted with grief and distress, and then says:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ 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 أَوْ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ صَدْرِي وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي

Allaahumma innee `abduka, wabnu `abdika, wabnu amatika. Naaṣiyatee bi-yadika. Maaḍin fiyya ḥukmuka, `adlun fiyya qaḍaa’uk. As’aluka bi-kulle-ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, aw anzaltahu fee kitaabika, aw `allamtahu aḥadan min khalqika, aw-ista’tharta bihee fee `ilmi-l-ghaybi `indaka, an taj`ala-l-qur’aana rabee`a qalbee, wa noora ṣadree, wa jilaa’a ḥuznee, wa dhahaaba hammee.

Translation: “O Allah, I am your servant, the son of your servant, the son of your maidservant. My forelock is in your hand (you have control over me), your command concerning me prevails, and your decision concerning me is just. I call upon you by every one of the beautiful names with which you have described yourself, or you have taught to any of your creatures, or which you have revealed in your Book, or which you have chosen to keep in the knowledge of the unseen with you, to make the Qur’ān the delight of my soul, the light of my chest, eliminator of my sadness and remover of my worries (anxiety).”

except Allah will remove his anxiety and sadness and replace it with joy/relief ”. It was said, “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), should we not learn it (the above supplication)?”. He (the Prophet ﷺ) said, “Yes, whoever hears it should know it.” [Narrated by Aḥmad]

8. A Supplication to be Recited Regularly

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Seek refuge in Allah from the hardship of calamities, being overtaken by destruction, being destined to an evil end and the enemies rejoicing at our misfortune.” [Narrated by Bukhārī]

The manner of acting upon the above would be to say the following supplication:

“اللهمَّ إنِّي أعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ جَهْدِ الْبَلَاءِ، وَدَرَكِ الشَّقَاءِ، وَسُوءِ الْقَضَاءِ، وَشَمَاتَةِ الْأَعْدَاءِ ”

Transliteration: “Allaahumma innee a`oodhu bika min jahdil-balaa’i, wa darakish-shaqaa’i, wa soo’il-qaḍaa’i, wa shamaatatil-a`adaa”

Translation: “I seek refuge in Allah from the hardship of calamities, being overtaken by destruction, being destined to an evil end and the enemies rejoicing at our misfortune.”

9. Saying This Upon Facing a Calamity Will Result in You Receiving Something Better

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “No Muslim is afflicted with a calamity and says what Allah has commanded him:

“إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ۔ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا”

Transliteration: “Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji`oon. Allaahuma’jurnee fee muṣeebatee wa akhlif lee khayram minha“

Translation: “Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return (2:156). O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it with something better than it”.

Except Allah will replace it with something better.” [Narrated by Muslim]