reading time ~12 mins
A collection of Duas to deal with difficulty, sadness or loss
Duas during Distress or Calamity
يَا حَىُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ
Tirmidhi 3524
Anas bin Malik said: “Whenever a matter would distress him, the Prophet (ﷺ) would say: ‘O Living, O Self-Sustaining Sustainer! In Your Mercy do I seek relief (Yā Ḥayyu yā Qayyūm, bi-raḥmatika astaghīth).’” And with this chain, that he said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Be constant with: “O Possessor of Majesty and Honor (Yā Dhal-Jalāli wal-Ikrām).’” (Tirmidhi 3524)
يا حَـيُّ يا قَيّـومُ بِـرَحْمَـتِكِ أَسْتَـغـيث ، أَصْلِـحْ لي شَـأْنـي كُلَّـه ، وَلا تَكِلـني إِلى نَفْـسي طَـرْفَةَ عَـين
Hisn al Muslim 88 Sahih
O Ever-Living One, O Eternal One, by Your mercy I call on You to set right all my affairs. Do not place me in charge of my soul even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment). (Yā Ḥayyu yā Qayyūmu biraḥmatika astaghīth aṣlih lī sha’nī kullah wa lā takilnī ilā nafsī ṭarfata `ayn. ) (Hisn al Muslim 88 Sahih)
حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ
Quran 3:173 Bukhari 4563
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: ‘Allah is Sufficient for us and He Is the Best Disposer of affairs,” was said by Abraham when he was thrown into the fire; and it was said by Muhammad when they (i.e. hypocrites) said, “A great army is gathering against you, therefore, fear them,” but it only increased their faith and they said: “Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer (of affairs, for us).” (Ḥasbunallāhu wa ni`mal-wakīl.) (Quran 3:173) (Bukhari 4563)
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
Quran 21:87-88 Tirmidhi 3505
And remember the man with the whale,when he went off angrily, thinking We could not restrict him, but then he cried out in the deep darkness, ‘There is no God but You, glory be to You, I was wrong.’ We answered him and saved him from distress: this is how We save the faithful. (Quran 21:87-88)
Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Sa`d narrated from his father, from Sa`d that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he supplicated, while in the belly of the whale was: ‘There is none worthy of worship except You, Glory to You, Indeed, I have been of the transgressors. (Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu minaẓ-ẓālimīn)’ So indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him.” (Tirmidhi 3505)
لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
Bukhari 6409
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari: The Prophet (ﷺ) started ascending a high place or hill. A man (amongst his companions) ascended it and shouted in a loud voice, “La ilaha illal-lahu wallahu Akbar.” (At that time) Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was riding his mule. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “You are not calling upon a deaf or an absent one.” and added, “O Abu Musa (or, O `Abdullah)! Shall I tell you a sentence from the treasure of Paradise?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “La haul a wala quwwata illa billah,” (there is no power and no strength except with Allah) (Bukhari 6409)
Dua for Loss
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ
Quran 2:155-157
We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure who say, when struck by a disaster, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.” They are the ones who will receive Allah’s blessings and mercy. And it is they who are ˹rightly˺ guided. (Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji`ūn) (Quran 2:155-157)
Dua for Loss and Replace with something Better
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Muslim 918a Tirmidhi 3511 ibn Majah 1598
Umm Salama reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says, what Allah has commanded him,” We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return; O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it,” Allah will give him something better than it in exchange. (Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rāji`ūn, Allāhumma-jurni fī muṣībatī wa akhlif lī khayran minhā.) (Muslim 918a) (Tirmidhi 3511) (ibn Majah 1598)
Dua for Relief in Anxiety
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِي حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِي قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي
Musnad Ahmad 3528 Classed as authentic by Al-Albani in As-Silsilah As-Sahihah, 199
- The Prophet ﷺ said, “There is absolutely no one amongst you who, when stricken with grief and anxiety, says,”O Allah, I am Your slave. I am the child of Your male slave and the child of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your judgment upon me is assured, Your decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every single name that You have named Yourself with, or that You have revealed in Your book, or taught to one of Your creation, or have completely kept in Your knowledge in the unseen, to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, and let it be the banisher of my sadness and let it be the reliever of my anxiety.” except that Allah will remove his anxiety and grief and will replace it with joy.” It was said [by the Companions], “Shall we not learn it?” He said, “Indeed, whoever hears it should learn it.”(Musnad Ahmad 3528 Classed as authentic by Al-Albani in As-Silsilah As-Sahihah, 199) (Hisn al-Muslim 120)
- Allahumma inni ‘abduka, ibnu ‘abdika, ibnu amatika, naasiyati biyadika, maadin fi hukmuka, ‘adlun fi qada’uka, as’aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, aw anzaltahu fi kitabika, aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika, awi asta’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi ‘indaka, an taj’al al-Qur’ana rabia’ qalbi, wa noora sadri, wa jalaa’a huzni, wa dhahaaba hammi.
- اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ صَدْرِي وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي
Dua for condolence when someone has died
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لأَبِي سَلَمَةَ وَارْفَعْ دَرَجَتَهُ فِي الْمَهْدِيِّينَ وَاخْلُفْهُ فِي عَقِبِهِ فِي الْغَابِرِينَ وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَافْسَحْ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ . وَنَوِّرْ لَهُ فِيهِ
Muslim 920a
Umm Salama reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Abu Salama (as he died). His eyes were fixedly open. He closed them, and then said: When the soul is taken away the sight follows it. Some of the people of his family wept and wailed. So he said: Do not supplicate for yourselves anything but good, for angels say” Amen” to what you say. He then said: O Allah, forgive Abu Salama, raise his degree among those who are rightly guided, grant him a successor in his descendants who remain. Forgive us and him, O Lord of the Universe, and make his grave spacious, and grant him light in it. (Muslim 920a)
Understanding Calamities
No calamity befalls ˹anyone˺ except by Allah’s Will. And whoever has faith in Allah, He will ˹rightly˺ guide their hearts ˹through adversity˺. And Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.
Quran 64:11
No calamity ˹or blessing˺ occurs on earth or in yourselves without being ˹written˺ in a Record before We bring it into being. This is certainly easy for Allah. ˹We let you know this˺ so that you neither grieve over what you have missed nor boast over what He has granted you. For Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful
Quran 57:22-23
So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.
Quran 3:139
How to not behave during a calamity
- Be very careful at the beginning of a trial or bad news. “Patience is at the first stroke of a calamity” (Bukhari 1283)
- Do not let the calamity shake your faith (Quran 3:139) (Quran 29:2-3) (Quran 2:155-157)
- It is ok to shed tears or have grief in the heart. However, the mouth shall not say what is displeasing to Allah (Bukhari 1303)
- Do not hurt yourself, or tear your clothes, etc (Bukhari 1294)
Any calamity which brings you closer to Allah is a blessing
Any blessing which takes you away from Allah is a punishment
Understanding Qadr
Ibn Abbas reported: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he said to me, “Young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. If you ask, ask from Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nations gathered together to benefit you, they could not benefit you unless Allah has decreed it for you. And if the nations gathered together to harm you, they could not harm you unless Allah has decreed it for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”
al-Tirmidhī 2516 Sahih
Allah only decrees goodness for believers
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said, “I am amazed by the believer. Verily, Allah does not decree anything for the believers except what is good for them.”
Musnad Ahmad 12906 Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut
Additional Reading
- Dua
- Du`a for Relief from Anxiety and Stress
- Du’as to Relieve Stress and Anxiety | Blog Yaqeen Institute
- What is the meaning of La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah? When should we say La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah?
- Everything Allah decrees is good for the believer
Meta Tags
- A collection of Adhkar during difficulty, distress, anxiety, stress, calamity, sorrow or loss
- Dealing with the difficulties of life as a believer
- Prayers and remembrance of Allah during difficult times
- Effective Duas for Trials and Personal Loss
- Dua Guide: Finding Peace in Times of Distress
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