Supplications for anxiety and sorrow

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

The following are some of the supplications from the beneficial book, Hisn ul-Muslim (Fortress of the Muslim). Allaah reward the author, Shaikh Sa`eed bin Wahf al-Qahtaanee, for gathering together some of the beautiful invocations of our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in one book, which by Allaah’s Will, has benefited the Muslims in each and every aspects of their daily lives. Alhamdulillaah.

The purpose here is to present the complete Ahaadeeth behind some of these supplications so that the readers understand the background behind them and the importance of these supplications. The chapter number and Hadeeth number is in accordance with the original book.

34. Supplication for anxiety and sorrow

120: Narrated `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “No person, when stricken by anxiety or with sorrow, 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, wa-bnu `abdika, wa-bnu amatika, naasiyatee bi-yadika, maadhin fiya hukmuka, `adlun fiya qadhaa-uka, as-aluka bi kulli-s-min huwa lak, sammaita bihee nafsaka, au anzaltahoo fee kitaabika, au `allamtahoo ahadun min khalqika, au-ista’tharta bihee fee `ilm al-ghaibi `indaka, an taj`al al-Qur’aana rabee`a qalbee, wa noora sadree, wa jalaa’a huznee, wa dhahaaba hammee.

‘O Allaah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You name Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.’,

Except that Allaah removes from him his anxiety and sorrow, and replaces them with comfort and happiness.” He (Ibn Mas`ood) said: They (the Companions) asked: “Should we not learn (memorize) this?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Yes! Whoever hears this should learn (memorize) it.”

[Musnad Ahmad (3712), al-Haakim (1/509), Ibn Hibbaan (2372) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh Ahmad Shaakir, and also by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (199)]

121: Narrated Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to Abu Talha: “Choose one of your boy servants to serve me in my expedition to Khaibar.” So, Abu Talha took me letting me ride behind him while I was a boy nearing the age of puberty. I used to serve Allaah's Apostle when he stopped to rest. I heard him saying repeatedly:

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

Allaahumma innee a`oodhobika min al-hamma, wal-hazani, wal-`ajzi, wal-kasali, wal-bukhli, wal-jubni, wa Dhala`I ad-daini, wa ghalabati al-rijaali.

‘O Allaah! I seek refuge with You from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men.’…

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2893, 5425, 6363, 6369)]

35. Supplication for one in distress

122: Narrated Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to invoke Allaah at the time of distress, saying:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ، وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ

“Laa ilaaha illal-laahu al-`Adheem, al-Haleem, Laa ilaaha illal-laahu Rabbu al-`arsh al-`Adheem, Laa ilaaha illal-laahu Rabbu-s-samaawaati wa Rabbul-ardi wa Rabbu-l-arsh il-kareem.”

“None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, the Forbearing. None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, Lord of the magnificent throne. None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the Earth and Lord of the noble throne.”

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6345, 6346, 7431) and Saheeh Muslim (4915)]

123: Narrated Abu Bakrah Nafee` bin al-Haarith رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The supplication of the one in distress is:

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

Allaahumma rahmataka arjoo, falaa takilnee ilaa nafsee tarfata `ain, wa aslihlee sha’nee kullaahu, laa ilaaha illaa Anta.

“O Allaah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.”

[This is part of the Hadeeth reported in Sunan Abu Dawood (5090) and Adab al-Mufrad (701) of Imaam al-Bukhaaree. And graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

**The complete Hadeeth is as follows:

`Abdul-Rahmaan ibn Abi Bakrah reported that he said to his father: “I heard you making this supplication every day:

اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَدَنِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي سَمْعِي، اللَّهُمَّ عَافِنِي فِي بَصَرِي، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

“O Allaah! Make me healthy in my body. O Allaah! Make me healthy in my hearing. O Allaah! Make me healthy in my sight. There is deity worthy of being worshiped except You.”

and you repeat it three times in the evening and three times in the morning. You also say:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْفَقْرِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

“O Allaah! I seek refuge with You from disbelief and poverty. O Allaah! I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave. There is deity worthy of being worshiped except You,”

and you repeat it three times in the evening and three times in the morning.” He replied: Yes, my son. I heard the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم say them and I like to follow his Sunnah.” He also said that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The supplications of the person in distress are: “O Allaah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye and rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.””

[ibid.]

124: Sa`d رضي الله عنه reported that Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The prayer of Dhu an-Noon (Yunus عليه السلام) while he was in the stomach of the fish:

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

{None has the right to be worshipped except You. How perfect Your are, verily I was among the wrong-doers.} is such that if a Muslim makes it and asks for something, Allaah will surely grant him that.”

[Tirmidhee (3505) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

125: Aaishah رضي الله عنها said that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to gather his family members and used to say: “If anyone is afflicted by sorrow or distress, then let them say:

اللَّهُ، اللَّهُ رَبِّي لَا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا

Allaahu, Allaahu Rabbee, laa ushriku bi Rabbee shai’aa.

“Allaah, Allaah is my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him.”

[Ibn Hibbaan (2369) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. See al-Saheehah (2755). It was also reported in Sunan Abu Dawood (1525) on the authority of Asmaa’ bint `Umais, and also graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

43. Supplication for one whose affairs have become difficult

139: Narrated Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said (in another narration: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to supplicate saying):

اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إِلا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلا، وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلا

Allaahumma laa sahla illaa maa ja`altahoo sahlaa, wa anta taj`alu al-hazna idhaa shi’ta sahlaa.

“O Allaah, there is no ease except in that which You have made easy, and You make difficulty, if You wish, easy.”

[Ibn Hibbaan (986), and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah (2886) and said: “It is as per the condition of (Imaam) Muslim”. And also grade as “Saheeh” by Shaikh Muqbil in Saheeh al-Musnad (73)]

46. Supplication when stricken with a mishap or overtaken by an affair

144: Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسل said: “A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allaah than a weak believer, and there is good in every one. And seek carefully what benefits you (in the Hereafter) and seek help only from Allaah and neither lose heart. If any adversity (misfortune) comes to you don't say: 'If I had only acted in such and such way, it would have been such and such', but instead say:

قَدَرُ اللَّهِ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ

Qaddaru-llaahi wa maa shaa’a fa`al.

'Allaah has decreed it and what He Willed is done.' Verily 'If' opens the way for the work of Satan.”

[Saheeh Muslim (4822)]

53. Supplication for one afflicted by a calamity

154: Narrated Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها: Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says that which Allaah has commanded him:

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أَجِرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي، وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا

Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji`oon, Allaahumma ajurnee fee museebatee, wa akhliflee khairan minhaa.

‘{We belong to Allaah and to Him shall we return}, O Allaah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better in exchange for it’,

Allaah will give him something better than it in exchange.” When Abu Salamah died she said: “Which Muslim is better than Abu Salamah whose family was the first to emigrate to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم? I then said the words, and Allaah gave me Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم in exchange.” She said: “The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم sent Haatib ibn Abu Balta`ah to deliver to me the message, proposing marriage with him صلى الله عليه وسلم. I said to him: I have a daughter (as my dependant) and I am of jealous temperament. He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “So far as her daughter is concerned, we shall supplicate Allaah, to free her (of her responsibility) and I shall also supplicate Allaah to do away with (her) jealous (temperament).”

[Saheeh Muslim (1531)]

وصلى الله وسلم وبارك على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين