Duas for Anxiety and Stress
Authentic prophetic supplications for moments of worry, sorrow, panic and overwhelming stress — drawn from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and graded-sahih Sunan literature.
Anxiety, Stress and the Believer's Heart
Anxiety (hamm), grief (huzn), and chest-tightness (diq al-sadr) are conditions the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself acknowledged and gave his ummah specific tools to face. The Qur'an does not pretend the believer is exempt from worry; instead, it points to the cure: "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (Surah ar-Ra'd 13:28). The duas below are the most authentic prophetic supplications transmitted for moments of overwhelming worry, financial pressure, sleeplessness, panic, and grief — each preserved in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, or graded-sahih Sunan literature. They do not replace medical or psychological help where needed, but they are the spiritual layer the Prophet ﷺ taught every Muslim to lean on first.
The Core Duas for Anxiety and Stress
1. The Hadith of Ibn Mas'ud — for Sorrow, Anxiety and Grief
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ 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، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي.
Transliteration: Allahumma inni 'abduka, ibnu 'abdika, ibnu amatika, nasiyati bi-yadika, madin fiyya hukmuka, 'adlun fiyya qada'uka. As'aluka bi-kulli ismin huwa lak, sammayta bihi nafsak, aw anzaltahu fi kitabik, aw 'allamtahu ahadan min khalqik, aw-ista'tharta bihi fi 'ilmi-l-ghaybi 'indak, an taj'ala-l-Qur'ana rabi'a qalbi, wa nura sadri, wa jala'a huzni, wa dhahaba hammi.
Translation: "O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your male servant, son of Your female servant. My forelock is in Your hand; Your decree over me is ever executed; Your judgement upon me is ever just. I ask You by every name that is Yours — by which You have named Yourself, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or kept hidden in the knowledge of the unseen with You — to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sorrow, and the reliever of my anxiety."
Source: Musnad Ahmad 3712, graded sahih by Ibn Hibban and Ibn al-Qayyim. Ibn Mas'ud (RA) reports the Prophet ﷺ saying: "No one is ever afflicted with anxiety and grief and says these words except that Allah removes his sorrow and replaces it with joy." Companions and later scholars said this was the most comprehensive supplication ever given for inner distress.
2. The Daily Twice-Recited Refuge from Worry and Debt
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ.
Transliteration: Allahumma inni a'udhu bika mina-l-hammi wa-l-hazan, wa a'udhu bika mina-l-'ajzi wa-l-kasal, wa a'udhu bika mina-l-jubni wa-l-bukhl, wa a'udhu bika min ghalabati-d-dayni wa qahri-r-rijal.
Translation: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and grief, from inability and laziness, from cowardice and stinginess, and from being overwhelmed by debt and overpowered by men."
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6369 — narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA), who reports that the Prophet ﷺ recited this dua morning and evening for himself, his family, and his Companions facing distress.
3. The Dua of Prophet Yunus (AS)
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
Transliteration: La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka, inni kuntu mina-z-zalimin.
Translation: "There is no god but You. Glorified are You. Indeed, I have been among the wrongdoers."
Source: Qur'an, Surah al-Anbiya 21:87; Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3505 (sahih). The Prophet ﷺ said: "No Muslim ever invokes this dua for anything except Allah answers him." See our dedicated Dua Yunus page for the full story and meaning.
4. The Calming Supplication of the Distressed
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ.
Transliteration: La ilaha illa-llahu-l-'Azimu-l-Halim, la ilaha illa-llahu Rabbu-l-'Arshi-l-'Azim, la ilaha illa-llahu Rabbu-s-samawati wa Rabbu-l-ardi wa Rabbu-l-'Arshi-l-Karim.
Translation: "There is no god but Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne."
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6346, Sahih Muslim 2730 — Ibn 'Abbas (RA) reports the Prophet ﷺ used to recite this in moments of distress (karb).
5. The Short Refuge When Anxiety Strikes
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ
Transliteration: Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum, bi-rahmatika astaghith.
Translation: "O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining, by Your mercy I seek help."
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3524 (hasan). The Prophet ﷺ used to say this in moments of intense distress. It is short enough to repeat throughout a panic episode or a sleepless night.
How to Use These Duas Effectively
The Prophet ﷺ did not treat dua as a magic phrase but as a relationship. Use these supplications with three practical habits: first, perform wudu before the long dua of Ibn Mas'ud — physical purity calms the body and focuses the heart. Second, recite the short refuges (#5 and #3) on repeat throughout the day, especially the moments when worry spikes — commuting, before bed, after a difficult message. Third, pair the duas with action: the same Prophet ﷺ who taught us to seek refuge from debt also taught us to work, document loans, and budget. Trust in Allah (tawakkul) is the heart resting in His decree while the hands move in lawful effort.
When Anxiety Becomes Clinical
Islam recognises medical reality. If anxiety is persistent, panic attacks are recurring, or sleep is consistently disrupted, scholars across madhabs consider it both permissible and recommended to seek medical or therapeutic help. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah has not sent down any disease except that He has also sent down a cure for it" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5678). Counselling, medication where prescribed, lifestyle change, and these prophetic duas are not competing options — they work together. Add the duas to whatever treatment plan you are following; do not let them replace it.
Common Questions
Do I have to recite them in Arabic?
The Arabic carries the reward of the exact prophetic wording and, in Dua Yunus, the reward of Qur'an. Begin with the short ones (#3 and #5) — most people memorise them in a single sitting. Recite the longer ones from the Arabic text on a phone or printout while you learn.
How often should I say them?
The Sunnah pattern is morning and evening for the Bukhari 6369 refuge, and whenever the anxiety surfaces for the rest. There is no maximum.
What about anxiety about the future and qadar?
Read Surah al-Sharh (Qur'an 94) often — "Verily, with hardship comes ease" is repeated in two consecutive verses for emphasis. Reflecting on past hardships Allah already carried you through is a Sunnah method of treating future-anxiety.