Distress & Anxiety
At times of great distress
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
Laa ilaaha illallaahul-'adheemul-haleem, laa ilaaha illallaahu rabbul-'arshil-'adheem, laa ilaaha illallaahu rabbus-samaawaati wa rabbul-ardi wa rabbul-'arshil-kareem
None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Almighty, the Forbearing. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne.
— Sahih Bukhari 6346
In anxiety — morning, evening & hard moments
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ وَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ
Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom, birahmatika astagheeth, aslih lee sha'nee kullah, wa laa takilnee ilaa nafsee tarfata 'ayn
O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, by Your mercy I seek help. Set right all my affairs, and do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye.
— An-Nasa'i (Amal al-Yawm) — sahih
For anxiety, sorrow and debt
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma innee a'oodhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan, wal-'ajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa dala'id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijaal
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from the burden of debt and from being overpowered by men.
— Sahih Bukhari 6369
For sadness — whoever says it, Allah replaces grief with joy
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
Allahumma innee 'abduk, ibnu 'abdik, ibnu amatik, naasiyatee biyadik, maadin fiyya hukmuk, 'adlun fiyya qadaa'uk. As-aluka bikulli-smin huwa lak, sammayta bihi nafsak, aw anzaltahu fee kitaabik, aw 'allamtahu ahadan min khalqik, awis-ta'tharta bihi fee 'ilmil-ghaybi 'indak, an taj'alal-Qur'aana rabee'a qalbee, wa noora sadree, wa jalaa'a huznee, wa dhahaaba hammee
O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, 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 that is Yours — with which You named Yourself, revealed in Your Book, taught to any of Your creation, or kept with Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen — that You make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness, and the reliever of my worry.
— Musnad Ahmad 3712 — sahih
When facing something difficult
اللَّهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا
Allahumma laa sahla illaa maa ja'altahu sahlan, wa anta taj'alul-hazna idhaa shi'ta sahlaa
O Allah, there is no ease except what You make easy — and You make the difficult easy when You will.
— Ibn Hibban 2427 — sahih