10 Powerful Duas for Anxiety, Stress and Worry

Islam provides a powerful toolkit for dealing with anxiety, stress, and emotional difficulty. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself taught us specific supplications for times of distress. Here are 10 authentic duas with their Arabic text, transliteration, and meaning.

1. Dua for Anxiety and Sorrow

Arabic:

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

Transliteration: "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan, wal-'ajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa dala'id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijal"

Meaning: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men."

Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 6369

---

2. The Dua of Prophet Yunus (Jonah)

Arabic:

لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Transliteration: "La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin"

Meaning: "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."

Source: Quran 21:87

This is the dua that Prophet Yunus alayhissalam recited from within the belly of the whale. The Prophet ﷺ said: "No Muslim recites this dua for any worry or distress, except that Allah relieves him of it." (Tirmidhi, classified as Hasan)

---

3. Dua for Relief from Distress

Arabic:

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

Transliteration: "Allahumma rahmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata 'ayn, wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu, la ilaha illa anta"

Meaning: "O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye, and rectify all of my affairs. There is none worthy of worship but You."

Source: Abu Dawud, classified as Hasan

---

4. The Dua of the Distressed (Dua Karb)

Arabic:

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

Transliteration: "La ilaha illallahul-'Azimul-Halim, la ilaha illallahu Rabbul-'Arshil-'Azim, la ilaha illallahu Rabbus-samawati wa Rabbul-ardi wa Rabbul-'Arshil-Karim"

Meaning: "There is no deity except Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no deity except Allah, Lord of the magnificent Throne. There is no deity except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the noble Throne."

Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 6345

---

5. Ayatul Kursi for Protection and Peace

Recite Ayatul Kursi (Quran 2:255) — it is the greatest verse of the Quran and brings a sense of peace, protection, and trust in Allah. The Prophet ﷺ recommended reciting it after every obligatory prayer.

---

6. Dua to Remove Hardship

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلَاً، وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلَاً

Transliteration: "Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja'altahu sahlan, wa anta taj'alul-hazna idha shi'ta sahlan"

Meaning: "O Allah, there is no ease except in that which You have made easy, and You make difficulty easy when You will."

Source: Ibn Hibban, classified as Sahih

---

7. Dua When Overwhelmed

Arabic:

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

Transliteration: "Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illa huwa 'alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabbul-'Arshil-'Azim"

Meaning: "Allah is sufficient for me; there is no deity except Him. Upon Him I have relied, and He is Lord of the great Throne."

Source: Quran 9:129

---

Tips for Making Dua

1. Begin with praise of Allah and salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ
2. Face the qibla if possible
3. Raise your hands to the level of your chest or shoulders
4. Be sincere and humble — feel the meaning of the words
5. Repeat the dua three times
6. End with Ameen and trust in Allah's response

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I make dua in English?
Yes. While the duas above are in Arabic (with more spiritual weight due to their Prophetic source), you can supplicate to Allah in any language at any time.

Q: What if my dua is not answered?
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The dua of the Muslim is always answered — either he is given what he asked for, or an equivalent evil is averted from him, or it is stored for him as reward in the Hereafter." (Musnad Ahmad)

Q: Should I recite these duas only in salah?
No — you can recite these duas at any time: before sleep, after prayer, during a walk, or whenever anxiety strikes.