Joy and distress are a part of life. Sorrow, grief, and anxiety come side by side with happiness. Islam teaches us to face both these situations with grace and, more importantly, with a firm belief in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. Many duas are proven by the sunnah of the Prophet and his companions, and these can be recited when receiving good or joyous news or when facing hardship, grief, and stress. Whatever may be the circumstances, one has to keep a firm belief in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ when facing anxiety and distress is narrated in this hadith: Ibn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) used to supplicate during times of trouble (in these words), "There is no god but Allah, the Great, the Tolerant, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Heaven and the earth, the Lord of the Edifying Throne." Hadith 2730a of Sahi Muslim. Our duas for joy and distress section contains 15 most authentic duas that can be recited in times of turmoil and happiness.
15 Duas
Being a Muslim, one should rely on the mercy of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى in times of happiness and sadness. Muslims firmly believe that all things are from Allah and He has a reason for everything. Therefore, we must be thankful to Allah even in times of hardship and bear the hard times with patience and perseverance. Calling the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the 30th Verse of Surah Al-Anfal, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى reminds him as under.
Translation - And recall how those who disbelieved schemed against you to take you captive, or kill you, or drive you away. They schemed, and Allah did also scheme. Allah is the best of those who scheme.
That means if one remains firm in his belief in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, all his worries and hardships will be relieved, as Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى has better plans for us. Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى assures that every hardship is followed by good times, as narrated in the 5th and 6th verses of Surah Al-Inshirah. Translation:
Indeed, there is ease with hardship.
Most certainly, there is ease with hardship.
So, the best way to react in a state of joy & distress is supplication or dua, which is much liked by the Almighty Allah.
Duas are an excellent way to repent for Sins. The hard times result in stress and grief. Being a Muslim, it is a part of our faith that this difficult time comes from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, as a test or trial of our belief, and it expiates the sins, as narrated in Hadith 5641 and 5642 of Sahih Al-Bukhari.
Translation - Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that."
The duas recited in the state of distress or discomfort brings us close to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. Difficult times may come in life anytime. The best way to face this time is to follow the Sunnah, as narrated in the Hadith 3524 of At-Tirmidhi.
Translation - 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, he said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Be constant with: "O Possessor of Majesty and Honor (Yā Dhal-Jalāli wal-Ikrām).'"
Like any other duas, the specific duas for joy and distress make the reciter more humble. A sense of being the servant of the Almighty Allah prevails in their heart and soul. They feel relaxed after sharing their distress with their Creator and asking His mercy.
When we recite duas in a state of distress or joy, it brings us closer to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, as we seek His forgiveness and mercy, especially in the difficult phase of our life. 173rd verse of Surah Ale-Imran teaches us how to react in this phase of our life.
Translation - When people said to them: 'Behold, a host has gathered around you, and you should fear them,' it only increased their faith, and they answered: 'Allah is Sufficient for us, and what an excellent Guardian He is!'
Whether you come across happiness or sorrow, the best way is to thank Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى by way of reciting a dua. Dua is a word of thankfulness and request, in addition to being a sort of worship. So, whatever the circumstances, one has to rely on duas. We need to make it a part of our life to recite these duas. Here are some useful tips for making these duas a part of our daily routine:
Don't wait for hardship or happiness to come your way; keep reciting joy & distress duas as a daily routine.
Include these duas in your daily "To-do List."
Try to memorize these duas. It is quite easy to memorize these duas
It might be difficult in the beginning, but repeated recitation will become a habit for you. And if at any time you come across an unwarranted situation, you will be able to recite any of the relevant dua instantly, without extra effort.
Download the Muslim and Quran mobile application to always have the duas at your fingertips, even if you haven't memorized them.
Try to learn the duas, specifically for the happy times. We often forget to thank Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى in such times. Make it a habit to recite Al-Hamdulillah and Subhanallah when receiving any good news.
The official website of Muslim and the Quran and its mobile app are the best places to read and learn joy & distress duas. These duas are specifically organized in an easy-to-navigate style so the reader can easily search for the desired one. Use the following features on our mobile app and website to search, read, and learn your desired joy & distress dua.
Different options are available at the bottom of each dua, which may be helpful for you:
The option to copy the dua is available here. You can copy it for use in any other application.
You can bookmark any dua for future reference and reading.
The add notes option is also available, which is quite a useful feature.
In the " dua settings," you can customize the dua display per your preferences. You can enable or disable the following options:
Arabic Text
Transliteration
Translation
Font size
Most importantly, the duas are collected from the most authenticated and trustworthy sources. A detailed reference of the source is given at the bottom of each dua, with the name of the Hadith Book, Chapter, and serial number of Hadith.
For a better experience, it is highly recommended that you download the Muslim and Quran mobile application. The application is available for both Android and iOS-operated mobile devices. Download now and get instant access to your desired Joy and Distress duas.