Anxiety and sorrow are natural emotions that all humans experience. In such times, turning towards Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) and making supplications for anxiety and sorrow is a practice that a lot of Muslims follow. To look for solace in prayer or to make dua in abundance can help one find support and comfort. Dua offers encouragement, gives one the strength to face hardship, and time to reflect on how everything is Allah's Will.
Praying and making dua for anxiety and sorrow can serve as a lifeboat during difficult times. It is a means of support and guidance from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) that allows one to leave the matters in the hands of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) with this faith that one is not alone in their grief. The duas listed below are verified by authentic hadith. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) used to recite this dua to seek refuge from grief and sorrow in this world and the hereafter (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3484).
Praying and making dua is an integral part of Islam and any faith. It is a source of connection that allows a believer the liberty to ask Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) for His Mercy, forgiveness, and kindness rather than just the provision of this world.
Joy & Distress Duas
Allaahumma 'innee 'abduka, ibnu 'abdika, ibnu 'amatika, naasiyatee biyadika, maadhin fiyya hukmuka, 'adlun fiyya qadhaa'uka, 'as'aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, 'aw 'anzaltahu fee kitaabika, 'aw 'allamtahu 'ahadan min khalqika, 'awista'tharta bihi fee 'ilmil-ghaybi 'indaka, 'an taj'alal-Qur'aana rabee'a qalbee, wa noora sadree, wa jalaa'a huznee, wa thahaaba hammee .
O Allah, I am Your slave and the son of Your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand (i.e. You have control over me). Your Judgment upon me is assured and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness and the reliever of my distress.
Allaahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika minal-hammi walhazani, wal'ajzi walkasali, walbukhli waljubni, wa dhala'id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijaal.
O Allah, I seek refuge in you from grief and sadness, from weakness and from laziness, from miserliness and from cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by men.
Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), through His words, taught to us by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), reminds us that we are never alone, and the first and foremost etiquette to make dua for anxiety and sorrow is to do so with complete faith that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is listening to us. The best way to make dua is to raise one's hands and to address Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) with His names and do not hold back. Make dua with your heartful and with the faith that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is all-knowing and all-hearing.
Grief and worrying greatly impact our physical and mental well-being. While these emotions are a natural part of our lives, they can take the best of us, and in times when one feels helpless, making dua for anxiety and grief serves as a way to ask for strength.
If you find yourself struggling, seek help from those around you, be it family or professionals. However, also use this time to seek help and strength from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). Finding resort in faith by making supplication in abundance cannot just restore your faith but also strengthen one's connection with Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).
The benefits also include feeling calm or at peace, knowing that Allah is (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) the sole disposer of one's affairs and He will always make things work by providing you with the best. Making dua can also serve as a grounding tool that can help you feel a sense of relief or a sense of belonging, that you are not alone but are loved by Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).