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49 adhkar for when you feel Dua When Overwhelmed

Dua When Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed

0 of 49 said today

  1. 1

    Refuge from Worry, Debt and Weakness

    Cited in the books

    Abū Dāwūd reported that Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him) said the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told Abū Umāma, who was sitting in the mosque burdened by worries and debts, to say morning and evening:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ.

    Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika mina-l-hammi wa-l-ḥazan, wa aʿūdhu bika mina-l-ʿajzi wa-l-kasal, wa aʿūdhu bika mina-l-jubni wa-l-bukhl, wa aʿūdhu bika min ghalabati-d-dayni wa qahri-r-rijāl.

    O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief. I seek refuge in You from incapacity and laziness. I seek refuge in You from cowardice and miserliness. And I seek refuge in You from being overwhelmed by debt and from the domination of men.

    Details
    Virtue & Reward
    The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told Abū Umāma that if he said these words, Allah would take away his worry and settle his debt. Abū Umāma is reported to have done so, and Allah took away his worry and settled his debt.
    Explanation
    The words ask Allah’s protection from eight things in four pairs: worry and grief, incapacity and laziness, cowardice and miserliness, and being overwhelmed by debt and by the domination of men. Fatḥ al-Bārī explains hamm as distress over a disliked thing the mind pictures now, ḥazan as grief over what has passed, ʿajz as the opposite of ability, kasal of vigour, bukhl of generosity and jubn of courage. Of being overcome by men it says this brings weakness to the soul and to livelihood. In the narration, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) taught these words to a man weighed down by worries and debts.
  2. 2

    Asking for Well-Being and Protection Morning and Evening

    Graded sahih

    ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) never left these supplications, at morning or at evening:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَدُنْيَايَ وَأَهْلِيْ وَمَالِيْ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِيْ وَآمِنْ رَّوْعَاتِيْ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ احْفَظْنِيْ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ ، وَمِنْ خَلْفِيْ ، وَعَنْ يَّمِيْنِيْ ، وَعَنْ شِمَالِيْ ، وَمِنْ فَوْقِيْ ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِيْ.

    Allāhumma innī asʾaluka-l-ʿāfiyata fi-d-dunyā wa-l-ākhira. Allāhumma innī asʾaluka-l-ʿafwa wa-l-ʿāfiyata fī dīnī wa-dunyāya wa-ahlī wa-mālī. Allāhumma-stur ʿawrātī wa-āmin rawʿātī. Allāhumma-ḥfaẓnī min bayni yadayya wa-min khalfī wa-ʿan yamīnī wa-ʿan shimālī wa-min fawqī, wa-aʿūdhu bi-ʿaẓamatika an ughtāla min taḥtī.

    O Allah, I ask You for well-being in this world and the next. O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religion, my worldly life, my family and my wealth. O Allah, cover my faults and calm my fears. O Allah, protect me from in front of me, from behind me, from my right, from my left and from above me; and I seek refuge in Your greatness from being struck down unseen from beneath me.

    Details
    Explanation
    ʿĀfiya is well-being or safety, and ʿafw is pardon; the supplication asks for both in religion, worldly life, family and wealth. In a report in Tirmidhī, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told people to ask Allah for pardon and well-being, because after certainty no one is given anything better than well-being. ʿAwrāt are one's exposed faults and rawʿāt are one's fears. Qur'an 7:17 names four of these directions: from before them, from behind them, on their right and on their left. In the Aḥmad and Ibn al-Sunnī reports, being struck down from beneath is explained as being swallowed by the earth (khasf); in Ibn al-Sunnī's report the narrator ʿUbāda said he did not know whether that gloss was the Prophet's (peace be upon him) or Jubayr's.
  3. 3

    Calling on the Ever-Living to Set Affairs Right

    Cited in the books

    Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Fāṭima (may Allah be pleased with her): “What prevents you from hearing what I advise you, that you say when morning comes and when evening comes:”

    يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيْثُ ، أَصْلِحْ لِيْ شَأْنِيْ كُلَّهُ ، وَلَا تَكِلْنِيْ إِلَىٰ نَفْسِيْ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ.

    Yā ḥayyu yā qayyūm, bi-raḥmatika astaghīth, aṣliḥ lī shaʾnī kullahū, wa-lā takilnī ilā nafsī ṭarfata ʿayn.

    O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining, in Your mercy I cry out for help. Set right all my affairs for me, and do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye.

    Details
    Explanation
    The words call on two Names of Allah: al-Ḥayy, the Ever-Living, and al-Qayyūm, the Self-Sustaining who upholds all else. Astaghīth means to cry out for help, and the plea rests on Allah's mercy. The speaker asks that his whole affair (shaʾn) be set right and that Allah not entrust him to himself for even a ṭarfat ʿayn, the blink of an eye, admitting total dependence.
  4. 4

    Allah Is Sufficient for Me

    Qur'an Recite 7×

    Ibn al-Sunnī reported that Abū al-Dardāʾ (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

    ﴿حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ، عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ، وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ﴾١٢٩

    Ḥasbiya-llāhu lā ilāha illā huwa, ʿalayhi tawakkaltu, wa-huwa rabbu-l-ʿarshi-l-ʿaẓīm.

    Allah is enough for me. There is no god but Him. In Him I have placed my trust, and He is the Lord of the mighty Throne.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 9:129
    Virtue & Reward
    In Ibn al-Sunnī's report, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that for anyone who recites these words seven times each morning and each evening, Allah will take care of what weighs on him, in matters of this life and of the next.
    Explanation
    Ḥasbī means that Allah alone is enough for me, so the speaker needs no other support. Tawakkaltu means I have entrusted my affair to Him and relied on Him. The words are the same as Qur'an 9:129, where the command is to say them if they turn away. Qur'an 8:2-4 describes true believers as those who rely on their Lord. In Tirmidhī, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that if people relied on Allah as He should be relied upon, they would be provided for as birds are, who go out hungry in the morning and return full.

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  5. 5

    Sūrat al-Fātiḥah: Praise and Request for Guidance

    Qur'an

    These words are from the Qur’an, Sūrat al-Fātiḥah (1:1-7):

    سورة الفاتحةAl-Fatihah · 1بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ١
    اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ٢ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ٣ مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ٤ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ٥ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ٦ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ٧

    Bismi-llāhi-r-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm. Al-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi-l-ʿālamīn. Ar-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm. Māliki yawmi-d-dīn. Iyyāka naʿbudu wa-iyyāka nastaʿīn. Ihdinā-ṣ-ṣirāṭa-l-mustaqīm. Ṣirāṭa-lladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayri-l-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa-lā-ḍ-ḍāllīn.

    In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful, Master of the Day of Recompense. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path, the path of those You have favoured, not of those who have earned anger, nor of those who have gone astray.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 1:1-7
    Explanation
    Al-Fātiḥah means “the Opening”, and it is the first sūra of the Qur’an. It begins with the name of Allah and praises Him as Lord of all the worlds, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful, and Master of the Day of Recompense. In verse 5 the words turn to address Allah directly: worship is for Him alone, and help is asked of Him alone. The sūra ends with a request for guidance on the straight path of those Allah has favoured, and not the path of those who earned anger or went astray. In Fatḥ al-Bārī, al-Ṭībī is quoted on the command “recite in the name of your Lord”, saying that it shows the basmala is commanded at the start of every recitation.
  6. 6

    Praising Allah at Times of Distress

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say at times of distress:

    لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ الْعَظِيْمُ الْحَلِيْمُ ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ رَبُّ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيْمِ

    Lā ilāha illa-llāhu-l-ʿaẓīmu-l-ḥalīm. Lā ilāha illa-llāhu rabbu-l-ʿarshi-l-ʿaẓīm. Lā ilāha illa-llāhu rabbu-s-samāwāti wa-rabbu-l-arḍi wa-rabbu-l-ʿarshi-l-karīm

    There is no god but Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the Noble Throne.

    Details
    Explanation
    Ibn Ḥajar records the scholars’ meanings of three Names: al-Ḥalīm delays punishment although He is able to inflict it, al-ʿAẓīm is the one to whom nothing is too great, and al-Karīm gives out of His bounty. Aṭ-Ṭībī observes that the praise begins with “Lord” because rabb suits the lifting of distress, as it carries the sense of Allah's care and upbringing of His creatures. He adds that the tahlīl contains tawḥīd, that greatness points to complete power, and that forbearance points to knowledge. The words are said at the onset of karb, distress.
  7. 7

    Yūnus's Call from the Belly of the Whale

    Qur'an

    Saʿd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported in Tirmidhī that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The supplication of Dhū-n-Nūn when he called out while in the belly of the whale:

    ﴿لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِيْنَ﴾٨٧

    Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu mina-ẓ-ẓālimīn.

    There is no god but You; glory be to You. Indeed, I have been among the wrongdoers.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 21:87
    Virtue & Reward
    The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, as reported by Saʿd in Tirmidhī, that no Muslim man ever calls upon Allah with it for anything except that Allah answers him.
    Explanation
    The words affirm that there is no deity but Allah, declare Him free of every fault (subḥānaka), and admit the speaker's own wrongdoing. Qur'an 21:87 says Dhū-n-Nūn went off angry, thought that Allah would not constrain him, and called out in the darknesses with these words. Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī explains that Dhū-n-Nūn means the companion of the whale, Yūnus, and reads the hadith as telling the listener to call with this supplication for his needs. Fatḥ al-Bārī adds that in a wording of al-Ḥākim a man asked whether it was for Yūnus alone or for the believers in general, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) pointed him to Allah's words: And thus We save the believers.
  8. 8

    Admitting Need of Whatever Good Allah Sends

    Qur'an

    It is in Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ (28:24), where, after he had watered for the two of them and turned aside to the shade, he said:

    ﴿رَبِّ إِنِّيْ لِمَآ أَنْزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيْرٌ﴾٢٤

    Rabbi innī li-mā anzalta ilayya min khayrin faqīr

    My Lord, I am truly in need of whatever good You send down to me.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 28:24
    Explanation
    Faqīr means one who is in need, and the words place the speaker before his Lord as someone who depends on Him for any good He sends down. ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd numbers kinds of poverty and names the fourth as poverty toward Allah, the servant's need of his Lord. It links this kind to the saying ‘O Allah, enrich me through my need of You, and do not impoverish me through feeling independent of You’, and says Allah meant exactly this by these words. So the verse is an admission of need of whatever good Allah sends down.
  9. 9

    Prayer for an Open Chest and Easy Affair

    Qur'an

    This is in Sūrat Ṭā Hā (20), verses 25–26, where it is introduced with “he said”:

    ﴿رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِيْ صَدْرِيْ﴾٢٥ وَيَسِّرْ لِيْٓ أَمْرِيْ٢٦

    Rabbi-shraḥ lī ṣadrī, wa yassir lī amrī.

    My Lord, open up my chest for me, and make my task easy for me.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 20:25-26
    Explanation
    Ishraḥ is a command meaning open up or widen, and ṣadr is the chest, so the first request is that Allah widen the speaker's chest for him. Yassir means make easy, and what is to be made easy is amr, the speaker's matter or affair. The prayer opens by calling on “my Lord” (rabbi), and each request carries lī, “for me”, so the speaker asks for himself. The verses give the words as direct speech, introduced with qāla, “he said”.
  10. 10

    Prayer for Forgiveness, Ease and Victory

    Qur'an

    Aḥmad reported that after Qur’an 2:284 was revealed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told them to say “We hear, obey and submit,” and Allah then revealed 2:285-286, which contain these words:

    ﴿رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِنْ نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ، رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا ، رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ، وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ، أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكٰـفِرِيْنَ﴾٢٨٦

    Rabbanā lā tuʾākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭaʾnā, rabbanā wa lā taḥmil ʿalaynā iṣran kamā ḥamaltahū ʿalā-lladhīna min qablinā, rabbanā wa lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih, wa-ʿfu ʿannā wa-ghfir lanā wa-rḥamnā, anta mawlānā fa-nṣurnā ʿalā-l-qawmi-l-kāfirīn.

    Our Lord, do not hold us to account if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not lay on us a heavy burden like the one You laid on those before us. Our Lord, do not make us carry what we have no strength for. Pardon us, forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelieving people.

    Details
    Virtue & Reward
    Al-Nawawī notes that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that whoever recites the two verses at the end of Sūrat al-Baqara in a night, they will suffice him.
    Explanation
    Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī explains nasīnā aw akhṭaʾnā as leaving what is right without intending to, and says Allah has lifted such punishment from this Ummah, so the request is also an acknowledgement of His favour. An iṣr is a burden heavy to carry, and the commentary gives examples from Banū Isrāʾīl, such as killing oneself as repentance and giving a quarter of one’s wealth as zakāh. It also says that what is beyond one’s strength can mean a hard and costly duty, such as night prayer when it was obligatory. The reply reported there to each request is “I have done so.” Al-Nawawī quotes al-Zajjāj that Allah gave this supplication in His Book for those who come after to memorise and make often, and that ‘help us against the disbelieving people’ means give us the upper hand over them in argument, in battle and in showing the religion.
  11. 11

    Refuge from Constriction of This World and the Day of Judgment

    Graded hasan

    Abū Dāwūd reported that Sharīq al-Hawzanī asked ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her) how the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) began when he rose at night, and she described what he said before praying, including:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ ضِيْقِ الدُّنْيَا وَضِيْقِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.

    Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min ḍīqi-d-dunyā wa ḍīqi yawmi-l-qiyāmah.

    O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the narrowness of this world and the narrowness of the Day of Resurrection.

    Details
    Explanation
    Ḍīq means narrowness or tightness, the opposite of ease and room. The words ask Allah for protection from hardship and constriction in this world and again on the Day of Resurrection. In ʿĀʾisha's account the Prophet (peace be upon him) rose at night and said takbīr, praise, two forms of tasbīḥ, istighfār and tahlīl ten times each. He then said these words ten times before beginning the prayer.
  12. 12

    Dua for Worry and Grief: Qur'an as Heart's Spring

    Cited in the books

    Aḥmad reported that ʿAbd Allāh (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) spoke of anyone struck by worry or grief who says:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ عَبْدُكَ ، وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ ، وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ ، نَاصِيَتِيْ بِيَدِكَ ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِّنْ خَلْقِكَ ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِيْ كِتَابِكَ ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِيْ عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيْعَ قَلْبِيْ ، وَنُوْرَ صَدْرِيْ ، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِيْ ، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّيْ

    Allāhumma innī ʿabduka, wa-bnu ʿabdika, wa-bnu amatika, nāṣiyatī bi-yadika, māḍin fiyya ḥukmuka, ʿadlun fiyya qaḍāʾuka, asʾaluka bi-kulli-smin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, aw ʿallamtahu aḥadan min khalqika, aw anzaltahu fī kitābika, awi-staʾtharta bihi fī ʿilmi-l-ghaybi ʿindaka, an tajʿala-l-Qurʾāna rabīʿa qalbī, wa-nūra ṣadrī, wa-jalāʾa ḥuznī, wa-dhahāba hammī

    O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand; Your ruling concerning me is carried out, and Your decree about me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours, by which You named Yourself, or taught to any of Your creation, or sent down in Your Book, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen with You: make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the lifting of my sorrow and the departure of my worry.

    Details
    Virtue & Reward
    The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that whoever is struck by worry or grief and says these words, Allah will remove his worry and grief and replace it with joy. When he was asked whether they should learn it, he said that whoever hears it should learn it.
    Explanation
    The supplication opens by calling the speaker Allah’s servant, the son of His servant and of His maidservant, and says his forelock (nāṣiya, the hair at the front of the head) is in Allah’s hand. It affirms that Allah’s ruling over him is carried out and His decree about him is just. The person then asks by every name of Allah, whether Allah named Himself with it, taught it to a creature, sent it down in His Book, or kept it in His hidden knowledge. The request is that the Qur’an become the spring (rabīʿ) of his heart and the light of his chest, the clearing away (jalāʾ) of his sorrow and the departure of his worry.
  13. 13

    Seeking Refuge from Hardship, Wretchedness and Gloating Enemies

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to seek refuge from the strain of hardship, being overtaken by wretchedness, an evil decree, and the gloating of enemies.

    اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ جَهْدِ الْبَلَاءِ ، وَدَرَكِ الشَّقَاءِ ، وَسُوْءِ الْقَضَاءِ ، وَشَمَاتَةِ الْأَعْدَاءِ.

    Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min jahdi-l-balāʾi, wa daraki-sh-shaqāʾi, wa sūʾi-l-qaḍāʾi, wa shamātati-l-aʿdāʾ.

    O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the strain of hardship, from being overtaken by wretchedness, from an evil decree, and from the gloating of enemies.

    Details
    Reference
    Bukhārī 6347
    Explanation
    Jahd means strain or severe effort, so jahd al-balāʾ is a trial that wears a person down. Darak ash-shaqāʾ is being reached and overtaken by wretchedness, and sūʾ al-qaḍāʾ is a decree whose outcome is bad for the person. Shamātat al-aʿdāʾ is the enemies rejoicing at one’s misfortune. The words ask Allah for protection from all four.
  14. 14

    No Power or Strength Except Through Allah

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) offered to teach him a word from beneath the Throne, from the treasure of Paradise, and said:

    لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ

    Lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā bi-llāh.

    There is no power and no strength except with Allah.

    Details
    Virtue & Reward
    The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that it is a word from beneath the Throne, from the treasure of Paradise, and that Allah then says: ‘My servant has submitted and surrendered’ (Ḥākim, from Abū Hurayrah). In Tirmidhī, from Qays ibn Saʿd, he called it a door among the doors of Paradise.
    Explanation
    Ḥawl is movement or ability to change one’s state, and quwwa is strength. Al-Nawawī, quoted in Fatḥ al-Bārī, calls the phrase a word of submission and entrusting one’s affair, since the servant owns nothing of it and has no means to repel harm or bring good except by Allah’s will. Another explanation, ascribed to Ibn Masʿūd, is that there is no turning away from disobedience except through Allah’s protection and no strength for obedience except through His help. On a journey, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told Abū Mūsā to say it, and a listener says it in reply to the muʾadhdhin’s calls “ḥayya ʿalā-ṣ-ṣalāh” and “ḥayya ʿalā-l-falāḥ”.
  15. 15

    Saying Allah Decreed It When Misfortune Strikes

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that if something befalls you, do not say ‘if I had done this, it would have been such and such’, but say:

    قَدَّرَ اللّٰهُ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ

    Qaddara-llāhu wa-mā shāʾa faʿal

    Allah has decreed it, and what He willed, He did.

    Details
    Reference
    Muslim 2664
    Explanation
    Qaddara means He decreed and measured out, and wa-mā shāʾa faʿal means whatever He willed, He did. The words hand the outcome back to Allah’s decree instead of regretting what one did or did not do. The hadith says that ‘if’ opens the door to the work of Satan. Al-Nawawī, quoting al-Qāḍī, reports the view that the dislike applies when ‘if’ is said with certainty about the unseen and with no mention of Allah’s will. Someone who says it in submission and returns the matter to Allah’s will incurs no dislike.
  16. 16

    Asking Allah to Make a Hard Matter Easy

    Graded sahih

    Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا ، وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا

    Allāhumma lā sahla illā mā jaʿaltahu sahlan, wa-anta tajʿalu-l-ḥazna idhā shiʾta sahlā

    O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy, and when You will, You make the rough ground easy.

    Details
    Explanation
    Sahl means easy, and al-ḥazn is rough, hard ground, used here for what is difficult. The words admit that ease comes only from Allah: nothing is easy unless He makes it so. They also express trust that He can turn the hardest matter into an easy one whenever He wills. The words are said when a matter becomes difficult for someone.
  17. 17

    What to Say When Calamity Strikes

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) said she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say that when a calamity strikes a Muslim and he says what Allah commanded, namely:

    إِنَّا لِلّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ اْجُرْنِيْ فِيْ مُصِيْبَتِيْ ، وَأَخْلِفْ لِيْ خَيْرًا مِّنْهَا

    Innā lillāhi wa-innā ilayhi rājiʿūn, Allāhumma-jurnī fī muṣībatī, wa-akhlif lī khayran minhā

    We belong to Allah, and to Him we will return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction, and replace it for me with something better.

    Details
    Virtue & Reward
    The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, as Umm Salama reported, that any Muslim struck by a calamity who says these words as Allah commanded will have Allah replace it for him with something better.
    Explanation
    Innā lillāhi wa-innā ilayhi rājiʿūn acknowledges that we belong to Allah and that our final return is to Him. Ujurnī comes from ajr, reward, so it asks Allah to reward one in the loss. Akhlif lī asks Him to put something better in its place. The words are said at a calamity. Umm Salama relates that after Abū Salama (may Allah be pleased with him) died she said them, and Allah replaced him for her with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
  18. 18

    Allah Is Enough for Us

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) said these words when he was thrown into the fire, and Muḥammad (peace be upon him) said them when people told them that others had gathered against them:

    حَسْبُنَا اللّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ

    Ḥasbunā-llāhu wa niʿma-l-wakīl

    Allah is sufficient for us, and what an excellent Trustee He is.

    Details
    Reference
    Bukhārī 4563
    Explanation
    Ḥasb means ‘enough’ or ‘sufficient’, so the speaker declares that Allah alone is enough. Wakīl is the one to whom a matter is entrusted and who manages it, and niʿma is the verb of praise: ‘what an excellent’. Ibn Ḥajar notes that Ibn ʿAbbās’s report links the words to Ibrāhīm in the fire, and another report calls them his last words there. For the Prophet (peace be upon him), Ibn Ḥajar points to Ibn Isḥāq’s account, in which word came that Abū Sufyān and his companions were heading toward the Muslims, and he said these words. The verse itself says that the warning increased the believers in faith.
  19. 19

    Words to Say in Times of Distress

    Graded sahih

    Abū Dāwūd reported that Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays (may Allah be pleased with her) said the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to her: "Shall I not teach you words to say at times of distress?"

    اَللّٰهُ اَللّٰهُ رَبِّيْ ، لاَ أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا

    Allāhu Allāhu rabbī lā ushriku bihi shayʾā.

    Allah, Allah is my Lord; I associate nothing with Him.

    Details
    Explanation
    The words repeat the name Allah and then declare Him one's Lord, with a denial that anything is joined to Him. Rabb means the Lord who owns, sustains and cares for His servants. The statement lā ushriku bihi shayʾan affirms pure devotion to Him alone. In Fatḥ al-Bārī, Ibn Ḥajar lists this report among the supplications of distress (daʿawāt al-karb), where karb means severe anguish.
  20. 20

    There Is No God but Allah

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Al-Bukhārī reported from Zaynab bint Jaḥsh (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) came in to her alarmed, saying:

    لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ

    Lā ilāha illā-llāh.

    There is no god but Allah.

    Details
    Reference
    Bukhārī 3346
    Virtue & Reward
    Ibn Ḥajar cites the hadith that the best dhikr is lā ilāha illā Allāh, which he says al-Tirmidhī and al-Nasāʾī reported from Jābir.
    Explanation
    This is the tahlīl, called in Fatḥ al-Bārī the word of tawḥīd and of sincerity (ikhlāṣ). Ibn Ḥajar quotes al-Ṭībī explaining its structure: lā ilāha denies divinity to anything else, along with the actions that belong to a god such as creating, providing, rewarding and punishing, while illā Allāh affirms all of that for Allah alone. It is also the closing phrase of the adhān in the narrations quoted in Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī. In this hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) said it as he came in alarmed, followed by a warning of an approaching evil.
  21. 21

    Allah Is Enough for Me, and the Best Guardian

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said that these were the last words of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) when he was thrown into the fire:

    حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيْلُ

    Ḥasbiya-llāhu wa-niʿma-l-wakīl.

    Allah is enough for me, and what an excellent Guardian He is.

    Details
    Reference
    Bukhārī 4564
    Explanation
    Ḥasb means that which suffices, so the speaker declares that Allah is enough for him. Wakīl is the one to whom an affair is entrusted, and niʿma praises Allah as the finest of those who take charge. The report just before it (no. 4563), which has the plural ḥasbunā, says Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) said it when he was thrown into the fire, and that Muḥammad (peace be upon him) said it when people told the believers that others had gathered against them. Ibn Ḥajar relates the Prophet's occasion to Ibn Isḥāq's account of Abū Sufyān and Quraysh turning back after Uḥud. He adds that one narration makes it Ibrāhīm's first words and another his last, so it may have been both.
  22. 22

    Asking for Life or Death, Whichever Is Better

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: none of you should wish for death because of harm that has struck him, and if he must do so, let him say:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ أَحْيِنِيْ مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِّيْ ، وَتَوَفَّنِيْ إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِّيْ

    Allāhumma aḥyinī mā kānati-l-ḥayātu khayran lī, wa-tawaffanī idhā kānati-l-wafātu khayran lī.

    O Allah, keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and take me when death is better for me.

    Details
    Explanation
    Aḥyinī asks Allah to keep one alive, and tawaffanī asks Him to take one's soul at death. Each request is tied to a condition: life for as long as it is better for the speaker, and death only when that is better. In this way the speaker does not simply ask for death. Al-Nawawī reads the hadith as a clear dislike of wishing for death because of harm such as illness, poverty, an enemy's trial or other worldly hardships. In a related hadith narrated by Abū Hurayra, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gives a reason for not wishing for death: a doer of good may increase in good, and a wrongdoer may yet seek to make amends.
  23. 23

    Seeking Help by Allah's Mercy in Distress

    Cited in the books

    Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported, in the collection of Tirmidhī, that whenever a matter distressed the Prophet (peace be upon him), he would say:

    يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيْثُ

    Yā ḥayyu yā qayyūmu, biraḥmatika astaghīthu.

    O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining, by Your mercy I cry out for help.

    Details
    Reference
    Tirmidhī 3524
    Explanation
    Ḥayy comes from the root of life and names Allah as the Ever-Living. Qayyūm comes from the root of standing and names the One who stands by Himself and keeps everything else in being. The caller invokes both Names, then asks for rescue through Allah's mercy; astaghīthu means to ask for urgent help. Tirmidhī gives these words for a time when something distressed the Prophet (peace be upon him). Fatḥ al-Bārī also mentions a report from Anas, credited to al-Nasāʾī and al-Bazzār, in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) told Fāṭima (may Allah be pleased with her) to say them morning and evening, followed by a request that Allah mend all her affairs and not entrust her to herself even for an instant.
  24. 24

    The Call of Dhū-n-Nūn from the Whale

    Qur'an

    Saʿd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The supplication of Dhū-n-Nūn, when he called out while in the belly of the whale, was:”

    ﴿لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنْتَ سُبْحٰنَكَ إِنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ﴾٨٧

    Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu mina-ẓ-ẓālimīn.

    There is no god but You; glory be to You. Truly, I have been among the wrongdoers.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 21:87
    Virtue & Reward
    The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, as Saʿd reports, that no Muslim man ever supplicates with these words about anything except that Allah answers him.
    Explanation
    The words are an acknowledgment of Allah's oneness, followed by glorifying Him and confessing fault. Subḥānaka means “glory be to You”, declaring Allah free of any shortcoming, and the speaker then places himself among the wrongdoers (aẓ-ẓālimīn). Qur'an 21:87 tells how Dhū-n-Nūn (peace be upon him), literally “the one of the nūn (whale)”, went off in anger and called out in the darknesses with these words. The hadith names the same call as coming from within the belly of the whale.
  25. 25

    Supplication on the Day of the Trench

    Cited in the books

    Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him) said that on the Day of the Trench they asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) whether there was anything they could say, as hearts had reached the throats, and he replied, "Yes:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِنَا وَاٰمِنْ رَوْعَاتِنَا

    Allāhumma-stur ʿawrātinā wa-āmin rawʿātinā.

    O Allah, cover our weak points and make us safe from our fears.

    Details
    Reference
    Aḥmad 10996
    Explanation
    ʿAwrāt are the things that ought to be covered, meaning weak points and exposed places, and ustur asks Allah to veil them. Rawʿāt are sudden frights, and āmin asks Allah to replace them with safety. The Companions spoke of hearts reaching the throats, an expression for extreme terror. The report adds that afterwards Allah struck the faces of His enemies with wind and routed them.
  26. 26

    Supplication of One in Distress

    Graded hasan

    Abū Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The supplications of the distressed one are:

    اَللّٰهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُوْ فَلَا تَكِلْنِيْ إِلٰى نَفْسِيْ طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِيْ كُلَّهُ ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

    Allāhumma raḥmataka arjū, fa-lā takilnī ilā nafsī ṭarfata ʿayn, wa-aṣliḥ lī shaʾnī kullahu, lā ilāha illā ant.

    O Allah, it is Your mercy I hope for, so do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye. and set right for me all my affairs. There is no god but You.

    Details
    Explanation
    The report calls these words the supplications of the distressed one (al-makrūb). The phrase lā takilnī means do not entrust me or hand me over, and ṭarfat ʿayn is the blink of an eye, the shortest moment. The supplicant puts all his hope in Allah's mercy, asks never to be left to his own devices, and asks that every one of his affairs be put right. It closes by affirming that there is no god but Allah.
  27. 27

    Calling Upon the Lord When Overcome

    Qur'an

    This is in the Qur'an, Sūrat al-Qamar (54:10), where it is said that he called upon his Lord, saying:

    رَبِّ- ﴿اَنِّيْ مَغْلُوْبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ﴾١٠

    Rabbi annī maghlūbun fa-ntaṣir

    My Lord, I am overcome, so help me.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 54:10
    Explanation
    Rabb means the Lord who owns, nurtures and sustains, and the call begins by turning to Him directly. Maghlūb means overpowered or defeated, so the speaker states that he has been overcome. Fa-ntaṣir is a request to be given victory and support against whoever has overcome him. The verse introduces the words with ‘he called upon his Lord’, so they are a plea made to Allah.
  28. 28

    Dua of the Oppressed for Deliverance and a Protector

    Qur'an

    The Qur'an mentions this as the supplication of the oppressed among the men, women, and children who seek deliverance from their persecutors.

    ﴿رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَٱجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا وَٱجْعَل لَّنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ نَصِيرًا﴾٧٥

    Rabbanā akhrijnā min hādhihi-l-qaryati-ẓ-ẓālimi ahluhā, wa-jʿal lanā mil-ladunka waliyyan, wa-jʿal lanā mil-ladunka naṣīrā.

    Our Lord, take us out of this city whose people are oppressive, and appoint for us from Yourself a protector, and appoint for us from Yourself a helper.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 4:75
    Explanation
    This verse was revealed concerning a group of believers in Mecca who were persecuted for their faith and forcibly prevented from emigrating. They prayed for deliverance from the oppressive city, and Allah excused them due to their genuine inability to escape. The passage highlights the plea of the weak and oppressed who are entirely overpowered by their persecutors.
  29. 29

    Dua to Decide Between Us and Our People With Truth

    Qur'an

    A supplication from the Quran.

    ﴿رَبَّنَا ٱفْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْفَـٰتِحِينَ﴾٨٩

    Rabbana-ftaḥ baynanā wa bayna qawminā bi-l-ḥaqqi wa Anta khayru-l-fātiḥīn.

    Our Lord, decide between us and our people with truth, and You are the best of those who decide.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 7:89
    Explanation
    In the given verse the speakers say it would be a lie against Allah to return to their people’s religion after Allah saved them from it, and that this could only happen if Allah, their Lord, willed it. They add that His knowledge encompasses everything and that they rely on Him. Then comes this duʿā’: iftaḥ (from fataḥa, to open) asks Allah to open the matter between them and their people, that is, to decide it, with truth. “Khayr al-fātiḥīn” calls Him the best of those who decide.
  30. 30

    Saving Me and My Family from Their Deeds

    Qur'an

    This supplication is in Sūrat ash-Shuʿarāʾ, verse 169:

    ﴿رَبِّ نَجِّنِى وَأَهْلِى مِمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾١٦٩

    Rabbi najjinī wa-ahlī mimmā yaʿmalūn

    My Lord, save me and my family from what they do.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 26:169
    Explanation
    The speaker calls on Allah directly as Rabbi, my Lord, and then asks. Najjinī means save me or rescue me, from najā, to escape. The word ahlī, my family or household, is joined to the request, so the speaker asks for his family together with himself. Mimmā yaʿmalūn means from what they do, naming what he asks to be saved from.
  31. 31

    My Lord, Judge With the Truth

    Qur'an

    This is from Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ (21:112), where the verse introduces it with the words “he said”:

    ﴿رَبِّ ٱحْكُم بِٱلْحَقِّ ۗ وَرَبُّنَا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ﴾١١٢

    Rabbi-ḥkum bi-l-ḥaqqi wa-rabbunā-r-raḥmānu-l-mustaʿānu ʿalā mā taṣifūn.

    My Lord, judge with the truth. Our Lord is the Most Merciful, the One whose help is sought against what you describe.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 21:112
    Explanation
    The speaker calls on his Lord (rabb) to judge with the truth (al-ḥaqq), handing the decision to Allah. He then affirms that our Lord is ar-Raḥmān, the Most Merciful. He is also al-Mustaʿān, the One whose help is asked (from the root ʿ-w-n, “to help”). The help is sought against “what you describe”, meaning what the addressees claim or portray. The words ask for a just verdict and seek Allah's help.
  32. 32

    Lord, I Control Only Myself and My Brother

    Qur'an

    This is from Sūrat al-Māʾida (5:25), introduced by the words “he said”:

    ﴿رَبِّ إِنِّى لَآ أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِى وَأَخِى ۖ فَٱفْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ﴾٢٥

    Rabbi innī lā amliku illā nafsī wa-akhī fa-fruq baynanā wa-bayna-l-qawmi-l-fāsiqīn.

    My Lord, I have power over no one but myself and my brother, so separate us from the disobedient people.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 5:25
    Explanation
    The speaker turns to his Lord and says that his own authority extends only to himself and his brother (lā amliku, “I do not control”). On that basis he asks Allah to separate (ifruq, from f-r-q) between them and the people described as al-fāsiqīn. Fāsiq comes from f-s-q, to go out of obedience, and denotes those who have left the bounds of obedience. The words are an appeal to Allah to part him and his brother from such people.
  33. 33

    Dua of Those Caught in a Storm at Sea

    Qur'an

    This is the supplication made to Allah by those who are caught in a stormy wind at sea and surrounded by waves from every side.

    ﴿لَئِنْ أَنجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَـٰذِهِۦ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ﴾٢٢

    La’in anjaytanā min hādhihī la-nakūnanna mina-sh-shākirīn.

    If You save us from this, we will surely be among the grateful.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 10:22
    Explanation
    The verse pictures people whom Allah carries across land and sea. On ships with a good wind they rejoice, then a violent wind and waves from every side come, and they think they are encircled. At that point they call upon Allah, sincere to Him in religion, and promise that if He saves them from this, they will surely be among the grateful (shakirin). It matches the title as the plea of those caught in a storm at sea.
  34. 34

    Judge Between Us and Save the Believers

    Qur'an

    This is from Sūrat ash-Shuʿarāʾ (26:118):

    ﴿فَٱفْتَحْ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَهُمْ فَتْحًا وَنَجِّنِى وَمَن مَّعِىَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾١١٨

    Fa-ftaḥ baynī wa-baynahum fatḥan wa-najjinī wa-man maʿiya mina-l-muʾminīn

    So decide between me and them with a decisive judgment, and save me and those who are with me among the believers.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 26:118
    Explanation
    Iftaḥ literally means “open”, and fatḥ is the opening or settling of a matter, so the phrase asks Allah to settle the dispute between the speaker and the others. Najjinī comes from najā, to be safe, and asks for rescue. The request covers both the speaker and the believers with him. It has two parts: a judgment between the two sides, and deliverance for the believing side.
  35. 35

    Dua Entrusting Your Affair to Allah

    Qur'an

    This is a supplication from the Quran.

    ﴿وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ﴾

    Wa ufawwiḍu amrī ila-llāh.

    And I entrust my affair to Allah.

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 40:44
    Explanation
    Ufawwiḍu comes from fawwaḍa, to hand a matter over completely to someone else, and amrī means my affair. The speaker says this after ‘You will remember what I say to you’, and the verse closes with ‘Indeed, Allah is Seeing of His servants’. So the entrusting is stated together with the reminder that Allah sees His servants. It fits the title as a declaration that the speaker leaves the outcome of his affair to Allah.
  36. 36

    Refuge from Being Overcome by Debt and Enemies

    Cited in the books

    ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate with these words:

    اللهمَّ إنِّي أعوذُ بِكَ من غَلَبَةِ الدَّين، وغَلَبَةِ العَدوِّ، وشَماتةِ الأعداء

    Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min ghalabati-d-dayn, wa ghalabati-l-ʿaduww, wa shamātati-l-aʿdāʾ.

    O Allah, I seek refuge in You from being overcome by debt, from being overcome by the enemy, and from the gloating of enemies.

    Details
    Reference
    Nasāʾī 5475
    Explanation
    ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate with these words, and al-Nasāʾī places them in the chapter on seeking refuge from being overcome by debt. Ghalaba means overpowering, dayn is debt, and shamāta is gloating over another’s misfortune. The duʿā’ seeks refuge in Allah from being overcome by debt, by the enemy, and from enemies rejoicing at one’s trouble. Earlier on the same page, the source also cites a report of the Prophet seeking refuge from disbelief and debt.
  37. 37

    Presenting a Need to Allah and Seeking Refuge from Punishment

    Cited in the books

    اللَّهُمَّ أُنْزِلُ بِكَ حَاجَتِي، وَإِنْ قَصُرَ رَأْيِي، وَضَعُفَ عَمَلِي، وَافْتَقَرْتُ إِلَى رَحْمَتِكَ، فَأَسْأَلُكَ يَا قَاضِيَ الْأُمُورِ، وَيَا شَافِيَ الصُّدُورِ، كَمَا تُجِيرُ بَيْنَ الْبُحُورِ أَنْ تُجِيرَنِي مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ، وَمِنْ دَعْوَةِ الثُّبُورِ، وَمَنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقُبُورِ

    Allāhumma unzilu bika ḥājatī, wa in qaṣura raʾyī, wa ḍaʿufa ʿamalī, wa-ftaqartu ilā raḥmatika, fa-asʾaluka yā qāḍiya-l-umūr, wa yā shāfiya-ṣ-ṣudūr, kamā tujīru bayna-l-buḥūr an tujīranī min ʿadhābi-s-saʿīr, wa min daʿwati-th-thubūr, wa min fitnati-l-qubūr.

    O Allah, I present my need to You, even though my judgment is short and my deeds are weak, and I am in need of Your mercy. So I ask You, O Decider of affairs and Healer of the breasts, as You grant protection between the seas, to protect me from the punishment of the Blaze, from the call of destruction, and from the trial of the graves.

    Details
    Explanation
    Here the servant lays his need before Allah, admitting that his judgment falls short, his deeds are weak, and he needs Allah’s mercy. He calls on Allah as Qāḍī al-umūr, the Decider of affairs, and Shāfī al-ṣudūr, the Healer of the breasts, and asks protection from the punishment of the Blaze, the call of destruction (thubūr), and the trial of the graves, likening it to the protection given between the seas. In the source page it comes within a longer duʿā’, after a request for victory over enemies and before the next request for good beyond one’s reach.
  38. 38

    Asking Relief by Mentioning a Sincere Deed

    Bukhari or Muslim

    اللَّهُمَّ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي قَدْ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ لَنَا مِنْهَا

    Allāhumma fa-in kunta taʿlamu annī qad faʿaltu dhālika-btighāʾa wajhika fa-fruj lanā minhā.

    O Allah, if You know that I did that seeking Your Face, then relieve us from it.

    Details
    Reference
    Bukhārī 8/3
    Explanation
    The speaker first recalls a deed he did only for Allah, then asks Allah to open a way out for them. Furja means an opening or relief, and ibtighāʾ wajhika means seeking Allah’s Face, that is, doing the act purely for Him. In the given page he tells how he loved his cousin, who refused him until he brought one hundred dinars; when she told him to fear Allah and not break the seal, he got up and left her. After his words the page says Allah made an opening for them.
  39. 39

    Answering the Distressed and Removing Harm

    Qur'an

    ﴿أَمَّن يُجِيبُ ٱلْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ﴾

    amman yujību-l-muḍṭarra idhā daʿāhu wa yakshifu-s-sūʾa

    Or who is it that answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him, and removes the evil?

    Details
    Reference
    Qur'an 27:62
    Explanation
    This is a question rather than a request: who answers the distressed one when he calls, and who removes the evil? Al-muḍṭarr is the one pressed by need and hardship, and al-sūʾ is evil or harm. The verse goes on to say that He makes you successors of the earth, then asks whether there is a god with Allah and says that little do you remember. The question thus points to Allah alone as the One who answers and removes harm.
  40. 40

    Seeking Relief from Distress by Allah's Names

    Cited in the books

    Ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Jibrīl (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and taught him this supplication:

    يَا نُورَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، وَيَا جَبَّارَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، وَيَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ، وَيَا صَرِيخَ الْمُسْتَصْرِخِينَ، وَيَا غَوْثَ الْمُسْتَغِيثِينَ، وَيَا مُنْتَهَى رَغْبَةِ الرَّاغِبِينَ، وَالْمُفَرِّجُ عَنِ الْمَكْرُوبِينَ، وَالْمَروِّحُ عَنِ الْمَغْمُومِينَ، وَمُجِيبَ دَعْوَةَ الْمُضْطَرِّينَ، وَكَاشِفَ السُّوءِ وَأَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ، وَإِلَهَ الْعَالَمِينَ نُنْزِلُ بِكَ كُلَّ حَاجَةٍ

    Yā nūra-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍ, wa yā jabbāra-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍ, wa yā dha-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrām, wa yā ṣarīkha-l-mustaṣrikhīn, wa yā ghawtha-l-mustaghīthīn, wa yā muntahā raghbati-r-rāghibīn, wa-l-mufarriju ʿani-l-makrūbīn, wa-l-marawwiḥu ʿani-l-maghmūmīn, wa mujība daʿwati-l-muḍṭarrīn, wa kāshifa-s-sūʾi wa arḥama-r-rāḥimīn, wa ilāha-l-ʿālamīn, nunzilu bika kulla ḥājah.

    O Light of the heavens and the earth, O Compeller of the heavens and the earth, O Possessor of Majesty and Honour, O Responder to the cry of those who cry out for help, O Helper of those who seek aid, O ultimate aim of the desire of those who desire, and Reliever of the distressed, and Comforter of the grieved, and Answerer of the call of the desperate, and Remover of harm, and Most Merciful of those who show mercy, and God of the worlds, we lay before You every need.

    Details
    Explanation
    This dua calls on Allah by many of His Names and attributes, each fitting a kind of need. He is the Light of the heavens and the earth and their Compeller (Jabbār), the One who answers the cry of those who cry for help, the Helper of those who seek aid, and the final goal of every hope. He is also the Reliever of the distressed, the Comforter of the grieved, the Answerer of the desperate and the Remover of harm. It ends by laying every need before Him. The given page reports that Jibrīl (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and taught him this dua.
  41. 41

    Dua for the Fulfilment of a Need

    Cited in the books

    Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that Jibrīl (peace be upon him) came to him with some supplications and told him that when a worldly matter befalls him, he should say these first and then ask for his need:

    يَا بَدِيعَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يَا ذَا الْجَلالِ والإِكْرَامِ يَا كَاشِفَ السُّوءِ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ يَا مُجِيبَ الْمُضْطَرِّ يَا إِلَهَ الْعَالَمِينَ بِكَ أَنْزَلْتُ حَاجَتِي وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهَا فَاقْضِهَا

    Yā badīʿa-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍi, yā dhā-l-jalāli wa-l-ikrāmi, yā kāshifa-s-sūʾi, yā arḥama-r-rāḥimīna, yā mujība-l-muḍṭarri, yā ilāha-l-ʿālamīna, bika anzaltu ḥājatī wa anta aʿlamu bihā fa-qḍihā

    O Originator of the heavens and the earth, O Possessor of Majesty and Honour, O Remover of harm, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy, O Answerer of the distressed, O God of the worlds, in You I have placed my need, and You know it best, so fulfil it.

    Details
    Explanation
    Each address in this dua is a Name or attribute of Allah that suits asking for help: Badīʿ, the Originator of the heavens and the earth; Kāshif al-sūʾ, the Remover of harm; Mujīb al-muḍṭarr, the Answerer of the distressed. The worshipper then says he has placed his need with Allah, who knows it best, and asks Him to fulfil it. The given page reports from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said Jibrīl (peace be upon him) brought these supplications, to be put first when a worldly matter befalls a person, and then the need is asked.
  42. 42

    Dua for Forgiveness, Relief from Worry, Debt and Needs

    Cited in the books

    In the hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated by al-Ṭabarānī in Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ, the supplication of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has this addition at its end:

    اللَّهُمَّ لَا تدع لنا ذَنبا إِلَّا غفرته وَلَا هما إِلَّا فرجته وَلَا دينا إِلَّا قَضيته وَلَا حَاجَة من حوائج الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَة إِلَّا قضيتها بِرَحْمَتك يَا أرْحم الرَّاحِمِينَ

    Allāhumma lā tadaʿ lanā dhanban illā ghafartahu, wa lā hamman illā farrajtahu, wa lā daynan illā qaḍaytahu, wa lā ḥājatan min ḥawāʾiji-d-dunyā wa-l-ākhirati illā qaḍaytahā, bi-raḥmatika yā arḥama-r-rāḥimīn

    O Allah, do not leave for us any sin except that You forgive it, nor any worry except that You relieve it, nor any debt except that You settle it, nor any need of the needs of this world and the Hereafter except that You fulfil it, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.

    Details
    Explanation
    This dua asks Allah to leave nothing unresolved: no sin without forgiveness, no worry (hamm) without relief, no debt without settlement, and no need of this world or the Hereafter without fulfilment. It rests the request on Allah’s mercy and calls Him Most Merciful of the merciful. The given page says Ṭabarānī reports it in his book on duʿāʾ, from Anas, as an addition at the end of another dua that asks for the means of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.
  43. 43

    Seeking Refuge from Poverty and Asking for Debt to Be Settled

    Cited in the books

    ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prayed in her house, the end of his supplication was:

    اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ وَالزَّبُورِ وَالْفُرْقَانِ وَصُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْفَقْرِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَقْضِيَ عَنِّي الْمَغْرَمَ

    Allāhumma munzila-t-tawrāti wa-l-injīli wa-z-zabūri wa-l-furqāni wa-ṣuḥufi ibrāhīma wa-mūsā, innī aʿūdhu bika mina-l-faqri, wa-asʾaluka an taqḍiya ʿannī-l-maghrama.

    O Allah, Revealer of the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms and the Furqan, and of the scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa, I seek refuge in You from poverty, and I ask You to settle my debt.

    Details
    Explanation
    This supplication begins by calling on Allah as the One who sent down the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, the Furqan and the scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa. It then asks for refuge from poverty (faqr) and for the settling of a debt (maghram), meaning what a person is obliged to pay. This fits the title, since poverty and debt are the two needs it names. The page reports from ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prayed in her house, this was at the end of his supplication.
  44. 44

    Dua for the Fulfilment of a Need

    Cited in the books

    ʿUthmān ibn Ḥunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a blind man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him to pray to Allah to heal him, so he ordered him to perform wudu well and to make this supplication:

    اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ وَأَتَوَجَّهُ إِلَيْكَ بِنَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّ الرَّحْمَةِ إِنِّي تَوَجَّهْتُ بِكَ إِلَى رَبِّي فِي حَاجَتِي هَذِهِ لِتُقْضَى لِيَ، اللَّهُمَّ فَشَفِّعْهُ فِيَّ

    Allāhumma innī asʾaluka wa-atawajjahu ilayka bi-nabiyyika muḥammadin nabiyyi-r-raḥmati, innī tawajjahtu bika ilā rabbī fī ḥājatī hādhihi li-tuqḍā lī, Allāhumma fa-shaffiʿhu fiyya.

    O Allah, I ask You and turn towards You by means of Your Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy. Indeed, I have turned by means of you to my Lord in this need of mine, that it may be fulfilled for me. O Allah, accept his intercession for me.

    Details
    Explanation
    This is a supplication for a need to be fulfilled. The speaker asks Allah and turns towards Him by means of His Prophet Muhammad, called the Prophet of mercy, saying he has turned by him to his Lord for this need. He ends by asking Allah to accept the Prophet’s intercession (shafāʿah) for him. The Tirmidhī page tells of a blind man who came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) asking him to pray for his healing, and the Prophet told him to perform wudūʾ well and say these words. Ibn Mājah’s page adds two rakʿahs and has the form ‘O Muhammad’ in the wording.
  45. 45

    Calling on Allah to Fulfil His Promise at Badr

    Bukhari or Muslim

    ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said that on the day of Badr the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) faced the qiblah, stretched out his hands and called out to his Lord:

    اللَّهُمَّ! أَنْجِزْ لِي مَا وَعَدْتَنِي. اللَّهُمَّ! آتِ مَا وَعَدْتَنِي. اللَّهُمَّ! إِنْ تُهْلِكْ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ لَا تُعْبَدْ فِي الْأَرْضِ

    Allāhumma anjiz lī mā waʿadtanī. Allāhumma āti mā waʿadtanī. Allāhumma in tuhlik hādhihi-l-ʿiṣābata min ahli-l-islāmi lā tuʿbad fi-l-arḍ.

    O Allah, fulfil for me what You promised me. O Allah, grant what You promised me. O Allah, if You destroy this small band of the people of Islam, You will not be worshipped on earth.

    Details
    Explanation
    This duʿā’ was made at Badr. The page says the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw the polytheists, a thousand, while his companions were 319 men; he faced the qiblah, stretched out his hands and called out to his Lord. Anjiz means fulfil, and ʿiṣābah means a small group, so he asks Allah to bring about what He promised and says that if this group of Muslims is destroyed, Allah will not be worshipped on earth. He kept calling until his cloak fell from his shoulders, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) put it back and told him Allah would fulfil what He promised.
  46. 46

    Asking for Ease in Every Difficulty

    Cited in the books

    Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent Jaʿfar to Abyssinia, he saw him off and gave him some words as provision, saying: Say:

    اللَّهُمَّ الْطُفْ فِي تَيْسِيرِ كُلِّ عَسِيرٍ فَإِنَّ تَيْسِيرَ الْعَسِيرِ عَلَيْكَ يَسِيرٌ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ التَّيْسِيرَ وَالْمُعَافَاةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ

    Allāhumma-lṭuf fī taysīri kulli ʿasīrin fa-inna taysīra-l-ʿasīri ʿalayka yasīrun, wa-asʾaluka-t-taysīra wa-l-muʿāfāta fī-d-dunyā wa-l-ākhirati

    O Allah, be gentle in making easy every difficult matter, for making the difficult easy is simple for You, and I ask You for ease and well-being in this world and the Hereafter.

    Details
    Explanation
    According to the source, the Prophet (peace be upon him) escorted Jaʿfar (may Allah be pleased with him) when he sent him to Abyssinia and provided him with words, saying: Say this. The word ilṭuf comes from luṭf, gentle and subtle kindness, so the dua asks Allah to be kind in making every difficult matter easy. The reason given is that making the difficult easy is simple for Allah. It then asks for taysīr, ease, and muʿāfāh, well-being, in this world and the Hereafter.
  47. 47

    Words of Moses for Seeking Allah's Help

    Cited in the books

    Ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked whether he should teach him the words that Moses (peace be upon him) said when the sea split; he answered yes, and the Messenger told him to say:

    اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ , وَإِلَيْكَ الْمُشْتَكَى , وَبِكَ الْمُسْتَغَاثُ , وَأَنْتَ الْمُسْتَعَانُ , وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

    Allāhumma laka-l-ḥamdu, wa ilayka-l-mushtakā, wa bika-l-mustaghāthu, wa anta-l-mustaʿānu, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāh.

    O Allah, to You belongs all praise, and to You is the complaint, and from You relief is sought, and You are the One whose help is asked, and there is no might nor power except with Allah.

    Details
    Explanation
    This supplication joins praise, complaint and a plea for help. The One to whom the complaint is brought (al-mushtakā) is Allah, relief is sought from Him (al-mustaghāth), and He is the One whose help is asked (al-mustaʿān). It closes by admitting that there is no might or power except with Allah. The given page reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) whether he should teach him the words Moses (peace be upon him) said when the sea split, and then gave him these words.
  48. 48

    Supplication on the Day of Uhud

    Bukhari or Muslim

    Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say on the day of Uḥud:

    اللَّهُمَّ! إِنَّكَ إِنْ تَشَأْ، لا تعبد في الأرض

    Allāhumma, innaka in tashaʾ lā tuʿbad fī-l-arḍ.

    O Allah, if You will, You will not be worshipped on the earth.

    Details
    Reference
    Muslim 3/1363
    Explanation
    The dua is built on the condition ‘if You will’ (in tashaʾ): it places what happens on earth under Allah’s will, and it states plainly that if He willed, He would not be worshipped there. Lā tuʿbad means ‘will not be worshipped’, that is, Allah would not be worshipped on earth. The page from Muslim gives only that, according to Anas, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say these words on the day of Uḥud, and it adds no further explanation.
  49. 49

    Dua When Distress or Hardship Befalls You

    Cited in the books

    Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told the Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib that when distress, hardship or adversity befalls them, they should say:

    اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ

    Allāhu rabbunā lā sharīka lahu.

    Allah is our Lord; He has no partner.

    Details
    Explanation
    This is a short declaration said in difficulty: that Allah is our Lord (Rabb, the One who owns and sustains us) and has no partner. The source reports from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told the Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib to say it when distress (karb), hardship (jahd) or adversity (laʾwāʾ) comes upon them. In such times it brings the speaker back to Allah alone as his Lord.

Questions and answers

What dua to read when overwhelmed?

Calling on the Ever-Living to Set Affairs Right: Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum, bi rahmatika astaghith, aslih li shani kullahu wa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ayn. It is reported in Nasa'i, 'Amal al-Yawm wa-l-Layla 570.

Which dua asks Allah to make a hard matter easy?

Asking Allah to Make a Hard Matter Easy: Allahumma la sahla illa ma jaaltahu sahla, wa anta tajalu al-hazna idha shita sahla. It is reported in Ibn al-Sunni, 'Amal al-Yawm wa-l-Layla 351, and Ibn Hajar called it sahih in Nata'ij al-Afkar (Ibn Hajar).

What did Prophet Yunus say inside the whale?

The Call of Dhu-n-Nun from the Whale: La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu mina al-zalimin. It is from Qur’an 21:87 and reported in Tirmidhi 3505.

Feelings