Dua for Anxiety and Stress: 5 Authentic Duas from the Qur'an and Sunnah

Anxiety has a way of scattering language — you know something is wrong, but the words won’t come. Islam doesn’t leave you there. The Qur’an and the Sunnah preserve specific duas for anxiety, stress, worry, and grief, taught by the Prophet ﷺ for exactly these moments.

Here are five authentic duas for anxiety and stress, each with the Arabic, transliteration, meaning, and source — so you can trust what you’re saying and understand what you’re asking.

1. The Prophet’s dua for worry and grief

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ Allahumma inni a’udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan, wal-‘ajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa dala’id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijal.

“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 al-Bukhari 6369

The Prophet ﷺ said this dua often. Notice how completely it covers the inner life: worry about the future, grief over the past, and the heaviness that stops you from acting.

2. The dua of Yunus (عليه السلام) in the darkness

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin.

“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” — Qur’an 21:87

Made from the belly of the whale — as enclosed as a human being has ever been — and answered. The Prophet ﷺ said no Muslim makes this dua about anything except that Allah responds to him (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3505).

3. When something feels too big for you

حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal-wakil.

“Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.” — Qur’an 3:173

This is what the believers said when they were told an army had gathered against them. It’s the sentence for the moment the problem is bigger than your plan.

4. The dua of the distressed

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ La ilaha illallahul-‘Azimul-Halim, la ilaha illallahu Rabbul-‘Arshil-‘Azim, la ilaha illallahu Rabbus-samawati wa Rabbul-ardi wa Rabbul-‘Arshil-Karim.

“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.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 6346

The Prophet ﷺ would say these words at times of distress. It contains no request at all — sometimes the heart settles simply by remembering who is in charge.

5. Morning and evening protection from anxiety

اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ Allahumma rahmataka arju, fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘ayn, wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, la ilaha illa anta.

“O Allah, it is Your mercy I hope for, so do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye. Set right all my affairs — there is no deity except You.” — Sunan Abi Dawud 5090

A dua for the anxious mind’s core fear: being left to cope alone. You aren’t.

How to use these duas when anxiety hits

• Pick one, not all five. Depth beats coverage. Say it slowly, three times.
• Understand before you repeat. Read the meaning once so the words carry weight.
• Attach it to the moment. Before the difficult email, in the car, after salah — anxiety is situational, so let the dua be too.
• Write down which one reached you. Anxiety returns in seasons. A written record of what helped is a mercy to your future self.

FAQ

Can I make dua for anxiety in English? Yes. Outside of salah you may call on Allah in any language — He hears every heart. The transmitted duas above carry special blessing, but your own words are dua too.

How many times should I repeat these duas? There’s no fixed number for most of them. The Prophet ﷺ often made dua three times. Consistency matters more than quantity — which is why a gentle daily habit outperforms an anxious burst.

Does dua replace professional help? No — and it doesn’t claim to. Dua and treatment are both from Allah’s provision. Take the means, and ask the One who created them.