The BEST Dua For Anxiety

Anxiety is a common mental health illness that affects over 8 million people in the UK and around 264 million individuals globally. Recent statistics show that in any given week, 6 in 100 people will be diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder.

The pace of modern life and fears about the future, particularly in the era of social media, have contributed to this. As Muslims, we are reminded that these fears are tests from Allah and it is our duty to remember Him in difficult times, turn to Him and pray for ease.

As the Islamic understanding of mental health conditions like anxiety improves, we realise that there are duas given to us from the life of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that can help relieve anxiety.

The best dua for anxiety 😩

This dua was narrated in Sahih Muslim. It was said that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would often supplicate the following:

Arabic: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَ الْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَ الْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَ الْجُبْنِ، 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

English Translation: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by men."

This dua specifically mentions the word worry and goes on to include things that may induce worry or anxiety in today's world, like debt and fear of violence.

Three more duas to ease anxiety 🤲

1. Dua for Allah to help in our affairs

Arabic: حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Transliteration: Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel

English Translation: "Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)."

From Surah Al-Anfal (8:61), this dua calls upon Allah to help us during tough times. We know as Muslims that Allah alone is the only One who can guide us through difficult affairs.

2. Dua for uplifting of the heart

Arabic: رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

Transliteration: Rabbi-shrah li sodri, wa yassir li amri, wahlul uqdatan min lisani yafqohu qawli

English Translation: "Lord, lift up my heart and ease my task for me. Remove the impediment from my tongue so that they may understand my speech."

Taken from Surah Taha (20:25-28) this beautiful dua asks Allah to calm our hearts, to raise us from depression into hope and to allow us to ask for His forgiveness and guidance.

3. Dua to increase knowledge

Arabic: رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Transliteration: Rabbi zidni ilma

English Translation: "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

And lastly, another dua from Surah Taha (20:114) we ask Allah to increase us in knowledge as He knows things we do not. These may include reasons for stressful and anxiety-inducing experiences occurring. We trust that Allah tests only those He loves the most and will always help us when life gets too heavy.

Anxiety can be a challenging mental disorder to live through and with the above duas we start to put more trust and confidence in Allah as well as bringing us closer to Him and finding some comfort in times of hardship.

If you are experiencing anxiety, also remember this:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) 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." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).