Du`a for Relief from Anxiety and Stress

Praise be to Allah.

Reciting Du`a from the book of Abwab Al-Faraj

We have not read the book Abwab Al-Faraj in its entirety, but we have come across some paragraphs of it which contained innovated prayers such as Salat Al-fatih ”, “As-Salah An-Nariyyah ”, “As-Salah Al-Munjiyah” and others which contain odd phrases and blameworthy exaggeration. 

Du`a for anxiety and stress

With regard to Du`as for relief from worry and stress , they include: 

• That which was narrated by Ahmad (3528) from `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No person suffers any anxiety or grief, and says: `Allahumma inni `abduka wa ibn `abdika wa ibn amatika, nasiyati bi yadika, madin fiyya hukmuka, `adlun fiyya qada’uka, as’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitabika aw `allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi `ilm il-ghaybi `indak an taj`ala Al-Qur’ana rabi` qalbi wa nur sadri wa jala’a huzni wa dhahaba hammi (O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety)` but Allah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in their stead joy.” It was said: O Messenger of Allah, should we not learn them (these words)? He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Yes indeed; whoever hears them should learn them.”  (Classed as authentic by Al-Albani in As-Silsilah As-Sahihah, 199)
• That which was narrated by Abu Dawud (5090) and Ahmad (27898) from Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Du`a of the person who is in distress is : `Allahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfat `ayn wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu la ilaha illa anta (O Allah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for the blink of an eye; rectify all my affairs. There is no god worthy of worship except You)`” (Classed as sound by Al-Albani in Sahih Abu Dawud) 
• That which was narrated by Muslim (2730) from Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say, when he felt distressed:

“La ilaha ill-Allah Al-`Athim ul-Halim, La ilaha ill-Allah Rabb il-`arsh il-`athim, La ilaha ill-Allah Rabb is-samawati wa Rabb il-ard wa Rabb il-`arsh il-karim (there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, the All-Mighty, the Forbearing; there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne).” 

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: 

“This is a great Hadith that one should pay attention to and recite a great deal at times of distress and calamity. At-Tabari said: The early generations used to offer this supplication and they called it Du`a Al-karb (the supplication of distress ). If it is said that this is dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and there is no supplication in it, that may be answered in two well-known points: (i) that the supplication may begin with this dhikr, then one may offer supplication as one wishes; (ii) the response of Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah who said: Do you not know the words of Allah, may He be Exalted [stated in a Qudsi Hadith]: “Whoever is distracted by remembrance of Me from asking of Me, I shall give him the best of that which I give to those who ask .” The poet said: If a man praises you, then that is enough and there is no need for him for state that he needs help [because his praise of you is a signal that he needs help.” 

For more, you can read this booklet “Dealing with Worries.”

And Allah knows best.