It is only natural to feel sad, desperate and lost at times. We are no walking machines. We are a mosaic of different human emotions and feelings. Luckily as Muslims, Islam has provided us with some supplications that not only comfort us and help us cure sadness and depression but also bring us closer to God. Allah (SWT) says:
“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” Surat Al-Baqarah 2:186.
يقول الله -تبارك وتعالى: وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ [سورة البقرة:186]
The following are 7 supplications you should know and recite whenever you have a bad day or are feeling depressed:
Islamic Duaa for hamm 1:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْهَمِّ وَالْحُزْنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
In English this translates to:
“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 (i.e. others)”. Reference:Al-Bukhari.
If you wish to read it in Arabic:
“Allāhumma ‘innī ‘a`ūdhu bika mina ‘l-ḥammi wa ‘l-ḥuzn, wa ‘l-`ajzi wa ‘l-kasal, wa ‘l-bukhli wa ‘l-jubn, wa ḍala`id-dayn, wa ghalabatir-rijāl.”
Duaa for hazn and sadness 2:
للّهُـمَّ إِنِّي عَبْـدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْـدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِـكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَـدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤكَ أَسْأَلُـكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّـيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أِوْ أَنْزَلْتَـهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْـتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِـكَ أَوِ اسْتَـأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الغَيْـبِ عِنْـدَكَ أَنْ تَجْـعَلَ القُرْآنَ رَبِيـعَ قَلْبِـي وَنورَ صَـدْرِي وجَلَاءَ حُـزْنِي وذَهَابَ هَمِّـي
“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.” Reference:Ahmad.
“Allāhumma innī `abduk, ibnu `abdik, ibnu amatik, nāsiyatī biyadik, māḍin fiyya ḥukmuk, `adlun fiyya qaḍā’uk, as’aluka bikullis’min huwa lak, sammayta bihi nafsak, aw anzaltahu fī kitābik, aw `allamtahu aḥadan min khalqik, aw‘ista’tharta bihi fī `ilmil-ghaybi `indak, an taj`ala ‘l-Qur’āna rabī`a qalbī, wa nūra ṣadrī, wa jalā’a ḥuznī, wa dhahāba hammī.”
Islamic Duaa for feeling sad and lost 3:
اللّهُـمَّ رَحْمَتَـكَ أَرْجـو فَلا تَكِلـني إِلى نَفْـسي طَـرْفَةَ عَـيْن، وَأَصْلِـحْ لي شَأْنـي كُلَّـه لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أنْـت
“O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment). Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You.” Reference Abu Dawud.
“Allāhumma raḥmataka arjū falā takilnī ilā nafsī ṭarfata `ayn, wa aṣliḥ lī sha’nī kullah, lā ilāha illā ant.”
Duaa to relieve depression 4:
إنّي مَسَّنِـيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَـمُ الرَّاحِمِيـن
This Duaa is actually inspired by Prophet Ayoub (Job) when he was in distress. Allah (SWT) says:
“And ˹remember˺ when Job cried out to his Lord, “I have been touched with adversity, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” Al- Anbya 21:83.
“I have been touched with adversity, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful”
“annee massaniya alddurru waanta arhamu alrrahimeena”
Islamic supplication number 5:
بِسْمِ اللهِ, بِسْمِ اللهِ, بِسْمِ اللهِ أَعُوذُ باللهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مَنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
“In the Name of Allah I seek refuge in Allah and in His Power from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against”
“Bismillaah, Bismillaah, Bismillaah ‘A’oothu billaahi wa qudratihi min sharri maa ‘ajidu wa ‘uhaathiru”
Supplication for Relief from Distress 6:
اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي إِلَيْهَا مَعَادِي، وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ، وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ
“O Allah, make my religion easy for me by virtue of which my affairs are protected, set right for me my world where my life exists, make good for me my Hereafter which is my resort to which I have to return, and make my life prone to perform all types of good, and make death a comfort for me from every evil”
“Allahumma as-slih li deeniyal-ladh huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya llati fiha ma’aashi wa aslih li akhiratee llati fiha ma’adi, wa j’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khair, waj’al al-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr”
Supplication 7:
حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لآ إلَهَ إلَّا هُوَ، عَلَيْهَ توَكَّلتُ، وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
“HasbiyAllahu la illaha illa Huwa, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu, wa Huwa Rabbul arshil azim”
“Allah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship but Him. I have placed my trust in Him, and He is the lord of the Majestic Throne.”
Whoever recites this Duaa seven times in the morning or evening, Allah (swt) will offer the person enough strength to deal with whatever is troubling them.
Through these supplications, we seek refuge and help from our only deity. It is neither a weakness nor a shame to turn to Allah whenever things go wrong for he is the most merciful. On the contrary, God reassures us that he is always with us even during our darkest moments. Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said:
“Seek refuge in Allah against the turmoils, attacks of misfortunes, and evil of judgement and joys of the enemies.” Reference: Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Besides reciting these supplications, it is always a good idea to read Quran.This way, we can find ourselves in the sacred words of Allah as well as alleviate the darkness surrounding us.
For an effective Duaa, we have written an article to get dua answered.
For more information about depression check out: depression in Islam [guide]