Dua for Anxiety: Islamic Supplications That Bring Calm

Anxiety arrives without warning — before an important conversation, in the middle of the night when the mind refuses to quiet, or during a stretch of days when everything feels uncertain. The Muslim tradition does not minimize this experience. It names it, addresses it, and provides a direct, authenticated path to relief rooted in the words of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The dua for anxiety taught in Sahih al-Bukhari is one of the most comprehensive supplications in the Islamic tradition — not just a general plea for help, but a precise refuge from the specific inner states that generate and sustain anxiety. Understanding it changes how you pray it.

What Is the Dua for Anxiety in Islam?

The primary Islamic dua for anxiety comes from Sahih al-Bukhari 6363, where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regularly recited: Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hamm wal-hazan — "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, and from the burden of debt and being overpowered by others." This supplication directly addresses the inner states that cause anxiety: hamm (future worry) and hazan (grief over the past), alongside the accompanying states of weakness, fear, and external pressure that amplify distress.

The Full Dua for Anxiety — Arabic, Transliteration, and Translation

The complete supplication is recited as follows:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ

Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hamm wal-hazan, wa a'udhu bika min al-'ajzi wal-kasal, wa a'udhu bika min al-jubni wal-bukhl, wa a'udhu bika min ghalabat al-dayn wa qahr al-rijal

"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, and from the burden of debt and being overpowered by others."

— (Sahih al-Bukhari 6363)

What makes this dua remarkable is its psychological precision. It pairs opposites: hamm (anxiety about the future) with hazan (sorrow about the past) — together covering the full time-span of human worry. Then 'ajz (incapacity) with kasal (laziness) — both ways the self collapses under pressure. Then jubn (cowardice) with bukhl (miserliness) — both expressions of a heart that contracts when it should expand.

The dua for anxiety is not a single request — it is a complete shelter.

The Quranic Foundation: Why Remembrance Heals Anxiety

The Quran provides the theological context for why dua works. Allah says:

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

Ala bidhikri Allahi tatma'innu al-qulub

"Truly, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."

— (Surah Ar-Ra'd, 13:28)

This is not motivational language — it is a statement about how the human heart is made. The word tatma'innu (find rest, settle) points to a specific quality: the opposite of restlessness, the settling of something that has been in turbulent motion. Anxiety, in the Islamic framework, is often a heart that has lost connection to its source.

And Allah promises twice in Surah Al-Inshirah: "For indeed, with hardship will be ease. Indeed, with hardship will be ease" (94:5-6). The repetition is deliberate. The ease is real. The timing belongs to Allah — not to the anxiety itself.

The Story Behind This Dua: The Prophet's Own Anxiety

The dua in Sahih al-Bukhari was not taught in a vacuum. The Prophet ﷺ himself experienced states of worry — about his community, about the future of the message, about those who were suffering. He is recorded as using this supplication regularly, not as evidence of spiritual weakness, but as a model of how to bring every inner state before Allah.

One of the most powerful examples of prophetic dua under extreme distress comes from the Quran itself — the supplication of Prophet Yunus when he found himself in complete darkness inside the whale:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu min al-zalimin

"There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."

— (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21:87)

This dua does not ask for specific relief — it orients the heart toward Allah and acknowledges human limitation. The scholars note that anyone who recites it in distress will have their dua answered (Tirmidhi 3505). Many Muslims find it effective precisely when anxiety has made it hard to know what to ask for.

Making the Dua for Anxiety Part of Your Daily Life

The most effective use of the anxiety dua is not crisis-only. The Prophet taught it as a regular morning supplication — meaning it works best when it is already part of your daily rhythm before anxiety arrives.

Here are practical ways to anchor it:

• Morning adhkar: Recite the full dua three times after Fajr prayer, as part of morning remembrance. This builds the daily habit and pre-loads the shelter before the day creates pressure.
• Before sleep: Pair it with other evening adhkar. Anxiety often peaks at night when the mind is no longer distracted. Reciting it before sleep reorients the heart toward Allah before it drifts.
• When anxiety rises: Recite it immediately when you feel the first tightening of worry — not after you have already spent an hour in anxious thought. The earlier you turn to it, the more effective it tends to be.
• During salah: Bring to mind its meaning during sujood, when you are closest to Allah. The du'a in prostration is especially listened to.

Our guide on dua for anxiety and stress covers additional supplications and the broader framework for managing distress Islamically. For a deeper understanding of how Islam approaches the experience of anxiety, how to deal with anxiety in Islam is worth reading alongside this.

The DeenBack team's writing on mental health in Islam offers a thoughtful look at the relationship between faith and emotional wellbeing that pairs well with the practical use of dua. And the Demi Manifest piece on trusting Allah through hardship explores how the theology behind these supplications — genuine tawakkul in Allah — transforms the experience of anxiety over time.

Related Duas for Anxiety and Difficult Moments

For a full reference of duas organized by situation, see our collection of duas for difficult times and dua for guidance when you need direction alongside relief.

Common Questions About the Dua for Anxiety

Does reciting the dua guarantee anxiety will go away immediately?

Dua is not a prescription with a guaranteed delivery time. It is a relationship — you turn to Allah, and He responds in the way and at the time that is best for you. Many people find the dua for anxiety shifts something internal immediately, even before external circumstances change. Others find relief gradually as consistency in adhkar rewires the heart's default response to stress. The dua works; the timing belongs to Allah.

What if I cannot focus while reciting the dua?

Recite it anyway. The hadith tradition is clear that dua said with a distracted heart is still valid supplication. Begin with the Arabic text, even if the meaning feels distant. Over time — as you learn what each word means — the focus naturally deepens. Our guide on dua for patience offers related advice on maintaining quality of heart in supplication during hard times.

Should I combine dua with professional support for anxiety?

Yes. Islam does not frame spiritual practice and practical help as opposites. Seeking therapy or professional support for anxiety is aligned with Islamic teaching — the Prophet encouraged treating illness through available means. Dua and professional care work together, not instead of each other.

Anxiety is not a sign of weak faith. The Prophet ﷺ himself experienced worry and modeled how to bring it to Allah. Every time you recite اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ (Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hamm), you are following his example — surrendering a specific, named inner weight to the One who carries all things.

That is not weakness. That is tawakkul.