Dua for Enemy: Duas When Facing Adversaries in Islam

When someone is actively working against you — blocking your livelihood, spreading harm, or targeting you with injustice — it can feel isolating. You may feel angry, powerless, or uncertain what the right response is. Islam does not ask you to suppress those feelings. It gives you a direct path to the One who holds all power.

The prophets of Allah faced enemies far more powerful than most of us will ever encounter. Their response was not passivity, nor was it rage. It was supplication — turning directly to Allah ﷻ and trusting in His governance of affairs. This article gathers the most authentic duas from the Quran and Sunnah for when you face an adversary.

What Is the Dua for Enemy in Islam?

When facing an enemy, the Quran prescribes Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel — "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Surah Ali Imran, 3:173). At the Battle of the Trench, the Prophet ﷺ recited Allahumma ihzimhum wa zalzilhum — "O Allah, defeat them and cause them to tremble" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2933). These are direct, authenticated Prophetic supplications grounded in real confrontations with powerful adversaries.

The Primary Dua: Hasbunallahu wa Ni'mal Wakeel

This supplication appears in the Quran as the response of the believers when they were warned that an enormous army had gathered against them:

حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel

"Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs." — (Surah Ali Imran, 3:173)

The verse immediately following records the outcome: "So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them." That was not coincidence — it was the fruit of sincere tawakkul.

Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet Ibrahim ﷺ said these exact words when he was thrown into the fire, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said them at the Battle of Badr (Sahih al-Bukhari 4563). The same phrase carried Ibrahim through flames. It carries ordinary Muslims through the fires of their own trials.

When to recite it: Any time you feel threatened, overwhelmed by opposition, or powerless in the face of an enemy. It is particularly powerful as part of the morning and evening adhkar.

The Prophetic Dua at the Battle of the Trench

When the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslim community were besieged at the Battle of the Trench (5 AH, approximately 627 CE), he made this supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ مُنزِلَ الكِتَابِ، سَرِيعَ الحِسَابِ، اهزِمِ الأَحزَابَ، اللَّهُمَّ اهزِمهُم وَزَلزِلهُم

Allahumma munzilal kitab, sareeal hisab, ihzimil ahzab, allahumma ihzimhum wa zalzilhum

"O Allah, Revealer of the Book, swift in reckoning, defeat the confederates. O Allah, defeat them and cause them to tremble." — (Sahih al-Bukhari 2933; Sahih Muslim 1742)

This dua addresses Allah by two of His attributes — Revealer of the Book and swift in reckoning — before asking for help. The Prophet ﷺ is reminding himself and his companions that the One they are calling on is both the source of divine guidance and the One who settles all accounts.

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When Prophets Called Out to Allah Against Their Enemies

The Quran records multiple supplications made by prophets when facing those who oppressed or rejected them. These are not expressions of hatred — they are honest appeals to a just God from people who had exhausted every other option.

Nuh (Noah) ﷺ, after centuries of rejection, called:

رَبِّ إِنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانتَصِرْ

Rabbi inni maghlubun fantasir

"My Lord, indeed I am overcome, so help me." — (Surah Al-Qamar, 54:10)

Lut ﷺ, when facing a people who persecuted him, supplicated:

رَبِّ انصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

Rabbi unsurni alal qawmil mufsideen

"My Lord, support me against the corrupting people." — (Surah Al-Ankabut, 29:30)

Each of these duas came after the prophet had done everything in his power through legitimate means. Supplication against an enemy is not a first resort — it follows sincere effort, patience, and the exhaustion of other options. For more on this tradition, the dua of the oppressed and dua against oppressors explore this further.

Is It Permissible to Make Dua Against Your Enemy?

The dua of the mazlum (the oppressed person) holds a special place in Islamic jurisprudence. The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Beware of the dua of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah." — (Sahih al-Bukhari 1496)

Scholars across the four major schools of jurisprudence agree that it is permissible to ask Allah to deal with someone who has genuinely wronged you — with two conditions: the supplication must be proportionate (asking for justice, not vengeance beyond the wrong done), and you yourself must not be in the wrong in the same matter. You may ask Allah to stop the harm, grant you relief, or settle the account between you. What is not permitted is asking for more harm than what was done to you, or making dua while you bear equal or greater fault. Seekers Guidance provides detailed scholarly commentary on this ruling.

Making It Part of Your Daily Life

When you are dealing with an adversary, the goal is not to obsess over your enemy. The goal is to remain connected to Allah and trust in His governance. Islam channels the energy of fear and anger toward supplication — which keeps your heart free while leaving justice in better hands than yours.

Practical steps:

• Add Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel to your morning and evening adhkar. Reciting it seven times after Fajr builds a daily habit of surrendering your concerns to Allah before the day begins.
• When a worry about your adversary surfaces during the day, use it as a trigger: redirect the thought by reciting this phrase three times and moving on.
• If you face an active collective threat — institutional, professional, or communal — recite the Battle of the Trench dua after each of the five daily prayers until the situation is resolved.
• Avoid making dua in moments of uncontrolled anger. Wait until you are calm, then articulate specifically what you are asking for: relief, justice, or that Allah deal with the matter as He sees fit.

One principle stands above all the others: the Prophet ﷺ never asked for his enemies to be destroyed out of personal anger. After being stoned at Ta'if until he bled, he said: "O Allah, guide my people, for they do not know." That is the standard. Seek relief, seek justice — and where possible, seek their guidance.

For related supplications, see dua for protection from enemy and dua for protection and safety on the DeenUp blog.

Many Muslims find it easier to maintain their daily adhkar with structured reminders. DeenUp sends personalized dua notifications at the times that matter most, keeping these protective supplications part of every day.

Related Duas at a Glance

Common Questions

Can the Battle of the Trench dua be used in everyday situations?

Yes. While the original context was military, scholars note the principle extends to any coordinated opposition: workplace hostility, collective harassment, or institutional injustice. The dua asks Allah to defeat and shake an oppressive force — which applies whenever a group directs harm toward you.

Should I also take practical steps, or only make dua?

Both. Tawakkul means trusting in Allah while taking every legitimate means available to you. The Prophet ﷺ dug the trench before he made dua — he did not skip preparation and rely on supplication alone. Make the dua, then take action through every legitimate channel.

What if I am not entirely innocent in a dispute?

Scholars teach that the dua of the oppressed applies only where there is genuine injustice against you. If both parties bear fault, the more appropriate supplication is for Allah to guide all parties toward resolution and forgiveness — not for one to prevail over the other.

Are there additional scholarly resources on this topic?

Quran.com provides full context for Surah Ali Imran, verse 173. The hadith are available at Sunnah.com with chain and commentary. Yaqeen Institute offers deeper reading on tawakkul and the prophetic model of facing adversity.

Closing

Facing an enemy is genuinely difficult. Islam does not minimize that. But it also does not leave you unarmed. You have the same supplications that carried Ibrahim through fire, Nuh through centuries of rejection, and the early Muslims through a siege that should have destroyed them.

Recite Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel today — not because your enemy will immediately be defeated, but because it realigns your heart. The shift from fixating on the one who harms you to resting in the One who protects you is itself the victory. Everything else follows from there.

Do you feel your duas are unanswered?

Have you read the dua properly? Learn authentic duas, understand their meanings, and call upon Allah with greater confidence through DeenUp.

Take the Dua Quiz