Duas for Anxiety: Sixteen from the Qur'an
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When anxiety is at its worst, most people cannot compose a sentence — let alone a considered supplication. That is exactly when having a few short duas already learned matters.
Here are sixteen, in transliteration with their meanings, each cited so you can read it in context.
When you are afraid
Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal-wakeel
"Allah is sufficient for us, and the best Disposer of affairs." — Qur'an 3:173
Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illa huwa, 'alayhi tawakkaltu
"Sufficient for me is Allah; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied." — Qur'an 9:129
When your chest is tight
Rabbi ishrah li sadri wa yassir li amri
"My Lord, expand for me my chest and make my task easy for me." — Qur'an 20:25-26
This was the dua of Musa (peace be upon him) before facing something he did not feel equal to. It is worth knowing that a prophet asked for his chest to be expanded — the feeling you are describing is not a modern weakness.
When you have made a mistake you cannot stop replaying
La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin
"There is no god but You; glory be to You. Indeed, I have been among the wrongdoers." — Qur'an 21:87
The dua of Yunus, from inside the whale. Whatever you have done, it was said from a darker place than yours.
When you are in pain
Rabbi anni massaniyad-durru wa anta arhamur-rahimin
"My Lord, harm has afflicted me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful." — Qur'an 21:83
Wa idha maridtu fahuwa yashfin
"And when I am ill, it is He who cures me." — Qur'an 26:80
When you feel alone
Rabbi la tadharni fardan wa anta khayrul-warithin
"My Lord, do not leave me alone, and You are the best of inheritors." — Qur'an 21:89
When you cannot hold on much longer
Rabbana afrigh 'alayna sabran wa thabbit aqdamana
"Our Lord, pour upon us patience and make our steps firm." — Qur'an 2:250
Rabbana la tu'akhidhna in nasina aw akhta'na
"Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake." — Qur'an 2:286
When you need mercy more than answers
Rabbana amanna faghfir lana warhamna wa anta khayrur-rahimin
"Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy — You are the best of the merciful." — Qur'an 23:109
Rabbi ighfir warham wa anta khayrur-rahimin
"My Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of the merciful." — Qur'an 23:118
Rabbana wasi'ta kulla shay'in rahmatan wa 'ilman
"Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge." — Qur'an 40:7
When you do not know what to do next
Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi' lana min amrina rashada
"Our Lord, grant us mercy from Yourself and prepare for us right guidance in our affair." — Qur'an 18:10
Rabbi adkhilni mudkhala sidqin wa akhrijni mukhraja sidqin
"My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit." — Qur'an 17:80
When you are handing it over
Rabbana 'alayka tawakkalna wa ilayka anabna
"Our Lord, upon You we rely and to You we turn." — Qur'an 60:4
Rabbi zidni 'ilma
"My Lord, increase me in knowledge." — Qur'an 20:114
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah wa fil-akhirati hasanah wa qina 'adhab an-nar
"Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the next, and protect us from the Fire." — Qur'an 2:201
If you cannot form words at all
Sometimes anxiety takes language with it. If that happens, you have not failed at dua.
Say Ya Rabb. Or nothing. Turning toward Him without a sentence is still turning toward Him, and He is described as knowing what is in the chest — which includes the part you cannot articulate.
What dua is not being asked to do here
This needs saying plainly, because people are sometimes told the opposite.
Making dua does not mean skipping the ordinary things that help — sleep, daylight, movement, easing off caffeine, and getting proper help when you need it.
Tie the camel. Seeking help is part of tawakkul, not a failure of it.
If your anxiety is affecting your ability to work, sleep, eat or be with people — or if you are having thoughts of harming yourself — please speak to a doctor or a qualified mental-health professional, and contact emergency services if you are in crisis.
Our Islamic Anxiety & Calm Workbook has all sixteen of these duas plus a Calm Kit, the Wave Worksheet, a Worry Sorter, grounding, a catastrophe ladder, a 3am page and 24 guided practices. 41 pages. It supports professional care — it does not replace it.