Depression and anxiety are serious conditions and may lead to severe health problems and even death from suicide. Every day we want to wake up to a happy and joyful day, but life can pose several challenges and can put us in some unbearable situations which can lead to depression, sadness, and anxiety. Islam puts forth solutions to these problems so you can alleviate the symptoms and ultimately cure them. As Muslims, we know that dua’ is the key to everything. Allah always wants us to ask Him for what we want; He loves it when we call Him, beg Him, and ask Him; He is near to us and responds to our call.

Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.” [Abu Dawud].

Science proves that the Qur’an has a calming and relaxing effect on our minds, hearts, and bodies. There are numerous dua’s in the Qur’an and the sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ, some of which are listed below:

Dua’ #1

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أنْـت سُـبْحانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْـتُ مِنَ الظّـالِميـن

“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” [Qur’an, 21:87]–The Prophet ﷺ said that whenever a Muslim says the prayer uttered by Prophet Jonah when he was in the belly of the whale [the above prayer] the prayer will be answered.(Tirmidhi)

Dua’ #2

اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّي أَعْوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الهَـمِّ وَ الْحُـزْنِ، والعًجْـزِ والكَسَلِ والبُخْـلِ والجُـبْنِ، وضَلْـعِ الـدَّيْنِ وغَلَبَـةِ الرِّجال

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by men.” [Al-Bukhari]

Dua’ #3

اللّهُـمَّ 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, son of Your male, son of your female slave. My forelock is in Your Hand. 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 anyone 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.” [Ibn Hibban, 972]
The Prophetﷺ said that whenever one struck by worry or grief says the above supplication, Allah removes his worry and substitutes it with relief. (Ahmad)

Dua’ #4

رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ

Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You]. [Qur’an, 7:126]

Dua’ #5

رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.” [Qur’an, 2:286] 

*The Prophetﷺ said if one were to read the verse before this, 2:285, and recite during the night, they will be sufficient for him. (Muslim)

Dua’ #6

اللّهُـمَّ رَحْمَتَـكَ أَرْجوفَلا 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. Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You. [Ibn Hibban, 864]

Dua’ #7

اللهُ اللهُ رَبِّ لا أُشْـرِكُ بِهِ شَيْـئاً

O, Allah! Allah is my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him.
[Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban, 970]

Dua’ #8

لَا إلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظـيمُ الْحَلِـيمْ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ العَـرْشِ العَظِيـمِ، لَا إِلَـهَ إِلَّا اللَّهْ رَبُّ السَّمَـوّاتِ ورّبُّ الأَرْضِ ورَبُّ العَرْشِ الكَـريم

There is no god but Allah, the Great, the Tolerant; there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the heaven and the earth, and the Lord of the Edifying Throne.” [Al-Bukhari]

Dua’ #9

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَمِلْتُ وَمِنْ شَرِّ مَا لَمْ أَعْمَلْ

O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done yet. [Sunan an-Nasa’i, 5526]

Dua’ #10

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي، وأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيها مَعَاشِي، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيها مَعَادِي، واجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرِ، وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرِّ. ‏

“O Allah! Set right for me my religion, which is the safeguard of my affairs. And set right for me the affairs of the world wherein is my living. Decree the Hereafter to be good for me. And make this life, for me, (a source) of abundance for every good and make my death (a source) of comfort to me and protection against every evil.”[Muslim, 2820]

Dua’ #11

اللهمَّ إنِّي أَعوذُ بِكَ مِن جَهْدِ الْبَلَاءِ، وَدَرْكِ الشَّقَاءِ، وَسُوءِ الْقَضَاءِ، وَشَمَاتَةِ الْأعْدَاءِ‏

O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the distress of trial, from the lowest level of misery, from the perversity of fate, and from the malicious rejoicing of enemies. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Dua’ #12

مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” [Qur’an, 21:83]

Narrated by Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials.”
Great reward is associated with trials and calamities. With every problem and difficulty, there comes an opportunity for great reward if borne with patience. These supplications bring so much comfort when you say them, as they use the most perfect words for beseeching Allah for help and relief. When you call upon Allah, you feel your helplessness leave you and the relief of putting your affairs in the Hands of your All-Merciful Lord.