Worry, debt and hardship

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي

O Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant and Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand; Your judgement over me is done; Your decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours, which You named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught to any of Your creation, or kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the departure of my sorrow and the release of my anxiety.

For worry and sorrow.

Musnad Ahmad · Narrated by ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿūd

Said once.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

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

For worry, sorrow and debt.

Sahih al-Bukhari · Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Said once.

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ

There is no god but Allah, the Almighty, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the Noble Throne.

In times of distress.

Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim · Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās

Said once.

اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو، فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَىٰ نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

O Allah, Your mercy is what I hope for; do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye, and set right all my affairs. There is no god but You.

In distress.

Sunan Abi Dawud; Musnad Ahmad · Narrated by Abu Bakrah

Said once.

لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

There is no god but You. Glory be to You! Truly, I have been one of the wrongdoers.

In hardship.

Qur'an 21:87; Jamiʿ al-Tirmidhi; al-Ḥākim · Narrated by Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ

Said once.

اللَّهُ اللَّهُ رَبِّي لَا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا

Allah, Allah is my Lord; I associate nothing with Him.

In distress.

Sunan Abi Dawud; Sunan Ibn Mājah · Narrated by Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays

Said once.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَجْعَلُكَ فِي نُحُورِهِمْ، وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شُرُورِهِمْ

O Allah, we place You before them, and we seek refuge in You from their evils.

Fearing a people.

Sunan Abi Dawud; al-Ḥākim · Narrated by Abu Mūsā al-Ashʿarī

Said once.

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ عَضُدِي وَأَنْتَ نَصِيرِي، بِكَ أَجُولُ وَبِكَ أَصُولُ وَبِكَ أُقَاتِلُ

O Allah, You are my strength and my helper; by You I move, by You I strike and by You I fight.

Meeting an enemy.

Sunan Abi Dawud; Jamiʿ al-Tirmidhi · Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Said once.

حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Allah is enough for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.

Said by Ibrahim when thrown into the fire and by Muhammad when told that people had gathered against him (Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās).

Qur'an 3:173

Said once.

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، كُنْ لِي جَارًا مِنْ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ، وَأَحْزَابِهِ مِنْ خَلَائِقِكَ، أَنْ يَفْرُطَ عَلَيَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ أَوْ يَطْغَىٰ، عَزَّ جَارُكَ، وَجَلَّ ثَنَاؤُكَ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Mighty Throne, be a protector for me against so-and-so, son of so-and-so, and his followers among Your creation, so that none of them may wrong me or transgress. Mighty is Your protection, glorious is Your praise, and there is no god but You.

Fearing the injustice of a ruler. Name the person where it says “so-and-so”.

al-Bukhārī, al-Adab al-Mufrad · Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās

Said once.

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَعَزُّ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ جَمِيعًا، اللَّهُ أَعَزُّ مِمَّا أَخَافُ وَأَحْذَرُ، أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ، الْمُمْسِكِ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعَ أَنْ يَقَعْنَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ، مِنْ شَرِّ عَبْدِكَ فُلَانٍ، وَجُنُودِهِ وَأَتْبَاعِهِ وَأَشْيَاعِهِ، مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ، اللَّهُمَّ كُنْ لِي جَارًا مِنْ شَرِّهِمْ، جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُكَ، وَعَزَّ جَارُكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُكَ

Allah is the Greatest. Allah is mightier than all His creation. Allah is mightier than what I fear and guard against. I seek refuge in Allah, besides whom there is no god, who holds the seven heavens from falling on the earth except by His permission, from the evil of Your servant so-and-so, his soldiers, followers and supporters, from jinn and men. O Allah, be a protector for me against their evil. Glorious is Your praise, mighty is Your protection, blessed is Your name, and there is no god but You.

Fearing the injustice of a ruler.

al-Bukhārī, al-Adab al-Mufrad · Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās

Said 3 times.

اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ، سَرِيعَ الْحِسَابِ، اهْزِمِ الْأَحْزَابَ، اللَّهُمَّ اهْزِمْهُمْ وَزَلْزِلْهُمْ

O Allah, Revealer of the Book, swift in reckoning, defeat the factions. O Allah, defeat them and shake them.

Against an enemy.

Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim · Narrated by ʿAbdullah ibn Abī Awfā

Said once.

اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ

O Allah, suffice me against them as You will.

Fearing a group of people.

Sahih Muslim · Narrated by Ṣuhayb

Said once.

آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

I believe in Allah and His messengers.

When doubts about faith come: seek refuge in Allah, stop thinking about it, and say this.

Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim · Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Said once.

هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has knowledge of all things.

When doubts about faith come (Sunan Abi Dawud).

Qur'an 57:3

Said once.

اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ، وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ

O Allah, suffice me with what You have made lawful instead of what You have forbidden, and make me independent of all others by Your bounty.

Settling a debt.

Jamiʿ al-Tirmidhi · Narrated by ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib

Said once.

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast.

When whispering disturbs the prayer or the recitation; spit lightly to the left three times.

Sahih Muslim · Narrated by ʿUthmān ibn Abī al-ʿĀṣ

Said 3 times.

اللَّهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا، وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا

O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if You will.

When a matter is difficult.

Ibn Ḥibbān; Ibn al-Sunnī, ʿAmal al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah · Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Said once.

قَدَّرَ اللَّهُ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ

Allah has decreed, and what He willed He has done.

When something unwanted happens.

Sahih Muslim · Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Said once.

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Allah is enough for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.

When overcome by a matter.

Sunan Abi Dawud · Narrated by ʿAwf ibn Mālik

Said once.

Istikhara

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَٰذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَٰذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You are able and I am not; You know and I do not; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.

Before a decision, after praying two non-obligatory rakʿahs. The matter is named where the dua says “this matter”.

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Daʿawāt · Narrated by Jābir ibn ʿAbdillah

Said once.