Sometimes, a person may experience a vague feeling of distress or a sense that “something is missing,” even when their life is, by all measures, very good. They may have a happy family, good health, financial stability, and a strong commitment to their faith, yet still feel an undefined anxiety or sadness they cannot pinpoint.
Prophetic Supplications for Distress
In Islam, the first recourse for a believer in times of distress, known or unknown, is supplication. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his followers specific du’as (supplications) for removing worry, grief, and distress.
It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to invoke Allah at the time of distress, saying:
“La ilaha illal-lahu al-`azim, al-halim, la ilaha illal-lahu rabbu-s-samawati wal-ard wa rabbu-l-`arsh il-`azim.”
(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, the Lord of the Edifying Throne.)
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) faced a distress, he would say:
“Ya hayyu ya qayyumu bi rahmatika astaghithu.”
(O the Ever-Living One, the Self-Subsisting Source of all beings, I invoke Your help.)
Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said the supplication of a person in distress is:
“Allahumma rahmatak arju fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata `aynin, wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu.”
(O Allah! I seek Your mercy; so don’t abandon me to my own devices even for an instant; straighten out all my tangled affairs for me.)
A comprehensive du’a reported by Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) states that if a person inflicted with grief or hardship says the following, Allah will remove their sadness and replace it with happiness:
“Allahumma inni `abduk, ibnu `abdika, ibnu amatika, nasiyati biyadika, madin fiyya hukmuka, `adlun fiyya qada’uka, as’aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, aw anzaltahu fi kitabika, aw `al-lamtahu ahadan min khalqika, aw ista’tharta bihi fi `ilmi al-qhaybi `indaka, an taj`ala al-qur’ana al-`azim rabi`a qalbi, wa nura basari, wa jila’a huzani, wa zahaba hammi“
(O Allah, surely I am your servant and the son of your servant and the son of your bondwoman, my destiny is in Your hand. You are determined in judging me and Just in your decision about me. I beseech of You with every Name of Yours with which You have named Yourself, or revealed in Your book, or taught to anyone of Your creatures, or kept secret exclusively to Yourself, (I beseech You) to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, the light of my sight, the relief of my grief and the eradication of my catastrophe.)
Seeking Professional Help
While supplication is an unfailing weapon, it is also advised to take practical steps. If the problem persists, one should consider seeking the help of a professional psychiatrist or counselor, as it is possible to be suffering from a treatable psychological condition.
