Anxiety and sadness are part of being human — even the prophets (peace be upon them) experienced them. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught his companions a single dua that asks Allah for refuge from eight specific spiritual and worldly burdens at once. It was reported by Anas ibn Malik (RA), who said the Prophet ﷺ would say it 'frequently'.
The dua for anxiety, sadness and worry
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan, wal-'ajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa dala'id-dayn, wa ghalabatir-rijal.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sadness, from weakness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by men.
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6369 — narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA))
What each pair of words covers
- Hamm (anxiety) and hazan (sadness) — anxiety is for the future, sadness is for the past. The dua covers both directions of the heart.
- 'Ajz (weakness) and kasal (laziness) — inability to act, and unwillingness to act.
- Bukhl (miserliness) and jubn (cowardice) — withholding wealth and withholding self.
- Dala'ud-dayn (overwhelming debt) and ghalabatur-rijal (being overpowered by people) — financial and social oppression.
When to recite this dua
Recite it morning and evening as part of your daily adhkar. Anas ibn Malik (RA) said the Prophet ﷺ said it often — meaning it was a constant, not a one-off. If you are going through a difficult period, repeat it many times a day, raising your hands as you say it.
A second dua the Prophet ﷺ taught for distress
Ibn Abbas (RA) reported that in moments of severe distress, the Prophet ﷺ would say: 'La ilaha illa Allah al-'Azim al-Halim, la ilaha illa Allah Rabbul-'Arshil-'Azim, la ilaha illa Allah Rabbus-samawati wa Rabbul-ardi wa Rabbul-'Arshil-Karim' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6346, Sahih Muslim 2730). Pair the two when the heart feels heavy.
Hadith reference
The first dua is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (6369) and Sunan Abi Dawud (1555) on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (RA), the Prophet's ﷺ personal servant for ten years. He heard him say it so often he had it perfectly memorised.