Duas & Reflections
15 Powerful Duas for Anxiety & Overthinking
When the heart feels heavy and thoughts won't settle, these 15 duas — each drawn from the Quran or authenticated hadith, with sources — offer real words to turn to Allah with.
The 15 Duas
1 — For trust in Allah
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel
"Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs."
Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:173
2 — The Prophet's ﷺ own dua for worry
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazani, wal-'ajzi wal-kasali, wal-bukhli wal-jubni, wa dala'id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijal
"O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and grief, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and being overpowered by others."
The Prophet ﷺ recited this regularly — it names nearly every root cause of anxiety in one supplication.
3 — The dua of Yunus (AS), from inside the whale
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimeen
"There is no god but You, glory be to You — I have been of the wrongdoers."
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87
The Prophet ﷺ said no believer supplicates with this for anything without Allah answering (Tirmidhi 3505).
4 — For when you feel alone with a problem
اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allahumma rahmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata 'ayn, wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu, la ilaha illa anta
"O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye. Correct all of my affairs. There is no deity but You."
Abu Dawud 5090, Ahmad 27898
5 — In moments of distress
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ
Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum, bi-rahmatika astaghith
"O Ever-Living, O Self-Subsisting Sustainer, I seek help through Your mercy."
6 — A short, powerful reminder
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
"There is no power nor strength except with Allah."
Sahih al-Bukhari 6384, Sahih Muslim 2704
7 — When something feels impossibly hard
اللَّهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا
Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja'altahu sahlan, wa anta taj'alul-hazna idha shi'ta sahlan
"O Allah, nothing is easy except what You make easy, and You make hardship easy if You will."
Ibn Hibban, Ibn as-Sunni — graded hasan by Al-Albani
8 — The dua of Musa (AS), before a hard confrontation
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي
Rabbi ishrah li sadri, wa yassir li amri, wahlul 'uqdatan min lisani, yafqahu qawli
"My Lord, expand for me my chest, ease my task for me, and remove the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech."
Surah Ta-Ha 20:25–28
Ideal for anxiety tied to public speaking, a hard conversation, or facing someone difficult.
9 — Full reliance on Allah
حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illa huwa, 'alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabbul 'Arshil Azim
"Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god but Him. In Him I put my trust, and He is Lord of the Mighty Throne."
Surah At-Tawbah 9:129
10 — A complete request, dunya and akhirah
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban-nar
"Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire."
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:201
11 — When facing loss or a hard turn of events
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'oon. Allahumma ajurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha
"Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it for me with something better."
12 — Asking from Allah's own bounty
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَمْلِكُهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allahumma inni as'aluka min fadlika wa rahmatika fa innahu la yamlikuha illa anta
"O Allah, I ask You from Your bounty and mercy, for none possesses them except You."
Al-Adab al-Mufrad, graded hasan by Al-Albani
13 — Simple, constant istighfar
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ
Astaghfirullah
"I seek Allah's forgiveness."
Abu Dawud 1518, Ibn Majah 3819
The Prophet ﷺ said whoever seeks forgiveness regularly, Allah makes for him relief from every worry and a way out from every hardship.
14 — The dua of Ayyub (AS) in prolonged hardship
أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
Anni massaniyad-durru wa anta arhamur-rahimeen
"Truly, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful."
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:83
15 — The verse most quoted on peace of heart
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
Ala bidhikrillahi tatma'innul-qulub
"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest."
Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:28
Not a dua to recite in a moment, but the principle behind all of them — remembrance itself is where the heart settles.
Why these words help
Reciting dua isn't just ritual — it's naming what you're carrying and handing it to Allah, one sentence at a time. Several of these were taught by the Prophet ﷺ specifically for moments of worry and overwhelm, others come directly from prophets in the Quran who faced far heavier trials than most of us ever will — Yunus (AS) in complete darkness, Ayyub (AS) in prolonged illness, Musa (AS) before a confrontation he feared. Their words were preserved for exactly the moments we face today.
How to recite them
There's no requirement to memorize all 15 at once. Pick one or two that speak to your situation, read the Arabic slowly even if it feels unfamiliar at first, and let the meaning settle as you repeat it. Many people find it natural to recite these after each prayer, before sleep, or in the quiet of the night — whenever the heart feels unsettled, the door of dua is open.
Frequently asked questions
Is anxiety a sin in Islam?
No. Anxiety is a natural human response, not a sin. Several prophets in the Quran experienced deep distress — what matters is turning to Allah with it, not the feeling itself.
Which dua helps most with overthinking?
Many turn first to "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan" (dua #2 above), since it directly names anxiety and grief and was recited regularly by the Prophet ﷺ.
Can I recite these duas after salah?
Yes — right after the five daily prayers is one of the most common and recommended times for personal dua, alongside the obligatory tasbeeh.
Which Surah is often mentioned in connection with anxiety?
Surah Ar-Ra'd, verse 28, is frequently cited — "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" — along with Surah Ash-Sharh, which speaks directly to hardship being followed by ease.
A note from the developer
I built SabrTime because whenever I'd lie down at night, my heart would feel restless — and finding a simple dua app was surprisingly hard. Everything was either paid or full of ads. So I built one myself.
These duas aren't just research to me — I recite the SubhanAllah dua myself, almost daily, whenever work pressure gets heavy. If even one of these helps you the way it's helped me, that's the whole point of building this.
These duas are a source of spiritual comfort, not a replacement for professional support. If anxiety feels persistent or overwhelming, speaking with a doctor or therapist alongside your dua is encouraged, not discouraged, in Islam.
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