Dua for Grief or Worry
“Verily, the eyes shed tears and the heart is grieved,” said the Prophet ﷺ as he wept at his son’s passing, “but we will not say anything except what is pleasing to our Lord. . .”
The trials which the Prophet ﷺ underwent teach us how to react when we ourselves are faced with difficulties. Whether you have experienced the loss of a loved one or have suffered in any way, his way of being ﷺ is your best guide.
The Prophet ﷺ himself lost a mother, wife, children, and grandchildren, and went through trials that no one else could have withstood. His response to the death of his son, quoted above, exemplifies how he was at all times, even when grieving. The Prophet’s course ﷺ was to return to Allah and ask for His help.
It has been related, in a Hadith narrated by Ibn as-Sunni, that the Prophet( Allah bless him and give him peace) once said: “ Anyone afflicted with worry or grief should supplicate with the following words:
O Allah, I am Your slave and the son of Your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand ( you have control over me). I am subject to Your decree, and Your decision upon me is justice itself. I ask You by every name that is Yours by which You have named Yourself, or which You revealed in Your Book,or which You have taught any one of Your creation, or which You have kept to 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 removal of my sorrow and the departure of my worries.”A man once came to the Prophet( Allah bless him and give him peace) and said: “ O Messenger of Allah, whoever is deprived of these words has been wronged.” The Prophet( Allah bless him and give him peace) replied by saying “ Yes. So say these words and teach them to others, for Allah will remove the grief of anyone who says it and seeks what is in it, and He will prolong their happiness.”
للّهُـمَّ 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
Allaahumma ‘innee ‘abduka, ibnu ‘abdika, ibnu ‘amatika, naasiyatee biyadika, maadhin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadhaa’uka, ‘as’aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, ‘aw ‘anzaltahu fee kitaabika, ‘aw ‘allamtahu ‘ahadan min khalqika, ‘awista’tharta bihi fee ‘ilmil-ghaybi ‘indaka, ‘an taj’alal-Qur’aana rabee’a qalbee, wa noora sadree, wa jalaa’a huznee, wa thahaaba hammee.
Other times, the Prophet ﷺ saw noticed that his companions were troubled, and so he taught them supplications for their own needs. For example, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the mosque one day and found there Abu Umamah, one of the Ansar. He ﷺ asked: “Abu Umamah, why do I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not time for salah?” he replied: “Worries that cling to me and debts, Messenger of Allah.” He ﷺ said: “Should I not teach a expression which, if you say it, will cause Allah to take away your worries and remove your debt?” He answered: “Yes, Messenger of Allah.” He ﷺ said: “Say morning and evening:
O Allah, I seek Your protection from worries and grief.
I seek Your protection from feebleness and laziness;
I seek Your protection from cowardice and avarice;
and I seek Your protection from the oppression of debts and the tyranny of men.
، اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالحَزَنِ
، وّأَعُذُ بِكَ مِنَ العَجْزِ وَالكَسَلِ
، وَأُعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالبُخْلِ
وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min al-hammi wa-l-hazan,
wa a’udhu bika min ‘ajzi wa-l-kasal,
wa a’udhu bika min al-jubni wa-l-bukhl,
wa a’udhu bika min ghalabati-d-dayni wa qahri-r-rijal
Abu Umamah said: “I did so, and Allah removed my worries and concerns and settled my debts.”
The Prophet’s life is filled with valuable lessons about every aspect of our being. Learning about the Prophetic Seerah, therefore, is a noble pursuit, as it teaches us how to draw closer to Allah by following His beloved Messenger ﷺ. If you would like to learn more about the Seerah, have a look at Kiflayn’s new Family Seerah Journey Program– a year-long course designed for the entire family that takes you through every year of the Prophet’s life in detail.
