Dua for Anxiety and Stress: 5 Authentic Duas to Memorize by Heart

TL;DR. When anxiety hits, most Muslims want a short, authentic dua they can actually recall — not a screenshot they scroll past. Five prophetic duas cover almost every anxious moment: the dua of Yunus (from Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87), the 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hammi wal-hazan' dua, the dua of distress (Hadith of Ibn Abbas), 'Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil' (Al-Imran 3:173), and the morning-and-evening 'La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah' remembrance. This guide explains what each one means, when to say it, and how to memorize it by heart in about a week using short daily repetition.

Anxiety is not a modern invention. The Prophet ﷺ taught his companions specific words to say when their chest tightened, when a decision felt too heavy, and when grief kept them awake. Those words are still with us. This guide is not a substitute for medical care or for sitting with a qualified teacher — it's a memorization guide for five well-known duas so that when the anxious moment comes, the words are already on your tongue.

As of July 2026, we've been building SABR, a Duolingo-style app for memorizing the Qur'an and everyday duas. In tracking 4,000+ users in SABR's first month, we noticed something consistent: people don't fail to use duas because they don't care — they fail because they don't know the wording by heart. This article fixes that piece.

Key takeaways

Five duas from the Qur'an and authentic hadith collections cover most anxiety and stress situations Muslims face day-to-day.
The dua of Prophet Yunus (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87) is the shortest and most memorable starting point for someone new to memorization.
'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hammi wal-hazan' is a prophetic dua the Prophet ﷺ used to teach for grief and worry.
Memorizing a dua takes roughly 5-10 minutes a day for 7 days with spaced repetition — much less than most people assume.
Reading a dua off a screen every time is fine, but knowing it by heart lets you turn to it in moments you can't reach your phone.
None of these duas replace medical care for clinical anxiety — they sit alongside it, and a scholar or teacher should be consulted for pronunciation and context.

Why memorizing a dua matters more than reading one

Anxious moments rarely come with your phone unlocked and the right screenshot open. They come in the car, in a meeting, in the middle of the night. If the dua isn't already in your memory, you'll either fumble through your camera roll or say nothing at all.

Across the most common patterns we see with SABR users, the difference between "I have this dua saved" and "I know this dua by heart" is the difference between using it once a month and using it daily. Memorization turns the dua from a resource you have into a reflex you reach for.

Key takeaway. A dua you've memorized becomes reachable in the moments a dua on your phone never will.

A quick note before the duas: the exact Arabic wording of each of these is preserved in the classical sources cited below. We are intentionally not pasting Arabic here — the safest way to learn the wording is from a Mushaf, a verified hadith collection, or an app where the text has been reviewed. Use the source markers to look up the exact text with your teacher.

The 5 duas

1. The dua of Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him)

From: Surah Al-Anbiya, ayah 87 [source: Qur'an 21:87, e.g. Quran.com].
English meaning: "There is no god but You; glory be to You; indeed, I was among the wrongdoers."
Why it's associated with anxiety: Prophet Yunus said these words in the depth of the whale, in the depth of the sea, in the depth of the night — three layers of darkness. It is the dua Muslims traditionally turn to when they feel trapped or overwhelmed.
Length: very short. This is the one to start with if you've never memorized a dua before.

2. Dua for worry and grief — "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min al-hammi wal-hazan"

From: A well-known hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari in which the Prophet ﷺ taught this dua for grief, worry, and being overwhelmed by debt [source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Da'awat — verify chapter with a teacher].
English meaning (approximate): "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and stinginess, and from the burden of debt and being overpowered by people."
Why it fits anxiety: it names the emotional states directly — worry (hamm) and grief (hazan) — and asks Allah for refuge from them by name.
Length: longer than the others. Split it into two halves when memorizing.

3. The dua of distress — Hadith of Ibn Abbas

From: Narrated by Ibn Abbas, recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim — the Prophet ﷺ used to say this at times of distress [source: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Da'awat — verify exact numbering].
English meaning (approximate): "There is no god but Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne."
Why it fits anxiety: it is explicitly a dua at times of karb (distress). Anchoring the mind on Allah's names — the Forbearing, the Lord of the Throne — reframes the moment.
Length: medium.

4. "Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil"

From: Surah Al-Imran, ayah 173 [source: Qur'an 3:173].
English meaning: "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs."
Why it fits anxiety: this was the response of the believers when they were told a large force had gathered against them. It is the dua for outcomes that feel out of your hands.
Length: very short. Easy to keep on the tongue throughout the day.

5. Morning and evening remembrance — the tahleel of protection

From: Multiple authentic hadith narrations describe the Prophet ﷺ saying "La ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir" in the morning and evening, with narrated benefits for the day [source: e.g. Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Dhikr wal-Du'a — verify with a teacher].
English meaning: "There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner; His is the dominion and His is all praise, and He is over all things capable."
Why it fits anxiety: built into the morning and evening adhkar, it steadies the emotional tone of the day before anxious triggers begin.
Length: short-medium.

Comparison at a glance

#	Dua (short name)	Source	Length	Best for
1	Dua of Yunus	Qur'an 21:87	Very short	Feeling trapped, overwhelmed
2	Al-hammi wal-hazan	Sahih al-Bukhari	Long	Named worry, grief, debt
3	Dua of distress (Ibn Abbas)	Bukhari & Muslim	Medium	Acute distress, panic
4	Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil	Qur'an 3:173	Very short	Outcomes out of your hands
5	Tahleel of protection	Sahih Muslim	Short-medium	Steady baseline (morning/evening)

Key takeaway. Start with dua #1 or #4 if you're new to Arabic memorization — both are short enough to be memorized in a single sitting and used the same day.

When and how to say each dua

A dua is not a magic phrase. The Prophet ﷺ taught these words as a way of turning to Allah — presence of heart matters more than volume.

On waking with anxiety about the day: the morning tahleel (#5), then Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil (#4) before you check your phone.
During a panic wave in public: the dua of Yunus (#1) — short enough to say silently several times.
Before a difficult meeting, exam, or conversation: Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil (#4), a few times.
When grief or worry keeps you awake: the al-hammi wal-hazan dua (#2).
When distress feels overwhelming ("I don't know what to do"): the dua of distress from Ibn Abbas (#3).

A reasonable practice is to pick ONE dua for a given week, say it 3-7 times whenever the moment applies, and rotate to the next dua the following week. Consistency beats intensity.

How to memorize a dua by heart in about a week

Memorizing a dua isn't like memorizing a phone number. It's short enough that most adults can do it in one focused session, but it doesn't stick without revision. Here is the repetition pattern we recommend and the one the SABR memorization engine is built around:

Day	What to do	Time
Day 1	Listen to a reciter say the dua 5 times. Repeat aloud 20 times.	~10 min
Day 2	Recite from memory. Correct any slip against the source. Repeat 15 times.	~7 min
Day 3	Recite from memory 10 times. Say it once during a real anxious moment.	~5 min
Day 4	Rest day — recite once at the start and end of the day.	~2 min
Day 5	Recite 10 times. Add the English meaning aloud after each.	~7 min
Day 6	Recite from memory without looking.	~5 min
Day 7	Use it in the actual situation it's meant for.	in-context

That's roughly 40-45 minutes across a week — the time it takes to memorize one dua that will then serve you for the rest of your life.

We designed this exact pattern into the duas track in SABR, so the app schedules the repetitions for you and reminds you when a dua is about to fade from memory. The standard memorization track is free; Premium is for convenience like offline access and picking duas outside the standard order. If you'd rather do it on paper, the schedule above works just as well.

Key takeaway. One focused week per dua is enough. Five weeks — five duas that cover most anxious moments for the rest of your life.

A note on tajwid, pronunciation, and scholars

These duas contain letters that don't exist in English (ح, ع, ق, ض). A word mispronounced can change the meaning. Two guardrails:

Learn the wording from a verified source. A printed Mushaf, a verified hadith collection like Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, or an app where the Arabic text has been reviewed by scholars.
Have your recitation corrected by a teacher at least once. Even a single voice-note check with a qualified teacher can catch pronunciation issues you'd otherwise carry for years.

SABR is a memorization aid, not a replacement for a teacher. For tajwid and correction, learning with a qualified teacher is highly recommended.

When a dua is not enough on its own

Anxiety that lasts weeks, interferes with sleep, appetite, or work, or comes with panic attacks is a medical matter. Reciting duas and seeing a doctor are not opposites — the Prophet ﷺ said, "Seek treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it" [source: Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Tibb — verify with a teacher].

If what you're experiencing feels beyond ordinary daily stress, please talk to a professional as well. The duas above are a spiritual anchor, not a diagnosis.

Frequently asked questions

Can I say these duas in English if I haven't memorized the Arabic yet?

Yes. Making dua in your own language is permitted and encouraged, especially for personal supplication. However, these specific narrated duas carry the wording taught by the Prophet ﷺ, so most scholars recommend learning the Arabic wording over time even if you begin in English.

How many times should I say a dua for anxiety?

There is no fixed number for most of these — say it as many times as your heart needs, with presence. Some scholars mention practices like reciting the dua of Yunus 40 times, but the emphasis in the authentic tradition is on sincerity and presence rather than a specific count.

Which of the five duas should I memorize first?

Start with either the dua of Yunus (Qur'an 21:87) or Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakil (Qur'an 3:173). Both are short enough to memorize in one sitting and useful in almost any anxious moment.

Do I need wudu to say these duas?

No, dua does not require wudu. You can recite these at any time, in any state — walking, lying down, driving, or in the middle of the night.

Is it okay to use an app to memorize duas?

Yes. An app like SABR can handle the repetition scheduling so a dua actually sticks in memory rather than being read once and forgotten. Use the app for structure, and use a teacher for pronunciation correction.

What if I forget the exact Arabic wording mid-recitation?

Pause, breathe, and either restart the dua or make dua in your own words in the meantime. Forgetting is not a sin. Then go back to the source and refresh your memorization — that's what revision is for.

Start memorizing today

Pick one dua from the five above. Read it three times right now, out loud if you can. Set a reminder to repeat it tomorrow. In a week, you'll know it by heart.

If you want the schedule to be built for you — with audio, repetition tracking, and reminders — that's what SABR is for.

Website: https://get-sabr.com
Download on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sabr-quran-memorization/id6761574702
Get it on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sabr.app

The standard memorization track — Qur'an, 99 Names of Allah, and everyday duas — is free. Premium is for convenience (offline access, picking outside the standard order). The deen is not paywalled.

And if you're navigating something heavier than daily stress, please pair these duas with a conversation with a qualified scholar and, where appropriate, a medical professional. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to seek both.

About the author

This article was written by the SABR editorial team and reviewed by the founder of SABR (4,000+ active users in month one). SABR is a Duolingo-style app for memorizing the Qur'an, the 99 Names of Allah, and everyday duas — with repetition, revision, streaks, and reminders. For religious rulings and tajwid, we defer to qualified scholars and teachers.

Last updated 2026-07-22.