Dua for Anxiety: 5 Short Prophetic Duas to Memorize by Heart

TL;DR. There are several short, authentic duas from the Qur'an and Sunnah that Muslims have turned to for centuries when anxiety, worry or distress hits. This guide lists five widely-taught ones, explains when to say them and how to hold them in your heart, and shows how to actually memorize them so they come to your tongue without opening your phone. It is a memorization guide, not a religious ruling — verify wording and translations with a trusted teacher or reference like Hisnul Muslim before relying on any single source.

As of August 2026, the searches we see most often around this topic are simple and honest: "what dua do I say when I feel anxious?", "dua for stress at work", "short dua to calm my heart". Across the most common Hifz and dua-memorization routines we see, users almost always want the same thing — a very short dua they can memorize this week and pull up from memory the next time their chest tightens.

This article gives you five of those duas, each one drawn from widely-taught prophetic sources. We describe each one in plain English, point you to a reference to verify the exact Arabic wording with a teacher or a book like Hisnul Muslim (The Fortress of the Muslim), and then walk through a simple way to memorize them by heart.

Key takeaways

• The Prophet ﷺ taught specific short duas for distress, sadness and anxiety — memorizing even one means it is available to you the moment your chest tightens.
• The most widely referenced dua for anxiety in the Sunnah is the "dua of distress" beginning Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan — reported in Sahih al-Bukhari [source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6369].
• Reading Surah Al-Fatihah with presence is itself described in the Sunnah as a means of healing and comfort [source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5736 — hadith of ruqyah].
• Short duas stick faster than long ones — five minutes a day of focused repetition for one week is usually enough for a beginner to internalize a two-line dua.
• Anxiety is not a sign of weak faith. Prophets themselves are recorded in the Qur'an turning to Allah in states of distress.
• Combine the dua with the meaning in your own language — reciting words you do not understand slows memorization and reduces the calming effect.
• A qualified teacher is still the best place to correct pronunciation (tajwid) and confirm wording before you rely on any dua from an app or article.

In tracking 4,000+ users in SABR's first month, we noticed something clear: people who memorize a short dua with its meaning return to it in real moments of stress. People who only memorize the sound tend to forget the dua the moment they actually need it.

Key takeaway. A dua you don't understand is a dua you won't reach for when your hands are shaking.

Before you memorize: a note on authenticity

Duas are not decorative. Every word attributed to the Prophet ﷺ is a trust. Because this article is meant to help you memorize duas by heart, we want to be careful with two things:

1. Wording. We describe each dua in English and point you to a well-known reference for the exact Arabic. Please cross-check the Arabic wording with a printed copy of Hisnul Muslim, Sunnah.com, or your local teacher before committing it to memory.
2. Translations. Translations vary slightly between scholars. The meanings below are widely agreed and non-controversial, but they are not the only valid translations.

If you are ever unsure whether a phrase is authentic, the safe rule is: don't memorize it as prophetic until you've verified it with a qualified source. Making a general dua to Allah in your own language is always allowed and always heard.

The 5 duas

Below is a comparison table to help you pick which one to memorize first. Shorter duas are easier for beginners; longer ones are more comprehensive.

#	Dua (short name)	Length	Best moment to use	Source to verify
1	Dua of distress (hamm wa hazan)	Medium	General anxiety, sadness, worry	[source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6369]
2	Dua of Yunus (La ilaha illa Anta...)	Short	Feeling overwhelmed, trapped, guilty	[source: Qur'an 21:87 — Surah Al-Anbiya]
3	Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel	Very short	Fear of what might happen	[source: Qur'an 3:173 — Surah Aal 'Imran]
4	Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum (relief dua)	Short	Panic, sudden distress	[source: Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3524]
5	Surah Al-Fatihah (as ruqyah)	Medium (already known by most)	Body-level anxiety, illness, restlessness	[source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5736]

1. The dua of distress (hamm wa hazan)

What it is: A dua taught by the Prophet ﷺ specifically for someone overtaken by anxiety and grief. It begins with the phrase "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan" — "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sadness." It then continues seeking refuge from weakness, laziness, cowardice, stinginess, being overwhelmed by debt, and being overpowered by people.

Where it is from: Reported in Sahih al-Bukhari [source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6369]. Please verify the full Arabic wording in Hisnul Muslim or on Sunnah.com before memorizing.

Meaning in plain English (widely accepted): "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, and from being overwhelmed by debt and overpowered by others."

Why it helps with anxiety: It names the specific things anxiety feels like — a heavy chest, exhaustion, fear, and a sense of being crushed by circumstances — and takes refuge from each of them by name. Saying it slowly, understanding each phrase, is itself a mental reset.

2. Dua of Yunus (peace be upon him)

What it is: The dua that Prophet Yunus (Jonah) ﷺ made from inside the belly of the whale, quoted in the Qur'an. It is one of the shortest and most powerful duas for a person who feels overwhelmed, trapped, or crushed by their own mistakes.

Where it is from: [source: Qur'an 21:87 — Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 87].

Meaning in plain English: "There is no god but You. Glory be to You. Indeed I have been among the wrongdoers."

Why it helps with anxiety: It combines three things at once — declaring Allah's oneness, glorifying Him, and admitting personal weakness. Many scholars have taught that this dua is especially powerful in moments where anxiety is tangled with guilt.

Key takeaway. When anxiety comes mixed with guilt, the dua of Yunus (peace be upon him) is often the first one memorizers reach for.

3. Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel

What it is: A very short phrase quoted in the Qur'an that the believers said when threatened. It translates to "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs."

Where it is from: [source: Qur'an 3:173 — Surah Aal 'Imran, verse 173].

Meaning in plain English: "Allah is enough for us, and the best trustee."

Why it helps with anxiety: It targets anticipatory anxiety — the anxiety of what might happen. It reorients the heart from the size of the problem to the sufficiency of the One in charge.

4. Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum (relief dua)

What it is: A dua that calls on Allah by two of His names — Al-Hayy (The Ever-Living) and Al-Qayyum (The Self-Sustaining) — and asks for His mercy and rescue. It has been narrated in collections including Jami' at-Tirmidhi.

Where it is from: [source: Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3524]. Please verify the exact wording and grading of the hadith with a qualified reference.

Meaning in plain English (widely accepted): "O Ever-Living, O Self-Sustaining, by Your mercy I seek relief."

Why it helps with anxiety: It is short enough to say on a single breath, which matters when you are in the middle of a panic wave and cannot recall anything longer.

5. Surah Al-Fatihah (as ruqyah)

What it is: The opening chapter of the Qur'an. Every Muslim who prays already recites it multiple times a day. In the Sunnah, it is also described as a form of ruqyah — a means of healing and comfort.

Where it is from: The hadith of the companion who recited Al-Fatihah over a person who had been stung — [source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5736].

Why it helps with anxiety: Because you already know it, it is instantly available. Reciting it slowly, with understanding of the meaning, can settle a racing heart in a way that skimming through it during a rushed prayer cannot.

When and how to say these duas

There is no single "correct" moment. Anxiety doesn't announce itself politely. But here is what we generally recommend to people memorizing these duas for the first time:

• Morning and evening. Anchor at least one of them to your morning and evening adhkar. Reading them daily, when you are calm, wires them into memory so they surface when you are not.
• The moment you feel the tightness in your chest. Don't wait for a "good time to pray properly." Say the dua where you are — walking, at your desk, in the car (safely), lying in bed.
• After the obligatory prayers. The moments immediately after salah are widely taught as a time when duas are answered.
• Before sleep. Anxiety often peaks at night. Combining Ayat al-Kursi with one of the duas above is a routine many people find grounding.
• When you cannot sleep. Recite the dua of Yunus (peace be upon him) or Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel slowly, with understanding, on repeat.

Make the general dua in your own language too. Speaking to Allah in the language you actually think in is always accepted and often the most emotionally honest.

How to memorize a dua by heart in one week

This is the part where most people give up — they try to memorize too many duas at once, in Arabic they don't understand, and lose them within days. Here is a simple approach.

Day-by-day plan (per dua):

Day	Focus	Time
Day 1	Understand the meaning in English. Read the story/context.	10 min
Day 2	Listen to a trusted reciter say it 10 times. Repeat after each.	10 min
Day 3	Recite from the text 20 times, slowly.	10 min
Day 4	Recite half from memory, check the rest.	10 min
Day 5	Recite the whole thing from memory 10 times.	5 min
Day 6	Say it out loud at three fixed moments (morning, after 'Asr, before sleep).	5 min
Day 7	Test yourself without looking. Correct any weak parts with the text.	5 min

After day 7, the dua enters revision mode — say it once a day for a week, then once every few days. Duas you never revise are duas you eventually forget.

Key takeaway. Memorization is only the first half. Revision is what turns a memorized dua into a dua you actually own.

A few practical rules we've seen work:

• Memorize meaning first, then Arabic. Reciting sounds you don't understand slows retention and empties the dua of its emotional weight.
• One dua at a time. Do not start memorizing dua #2 until dua #1 is stable.
• Say it out loud. Silent memorization is roughly half as effective as spoken repetition for most people.
• Fix pronunciation with a teacher. Especially for shorter Arabic phrases where a single letter change can shift the meaning.

This is exactly the loop we built into SABR's dua-memorization track — pick one authentic short dua, learn the meaning, do a few spaced repetitions a day, and let the app remind you when it's due for revision. The learning track is free; Premium is only for flexibility. But you don't need any app to follow the seven-day plan above — a printout of the dua and five minutes a day is enough.

What SABR does — and what it doesn't

SABR is a Qur'an memorization app with a dedicated track for memorizing everyday duas by heart, using the same repetition + revision system we use for Hifz. If you want a structured way to do the seven-day plan above and keep revising afterwards, you can download SABR on iOS or Android and start with one dua today.

What SABR is not:

• Not a source of religious rulings.
• Not a replacement for a qualified teacher, especially for tajwid and hadith authentication.
• Not a guarantee that anxiety will disappear — anxiety often needs medical, psychological and social support alongside spiritual practice.

If your anxiety is disrupting sleep, work or relationships, please also speak to a doctor or qualified mental-health professional. Islam encourages seeking help; the Prophet ﷺ himself said to "seek treatment."

Frequently asked questions

Is there a specific dua for anxiety in the Qur'an?

Several. The most commonly cited is the dua of Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) in Surah Al-Anbiya (21:87), and Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel in Surah Aal 'Imran (3:173). Both are short, both are widely memorized, and both are drawn directly from the Qur'an.

What is the strongest prophetic dua for stress and worry?

Most teachers point to the dua of distress recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (6369), which begins "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan." It is comprehensive — it seeks refuge from anxiety, sadness, weakness, laziness, fear, stinginess, debt, and being overpowered. "Strongest" ultimately depends on the sincerity of the person saying it.

Can I say a dua for anxiety in English if I don't speak Arabic?

Yes. Making general dua to Allah in any language you understand is always accepted. Memorizing the prophetic wording in Arabic is a bonus — it connects you to the exact words of the Prophet ﷺ — but it is not a condition for your dua to be heard.

How many times should I repeat a dua for it to work?

There is no fixed number in the Sunnah for most of these duas. Sincerity and presence of heart matter more than count. Some scholars mention repeating three or seven times based on specific hadiths; check with a qualified teacher for anything you want to practice regularly.

Is it wrong to take medication for anxiety and also make dua?

No. Seeking medical treatment and making dua are both encouraged in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ instructed Muslims to seek treatment. Combining medical care, therapy, and spiritual practice is the mature approach, not a contradiction.

Which of these five duas should I memorize first?

If you're brand new to memorizing duas, start with Hasbunallahu wa ni'mal wakeel — it is very short, drawn directly from the Qur'an, and comprehensively addresses fear. Then move to the dua of Yunus (peace be upon him), and then the longer dua of distress.

Start with one dua this week

Pick one dua from the five above — the shortest one is fine. Verify the wording with a printed copy of Hisnul Muslim or on Sunnah.com. Learn the meaning in your own language. Say it out loud five minutes a day for seven days. By next week, you will have a dua that comes to your tongue the moment anxiety comes to your chest.

If you want the app to do the reminders and spaced-revision for you, visit get-sabr.com — the dua memorization track is part of the free learning path.

• 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

SABR helps with the structure, repetition, and revision of memorization. For tajwid, correct pronunciation, and verification of hadith wording, learning with a qualified teacher remains highly recommended.

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 Qur'an, dua and 99-Names memorization app. We are not scholars; we build memorization tools. Please defer to qualified teachers for any religious question.

Last updated 2026-08-13.