Dua for Depression: Depression and Sadness in Islam
“I was running the blind race of life-chasing money, power and position. I wanted to be the best at everything. I ran and ran and ran but whenever I raised my head to congratulate myself for my achievement, I felt far behind. Knowing far well that there is no end to my race, I kept on running. The glamour of life took me to a world where I always felt unfortunate and sad. I am a Muslim but satan made me feel upset with whatever I had. I measured the happiness with the glamorous social profile of my friends and colleagues. I looked at my Colleagues who got a better pay for their work and at my friends who enjoyed vacations after vacations. I felt deprived of the Sweetness of life.(Naujobillah!)”
This is not my own story but the Satanic thought that comes to each one of us and grasp our throat (probably not only mine!) and we really become unfortunate to acknowledge the immense blessing Allah has bestowed us with.
We may be having lots of difficulties and trials in our life. We may be frustrated to the extreme but I ask you are we going to live here forever? You know what, Our life is not a Place where we get all we want. Our life is a test. It is like an airport terminal where we are waiting for the next flight to our eternal destination. The Venue of the destination(Heaven/hell) depends on how we attempt our specifically designed question paper for us(trials of life).So first of all weneed to have faith and stay strong. We need to believe in ourself and have faith in the mercy of Allah swt and just do our best.
Today, If You Want to remove depression,Sadness,anxiety and all sort of Worries from your life, take your time to make astaghfar for my every act of Impatience and Un-thankfulness. You will be surprised to Know that this simple act of asking forgiveness of Allah swt is the key to Success to all sort of Happiness. Don’t believe me? Read this Powerful story of Imam Ahmed and the Baker.
اللّهُـمَّ رَحْمَتَـكَ أَرْجوفَلا تَكِلـني إِلى نَفْـسي طَـرْفَةَ عَـيْن، وَأَصْلِـحْ لي شَأْنـي كُلَّـه لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أنْـت
O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye. Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You. [Ibn Hibban, 864]
Actually, This world should not be the main concern at all.
It was narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever is mainly concerned about the Hereafter, Allah will make him feel independent of others and will make him focused and content, and his worldly affairs will fall into place. But whoever is mainly concerned with this world, Allah will make him feel in constant need of others and will make him distracted and unfocused, and he will get nothing of this world except what is decreed for him.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2389; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6510).
It is time that We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of the world and of our own nafs. Oh Allah!We have been so Unthankful when We Complained about our deteriorating health. There are number of People who can’t even stand,see,hear ,talk, feel or understand. You made us so beautiful but we kept comparing the color of my skin, hair and composure. You gave us the ability to earn while there are thousand crippled, unqualified people around the world who are forced to beg for their living. Every Morning I see the beauty of your creation, I feel the warmth of my close friend and relatives, stand perfectly in front of the mirror every morning , get a perfect meal to feed my belly but the human in me wants more.” Oh Allah ! I Seek your forgiveness my Lord from all sorts of Shortcomings in me. Please forgive Me!
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَمِلْتُ وَمِنْ شَرِّ مَا لَمْ أَعْمَلْ
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done yet. [Sunan an-Nasa’i, 5526]
You Know ? Today,when I walked the lane of the hospital,my eyes were overwhelmed with the suffering of others. There are mothers who are giving each and every second of their life to their abnormal/crippled children.There are people who are paralyses and can do nothing by themselves.There are people loosing there legs,hands,eyes.There are people dying….There are People dying from unexpected bombings, accidents, disease, tortures, sudden deaths.But still Satan makes us feel unfortunate.Oh Allah protect us from this Satan which makes the saying of my “Alhumdulillah” void by making me feel unfortunate at times.
O Allah! Everything belongs to you. Accept us as your humble servant and make us thankful and Patient.Include us among the ones with whom you are pleased and do not make us among the ones who earn your worth.We can never be unfortunate because We are Muslim.We have the biggest fortune of earning your pleasure because we are Muslim. and anything We desire from you is to increase me in taqwa.
Hadith to battle depression
It was narrated that Suhayb said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:“How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good, and this applies to no one except the believer. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks, and that is good for him, and it something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 2999)
Some Dua for depression sadness and Anxiety
There are some dua for sadness and depression derived from Quran and hadith. They are-
- It was reported that the Prophet (PBUH) used to recite this Dua:
اللّهُـمَّ رَحْمَتَـكَ أَرْجـوفَلا تَكِلـني إِلى نَفْـسي طَـرْفَةَ عَـيْن، وَأَصْلِـحْ لي شَأْنـي كُلَّـه لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أنْـت
“O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment). Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You.” (Abu Dawud 4/324, Ahmad 5/42. Al-Albani graded it as good in Sahih Abu Dawud 3/959.)
2.This is a very short dua which we can memorize and read at all times
مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” [Qur’an, 21:83]
When we complain about our affairs only to Allah and seek his help, Allah definitely helps us. He helps us by either taking away the afflictions or by removing our sins and by giving immense reward for it because of our Sabr.
3. In al-Saheehayn it was reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, when he felt distressed or depression and worries:
لا إلَهَ إلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَظـيمُ الْحَلِـيمْ، لا إلَهَ إلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ العَـرْشِ العَظِيـمِ، لا إلَهَ إلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَـوّاتِ ورّبُّ الأَرْضِ ورَبُّ العَرْشِ الكَـريم
“La ilaaha ill-Allaah al-‘Azeem ul-Haleem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb il-‘arsh il-‘azeem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb is-samawaati wa Rabb il-ard wa Rabb il-‘arsh il-kareem”
“There is no god except Allah, the All-Mighty, the Forbearing; there is no god except Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god except Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne.” (Al-Bukhari 8/154, Muslim 4/2092)
4. It was reported that Asmaa’ bint ‘Umays (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me:
“Shall I not teach you some words to say when you feel distressed, Depression and Worries ?
اللهُ اللهُ رَبِّ لا أُشْـرِكُ بِهِ شَيْـئاً
‘Allaah, Allaah, Rabbee laa ushriku bihi shay’an’
Allaah, Allaah, my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him (Abu Dawud 2/87. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah 2/335.)
5. It was reported from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No person suffers any anxiety or grief, and says:
اللّهُـمَّ 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 wa ibn ‘abdika wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi yadika, maadin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka, as’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi ‘andak an taj’ala al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’a huzni wa dhahaaba hammi’
“O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety”
but Allaah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in their stead joy.” (Ahmad 1/391)
6. Another Dua to battle depression, grief and diseases
اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّي أَعْوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الهَـمِّ وَ الْحُـزْنِ، والعًجْـزِ والكَسَلِ والبُخْـلِ والجُـبْنِ، وضَلْـعِ الـدَّيْنِ وغَلَبَـةِ الرِّجال
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by men.” [Al-Bukhari]
7. Dua for Sabr
رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.” [Qur’an, 2:286]
8. When we feel lonely and depressed, we can read this many times.
اللّهُـمَّ رَحْمَتَـكَ أَرْجوفَلا تَكِلـني إِلى نَفْـسي طَـرْفَةَ عَـيْن، وَأَصْلِـحْ لي شَأْنـي كُلَّـه لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أنْـت
O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye. Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You. [Ibn Hibban, 864]
9. And we all need protection from our own evil
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَمِلْتُ وَمِنْ شَرِّ مَا لَمْ أَعْمَلْ
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done yet. [Sunan an-Nasa’i, 5526]
Always remember that life is a test and our Lord is merciful. We need to strive our best to pass this test.May Allah make it easy for us and keep us safe from the deception from Shaitan.
Some times, to battle depression we need to find out the root cause of the problem that is creating depression. We need to keep our self busy so that we do not fall into the waswasa of the shaitan and we need to seek help of Allah swt through dhikr and dua. If the depression is extreme there is no harm in talking to a psychologist. May Allah help us all and keep all of us under his protection and forgive us all.Ameen.
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