Is there a dua for times of difficulty and distress?

When hardship becomes overwhelming, the Quran gives us the model of Prophet Ayyub (Job), who endured prolonged illness and loss with patience, then simply said, 'Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful' (21:83) — a dua of complete honesty about pain paired with complete trust in Allah's mercy. The Prophet also taught a specific dua for moments of real distress and anxiety: 'La ilaha illa Allah al-Azim al-Halim, la ilaha illa Allah Rabb al-Arsh al-Azim, la ilaha illa Allah Rabb as-samawati wa Rabb al-ardi wa Rabb al-Arsh al-Karim' ('There is no god but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, and Lord of the Noble Throne') (Sahih al-Bukhari 6346). Reciting Allah's greatness at the very moment fear or grief feels biggest reframes the situation — it doesn't deny the difficulty, but places it beneath a Lord who is bigger than it. Distress duas like this are meant to be said sincerely and repeatedly, not as a one-off recitation, until the heart settles.

Ask your own question → All questions