Feeling overwhelmed
Carrying more than you think you can hold
66 verified supplications · 65 written out in full
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ …
When distress presses on you
The words the Prophet ﷺ turned to at moments of overwhelming distress.
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
When you feel trapped with no way out
Yūnus ﷺ called on Allah from inside the whale, in darkness upon darkness
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
When you cannot see the end of it
Revealed to comfort the Prophet ﷺ in his hardest years, with the promise
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا …
When you feel you cannot carry it
The closing verse of Sūrat al-Baqarah, and Allah answered every line of
يَـٰبَنِىَّ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟ مِن رَّوْحِ …
When you have almost given up
Yaʿqūb ﷺ said this after losing two sons and his eyesight, still refusin
يَا حَىُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ
When something is wearing you down
What the Prophet ﷺ turned to whenever a matter distressed him.
وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا۟ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا …
Before something you are dreading
Said by a small army the moment they saw how large the other one was.
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَاهْدِنِي وَعَافِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي
Five things at once, when you do not know where to start
The Prophet ﷺ taught this to a man who could not remember longer supplic
يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ قُلْ لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا …
A treasure of Paradise
The Prophet ﷺ called these words exactly that.
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
When the news is bad
Said at the moment of distress, naming Allah three times over.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، وَمِنْ …
When everything feels like it is going wrong at once
Refuge from the trials of living and of dying, sought in the prayer itse
إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِى يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا …
A short one, when you cannot manage more
Said by people in the Qur'an who had nothing left to argue with.
فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَغْلُوبٌ فَٱنتَصِرْ
When you have been beaten down by it
Nūḥ ﷺ after centuries of being mocked, in six words.
أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ وَرَفَعْنَا …
When you are asked to carry more than you were
Revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in the years when the weight of it was heavies
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَآءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ …
When you need something to hold on to
What the Qur'an says it is for.
وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱغْفِرْ وَٱرْحَمْ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ
Three words, when that is all you have
The closing supplication of Sūrat al-Mu'minūn.
سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ
What is said to you afterwards
The greeting given at the gate, and the reason given with it.
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ …
A description of what you are working so hard for
Five words for this life, in order.
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ …
The first words revealed
He was told to read, and said he could not.
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ
When you thought life was supposed to be easier
A single verse about the design.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا مَّعَ …
The calm that is sent down
Named as something placed into hearts, not produced by them.
فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ وَأَنفِقُوا۟ خَيْرًا …
When you cannot manage everything you are meant to
A qualification attached to the command itself.
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ
When you think you could never learn it
Repeated four times in one sūrah, unchanged.
۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ …
A description of how people are made
Named as a default, with one stated exception.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ الْعَيْشَ عَيْشُ الآخِرَةِ
Said while digging a trench with them
They were singing a line as they dug, and he answered it with his own.
وَٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلْخَـٰشِعِينَ …
Two things named as sources of help
Not motivation or planning. These two.
إِنِّي أَبِيتُ يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِ، فَاكْلَفُوا مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ
On going harder than you can sustain
They tried to copy a practice of his and he stopped them.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَآءٌ لِّمَا فِى …
What the Qur'an says it treats
Four things named, and one of them is internal.
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ …
The verse people reach for when it is too much
It is stated as a rule about how the burden is set.
مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَعْرَابِ أَن يَتَخَلَّفُوا۟ عَن …
Nothing goes unrecorded
A verse listing what is written down for a person.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا …
The verse that came to lighten the one before it
They said they could not bear it, and were answered.
مَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِتَشْقَىٰٓ إِلَّا تَذْكِرَةً لِّمَن يَخْشَىٰ
The stated purpose of the revelation
Revealed early, when the weight of it was being felt.
وَجَـٰهِدُوا۟ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ ۚ هُوَ ٱجْتَبَىٰكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِى …
On religion being made difficult
Stated as a fact about the design of it.
هَذِهِ خَدِيجَةُ أَتَتْكَ بِإِنَاءٍ فِيهِ طَعَامٌ أَوْ إِنَاءٍ فِيهِ شَرَابٌ فَأَقْرِئْهَا …
A message passed to someone through him
Jibrīl saw her approaching with food and gave instructions.
اللَّهُمَّ لاَ خَيْرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرُ الآخِرَهْ فَاغْفِرْ لِلأَنْصَارِ وَالْمُهَاجِرَهْ
Said while digging, hungry, in the cold
They were on the trench and had tied stones to their stomachs.
وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ ۖ وَلَلدَّارُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ …
What this life is called, in four words
Set directly against what is called better.
اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى الآكَامِ وَالظِّرَابِ وَالأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ
Asking rain to fall where it will not do harm
A week after they begged for it, they came back asking it to move.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ خُذُوا مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَمَلُّ …
Which deeds are most loved
Not the biggest ones.
اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْجِبَالِ وَالآكَامِ وَبُطُونِ الأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ
Redirecting rain rather than stopping it
The same man came back a week later, this time about flooding.
فَأَخَذَنِي فَغَطَّنِي حَتَّى بَلَغَ مِنِّي الْجَهْدَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ …
What actually happened in the cave
Aisha described it, including the shaking afterwards.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّ الْخَيْرَ خَيْرُ الآخِرَهْ فَاغْفِرْ لِلأَنْصَارِ وَالْمُهَاجِرَهْ
Praying for people who were doing the work
They were digging and he saw what it was costing them.
إِنَّكُمْ لَسْتُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ مِثْلِي إِنِّي أَبِيتُ يُطْعِمُنِي رَبِّي وَيَسْقِينِي …
Do not take on more than you can hold
He told them Allah does not tire of rewarding, but they would tire of do
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْمَعُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ …
People going from prophet to prophet
Each one names a reason to send them on to the next.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ لاَ خَيْرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرُ الآخِرَهْ، فَبَارِكْ فِي الأَنْصَارِ …
On the trench, carrying earth on their backs
He saw what they were doing and said it out loud.
لاَ يَتَمَنَّيَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ ضُرٍّ أَصَابَهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لاَ بُدَّ فَاعِلاً …
When you want it to be over
A prohibition, then a way to phrase it that is allowed.
جَاءَ مَلَكُ الْمَوْتِ إِلَى مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَجِبْ رَبَّكَ - قَالَ - …
Asking to be brought a little closer first
Mūsā ﷺ made one request when the Angel of Death returned.
لاَ يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي، إِنْ شِئْتَ …
Do not attach a condition to your request
A correction of a habit people fall into when they feel unworthy.
اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى ظُهُورِ الْجِبَالِ وَالآكَامِ وَبُطُونِ الأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ
Asking for it to move, not to stop
The wording is careful. Nothing is asked to end.
آخِرُ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ رَجُلٌ فَهُوَ يَمْشِي مَرَّةً وَيَكْبُو مَرَّةً وَتَسْفَعُهُ …
The one who walks, stumbles, and is scorched
He gets there last, and what he is given still overwhelms him.
إِذَا دَعَا أَحَدُكُمْ فَلاَ يَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلَكِنْ لِيَعْزِمِ …
Asking without leaving Him an exit
A second narration of the same correction.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ …
Seeking refuge in Him from Him
Aisha found him in prostration in the dark and heard this.
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا
What he told them to say when the warning frightened them
He described the angel waiting with the horn at his lips.
لاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ وَلاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَوْلاَدِكُمْ وَلاَ تَدْعُوا عَلَى …
Why he told them to stop cursing their own children
The reason given is not that it is unkind.
فَتَقُولُ الأَرْضُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ رَبِّ هَذَا مَا اسْتَوْدَعْتَنِي
What the ground says about the person buried in it
It explains why a need takes you somewhere.
اللَّهُمَّ ظُهُورَ الْجِبَالِ وَالآكَامِ وَبُطُونَ الأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتَ الشَّجَرِ
When the rain would not stop
A week earlier the same man had come asking for it.
اللَّهُمَّ لَوْلاَ أَنْتَ مَا اهْتَدَيْنَا وَلاَ تَصَدَّقْنَا وَلاَ صَلَّيْنَا فَأَنْزِلَنْ …
What he was chanting while carrying earth at the Trench
Al-Bara says the dust had covered the hair on his chest.
اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِيَ الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَاىَ الَّتِي …
Three things put in order, and two more after
Each one is given a clause saying why it matters.
اللَّهُمَّ كَبِرَتْ سِنِّي وَضَعُفَتْ قُوَّتِي وَانْتَشَرَتْ رَعِيَّتِي . فَاقْبِضْنِي …
Umar lying on the ground at al-Abtah
He piled up stones, threw his cloak over them and lay back.
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ …
What he said when something bore down on him
Three sentences that name nothing except who is being addressed.
أَفَلاَ قُلْتَ اللَّهُمَّ آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا …
A man who asked for his punishment early
He had gone so thin he was like a fledgling.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَدْمِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ التَّرَدِّي وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ …
A list of ways to die that he asked to be spared
It ends with two he named specifically.
يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ تَفَرَّغْ لِعِبَادَتِي أَمْلأْ صَدْرَكَ غِنًى وَأَسُدَّ فَقْرَكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ …
A trade offered in plain terms
Both halves of the offer are stated.
إِنَّ الدِّينَ يُسْرٌ، وَلَنْ يُشَادَّ الدِّينَ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ غَلَبَهُ، فَسَدِّدُوا …
What he said about overdoing it
The warning is that the religion wins.
السَّاعِي عَلَى الأَرْمَلَةِ وَالْمِسْكِينِ كَالْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، أَوْ كَالَّذِي …
What ordinary work is ranked against
Two comparisons, and both of them are the hardest things on the list.
أَنْتُمُ الَّذِينَ قُلْتُمْ كَذَا وَكَذَا أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَخْشَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ …
What he said to three men who had raised the bar
They had asked how he worshipped and found it modest.
From the wider collections
Each of these passed the same grading rule. They are shown with the source narration rather than a written-out translation.