Quran Academy

Life throws several challenges at us from time-to-time. We can go from a state of being super happy to a state of feeling dejected, anxious, sad or depressed in a matter of minutes. As humans, it is a constant struggle to balance our emotions and not allow ourselves to get carried away by the situation we are facing at any given point of time.

Depression is a silent monster that can attack anyone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.

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Symptoms include (but not limited to):

Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
Irritability
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
Decreased energy or fatigue
Moving or talking more slowly
Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Appetite and/or weight changes
Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment

Not everyone who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some people experience only a few symptoms while others may experience many.

What Islam has to say…

Islam is not just a religion but a complete way of life, which has solutions to every single problem we face. There are several duas in the Quran and Sunnah which deal with removing feelings of depression, sadness, worry and anxiety. Read on to find out what they are:

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Dua #1 : For ease

When you find things going tough, recite this dua as much as you can.

Dua: Allahumma laa sahla illaa maa ja’altahu sahlaa wa anta taj’alus sa’ba in shi’ta sahlaa

Translation: O Allah, nothing is easy except what you make easy, and You can make what is difficult easy if You wish.

Dua #2 : Take care of my affairs

Ask Allah to take care of all your affairs and put your trust upon Him that He will make a way out of your difficulty and trials. Trust Him and see how He makes things easy for you.

Dua: Allaahumma rahmataka arjoo falaa takilnee ilaa nafsee tarfata ‘ayn. wa aslih lee sha’nee kullah. Laa ilaaha illaa Ant.

Translation: O Allah, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so don’t leave me in charge of my affairs even for the blinking of an eye. And rectify all of my affairs for me. Nothing has the right to be worshipped except You.

Dua #3: Acknowledge Allah’s might

In al-Saheehayn it was reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say when he felt distressed or depression or was worried:

Dua: 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

Translation: 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)

Dua #4: When you are upset

It was reported from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say when something upset him:

Dua: Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom, bi Rahmatika astagheeth

Translation: O Ever-Living One, O Everlasting One, by Your mercy I seek help.

Dua #5 : When you are distressed and worried

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 Worried?

Dua: Allaah, Allaah, Rabbee laa ushriku bihi shay’an’

Translation: Allah, Allah, my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him (Abu Dawud 2/87. See also Al-Albani, Sahih Ibn Majah 2/335.

Dua #6: Quran for grief

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:

Dua: 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

Translation: 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.

Please note that severe cases of depression and other illnesses need to be treated with the help of medical intervention that includes medications and several rounds of psychological counseling depending on the severity of the condition. These forms of treatments should be coupled with making the aforementioned duas and not be totally omitted.

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