Amazing Supplications When Faced With Stress and Anxiety – Habib Kadhim
Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf advises us on how we should deal with stress and anxiety.
How do we respond to everyday stress?
Depending on where the stress originates from, the response differs. Generally, we must fill our hearts with a good opinion of Allah. Keep reminding yourself that your Lord has given you the greatest thing, which is the deen. Place full reliance on Him, and He will give you everything you desire. Always say Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah). Always look to the future with confidence in the fact that whatever He gives, is going to be good for you in this world and more importantly, in the akhira (afterlife).
After having done all these, say:
حَسْبُنَا اللَّـهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
Hasbunallah Wa Ni ‘mal Wakeel
Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.(3:173)
Perform some good deeds, so that you’ll feel stable before the feeling happens.
How do we deal with anxiety?
The treatment for this, is to first to have a good opinion of Allah, since He has given you Islam, and made you of the Ummah of Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace. He is not going to do something bad to you.
And Allah says, “I am of the opinion that my servant has of me.” (Sahih Bukhari). If you draw near to him by a hand span, He will come to you by an arm’s length. So how can you have a bad opinion of your Lord? Having this perspective can greatly reduce anxiety over something which hasn’t yet happened. And then if anything does occur, then say to yourself, “I have a 100 ways to overcome this, I have the adhkaar (the remembrance of God) and the salawaat (Blessings on the Prophet).” These are all tried and tested, and if a person says these with sincerity, Allah will remove all these difficulties from him.
Other mighty prayers include:
لاحول ولاقوة الا بالله
La ḥawla wa la quwwata illa billah
There is no might or power except with Allah.
رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي
Rabbi-‘shrah li sadri wa yassirli amri
My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance] And make easy my task. (20:25-26)
This prayer has a great reward. It is a noble verse of the Qur’an, and beneath it are seas of knowledge. It will expand your chest and bring joy to you. If you have problems, you won’t necessarily see them as something great, but rather as something light.
