DUA FOR FENDING OFF DISTRESS, GRIEF, AND FEAR
Twelve in number, the following supplicatory prayers are said for imploring Almighty Allah for protection against distress, grief, fear, and the like things.
First: Imam al-Baqir (‘a) is reported to have said: Whenever a horrifying matter inflicts you, you may turn your face towards the kiblah direction and offer a two-unit prayer. Upon accomplishment, you may say this supplicatory prayer seventy times, and submit your requests each time you come to its end:
يَا اَبْصَرَ النَّاظِرِيْنَ
O best seer of all those who can see,
يَا اَسْمَعَ السَّامِعِيْنَ
O best hearer of all those who can hear,
يَا اَسْرَعَ الْحَاسِبِيْنَ
O swiftest of those who settle account,
يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ۔
and O most merciful of all those who show mercy!
Second: The Holy Prophet (s) has said: Whoever is inflicted by a distress, a grief, angst, or a hardship, may say the following statement:
اَللهُ رَبِّىْ لَا اُشْرِكُ بِهٖ شَيْئًا
Allah is my Lord; I never associate any thing to Him.
تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى الْحَىِّ الَّذِىْ لَا يَمُوْتُ۔
I put my trust in the Ever-living Who never dies.
Third: Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said: When his brothers threw (Prophet) Joseph in the well, Archangel Gabriel came to him and said, “O boy, what are doing here?”
Joseph answered, “My brothers have thrown me in this well.”
“Do you like to come out of it?” asked the archangel.
“This is up to Allah the Almighty and All-majestic.” answered Joseph, “If He wishes, He will do.”
“Allah the All-exalted says to you that if you pray me with this supplicatory prayer, I will take you out of this well,” taught Gabriel.
“What is this supplicatory prayer?” asked Joseph.
“It is this one,” taught Archangel Gabriel:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنّى اَسْئَلُكَ بِاَنَّ لَكَ
O Allah, I beseech You in the name of (the fact) that to You is all praise;
الْحَمْدَ لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اَنْتَ الْمَنَّانُ
there is no god save You, the All-donor,
بَدِيْعُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضِ
the excellent originator of the heavens and the earth,
ذُوالْجَلَالِ وَالْاِكْرَامِ
and the Lord of majesty and honor
اَنْ تُصَلِّىَ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
to bless Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad
وَّ اَنْ تَجْعَلَ لِىْ مِمَّا اَنَا فِيْهِ فَرَجًا وَ مَخْرَجًا
and to prepare for me a relief and way out from what I am in.
After that, the caravan came and took Prophet Joseph out of the well, as the Holy Qur’an has related.
Fourth: Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said: Whenever you fear something, you may say the following supplicatory prayer:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّكَ لَا يَكْفٰى مِنْكَ اَحَدٍ
O Allah, nothing can ever save from You
وَ اَنْتَ تَكْفٰى مِنْ كُلِّ اَحَدٍ مِّنْ خَلْقِكَ
while You alone can save from any of Your creatures:
فَاَكْفِنِىْ كَذَا وَ كَذَا۔
(You may now mention the thing that terrifies you.)
According to another tradition, you may say the following supplicatory prayer (whenever you fear something):
یَا كَافِيًا مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ
O He Who saves from all things
وَلَايَكْفٰى مِنْكَ شَىْءٌ
while nothing can ever save from You
فِى السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضِ
neither in the heavens nor on the earth,
اِكْفِنِىْ مَا اَهَمَّنِىْ مِنْ اَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰ خِرَةِ
(please) save me from what has distressed me, be it a this-worldly or a otherworldly affair,
وَ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اٰلِهٖ۔
and send blessings upon Muhammad and his Household.
Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) has also said: Whoever comes to a ruler whom he fears, may say the following supplicatory prayer (before presence before the ruler):
وَ بِاللّٰهِ اَسْتَنْجِحُ
وَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهٖ اَتَوَجَّهُ
اَللّٰهُمَّ ذَلِّلْ لِىْ صُعُوْبَتَهُ
وَ سَهِّلْ لِىْ حُزُوْنَتَهُ
فَاِنَّكَ تَمْحُوْ مَا تَشَاۤءُ وَ تُثْبِتُ
وَ عِنْدَكَ اُمُّ الْكِتَابِ
لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ
وَ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ
وَ اَمْتَنِعُ بِحَوْلِ اللّٰهِ وَ قُوَّتِهِ
مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ وَ قُوَّتِهِمْ
وَ اَمْتَنِعُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ
وَ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ۔
Fifth: This supplicatory prayer is reported to have said by Imam al-Baqir (‘a) whenever a distressing matter would take place:
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّاغْفِرْلِىْ وَارْحَمْنِىْ وَزَكِّ عَمَلِىْ وَ يَسِّرْ مُنْقَلَبِىْ وَاهْدِ قَلْبِىْ وَ اٰمِنْ خَوْفِىْ وَ عَافِنِىْ فِىْ عُمْرِىْ كُلِّهِ وَ ثَبِّتْ حُجَّتِىْ وَ اغْفِرْ خَطَايَاىَ وَ بَيِّضْ وَجْهِىْ وَاعْصِمْنِىْ فِىْ دِيْنِىْ وَ سَهِّلْ مَطْلَبِىْ وَ وَسِّعْ عَلَىَّ فِىْ رِزْقِىْ فَاِنِّىْ ضَعِيْفٌ وَ تَجَاوَزْ عَنْ سَيِّئِ مَا عِنْدِىْ بِحُسْنِ مَا عِنْدَكَ وَلَاتَفْجَعْنِىْ بِنَفْسِىْ وَلَاتَفْجَعْ لِىْ حَمِيْمًا وَهَبْ لِىْ يَا اِلٰهِىْ لَحْظَةً مِنْ لَحَظَاتِكَ تَكْشِفُ بِهَا عَنِّىْ جَمِيْعَ مَابِهِ ابْتَلَيْتَنِىْ وَ تَرُدُّبِهَا عَلَىَّ مَا هُوَ اَحْسَنُ عَادَتِكَ عِنْدِىْ فَقَدْ ضَعُفَتْ قُوَّتِىْ وَ قَلَّتْ حِيْلَتِىْ وَانْقَطَعَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ رَجَاۤئِىْ وَ لَمْ يَبْقَ اِلَّا رَجَاۤؤُكَ وَ تَوَكُّلِىْ عَلَيْكَ، وَ قُدْرَتُكَ عَلَىَّ يَا رَبِّ اَنْ تَرْحَمَنِىْ وَ تُعَافِيَنِىْ كَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَىَّ اَنْ تُعَذِّبَنِىْ وَ تَبْتَلِيَنِىْ اِلٰهِىْ ذِكْرُ عَوَايِدِكَ يُؤْنِسُنِىْ وَ الرَّجَاۤءُ لِاِ نْعَامِكَ
يُقَوِّيْنِىْ وَ لَمْ اَخْلُ مِنْ نِعَمِكَ مُنْذُ خَلَقْتَنِىْ فَاَنْتَ رَبِّىْ وَ سَيِّدِىْ وَ مَفْزَعِىْ وَ مَلْجَاىَ وَ الْحَافِظُ لِىْ وَالذَّآبُّ عَنِّىْ وَالرَّحِيْمُ بِىْ وَ الْمُتَكَفِّلُ بِرِزْقِىْ وَ فِىْ قَضَاۤئِكَ وَ قُدْرَتِكَ كُلُّ مَا اَنَا فِيْهِ فَلْيَكُنْ يَّا سَيِّدِىْ وَ مَوْلَاىَ فِيْمَا قَضَيْتَ وَ قَدَّرْتَ وَ حَتَمْتَ تَعْجِيْلُ خَلَاصِىْ مِمَّا اَنَا فِيْهِ جَمِيْعِهِ وَالْعَافِيَةُ لِىْ فَاِنِّىْ لَا اَجِدُ لِدَفْعِ ذٰلِكَ اَحَدًا غَيْرَكَ وَلَا اَعْتَمِدُ فِيْهِ اِلَّا عَلَيْكَ فَكُنْ يَاذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْاِكْرَامِ عِنْدَ اَحْسَنِ ظَنِّىْ بِكَ وَ رَجَاۤئِىْ لَكَ وَارْحَمْ تَضَرُّعِىْ وَاسْتِكَانَتِىْ وَ ضَعْفَ رُكْنِىْ وَ امْنُنْ بِذٰلِكَ عَلَىَّ وَ عَلٰى كُلِّ دَاعٍ دَعَاكَ يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ وَ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اٰلِهٖ۔
