Nothing here is a fix. This is simply what the Prophet ︙ said at a time of distress. You can say it in English, or in Arabic, at any hour, with nobody else involved — and leave the rest with Allah, who knows best.
If you would rather talk to a person, you can contact any mosque or organisation here — you don't need a question ready, and you don't have to explain yourself. Find someone to talk to
How to say these
A du'a is simply asking Allah. You can say it out loud or silently, in English or in Arabic, sitting, standing, walking or lying down, and at any hour. Nothing here has to be memorised, and reading it from the screen is fine. You cannot get the words wrong — stumbling over them, forgetting half, or saying it in your own words instead does not spoil it. If you want to know more about how a particular one is said, that's a good question for a scholar — you can find someone to ask here.
Each one below is the full account it comes from, with the words of the du'a inside it. We show it whole rather than cutting it short, because deciding where a du'a begins and ends is for our scholarly board, not for us. A shorter, easier form is being prepared.
When something is weighing on you
What it's for
What the Prophet ︙ said at a time of distress.
When
Whenever it sits heavily — there is no wrong hour, and no minimum.
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to invoke Allah at the time of distress, saying, "La ilaha illal-lahu Al-`Azim, al-
Halim, La ilaha illal-lahu Rabbu-s-samawati wal-ard wa Rabbu-l-arsh il-azim."
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
Show the Arabic
حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَالِيَةِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدْعُو عِنْدَ الْكَرْبِ
" لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ".
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 6108 — Sahih al-Bukhari 6345 (Sunnah.com reference numbering)
Asking Allah to heal someone — a child, a parent, a friend.
When
At the bedside, or from wherever you happen to be.
Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) paid a visit to a patient, or a patient was brought to him, he used to invoke
Allah, saying, "Take away the disease, O the Lord of the people! Cure him as You are the One Who
cures. There is no cure but Yours, a cure that leaves no disease."
Narrated `Aisha:
Show the Arabic
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا أَتَى مَرِيضًا ـ أَوْ أُتِيَ بِهِ ـ قَالَ
" أَذْهِبِ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، اشْفِ وَأَنْتَ الشَّافِي لاَ شِفَاءَ إِلاَّ شِفَاؤُكَ، شِفَاءً لاَ يُغَادِرُ سَقَمًا ". قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ أَبِي قَيْسٍ وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ طَهْمَانَ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَأَبِي الضُّحَى إِذَا أُتِيَ بِالْمَرِيضِ، وَقَالَ جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي الضُّحَى وَحْدَهُ، وَقَالَ إِذَا أَتَى مَرِيضًا.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 5461 — in the Book of Patients
Words the Prophet ︙ sent to his own daughter while her child was dying. He wept when the child was brought to him.
When
When there is nothing left to do but be there.
The daughter of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) sent (a messenger) to the Prophet (ﷺ) requesting him to come as her
child was dying (or was gasping), but the Prophet (ﷺ) returned the messenger and told him to convey his
greeting to her and say: "Whatever Allah takes is for Him and whatever He gives, is for Him, and
everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world) and so she should be patient and hope for
Allah's reward." She again sent for him, swearing that he should come. The Prophet (ﷺ) got up, and so did
Sa`d bin 'Ubada, Mu`adh bin Jabal, Ubai bin Ka`b, Zaid bin Thabit and some other men. The child
was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while his breath was disturbed in his chest (the sub-narrator thinks that
Usama added: ) as if it was a leather water-skin. On that the eyes of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) started
shedding tears. Sa`d said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What is this?" He replied, "It is mercy which Allah has
lodged in the hearts of His slaves, and Allah is merciful only to those of His slaves who are merciful
(to others).
Narrated Usama bin Zaid:
Show the Arabic
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ أَرْسَلَتِ ابْنَةُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ ابْنًا لِي قُبِضَ فَائْتِنَا. فَأَرْسَلَ يُقْرِئُ السَّلاَمَ وَيَقُولُ " إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلٌّ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى، فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ ". فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ تُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِ لَيَأْتِيَنَّهَا، فَقَامَ وَمَعَهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ وَمُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ وَأُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ وَزَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ وَرِجَالٌ، فَرُفِعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصَّبِيُّ وَنَفْسُهُ تَتَقَعْقَعُ ـ قَالَ حَسِبْتُهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ ـ كَأَنَّهَا شَنٌّ. فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ. فَقَالَ سَعْدٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا هَذَا فَقَالَ " هَذِهِ رَحْمَةٌ جَعَلَهَا اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِ عِبَادِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الرُّحَمَاءَ ".
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 1244 — in the Book of Funerals
What Umm Salama was taught to say when struck by a loss — and said herself when her husband died.
When
At the news, and for as long afterwards as you need it.
If any servant (of Allah) who suffers a calamity says:" We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return; O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it," ' Allah will give him reward for affliction, and would give him something better than it in exchange. She (Umm Salama) said: When Abu Salama died. I uttered (these very words) as I was commanded (to do) by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So Allah gave me better in exchange than him. i. e. (I was taken as the wife of) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Umm Salama, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Show the Arabic
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ كَثِيرِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ سَفِينَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ
" مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَجَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي مُصِيبَتِهِ وَأَخْلَفَ لَهُ خَيْرًا مِنْهَا " . قَالَتْ فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قُلْتُ كَمَا أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْلَفَ اللَّهُ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
Source: Sahih Muslim, hadith 2014 — in the Book of Funerals