Is There a Prayer for Mental Well-Being
Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle
Question
Is there a Prayer for mental well-being?
Answer
Bismillahi al Rahman al Rahim
Dear Questioner,
May Allah give you and your perfect faith and well-being.
I am personally not aware of any specific duas for mental health. However, the following dua for a cure should suffice:
Allahumma, Rabba n-nas Adh-hibi l-bas Wash-fi wa anta sh-Shafi La shifa-a illa shifa-uk Shifa’an la yughadiru saqama
O Allah, Lord of mankind! Take away the harm and cure him. You are the curer. There is no cure save Your cure. [Cure him] such that no sickness remains. [Abu Dawud]
Duas
Well-being in general is something the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) frequently encouraged us to ask for. Sayyidna Abu Bakr once stood upon the pulpit and then started to cry. Then he said, ‘In the first year [of Hijra], the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) stood up here and then wet. Then he said, ‘Ask Allah for forgiveness and for well-being, for after certainty, no one is given anything better than well-being.’ ‘ [Tirmidhi]
I think it is pertinent that they both cried before saying these words. Someone struggling with mental health would understand why.
There are specific duas for sadness and depression. For example,
Allahumma, inni a-udhu bika mina l-hammi wa l-hazan Wa l-azji wa l-kasal Wa l-bukhli wa l-jubn Wa dala-i d-dayn Wa ghalabati r-rijal.
O Allah, indeed I ask seek refuge in you from worries and sadness, from inability and laziness, from cheapness and cowardice, from the weight of debt, and from the overbearingness of men. [Bukhari]
There are also duas for protection from decrepitude, which arguably includes senility. For example,
Allahumma inni a-udhu bika mina l-jubni wa a-udhu bika mina l-bukhali Wa a-udhu bika min an uraddu ila ardhali l-umur Wa a-udhu bika min fitnati d-dunya wa adhab l-qabr.
O Allah, indeed I seek refuge in You from cowardice and I seek refuge in You from cheapness, and I seek refuge in You from being returned to old-aged decrepitude, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of This Life and the punishment of the grave.
Giving One’s Matter to Allah
The concept of consigning one’s whole being to Allah Most High comes frequently in the Qur’an and Sunna. Allah Most High quotes the words of the unnamed staunch believer to Pharaoh, ‘And you shall all remember what I’m telling you. I consign my matter to Allah. Allah sees well [Bukhari]
You should also look into mental health treatment, and changing your diet.
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid Dingle
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.
