Sacred texts · Islam
35 Quran verses for anxiety, sadness and hard times
When anxiety or sadness take up room, many Muslims turn to a handful of verses: the promise of ease with hardship (94:5–6), rest for the heart in the remembrance of God (13:28), Surahs Ad-Duha and Ash-Sharh. This page brings them together with about thirty more, in four groups, each with its surah and verse number.
The verses are quoted from Marmaduke Pickthall’s translation (1930) and, on the French page, from Albin de Biberstein Kazimirski’s (1840), two public-domain translations checked word for word. Reading them can bring calm, but it does not replace help when distress lasts: Selfia is not a medical device. If you are thinking about suicide or are in danger, call or text 988 in the United States, call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK, or find a local line at findahelpline.com. You can also read Selfia’s phrases for panic attacks.
With hardship goes ease
Surahs 93 (Ad-Duha) and 94 (Ash-Sharh) are among the shortest in the Quran, and both speak of comfort. The second repeats the same promise twice: “with hardship goeth ease” (94:5–6). The other verses here say that no soul is tasked beyond its scope (2:286).
But lo! with hardship goeth ease, Lo! with hardship goeth ease.
Have We not caused thy bosom to dilate, And eased thee of the burden Which weighed down thy back.
Thy Lord hath not forsaken thee nor doth He hate thee, And verily the latter portion will be better for thee than the former, And verily thy Lord will give unto thee so that thou wilt be content.
Allah asketh naught of any soul save that which He hath given it. Allah will vouchsafe, after hardship, ease.
Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us.
Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you.
Allah would make the burden light for you, for man was created weak.
He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship.
Verses to calm the heart
Verse 13:28 links rest for the heart to the remembrance of God. Around it are verses about prayer being answered (2:186, 40:60), about “peace of reassurance” sent down into hearts (48:4), and requests for refuge, such as the opening of Surah An-Nas (114), one of the two surahs of seeking refuge that close the Quran.
Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!
He it is Who sent down peace of reassurance into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith unto their faith.
O mankind! There hath come unto you an exhortation from your Lord, a balm for that which is in the breasts, a guidance and a mercy for believers.
And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.
Pray unto Me and I will hear your prayer.
Who answereth the wronged one when he crieth unto Him and removeth the evil, and hath made you viceroys of the earth.
I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The King of mankind, The God of mankind.
My Lord! I seek refuge in Thee from suggestions of the evil ones, And I seek refuge in Thee, my Lord, lest they be present with me.
My Lord! relieve my mind And ease my task for me; And loose a knot from my tongue, That they may understand my saying.
Fear not, nor grieve
The same words come back in several forms, addressed to people in danger or distress: Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (20:46), the mother of Moses entrusting her child to the river (28:7), Mary alone as she gives birth (19:24). Each time, the call not to fear comes with a presence.
Faint not nor grieve.
Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us.
Fear not. Lo! I am with you twain, Hearing and Seeing.
Grieve not! Thy Lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee.
Fear not nor grieve. Lo! We shall bring him back unto thee.
Fear not nor grieve, but hear good tidings of the paradise which ye are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There ye will have (all) that your souls desire, and there ye will have (all) for which ye pray.
O My slaves! For you there is no fear this day, nor is it ye who grieve.
Lo! those who say: Our Lord is Allah, and thereafter walk aright, there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
Lo! verily the friends of Allah are (those) on whom fear (cometh) not, nor do they grieve?
That ye grieve not for the sake of that which hath escaped you, nor yet exult because of that which hath been given.
In sorrow and grief
The Quran does not hide sadness: Jacob exposes his anguish to God alone (12:86), Jonah calls out from his distress (21:87–88). This group also gathers verses about what passes away and what remains (55:26–27), and the call to the “soul at peace” near the end of Surah 89 (89:27–28).
I expose my distress and anguish only unto Allah, and I know from Allah that which ye know not.
There is no God save Thee. Be Thou Glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong-doer.
Then we heard his prayer and saved him from the anguish. Thus we save believers.
And Noah verily prayed unto Us, and gracious was the Hearer of his prayer. And We saved him and his household from the great distress.
Praise be to Allah Who hath put grief away from us. Lo! Our Lord is Forgiving, Bountiful.
He it is who maketh laugh, and maketh weep.
Everyone that is thereon will pass away; There remaineth but the Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory.
But ah! thou soul at peace! Return unto thy Lord, content in His good pleasure!
How to use these verses when anxiety rises
In a moment of anxiety, long texts are hard to follow. Keep one very short verse, such as 94:5–6 or 3:139, and read it slowly, letting each out-breath last a little longer than the in-breath. Come back to the same verse several times rather than moving on to new ones.
Once the wave has passed, read the whole group and pick the verse that spoke to you most, to write down or learn by heart. If anxiety keeps coming back, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional: faith and care are not in opposition.
In the Selfia app, the Islam path (Settings › Spirituality) adds Quran verses in a separate section, and the app also offers guided breathing exercises.
Frequently asked questions
Which surah should I read for anxiety?
No surah is prescribed for anxiety, but two short ones speak directly of comfort: Ad-Duha (93), which assures that the Lord has not forsaken the one it addresses, and Ash-Sharh (94), which twice announces ease with hardship. Many people add verse 13:28 about hearts finding rest. If anxiety persists, a doctor can help.
Where is the verse “with hardship comes ease”?
It is verses 5 and 6 of Surah 94, Ash-Sharh (“The Expansion”). The Arabic repeats the same sentence twice, inna ma’a al-’usri yusra, which commentators read as emphasis. Pickthall renders it “with hardship goeth ease”; many modern translations say “with hardship comes ease.”
Can these verses replace medical help?
No. They can calm a moment and give it meaning, but lasting anxiety, repeated panic attacks or dark thoughts call for a doctor or a therapist. In the US, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answers calls and texts around the clock; in the UK, Samaritans answer on 116 123. Elsewhere, findahelpline.com lists local services. Selfia is not a medical device.