Short answer: depression is not a sign of weak iman, and it is not a sin. Prophets grieved: Yaqub wept until his eyes turned white, and the Prophet ﷺ lived through a year so hard it is remembered as the Year of Sorrow. Islam gives you duas, verses and a community to lean on, and it also teaches you to seek treatment. If sadness has lasted for weeks, or it is stopping you from living your life, please see a doctor or a therapist too. Dua and medical care work together.
If you are struggling right now
Please see a doctor or a licensed therapist as well as making dua. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, or you are in danger, call your local emergency number now (911 in the US, 999 in the UK and the UAE). In the US you can also call or text 988, and in the UK you can call Samaritans on 116 123, any time.
Is depression a lack of iman?
No. Some people are told that a strong Muslim never feels depressed. The Quran shows the opposite. The best of people felt deep sadness and said so to Allah.
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌۭ
Wa tawallā ʿanhum wa qāla yā asafā ʿalā Yūsufa wabyaḍḍat ʿaynāhu minal-ḥuzni fa-huwa kaẓīm
"And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph," and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor."
Quran 12:84, part of the ayah · translation by Sahih International
Yaqub did not hide his grief from Allah. He said: "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah" (Quran 12:86). Complaining to Allah is not impatience. Complaining about Allah is.
- Maryam, in the pain of childbirth, said: "Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten" (Quran 19:23). Allah answered her with comfort, water and food, not blame.
- The Prophet ﷺ lost his wife Khadijah and his uncle Abu Talib in the same year, the tenth year of his mission. Later, when his young son Ibrahim died, he wept and said: "The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, and we say only what pleases our Lord."1
- When revelation paused for a time and he was distressed, Allah sent Surah Ad-Duha: "Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]" (Quran 93:3).2 Read Surah Ad-Duha when you feel abandoned.
Sadness is part of being human, and the believer is rewarded for it. The Prophet ﷺ said no worry, grief, harm or distress reaches a Muslim, not even a thorn that pricks him, without Allah wiping away some of his sins because of it.3
Getting treatment is part of the Sunnah
The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah has not sent down a disease without sending down a cure for it."4 He also told people: "Seek treatment, servants of Allah."5 Depression is a health condition, and the people trained to help with it are doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors. Seeing one is like seeing a doctor for a broken arm. It is taking the means, and trusting Allah for the result.
Seeking medical treatment is permissible, and it becomes more strongly called for when the illness is serious and the treatment is known to work. Taking prescribed medicine, including antidepressants, and going to therapy are allowed. Relying on Allah (tawakkul) does not mean leaving the means.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Seeking treatment is recommended (mustahabb).
- Maliki
- Permissible, like the Hanafi view.
- Hanbali
- Permissible; Imam Ahmad's reported view is that leaving it out of trust in Allah is better. Contemporary Hanbali scholars still urge treatment for serious illness.
AmalKit does not give medical advice. A doctor can tell you whether what you feel is low mood, grief or clinical depression, and what treatment fits. If it helps you, ask for a therapist who understands faith. Many areas now have Muslim counsellors.
Duas for depression, sadness and worry
These are the words the Prophet ﷺ himself used for worry and grief. Say them in sujud, after salah, or whenever the heaviness comes.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika minal-hammi wal-ḥazan, wal-ʿajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa ḍalaʿid-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijāl
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from weakness and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from the burden of debt and from being overpowered by people.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6369, from Anas
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي
Allāhumma innī ʿabduk, ibnu ʿabdik, ibnu amatik, nāṣiyatī bi-yadik, māḍin fiyya ḥukmuk, ʿadlun fiyya qaḍāʾuk. Asʾaluka bi-kulli ismin huwa lak, sammayta bihī nafsak, aw anzaltahū fī kitābik, aw ʿallamtahū aḥadan min khalqik, awista'tharta bihī fī ʿilmil-ghaybi ʿindak, an tajʿalal-Qurʾāna rabīʿa qalbī, wa nūra ṣadrī, wa jalāʾa ḥuznī, wa dhahāba hammī
O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is done, and Your decree about me is just. I ask You by every name that is Yours, with which You named Yourself, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or kept with Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen, to make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the removal of my sadness and the end of my worry.
Musnad Ahmad, from Abdullah ibn Masud; graded sahih by Ahmad Shakir and al-Albani. The Prophet ﷺ said Allah removes the grief of whoever says it and replaces it with joy.
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
Lā ilāha illallāhul-ʿaẓīmul-ḥalīm. Lā ilāha illallāhu rabbul-ʿarshil-ʿaẓīm. Lā ilāha illallāhu rabbus-samāwāti wa rabbul-arḍi wa rabbul-ʿarshil-karīm
There is no god but Allah, the Magnificent, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth and Lord of the Noble Throne.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6346; Sahih Muslim 2730, from Ibn Abbas
لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu minaẓ-ẓālimīn
"There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."
Quran 21:87, part of the ayah · translation by Sahih International
Yunus said these words in three darknesses: the night, the sea and the belly of the whale. The Prophet ﷺ said no Muslim calls on Allah with them for anything without Allah answering him.6
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ
Yā Ḥayyu yā Qayyūm, bi-raḥmatika astaghīth
O Ever-Living, O Sustainer of all, by Your mercy I call for help.
Jami at-Tirmidhi, from Anas: the Prophet ﷺ said it when something distressed him; graded hasan by al-Albani
More words for hard moments are on the dua for anxiety and dua for patience pages.
Quran verses for when you feel low
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًۭا
Fa inna ma'al 'usri yusra · Inna ma'al 'usri yusra
"For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease."
Quran 94:5-6 · translation by Sahih International
Allah says it twice. Scholars noted that "hardship" comes with "the" both times, so it is the same hardship, while "ease" comes without it, so it is a new ease each time: one hardship cannot defeat two eases.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا
Lā yukallifullāhu nafsan illā wusʿahā
"Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity."
Quran 2:286, part of the ayah · translation by Sahih International
۞ قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Qul yaa'ibaadiyal lazeena asrafoo 'alaaa anfusihim laa taqnatoo mirrahmatil laah; innal laaha yaghfiruz zunooba jamee'aa; innahoo Huwal Ghafoorur Raheem
"Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.""
Quran 39:53 · translation by Sahih International
For more, see the collection of Quran verses on hardship and ease.
Small steps that many people find help
These are habits from the Sunnah and from common sense. They sit alongside treatment, not in place of it.
- Keep the five prayers, gently. If the prayers feel heavy, keep the fard and be kind to yourself about the rest. Salah gives the day a shape.
- Talk to someone. The Prophet ﷺ shared his worries with Khadijah when revelation first came, and she comforted him.7 Tell one person you trust how you feel.
- Say the morning and evening adhkar. They take a few minutes and give the mind words to hold on to. See the morning and evening adhkar.
- Move, sleep and eat at regular times. The body and the heart affect each other. Ask your doctor what is right for you.
- Make dua in your own language. You do not need Arabic to tell Allah you are tired.
How to help someone who is depressed
- Listen first. Do not open with "just pray more" or "be grateful". It can make a person feel their faith is being judged.
- Help them find care: offer to book the appointment or go with them.
- Keep checking in, with a message or a visit. The Prophet ﷺ visited the sick and taught that it is a right of a Muslim on another.
- Make dua for them by name, in their absence. An angel says "and for you the same".8
- If they talk about wanting to die, take it seriously and get help right away.
FAQ
Is depression a sin in Islam?
No. Feeling sad or depressed is not a sin. Prophets grieved, and the Prophet ﷺ said even a thorn's prick or a worry wipes away a believer's sins. What matters is turning to Allah, not against Him, and seeking help.
Is it haram to take antidepressants?
No. Taking medicine prescribed by a doctor is allowed. The Prophet ﷺ said Allah sent a cure for every disease and told people to seek treatment.
What is the best dua for depression?
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan (Bukhari 6369), and the dua of Ibn Masud that asks Allah to make the Quran the spring of your heart and the removal of your sadness (Musnad Ahmad, graded sahih).
Does the Quran talk about sadness?
Yes. Yaqub said "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah" (12:86), and Allah consoled the Prophet ﷺ in Surah Ad-Duha and in Surah Ash-Sharh: "Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease" (94:6).
Can a Muslim see a non-Muslim therapist?
Yes. What matters is that the therapist is qualified and respects your faith. Some people prefer a Muslim counsellor who understands their values, and that is a good choice where one is available.
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1303, from Anas.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, from Jundub ibn Sufyan, on the revelation of Surah Ad-Duha.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5641 and 5642; Sahih Muslim 2573, from Abu Said and Abu Hurayrah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5678, from Abu Hurayrah.
- Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami at-Tirmidhi, from Usamah ibn Sharik; at-Tirmidhi graded it hasan sahih.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi, from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas; graded sahih by al-Albani.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3, from Aishah.
- Sahih Muslim, from Abu al-Darda.
- On the ruling of treatment: al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, entry "tadawi"; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, Kitab al-Hazr wal-Ibahah.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.