When a hardship strikes, the Prophet ﷺ taught us to say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Allahumma'jurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha: "We belong to Allah and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me in my hardship and replace it for me with something better." Here are the authentic duas for difficult times, and what the Quran promises those who are patient.
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ أْجُرْنِي فِي مُصِيبَتِي، وَأَخْلِفْ لِي خَيْرًا مِنْهَا
Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn, Allāhumma ʾjurnī fī muṣībatī wa akhlif lī khayram-minhā
We belong to Allah and to Him we will return. O Allah, reward me in my hardship and replace it for me with something better.
Sahih Muslim 918, from Umm Salamah
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
رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
Rabbanā lā tuʾākhidhnā in nasīnā aw akhṭaʾnā, rabbanā wa lā taḥmil ʿalaynā iṣran kamā ḥamaltahū ʿalal-ladhīna min qablinā, rabbanā wa lā tuḥammilnā mā lā ṭāqata lanā bih, waʿfu ʿannā waghfir lanā warḥamnā, anta mawlānā fanṣurnā ʿalal-qawmil-kāfirīn
Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.
Quran 2:286, translation by Sahih International
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ جَهْدِ الْبَلَاءِ، وَدَرَكِ الشَّقَاءِ، وَسُوءِ الْقَضَاءِ، وَشَمَاتَةِ الْأَعْدَاءِ
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika min jahdil-balāʾ, wa darakish-shaqāʾ, wa sūʾil-qaḍāʾ, wa shamātatil-aʿdāʾ
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardest of trials, from being overtaken by misery, from a bad decree, and from the gloating of enemies.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6347; Sahih Muslim 2707, from Abu Hurayrah (the four things the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge from)
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًۭا
Fa-inna maʿal-ʿusri yusrā. Inna maʿal-ʿusri yusrā.
For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.
Quran 94:5-6, translation by Sahih International
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Guide
When a hardship strikes, the Prophet ﷺ taught us to say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Allahumma'jurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha: "We belong to Allah and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me in my hardship and replace it for me with something better." Here are the authentic duas for difficult times, and what the Quran promises those who are patient.
Allah says: "And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.' Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy" (2:155-157, translation by Sahih International). A test is not a sign that Allah has left you. The Prophet ﷺ said: "No fatigue, illness, worry, grief, harm or distress befalls a Muslim, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allah wipes away some of his sins by it."4 And: "The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial, and when Allah loves a people He tests them."5
The ayah of Dua 3 opens with "Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity" (2:286). Whatever you are carrying, Allah knew you could carry it before He gave it to you. That does not mean you must carry it alone: ask people for help, see a doctor if your health suffers, and let others make dua for you.
Questions
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Allahumma'jurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha (Muslim 918), and the dua of distress, La ilaha illallahul-azimul-halim (Bukhari 6346).
La ilaha illallahul-azimul-halim, la ilaha illallahu rabbul-arshil-azim, la ilaha illallahu rabbus-samawati wa rabbul-ardi wa rabbul-arshil-karim (Bukhari 6346), which the Prophet ﷺ said in distress.
Not necessarily. Hardship wipes away sins and raises rank, and the Prophet ﷺ said that when Allah loves a people He tests them (Tirmidhi 2396).
With hardship comes ease (94:5-6), Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity (2:286), and the patient who say inna lillahi have blessings and mercy from their Lord (2:155-157).