Anxiety and Islam: An Invitation to Look Inward

Anxiety is deeply familiar to me. In fact, I’m feeling anxious right now — writing this.

My mind starts swirling with anxious thoughts: What if this isn’t good enough? What do I even know about anxiety? What if I make a mistake? I should stop now before I embarrass myself.

I take a deep breath. 

There it is — I notice the heaviness in my chest, like a massive rock pressing down, making it hard to breathe.

In the past, whenever anxiety showed up in my body, I did everything I could to make it stop. My inner critic was relentless, constantly pushing me to do more, be more.

But when I could no longer meet its impossible demands, a dark cloud would envelop me, and I would retreat under my covers. It was as if that cloud drained every ounce of my energy. I felt defeated. So I would wait for it to pass before trying again.

Now, when I notice the signs of anxiety, I start by tuning into my body. I ask myself: What physical sensations am I experiencing right now? Instead of resisting, I choose curiosity.

This is where transformation begins: with curiosity. When we stop avoiding the sensations in our bodies and instead observe them, they lose their intensity.

When I think of the rock in my chest, words like rigid, hard, unmovable, and heavy come to mind. But then I remember one of my favorite ayat in Surah Al-Baqarah:

“Even then your hearts became hardened like a rock or even harder, for some rocks gush rivers; others split, spilling water, while others are humbled in awe of God. And God is never unaware of what you do.” (Qur’an 2:74)

This verse reminds me that even the hardest rocks can change.

When I place my hand over my chest and acknowledge the emotions beneath the rock — sadness and fear — something shifts. When I accept these emotions as they are, the rock softens. I can feel it move. And when I remember Allah, I can feel it split, allowing light to enter.

Anxiety as a Signal, Not an Enemy

I’ve come to see anxiety not as an enemy, but as a signal — a sign that another emotion feels too painful or unsafe to face alone.

Perhaps we were taught that fear is a weakness, so anxiety steps in to suppress it. Maybe we learned that expressing anger hurts others, so when someone crosses our boundaries, we don’t know how to respond, and anxiety takes its place. Or maybe when we were sad, we were told to “just get over it,” and now those uncried tears resurface as anxiety whenever sadness emerges.

Anxiety is like pressing the gas and the brakes at the same time — we want to move forward, but part of us is scared, so we stay stuck.

Responding to Anxiety with Compassion

It’s important not to judge yourself for what is happening in your body; that was one of the most important shifts for me.

A racing heart.

Shortness of breath.

Muscle tension.

Sweating.

Dizziness. 

A tight throat.

Restlessness.

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These sensations are not signs of failure or weak iman. They’re invitations to slow down and reconnect with yourself.

Instead of trying to fix or avoid anxiety, I pause and ask:

• Am I feeling sad?
• Am I feeling angry?
• Am I feeling afraid?
• Am I feeling joy?

Then, I gently ask myself:

In this moment, do I accept myself just as I am?

Tara Brach reflects on this question in Radical Compassion, and Carl Rogers, the founder of person-centered therapy, captured its power beautifully:

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”

Healing begins when we accept our emotions without judgment. Simply noticing the sensations in your body and naming the emotions can calm the internal storm.

A Dua for the Anxious Heart

Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I think of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him).

When he was given an immense and seemingly impossible task — to confront Pharaoh and free Bani Israel from his tyranny — he responded with a beautiful dua, one we are encouraged to recite when feeling anxious:

“My Lord! Uplift my heart for me, and make my task easy, and remove the impediment from my tongue so people may understand my speech. And grant me a helper from my family, Aaron, my brother. Strengthen me through him and let him share my task, so that we may glorify You much and remember You much. For truly, You have always been overseeing us.” (Qur’an 20:25–35)

This dua offers a gentle, faith-centered framework for responding to anxiety:

1. Start with your body. Notice where you feel the anxiety — your chest, stomach, hands, or back. Instead of resisting, lean into it.
   
   
2. Ask Allah for relief. Whatever discomfort you’re holding, ask Allah to ease and soften it.
   
   
3. Seek clarity. Like Musa (peace be upon him), ask Allah to remove what’s blocking you from moving forward.
   
   
4. Ask for support. Musa (peace be upon him) asked for his brother’s help. Who can you reach out to today?
   
   
5. Ask for strength. Pray for the resilience to continue remembering and trusting Allah, especially when things feel uncertain.
   
   
6. Express gratitude. End your dua by thanking Allah, knowing that He has always been with you and always will be.
   
   

Anxiety can be a doorway to deeper reliance on Allah. Treat it as a call to slow down, reconnect, and ask for what you truly need. And trust that, just as Allah responded to Musa (peace be upon him), He will respond to you.

“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’” (Qur’an 40:60)

I pray that Allah eases whatever you are carrying.
I pray that He gives you the courage to meet your emotions — not with fear, but with compassion and curiosity.

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