When You Feel Like Giving Up: Returning to Allah Through Dhikr, Du'a and the Qur'an | By S.Sulianah | Grapholistic™ Character Transformation Series
LESSONS ALLAH HAS TAUGHT ME
"Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." - Qur'an 13:28There are moments in life when you feel like giving up.
Not necessarily because you lack faith, but because you have become exhausted. You have made du'a repeatedly. You have worked hard. You have waited. Yet the outcome still seems hidden from you.
Sometimes those moments come with anxiety. Sometimes they come with frustration, disappointment or simply the feeling that you no longer have the strength to continue.
This article is not an Islamic ruling, nor is it intended to prescribe a specific formula for everyone. It is simply one of the many lessons Allah has taught me through my own journey.
By Allah's permission, these practices have helped me regulate my emotions, regain clarity and return to Him whenever I felt like giving up.
"O believers! Seek help through patience and prayer. Surely Allah is with those who are patient." (Qur'an 2:153)
When My Heart Begins to Feel Heavy
One of the first things I do is immediately begin making istighfar.
I continue saying:
Astaghfirullah.
Again and again.
There is no specific number that Islam requires. Personally, I continue until I feel my heart beginning to soften. Sometimes that may be hundreds of repetitions. The number itself is not the goal. My intention is to keep returning to Allah until the heaviness begins to lift.
If I still feel overwhelmed, I continue with:
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
There is no power and no strength except through Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ described this remembrance as one of the treasures of Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim).
I keep repeating it until my thoughts become quieter.
Almost as though the constant mental noise begins to fade.
When My Heartbeat Becomes Chaotic
There are times when the feeling is not only emotional.
My heartbeat becomes fast.
My thoughts become scattered.
During these moments, I repeatedly recite:
Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illa Huwa, 'alayhi tawakkaltu wa Huwa Rabbul-'Arshil-'Azim.
"Allah is sufficient for me. There is no deity except Him. Upon Him I have placed my trust, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne." (See Qur'an 9:129)
I continue until my breathing slows and my heart settles.
Only then do I realise something remarkable.
The emotion that was consuming me begins to feel separate from who I truly am.
Instead of becoming my identity, it becomes something I can observe.
I remind myself that not every thought deserves to be believed and that Shaytan seeks to discourage the believer and create despair.
Then I Simply Talk to Allah
Once my mind becomes calmer, I stop reciting for a moment.
Then I simply speak to Allah.
Not because He does not already know.
He knows every layer of my heart better than I know myself.
But expressing my feelings to Him becomes part of my healing, my repentance and my tawakkul.
Sometimes my conversation sounds like this:
"Ya Allah, my Creator... Ya Ar-Rahman... Ya Ar-Rahim... forgive me if my feelings make me sound ungrateful. I feel tired because I cannot yet see the results. Sometimes I wonder whether I am walking the right path. Yet deep inside, You continue reminding me that You would not guide me towards something sinful or meaningless.
You have always taken care of me. You opened doors for my education. You allowed me to travel. You blessed me with experiences I never imagined. You have never abandoned me.
So today I ask You once again: strengthen my heart instead of my doubts. Increase my trust instead of my fear. Become the One who motivates me above everyone else.
Ya Al-Fattah... Ya Al-Mannan... Ya Al-Jawwad... if this provision is good for me, open its doors with Your mercy. Remove every barrier that stands between me and the goodness You have written for me. Purify my intentions and protect me from asking for anything that would distance me from You."
After making du'a, I ask Allah to forgive me if anything I said came from impatience, weakness or ingratitude.
He is Al-Ghafur, the Most Forgiving.
What Allah Has Taught Me
Over the past year, Allah has taught me something I never expected.
Negative emotions are real.
But they do not have to control me.
When I consistently return to Allah through dhikr, du'a and the Qur'an, the emotional storm passes much more quickly than it used to.
The feeling of wanting to give up becomes temporary instead of permanent.
The anxiety subsides.
The frustration loses its grip.
My heart returns to a place of peace.
Allah says:
"Indeed, with hardship comes ease. Indeed, with hardship comes ease." (Qur'an 94:5–6)
I have experienced this verse repeatedly.
Not because my problems disappear immediately, but because Allah changes what is happening inside my heart.
Build Your Relationship with Allah Before the Storm Comes
One of the greatest lessons Allah has taught me is that emotional resilience is built long before difficult days arrive.
For me, that foundation includes:
- Guarding the five daily prayers.
- Making istighfar consistently.
- Remembering Allah through daily dhikr.
- Reciting the Qur'an every day.
- Completing the Qur'an, then reading it again with tafsir.
- Continuing with tadabbur to reflect more deeply upon Allah's words.
- Establishing Tahajjud.
- Reading Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Ali 'Imran regularly, even if divided over several days because of their length.
- Keeping good company.
- Avoiding backbiting, gossip, arrogance and anything Allah has prohibited.
- Living within halal means and avoiding unnecessary debt whenever possible.
None of these are quick solutions.
They are foundations.
And strong foundations help us remain standing when life's storms arrive.
One Personal Reminder I Often Tell Myself
Whenever I feel like giving up, I remind myself:
"Ya Allah, You gave me these abilities for a reason. Whatever knowledge, instincts, strengths and opportunities You have blessed me with are trusts from You. They were never mine to begin with. My true purpose is to worship You, remember You and seek Your pleasure. So I choose not to give up, because I trust there is wisdom in every path You have written for me."
That reminder changes everything.
Instead of focusing on what I have not yet achieved, I remember what Allah has already entrusted me with.
A Final Reflection
If you are going through a difficult season, I pray that you continue turning back to Allah.
Keep praying even when you feel nothing.
Keep making du'a even when you cannot yet see the answer.
Keep remembering Him even when your heart feels heavy.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim—even if it were the prick of a thorn—but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it."
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
Perhaps the hardship you are experiencing today is not the end of your story.
Perhaps it is the very path Allah is using to bring you closer to Him.
May Allah make our hearts firm upon His religion, grant us sincere tawakkul, protect us from despair, forgive our shortcomings, and bless us with goodness in this world and the Hereafter.
May Allah accept our du'as.
Grapholistic™ Character Transformation Series
To re-post these contents on your website, social media, blogs, articles, YouTube etc, please remember to cite the Author's name, S.Sulianah (Founder | Graphologist | HR & Management Consultant | Behavioural & Consumer Insights, and link to her contact. Email: grapholistic@yahoo.com
© S.Sulianah, 2005-2026 Grapholistic™ Methods and Profiling, Grapholistic International. All Rights Reserved
"Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." - Qur'an 13:28
There are moments in life when you feel like giving up.
Not necessarily because you lack faith, but because you have become exhausted. You have made du'a repeatedly. You have worked hard. You have waited. Yet the outcome still seems hidden from you.
Sometimes those moments come with anxiety. Sometimes they come with frustration, disappointment or simply the feeling that you no longer have the strength to continue.
This article is not an Islamic ruling, nor is it intended to prescribe a specific formula for everyone. It is simply one of the many lessons Allah has taught me through my own journey.
By Allah's permission, these practices have helped me regulate my emotions, regain clarity and return to Him whenever I felt like giving up.
"O believers! Seek help through patience and prayer. Surely Allah is with those who are patient." (Qur'an 2:153)
When My Heart Begins to Feel Heavy
One of the first things I do is immediately begin making istighfar.
I continue saying:
Astaghfirullah.
Again and again.
There is no specific number that Islam requires. Personally, I continue until I feel my heart beginning to soften. Sometimes that may be hundreds of repetitions. The number itself is not the goal. My intention is to keep returning to Allah until the heaviness begins to lift.
If I still feel overwhelmed, I continue with:
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
There is no power and no strength except through Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ described this remembrance as one of the treasures of Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim).
I keep repeating it until my thoughts become quieter.
Almost as though the constant mental noise begins to fade.
When My Heartbeat Becomes Chaotic
There are times when the feeling is not only emotional.
My heartbeat becomes fast.
My thoughts become scattered.
During these moments, I repeatedly recite:
Hasbiyallahu la ilaha illa Huwa, 'alayhi tawakkaltu wa Huwa Rabbul-'Arshil-'Azim.
"Allah is sufficient for me. There is no deity except Him. Upon Him I have placed my trust, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne." (See Qur'an 9:129)
I continue until my breathing slows and my heart settles.
Only then do I realise something remarkable.
The emotion that was consuming me begins to feel separate from who I truly am.
Instead of becoming my identity, it becomes something I can observe.
I remind myself that not every thought deserves to be believed and that Shaytan seeks to discourage the believer and create despair.
Then I Simply Talk to Allah
Once my mind becomes calmer, I stop reciting for a moment.
Then I simply speak to Allah.
Not because He does not already know.
He knows every layer of my heart better than I know myself.
But expressing my feelings to Him becomes part of my healing, my repentance and my tawakkul.
Sometimes my conversation sounds like this:
"Ya Allah, my Creator... Ya Ar-Rahman... Ya Ar-Rahim... forgive me if my feelings make me sound ungrateful. I feel tired because I cannot yet see the results. Sometimes I wonder whether I am walking the right path. Yet deep inside, You continue reminding me that You would not guide me towards something sinful or meaningless.
You have always taken care of me. You opened doors for my education. You allowed me to travel. You blessed me with experiences I never imagined. You have never abandoned me.
So today I ask You once again: strengthen my heart instead of my doubts. Increase my trust instead of my fear. Become the One who motivates me above everyone else.
Ya Al-Fattah... Ya Al-Mannan... Ya Al-Jawwad... if this provision is good for me, open its doors with Your mercy. Remove every barrier that stands between me and the goodness You have written for me. Purify my intentions and protect me from asking for anything that would distance me from You."
After making du'a, I ask Allah to forgive me if anything I said came from impatience, weakness or ingratitude.
He is Al-Ghafur, the Most Forgiving.
What Allah Has Taught Me
Over the past year, Allah has taught me something I never expected.
Negative emotions are real.
But they do not have to control me.
When I consistently return to Allah through dhikr, du'a and the Qur'an, the emotional storm passes much more quickly than it used to.
The feeling of wanting to give up becomes temporary instead of permanent.
The anxiety subsides.
The frustration loses its grip.
My heart returns to a place of peace.
Allah says:
"Indeed, with hardship comes ease. Indeed, with hardship comes ease." (Qur'an 94:5–6)
I have experienced this verse repeatedly.
Not because my problems disappear immediately, but because Allah changes what is happening inside my heart.
Build Your Relationship with Allah Before the Storm Comes
One of the greatest lessons Allah has taught me is that emotional resilience is built long before difficult days arrive.
For me, that foundation includes:
- Guarding the five daily prayers.
- Making istighfar consistently.
- Remembering Allah through daily dhikr.
- Reciting the Qur'an every day.
- Completing the Qur'an, then reading it again with tafsir.
- Continuing with tadabbur to reflect more deeply upon Allah's words.
- Establishing Tahajjud.
- Reading Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Ali 'Imran regularly, even if divided over several days because of their length.
- Keeping good company.
- Avoiding backbiting, gossip, arrogance and anything Allah has prohibited.
- Living within halal means and avoiding unnecessary debt whenever possible.
None of these are quick solutions.
They are foundations.
And strong foundations help us remain standing when life's storms arrive.
One Personal Reminder I Often Tell Myself
Whenever I feel like giving up, I remind myself:
"Ya Allah, You gave me these abilities for a reason. Whatever knowledge, instincts, strengths and opportunities You have blessed me with are trusts from You. They were never mine to begin with. My true purpose is to worship You, remember You and seek Your pleasure. So I choose not to give up, because I trust there is wisdom in every path You have written for me."
That reminder changes everything.
Instead of focusing on what I have not yet achieved, I remember what Allah has already entrusted me with.
A Final Reflection
If you are going through a difficult season, I pray that you continue turning back to Allah.
Keep praying even when you feel nothing.
Keep making du'a even when you cannot yet see the answer.
Keep remembering Him even when your heart feels heavy.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim—even if it were the prick of a thorn—but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it."
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
Perhaps the hardship you are experiencing today is not the end of your story.
Perhaps it is the very path Allah is using to bring you closer to Him.
May Allah make our hearts firm upon His religion, grant us sincere tawakkul, protect us from despair, forgive our shortcomings, and bless us with goodness in this world and the Hereafter.
May Allah accept our du'as.
Grapholistic™ Character Transformation Series
To re-post these contents on your website, social media, blogs, articles, YouTube etc, please remember to cite the Author's name, S.Sulianah (Founder | Graphologist | HR & Management Consultant | Behavioural & Consumer Insights, and link to her contact. Email: grapholistic@yahoo.com
© S.Sulianah, 2005-2026 Grapholistic™ Methods and Profiling, Grapholistic International. All Rights Reserved
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