What do I say when I hear bad news as a Muslim?
Yes, there's a set phrase: "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" (Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return). Muslims say it at any loss, big or small: a death, an illness, a lost job, even a broken phone. You can add a short dua asking Allah to reward you and replace your loss with something better. Crying and feeling sad are completely allowed.
The words to say
The Quran describes patient believers as those who, when disaster strikes, say this:
The Prophet ﷺ added a short dua to it. He said that if a Muslim who suffers a calamity says, "We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return; O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it," Allah will give him something better (Sahih Muslim 918).
- Transliteration: "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Allahumma'jurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha."
- Meaning: We belong to Allah and to Him we return. O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it.
Umm Salama, who narrated this, said these words when her husband died, and later married the Prophet ﷺ himself.
Is it okay to cry and be upset?
Yes. When his baby son Ibrahim was dying, the Prophet ﷺ wept. When asked about it, he said, "this is mercy," and: "The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1303).
So sadness isn't a lack of faith. What Islam asks is to avoid words of despair or anger at Allah, and to try to hold on to patience. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1302). Saying "Inna lillah" in that first moment is exactly that. If you do feel anger, see Is it a sin to feel angry at Allah?
When the news is about someone else
- A death: say "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" and make dua for the family. Many scholars say you can say it for the death of anyone, as it's a reminder that we all return to Allah. See Can I attend my non-Muslim grandma's funeral as a Muslim?
- Visiting the grieving: "supplicate for good because angels say 'Amen' to whatever you say" (Sahih Muslim 919).
- To non-Muslim friends: a simple "I'm so sorry for your loss" is warm and appropriate.
Remembering the bigger picture
The Prophet ﷺ said that no fatigue, disease, sorrow or hurt befalls a Muslim, "even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn," except that Allah expiates some of his sins for it (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641). Pain isn't wasted. That doesn't make loss easy, but it gives it meaning.
If grief turns into weeks of not sleeping, eating or functioning, talk to a doctor or counselor. Getting help is part of looking after the trust of your body and mind.
- Say "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" at any loss.
- Add: "Allahumma'jurni fi musibati wa akhlif li khayran minha."
- Tears and sadness are allowed. The Prophet ﷺ cried too.
- Patience counts most in the first moment.
People also ask
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