The dua of Prophet Ya’qub"I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah" · Quran 12:86

What is The dua of Prophet Ya’qub about?

Verse 86 of Surah Yusuf is the reply of Prophet Ya’qub to his sons when they told him to stop grieving for Yusuf. He had lost his sight from weeping, yet he said: "I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know." The verse does not deny grief; it directs it. Ya’qub takes his pain to Allah instead of to people, and he holds on to hope, which the next verse makes explicit: do not despair of relief from Allah. It is the verse most often turned to by people carrying a loss they cannot share.

When is it recited?

• Recited in times of grief and loss, and as a model for how to make dua when sad.

Sources: Quran 12:86. Reviewed by Ummatey editorial, October 2026.