Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih bin ‘Uthaymeen was asked the following question,

　　“I am a twenty-nine year old woman and I have not yet married. Would you please tell me about a certain Soorah (chapter of the Qur'aan) or a certain supplication that would prevent me from becoming preoccupied about the future and children? I feel distressed because I am not married, especially since there is someone in our house who is older than me and she has not yet married. Please advise, may Allah reward you.”

　　The answer:

　　First, before answering this question, I would like to alert you that all matters are controlled by Allah The Almighty. No one can bring benefit or drive away harm except Allah Alone. He is The One who drives worries away and one should resort to Allah The Almighty and supplicate Him whenever one is afflicted by any thing or if he wants to ask for any thing. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

　　{And whatever you have of favor - it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help.}[Quran 16:53]

　　{Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember.}[Quran 27:62]

　　Allah The Almighty is the only resort for the slave. If a person resorts to Allah The Almighty sincerely, his supplication will be worthy of acceptance. This is a general rule that applies to everything.

　　Second, the person should know that if his supplication was not accepted, Allah The Almighty would either save it for him or drive away from him harm that is greater than what he asked for. The person should not be regretful and stop supplicating as Allah The Almighty likes those who are persistent in supplication and those who wait for acceptance and feel assured of it. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me -- indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.} [Quran 2: 186]

　　The person should seek the times during which supplications are most likely to be answered such as the last third of the night. The Prophet, , said: “Our Lord descends to the worldly sky in the last third of the night[1] and Says: ‘Who would supplicate me so that I would respond to him; who would ask me so that I would give him; who would ask me for forgiveness so that I would forgive him’, until the break of dawn.”

　　Another time when supplications are answered is the last hour of Friday, as any Muslim who supplicates Allah The Almighty at this hour, will be granted what he asked Him. Also, the time between the coming out of the Imaam (prayer leader) on Friday until the prayer is over, and the time between the Athaan (call to prayer) and the Iqaamah (second call to prayer) are times when supplications are accepted. The Prophet, , said: “Supplication at the time between Athaan and Iqaamah is not rejected.”

　　Among the states that enhance the acceptance of supplication is prostration, as the Prophet, , said: “Supplicate to Allah a lot while you are prostrating as supplications are accepted during prostration.” Another time when supplications are answered is after the last Tashahhud (a supplication said while sitting) and before terminating the prayer as the Prophet, said, when he was talking about Tashahhud, “After Tashahhud, one can choose whatever supplication he likes.” This is what I wanted to point out before answering the question.

　　The answer to this question is that this woman should be patient, seek the reward of Allah The Almighty and know that all affairs are governed by His will. She should know that the delay of marriage may be something good that Allah The Almighty has prepared for her, so she should harbor good thoughts regarding Allah The Almighty and be optimistic. If she has any worries or whispers from Satan, she should increase her remembrance of Allah The Almighty, seek refuge with Him from the accursed devil, and perform more acts of worship so that her worries would be driven away.

　　She can also supplicate to Allah The Almighty by saying this famous supplication that drives worries away: “Allahumma Inni ‘Abduk wa ibnu ‘Abdik wa ibnu Amatik, Naasiyati Biyadik, Maadhin Fiyya Hukmuk... (O Allah! I am Your slave and the son of Your slave and maid, my forehead is in Your Hand and Your destiny applies to me…)”

　　Women should say: “Allahumma inni Amatuk Bintu ‘Abdik, Naasiyati Biyadik, Maadhin Fiyya Hukmuk, ‘Adlun fiyya Qadhaa’uk. As’aluka bikulli Ismin huwa lak sammayta bihi Nafsak aw anzaltahu fi Kitaabik, aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min ahalqik aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘Ilmi al-ghaybi ‘indak, An Taj‘ala Al-Quran Al-‘Atheema Rabee‘a Qalbi wa Jalaa’a Huzni wa Thahaaba Hammi wa Ghammi. (O Allah! I am Your slave and the daughter of Your slave and maid, my forehead is in Your Hand and I am subject to Your Destiny. Your Judgment for me is just. I ask you with every name that is for You, whether You named yourself with it, revealed it in Your book, taught it to any of Your creation or kept it in the unseen, to make the ever glorious Quran the joy of my heart, the light of my chest and the remover of my distress and worries.)”

　　There are many other supplications that would help to remove the distress and worries that you have. We ask Allah The Almighty to restore us and you to perfect health.

　　[1] We believe in and affirm the attributes of Allah that occur in the Quran and authentic Hadeeths of the Prophet, , without distorting their wordings or meanings, nor denying, nor asking how, nor drawing resemblance between Allah and any of His creation.