It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Beware! These four words are everlasting good deeds: Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, and Allahu Akbar.
Hadith Referenceالفتح الربانی / تفسير من سورة إبراهيم إلى سورة الشعراء / 8666
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحیح
Hadith Takhrij«صحيح لغيره ، (انظر مسند أحمد ترقيم الرسالة: 18353 ترقیم بيت الأفكار الدولية: 18543»
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … The meaning of the above verse can be easily understood from the following verses: Allah the Exalted says: {وَاضْرِبْلَہُمْمَّثَلَالْحَیٰوۃِالدُّنْیَاکَمَاءٍاَنْزَلْنٰہُمِنَالسَّمَاءِفَاخْتَلَطَبِہٖنَبَاتُالْاَرْضِفَاَصْبَحَہَشِیْمًاتَذْرُوْہُالرِّیٰحُوَکَانَاللّٰہُعَلٰیکُلِّشَیْءٍمُّقْتَدِرًا۔اَلْمَالُوَالْبَنُوْنَزِیْنَۃُالْحَیٰوۃِالدُّنْیَاوَالْبٰقِیٰتُالصّٰلِحٰتُخَیْرٌعِنْدَرَبِّکَثَوَابًاوَّخَیْرٌاَمَلًا۔} (Surah: 45, 46)
And O Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), make them understand the reality of worldly life with this example: Today We sent down water from the sky, so the vegetation of the earth became lush and thick, and tomorrow those very plants will become dry chaff which the winds scatter about. Allah has power over all things. This wealth and these children are merely a fleeting adornment of worldly life. In reality, the enduring good deeds are better in the sight of your Lord in terms of outcome, and upon them better hopes can be placed.
The world, in its decline, perishing, ending, and transience, is like the rain from the sky, which meets the seeds and such in the earth, and thousands of plants begin to sway, freshness and signs of life become apparent in everything, but after a few days, they wither and dry up, becoming scattered debris, and the winds carry them here and there. The things that remain are only the good deeds.