The adhkar in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about which it is clarified that they are the most beloved and favored by Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, are as follows:
❀ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ
❀ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
❀ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ
❀ اَللهُ أَكْبَرُ
❀ لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ
Hazrat Samurah bin Jundub رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«أحب الكلام إلى الله أربع: سبحان الله ، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر»
“Four words are the most beloved and favored by Allah Almighty, which are: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ، وَلا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ.”
And Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
«لأن أقول سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر أحب إلى مما طلعت عليه الشمس»
“To mention Allah with words like سُبْحَانَ اللهِ ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ، وَلا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ is dearer to me than everything in the world.”
And it is also narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«ألا أدلك على كلمة من تحت العرش ، من كنز الجنة؟ تقول: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله، فيقول الله عز وجل: أسلم عبدي واستسلم»
Hakim declared it authentic.
“O Abu Hurairah, shall I not teach you a word that is among the treasures of the Throne and Paradise?” Then he informed that the word is لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ, and when a servant says this word, Allah Almighty responds that My servant has acknowledged My greatness and majesty and has made himself My obedient servant.”
And the kind of spiritual training and connection with Allah that these words require has been accepted as the goal of life.
Below, the translation and explanation of the above-mentioned words are presented, and the nature of the spiritual training contained in these words is clarified. Therefore, firmly establish these words with their meanings and concepts in your mind, and wherever and whenever you intend to recite them, do so with complete attention and utmost reverence and love, as if you are engaged in a conversation with your Allah, the Lord of Glory.
Glory be to Allah
This is the greatest phrase of divine remembrance, which in our society is generally expressed in a simple and concise meaning by these words: “O Allah, You are pure,” but the details of this purity are not often explored in depth.
The broadest meaning of SubhanAllah in the light of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ can be summarized in several major clauses as follows: The one who says SubhanAllah is saying: O Allah! I have firm faith and certainty that:
Your essence is free from every defect, flaw, and weakness. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ﴿١٨٠﴾
“Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.”
And Allah Almighty also says in the Holy Quran:
﴿سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا ﴿٤٣﴾
“He is exalted, far above what they associate with Him.”
And You are free from any partner in creating this vast universe and in managing it in the most beautiful manner. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا ۚ فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
“If there had been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.”
And everything You have created is free from futility and purposelessness. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿١٩١﴾
“Those who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], ‘Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.'”
And every decision of Your decree and destiny is free from any injustice or oppression. The Holy Quran states:
﴿لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾
“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”
And every command of Your Shariah is free from error and oversight. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿إِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِآيَاتِنَا الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهَا خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَسَبَّحُوا بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ﴿١٥﴾
“Only those believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt Allah with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant.”
And the entire universe is dependent on You, but You are free from dependence on anyone in every respect, and You are free from every kind of need and requirement. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَائِكُم مَّن يَفْعَلُ مِن ذَٰلِكُم مِّن شَيْءٍ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾
“Allah is the one who created you, then provided for you, then will cause you to die, then will give you life. Are there any of your ‘partners’ who does anything of that? Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him.”
Gentlemen! These were some major headings in which an attempt was made to clarify some parts of the broadest meaning of SubhanAllah. Therefore, it is your duty to keep these clauses in mind when saying SubhanAllah and, in light of this, strengthen your belief in Tawheed and make every possible effort to refine your relationship with Allah, for this is the precious treasure for a person that will benefit him in this world and the Hereafter. Also, do not forget that SubhanAllah is not only the practice of humans but every creature and everything in the universe spends its time in the belief of glorification. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ ﴿١﴾
“Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allah, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”
All praise is due to Allah
This remembrance of Allah, besides being the second greatest kalima, is also the greatest treasure of monotheism, lordship, and divine gratitude. In the light of the Quran and Sunnah, the broadest meanings of Alhamdulillah can be expressed in the following points:
O Allah! I have firm faith and certainty that:
Only You alone are worthy of all kinds of praise, commendation, and glorification. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿١﴾
“All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.”
And all the blessings I have are entirely and solely bestowed by You, not by anyone else. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
And Allah Almighty also says in the Holy Quran:
﴿وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْأَرُونَ ﴿٥٣﴾
“And whatever blessing you have is from Allah. Then when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help.”
And I consider You alone worthy of gratitude for all these blessings, not anyone else. The Holy Quran states:
﴿وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ﴿٣٤﴾
“And they will say: All praise is for Allah who has removed sorrow from us. Surely our Lord is indeed Most Forgiving, Most Appreciative.”
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿فَكُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا وَاشْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿١١٤﴾
“So eat of the lawful and good things which Allah has provided for you, and be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is Him you worship.”
And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), before sleeping at night, would express gratitude for his Lord’s blessings with these beautiful words:
«الحمد لله الذى كفاني وآواني، وأطعمني وسقاني، والذي من على فأفضل ، والذي أعطاني فأجزل، الحمد لله على كل حال»
Al-Muhaddith Al-Albani has declared it authentic.
“I am extremely grateful to my Allah that throughout the day, whatever needs I had, He fulfilled them all, and when night came, He granted me a place to sleep. Whenever I felt hunger and thirst, He arranged the best food and drink for me. He bestowed favors upon me far beyond my needs, He gave abundantly. Therefore, I am always immensely thankful to my Allah in every condition.”
And it should also be kept in mind that gratitude is not merely verbal acknowledgment of blessings, but true gratitude is that along with acknowledging the blessings, Allah’s blessings are used fully in obedience to Him, and complete avoidance is made of using them in disobedience.
There is no god but Allah
This remembrance of Allah, besides being the third major kalima, is also the foremost condition for entering the fold of Islam. Purity and cleanliness from the filth of disbelief, polytheism, hypocrisy, and innovation are not possible until this kalima is sincerely believed in its content and meaning, and its commands are acted upon with a sincere intention and resolve. In the translation of this blessed kalima, the word ”اله“ holds a central position. In the Quranic usage, the word ”اله“ is used in the sense of the One worthy of worship, fulfilling needs, and obedience. Therefore, the meaning of لا إِلهَ إِلَّا الله will be: O Allah! I firmly believe and am certain that You alone are worthy of all kinds of worship; there is none else. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ ﴿٢٥﴾
“And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, ‘There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.'”
And You alone are worthy of all kinds of obedience and submission; there is none else.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿اتَّبِعْ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٠٦﴾
“(O Prophet!) Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord. There is no deity except Him, and turn away from those who associate others with Allah.”
And You alone are capable of fulfilling all needs and removing difficulties; there is none else. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
﴿أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٦٢﴾
“(Are) those (idols) better or He 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.”
Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that Musa (peace be upon him) said: “O Lord! Teach me something with which I may remember You and call upon You.”
Allah Almighty said: O Musa! لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ .
Musa (peace be upon him) said: “O Allah! All Your servants say this.”
Allah Almighty said: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله say it.
Musa (peace be upon him) said: “Teach me something special.”
He said: “O Musa! If the seven heavens and the seven earths, with all that is within them, were placed in one scale and لا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ in the other scale, it would outweigh them all alone.”
Ibn Hibban has declared it authentic.
Allah is the Greatest
And this is the fourth great word of divine remembrance which holds a fundamental position in creating the majesty and grandeur of the Lord of the universe in the heart of a believer, whose meaning is: O Allah! I have firm faith and certainty in this that:
Your essence is very great. In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ ﴿٦٢﴾
“And indeed, Allah is the Most High, the Most Great.”
And the greatest of all. In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ﴾
“And proclaim the greatness of Allah who has guided you.”
Great in every respect. In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:
﴿ وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلِيٌّ مِّنَ الذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا ﴿١١١﴾
“And say: All praise is due to Allah, who has not taken a son, nor has He any partner in His dominion, nor is there any protector against weakness for Him; and proclaim His greatness, the utmost greatness.”
And in comparison to You, all Your creation is very small and very weak.
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلَهُ الْكِبْرِيَاءُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ﴿٣٧﴾
“And to Him belongs all greatness in the heavens and the earth, and He is the Most Dominant, the Most Wise.”
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil ‘Aliyyil ‘Azim
And this divine remembrance is the fifth great kalima, which means: O Allah! I firmly believe in this as well that:
❀ I cannot achieve anything called good or virtue by my own power without the help of my Lord.
❀ I cannot protect myself from anything called evil or harm by my own strength without the help of my exalted and great Lord.
It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
«ألا أدلك على كلمة من تحت العرش ، من كنز الجنة؟ تقول: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله ، فيقول الله عز وجل: أسلم عبدي واستسلم»
Imam Hakim has declared it authentic.
“O Abu Huraira, shall I teach you a word that is among the treasures of the Throne and Paradise?” Then he informed that the word is لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ, and when a servant says this word, Allah Almighty replies that My servant has acknowledged My greatness and majesty and has made himself My obedient servant.”
Masha Allah wa la quwwata illa billah
This phrase is an alternative to “La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah” in terms of meaning, educational purposes, and effects. This phrase is recited when a person is happily observing the blessings granted by Allah Almighty. Its meaning is: O Allah! I firmly believe that these blessings I am seeing are granted by You alone; if You had not bestowed them upon me, I could never have obtained them by my own power.
And in the Holy Quran it is stated:
﴿وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا ﴿٣٩﴾
“And when you entered your garden, why did you not say: Masha Allah, la quwwata illa billah (What Allah wills; there is no power except with Allah)? If you see me less in wealth and children.”
