Authored by: Fadhilat al-Shaykh Hafiz Abdul Sattar Hammad (may Allah preserve him)
✦ The Most Beloved Words to Allah ✦
أَحَبُّ الْكَلاَمِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَرْبَعٌ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2137]
“The most beloved words to Allah are four: Subḥān Allāh, Alḥamdulillāh, Lā ilāha illā Allāh, and Allāhu Akbar.”
✦ Benefits ✦
The Prophet ﷺ instructed the Ummah with specific words of remembrance (dhikr), which fall into four meaningful categories:
❶ Subḥān Allāh – This represents the declaration of Allah’s absolute purity and freedom from any deficiency or imperfection.
❷ Alḥamdulillāh – This proclaims praise and gratitude, attributing all perfection and excellence to Allah alone.
❸ Lā ilāha illā Allāh – This affirms the oneness of Allah, acknowledging that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him.
❹ Allāhu Akbar – This expresses the greatness and majesty of Allah above all.
Despite their brevity, these four phrases encompass glorification, praise, affirmation of monotheism, and the proclamation of Allah’s supreme greatness.
✦ Their Value in the Sight of the Prophet ﷺ ✦
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Saying Subḥān Allāh, Alḥamdulillāh, Lā ilāha illā Allāh, and Allāhu Akbar once is more beloved to me than everything upon which the sun rises.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, al-Dhikr wa al-Duʿāʾ, 6847]
✦ Forgiveness Through These Words ✦
Another Hadith highlights their power in expiating sins. The Prophet ﷺ once passed by a tree with withered leaves. He struck it with his staff, causing the dry leaves to fall. He then remarked:
“Subḥān Allāh, Alḥamdulillāh, Lā ilāha illā Allāh, and Allāhu Akbar shed the sins of a servant just as the leaves fall from that tree.”
[Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, al-Daʿawāt, 3533]
