SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar: Meaning and Virtues

The words

• سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ

  SubhanAllah

  Glory be to Allah (He is free of every imperfection)

• ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ

  Alhamdulillah

  All praise and thanks are for Allah

• لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ

  La ilaha illallah

  There is no god but Allah

• ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ

  Allahu Akbar

  Allah is the Greatest

What each phrase means

SubhanAllah (tasbih) declares Allah free of every fault and every imperfection. Muslims often say it on seeing something amazing.

Alhamdulillah (tahmid) praises and thanks Allah for every blessing. It opens the Quran in Surah al-Fatihah and is said after sneezing and after eating.

Allahu Akbar (takbir) declares that Allah is greater than anything. It opens every prayer and is said on the days of Eid.

Virtues from authentic hadith

“The most beloved words to Allah are four: SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar. It does not matter which of them you begin with.” (Sahih Muslim 2137)

“To say SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar is dearer to me than everything the sun rises upon.” (Sahih Muslim 2695)

“Alhamdulillah fills the scale, and SubhanAllah and Alhamdulillah fill what is between the heavens and the earth.” (Sahih Muslim 223)

When to say them

After every obligatory prayer (33 times each), before sleeping (Tasbih Fatimah), and at any moment of the day — walking, waiting or working. They need no wudu and no special place.

Frequently asked questions