The excellence of remembering Allah
 

254. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: Whoever says:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ

Subhaanallaahi wa bihamdihi.

Glorified is Allah and praised is He.

one hundred times a day, will have his sins forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.

Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/168, Muslim 4/2071, see also invocation no. 91 of this book.

255. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: Whoever says:

لا إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ المُلْكُ وَلَهُ الحَمْد، وهُوَ عَلى كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَديرٌ

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa 'alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer.

None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things.

ten times, will have the reward for freeing four slaves from the Children of Isma'il (i.e. the Muslims).

Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/67, Muslim 4/2071, see also invocation no. 93 of this book.

256. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "Two statements are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance, and are loved by the Most Merciful One.  Here are the two statements":

سُبْحانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ  سُبْحَانَ اللهِ العَظِيمِ

Subhaanal-laahi wa bihamdihi, Subhaanal-laahil-'Adheem.

Glorified is Allah and praised is He , Glorified is Allah the Most Great.

Reference: Al-Bukhari 7/168, Muslim 4/2072.

257. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: For me to say:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ، والحَمْدُ للهِ،  وَ لاَ إِلَهَ إلاَّ اللهُ واللهُ أَكْبَرُ

Subhaanallaahi, walhamdu lillaahi, wa laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu, wallaahu 'Akbar.

Glory is to Allah, and praise is to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Most Great.

is dearer to me than all that the sun rises upon (i.e. the whole world).

Reference: Muslim 4/2072.

258. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "Is anyone of you incapable of earning one thousand Hasanah (rewards) in a day?" Someone from his gathering asked, "How can anyone of us earn a thousand Hasanah':'" He said, "Glorify Allah a hundred times and a thousand Hasanah will be written for you, or a thousand sins will be wiped away."

Reference: Muslim 4/2073.

259. Whoever says:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ العَظِيمِ وبِحَمْدِهِ

Subhaanallaahil-'Adheemi wa bihamdihi.

Glorified is Allah the Most Great and praised is He.

will have a date palm planted for him in Paradise.

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/511, and Al-Hakim who graded it authentic and Ath-Thahabi agreed 1/501. See also Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 5/531 and Sahih At-Tirmithi3/160.

260. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "O Abdullah bin Qais, should I not point you to one of the treasures of Paradise?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." So he told me to say:

لاَ حَوٍلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ باللهِ

Laa hawla wa laa quwwata 'illaa billaah.

There is no power and no might except by Allah.

Reference: Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/213, Muslim 4/2076.

261. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: The most beloved words to Allah are four.  They are:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ، 

Subhaanallaah

Glorified is Allah

And

الْحَمْدُ للهِ، 

Alhamdu lillaah

The praise is for Allah

And

لاَ إِلَهَ إَلاَّ اللهُ 

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaah

There is none worthy of worship but Allah

And

اللهُ أَكْبَرُ

Allaahu 'Akbar

Allah is the Most Great

Reference: Muslim 3/1685.

262. A desert Arab came to Allah's Messenger (SAW) and said, "Teach me a word that I can say. " The Prophet told him to say:

لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، اللهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبيراَ والْحَمْدُ للهِ كَثيراً، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ رَبِّ العَالَمينَ، لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ باللهِ العَزيزِ الْحَكِيمِ

Laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, Allaahu 'Akbaru kabeeran, walhamdu lillaahi katheeran, Subhaanallaahi Rabbil-'aalameen, laa hawla wa laa quwwata 'illaa biilaahil-'Azeezil-Hakeem.

There is none worthy of worship but Allah , Who has no partner, Allah is the Great, the Most Great, and praise is to Allah in abundance, glory is to Allah, Lord of the worlds . There is no power and no might but by Allah the Mighty, the Wise.

He said, "That is for my Lord, but what about me?" The Prophet (SAW) told him to say:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وارْحَمْنِي، واهْدِنِي، وارْزُقْنِي

Allaahummaghfir lee, warhamnee, wahdinee warzuqnee

O Allah forgive me, and have mercy on me and guide me, and provide for me.

Reference: Muslim 4/2072, Abu Dawud reports the same Hadith with the addition: and when the Arab left, the Prophet (SAW) said: "He has filled his hands with goodness." 1/220.

263. Whenever anyone accepted Islam, the Prophet (SAW) used to teach him how to pray, then he would instruct him to invoke Allah with the following words:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرِ لِي، وارْحَمْنِي، واهْدِنِي، وعَافِنِي وارْزُقْنِي

Allaahummaghfir lee, warhamnee, wahdinee, wa 'aafinee warzuqnee.

O Allah forgive me, and have mercy on me and guide me and give me good health and provide for me.

Reference: Muslim 4/2073, and in one of Muslim's reports there is the addition: 'For these words combine [the goodness of] this world and the next.'

264. The most excellent invocation is:

الْحَمْدُ للهِ

Alhamdu lillaah.

Praise is for Allah.

And

لاَ إِلَه إِلاَّ اللهُ

Laa'ilaaha'illallaah.

There is none worthy of worship but Allah.

Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/462, Ibn Majah 2/1249, and Al-Hakim who graded it authentic and Ath-Tbahabi agreed 1/503. See Al-Albani, Sahihul-Jami' As-Saghir 1/362.

265. The most most everlasting deeds is to say:

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ، والْحَمْدُ للهِ،لاَ إِلَهَ إَلاَّ اللهُ واللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إلاَّ باللهِ

Subhaanallaah, Walhamdu lillaah, Wa laa 'ilaaha 'illallaah, Wallaahu 'Akbar and Wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata 'illaa billaah

Glorified is Allah, The praise is for Allah, There is none worth of worship but Allah, Allah is the Most Great and There is no power and no might except by Allah

Reference: Ahmad (no. 513) (Ahmad Shakir, ed.) and its chain of narration is authentic. See Majma'uz-Zawa'id 1/297. Ibn Hajar mentions it in Bulughul-Maram saying that Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim considered it authentic.