Friday, July 16, 2021

PART ONE ONE THE EXCELLENCE OF THE FOUR STATEMENTS - By AbdurRazaaq bin AbdulMuhsin al-Badr


Part One

 

The Excellence of the Four Statements 


سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ، وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

 

‘Far is Allaah from imperfection, and all praise be to Allaah, and there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah, and Allaah is the Greatest,’


(Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar)

 

By AbdurRazaaq bin AbdulMuhsin al-Badr


Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya

 

 AbdurRazaaq bin AbdulMuhsin al-Badr said:

 

‘Indeed the best speech and the most excellent remembrance after the Noble Qur’aan is four statements. They have an exceptional value, they consist of a great matter and have a high status in the Deen of Allaah, and they are:

 

‘Far is Allaah from imperfection, and all praise be to Allaah, and there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah, and Allaah is the Greatest,’ (Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar).

 

There are many texts, which show the excellence of these four statements that emphasize this great matter, and the value of these statements and the resulting great reward when establishing them and their noble excellence and their continuous benefits in the Dunyaa and the Hereafter. We will attempt to present some of the excellence of these statements from some of the texts, which mention these benefits.

 

1 - So from the excellence of these words is that they are the most beloved speech to Allaah. Imam Muslim collected in his book from the hadeeth of Sumrah bin Jundab –Radi Allaahu anhu– who said that the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

 

‘The most beloved speech to Allaah consists of four, there is no harm with which one you begin, Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar.’[1]


And collected by Tayyalisi in his ‘Musnad’ with the wording:

 

‘There are four statements that are the most beloved speech to Allaah, and they are in the Qur’aan, there is no harm which one you begin with: Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu Akbar.’[2]

 

2- From their excellence is that the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– informed us that they are more beloved to him than what the sun rose upon (i.e. from the Dunyaa and what is in it,) Muslim collected in his book ‘Saheeh’ from the hadeeth of Abu Hurairah who said: the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

 

‘Indeed that I say: ‘Far is Allaah from imperfection, and all praise be to Allaah, and there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah, and Allaah is the Greatest,’ (Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar) is more beloved to me than what the sun rose upon.’[3]

 

3 – From their excellence is, what is mentioned in ‘Musnad’ of Imam Ahmad and ‘Shu’ab al-Eeman’ by Bayhaqi with a good Isnaad from Assim bin Bahdalah from Abu Salih from Umm Hani bint Abu Talib who said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah walked past me so I said: ‘Indeed I have become old and weak – or something similar to this – then he ordered me with an action which I should do while I am sitting. He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

 

‘Say Subhana Allaah one hundred times, indeed it is equivalent to freeing one hundred slaves from the offspring of Isma’eel.

 

And say Alhamdulillaah one hundred times, it is the equivalent to one hundred horses saddled with reins ready to carry a person in the path of Allaah.


And say Allaahu akbar one hundred times, since it is the equivalent to one hundred camels slaughtered for the sake of Allaah.

 

And say La illaah ila Allaah one hundred times, Ibn Khalf (the narrator from Aasim) said: I think he said: it fills what is between the heavens and the earth and on that day no one will have an action raised except the one who came with the like of it.’[4]

 

Al-Mundhari said: Ahmad collected it with a Hasan Isnad[5] and the ‘allaama al-Albaani declared its Isnad Hasan.[6]

 

Reflect upon this great reward, which is a result of these words. So whoever says Subhana Allaah hundred times then it is the equivalent to freeing a hundred slaves from the sons of Isma’eel, the offspring of Isma’eel was mentioned specifically because they are the noblest of the Arabs in lineage.  Whoever says Alhamdulillaah a hundred times then he will have the reward as the one who gave charity of one hundred horses saddled and reined ready to carry the Mujahideen in the path of Allaah. Whoever says Allaahu Akbar a hundred times then he will have the reward as the one who spends camels slaughtered for the sake of Allaah. Whoever said la illaah ila Allaah a hundred times then it fills what is between the heavens and the earth and no one’s action is raised except if one comes with what was mentioned.

 

4- From the excellence of the status of these words, is that they are an expiation for sins. It is mentioned in ‘al-Musnad’, ‘Sunnan Tirmidhi’ and ‘Mustadrak al-Hakim’ from the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin ‘Amr bin al-‘Aaas –Radi Allaahu anhu– who said the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

 

‘There is no person on earth who says: ‘la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar, wa Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, La hawla wa la quwwata illa billaa, (There is no capability nor is there any power except with Allaah) except that his sins are expiated even if they were more than the foam on the sea.

 

’Tirmidhi declared it to be Hasan, and al-Hakim authenticated it and Dhahabi agreed with him and al-Albaani declared it to be Hasan.[7]

 

As for the meaning ‘expiation of sins’ here it means minor sins, as is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim from Abu Hurairah –Radi Allaahu anhu– that the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– used to say:

 

‘The five daily prayers, from one Juma’ till the next Juma’, from one Ramadhan till the next Ramadhan is an expiation for what takes place between them as long as the major sins are kept away from.’[8]

 

Therefore expiation of sins has been limited to keeping away from the major sins; because a major sin can only be expiated by repentance.

 

Also there is a hadeeth that has been collected with the same meaning by Tirmidhi and other than him from Anas bin Malik –Radi Allaahu anhu– that the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– walked passed a tree which had dry leaves and he hit that tree with his stick and the leaves began to fall, the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

 

‘Indeed al-Hamdu lillaahi, wa Subhana Allaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar, cause the sins of a slave of Allaah to fall just like the leaves of this tree are falling.

 

Declared Hasan by al-Albaani.[9]

 

5- From the excellence of these words is that they are plants of Paradise, Tirmidhi collected from Abdullaah bin Mas’ood, from the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– that he said:

 

‘I met the Prophet Ibrahim on the night when I was taken on the night journey, and Ibrahim said: O Muhammad convey my Salam to your Ummah, and inform them that Paradise has very fine soil, sweet water. That it has lowland and its plants are: ‘Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar’ (Far is Allaah from imperfection, and all praise be to Allaah, and there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah, and Allaah is the Greatest)’[10]

 

In the Isnaad of this hadeeth is AbdurRahman bin Ishaaq, however the hadeeth has two supporting narrations which strengthen this narration from the hadeeth of Abu ‘Ayyoub al-Ansari and from the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin Umar.

 

The meaning is that plants in Paradise grow quickly due to these statements, just like the plants that are planted on lowland and the growth of its plants is fast.

 

6 – From its excellence is that there is none better according to Allaah than a believer who lives his life in Islaam and says ‘Allaahu akbar, Subhana Allaahi, la illaah ila Allaah, and al-Hamdu lillaahi,’ a lot.

 

What is collected by Imam Ahmad and by Nisa’ee in ‘Amal al-Yawm wa Laylah’ with a Hasan Isnaad from Abdullaah bin Shaddad: is that a group of three people from the tribe of Udhraah came to the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and accepted Islaam and Abdullaah said that the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said: ‘Who will look after them?’

 

Talha said: ‘I will.’

 

Abdullaah said: ‘They stayed with Talha and the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– sent out a delegation and one of them went in it and was martyred.  Abdullaah said: then the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– sent another a delegation and another person went with them and was martyred.

 

Abdullaah continued: then the third person died on his bed.

 

Talha said: ‘I saw these three people who stayed with me [in a dream] they were in Paradise, and I saw the one who died on his bed in front of them, and I saw the one who was martyred last after him and I saw the one who was martyred last behind them.  Talha said: I came to the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– and I mentioned this to him, and the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

 

‘Why did you not stop them from going with the delegation, there is none better according to Allaah from a believer who lives his life in Islaam and says ‘Allaahu akbar, Subhana Allaahi, la illaah ila Allaah, and al-Hamdu lillaahi,’ a lot.’[11]

 

This great hadeeth shows the great excellence of the one who has a long life and his actions are good, and his tongue continues to be moist with the Dhikr of Allaah – Azza wa Jal, and success is from Allaah Alone.

 

[Taken from ‘Fiqh al-Adeeyah wal Adhkaar’ by Abdur-Razzaq al-Badr p.156-160]

 

 [1] Saheeh Muslim

 [2] Musnad at-Tayyalisi

[3] Saheeh Muslim

[4] Al-Musnad & Shu’ab al-Eemaan

[5] Targheeb wa Tarheeb (2/409)

[6] Silsilah Saheehah (3/303)

[7] Al-Musnad , Sunnan Tirmidhi, Mustadrak al-Hakim & Saheeh al-Jamia’ no. 5636

[8] Saheeh Muslim

[9] Sunnan Tirmidhi & Saheeh al-Jamia’ no. 1601

[10] Sunnan Tirmidhi & Albaani declared it Hasan in Saheehah no. 105

[11] Al-Musnad, Sunnan al-Kubra by Nisa’ee Book of Actions of the Day & the Night, Albaani declared it Hasan in Saheehah No. 654

 

For better viewing see here>  https://followingthesunnah.com/2011/04/14/part-one-the-excellence-of-the-four-statements/#_ftn3

More to read herehttps://followingthesunnah.com/2011/06/08/part-two-the-excellence-of-the-four-statements/