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 here> https://followingthesunnah.com/2011/06/08/part-two-the-excellence-of-the-four-statements/
