6 supplications
Dhikr: the Best Words of Remembrance with Their Rewards
Dhikr is the simplest worship and among the heaviest on the scale. Short phrases taught by the Prophet ﷺ plant trees in Paradise, erase sins and fill the scale, and they can be said walking, working or waiting, with no wudu or special place required.
The four most beloved words
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Subhanallah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar.
Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. “The most beloved words to Allah are four; it does not matter which you begin with.”
Source: Sahih Muslim
Two words heavy on the scale
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ
Subhanallahi wa bihamdih, subhanallahil-‘adhim.
Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him; glory be to Allah the Magnificent. “Two words light on the tongue, heavy on the scale and beloved to the Most Merciful.”
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
Glory and praise be to Allah×100
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
Subhanallahi wa bi-hamdih.
Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him. Whoever says it a hundred times a day has his sins wiped away, even if they are like the foam of the sea; and no one brings anything better on the Day of Resurrection, except someone who said the same or more.
Source: Sahih Muslim
A treasure of Paradise
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
There is no power and no strength except with Allah. The Prophet ﷺ called it “a treasure from the treasures of Paradise”.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah×100
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, without partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. Said a hundred times a day, it equals freeing ten slaves, a hundred good deeds are written, a hundred bad deeds erased, and it protects from Shaytan until the evening. Saying it ten times is also reported.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
Glory be to Allah, as many as His creation×3
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، عَدَدَ خَلْقِهِ، وَرِضَا نَفْسِهِ، وَزِنَةَ عَرْشِهِ، وَمِدَادَ كَلِمَاتِهِ
Subhanallahi wa bi-hamdih, ‘adada khalqih, wa rida nafsih, wa zinata ‘arshih, wa midada kalimatih.
Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him, as many times as the number of His creation, as much as pleases Him, as much as the weight of His Throne, and as much as the ink of His words. The Prophet ﷺ told Juwayriyah that these four phrases said three times outweigh all she had said since the morning.
Source: Sahih Muslim
Rewards confirmed in authentic hadith
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever says Subhanallahi wa bihamdih a hundred times a day, his sins are erased even if they are like the foam of the sea” (al-Bukhari, Muslim). He said that “Alhamdu lillah” fills the scale and that “Subhanallah wal-hamdu lillah” fill what is between the heavens and the earth (Muslim). He told Abu Musa that “La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah” is a treasure of Paradise (al-Bukhari).
On the night of the Ascension, Ibrahim asked him to tell his community that Paradise has pure soil and sweet water, and that its plants are “Subhanallah, alhamdulillah, la ilaha illallah, Allahu akbar” (at-Tirmidhi). Each phrase is a tree planted for the one who says it.
Dhikr of the heart and the tongue
The highest dhikr joins the tongue and the heart: the words are pronounced while their meaning is present. Tasbih declares Allah free of every defect, tahmid affirms that all praise belongs to Him, tahlil denies any deity besides Him, and takbir declares Him greater than everything. Reflecting on these meanings turns repetition into worship.
Allah says: “Remember Me; I will remember you” (2:152), and the Prophet ﷺ compared the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not to the living and the dead (al-Bukhari).
Building a daily routine
Simple habits make dhikr constant: the morning and evening adhkar, the tasbih after each prayer, a hundred istighfar during the day, salawat on Friday and dhikr while driving, walking or waiting. The Prophet ﷺ counted tasbih on the fingers of his right hand and said the fingers will be asked and will speak (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi).
Practical tips
- Attach a dhikr to each daily routine: waking, wudu, driving, cooking.
- Say “Subhanallahi wa bihamdih” a hundred times in the morning.
- Count on the fingers of your right hand.
- Replace idle scrolling with a few minutes of tasbih.
- Teach children one short phrase each week.
Dhikr: the Best Words of Remembrance with Their Rewards: questions and answers
Which dhikr is the best?
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best dhikr is La ilaha illallah” (at-Tirmidhi), and the most beloved words to Allah are the four phrases (Muslim).
Is wudu required for dhikr?
No. Dhikr is allowed in every state, including without wudu; only touching the mushaf has conditions according to most scholars.
Can I use a tasbih counter?
Many scholars allow it as a means of counting, while counting on the fingers follows the practice of the Prophet ﷺ and is better.