20 supplications
Praising Allah in the Words of the Qur’an: Tasbih and Tahmid
The Qur’an opens with praise and describes the people of Paradise praising Allah as their last call. Its verses of tahmid and tasbih are the most beautiful words for thanking Allah after a blessing, for reflecting on creation, and for ending a gathering or a prayer.
Praise to the One without partner
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلِيٌّ مِّنَ الذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi lam yattakhidh waladan wa lam yakun lahu sharikun fil-mulki wa lam yakun lahu waliyyum-minadh-dhulli wa kabbirhu takbira.
Praise be to Allah, who has not taken a son, who has no partner in sovereignty and needs no protector out of weakness. And glorify Him with great glorification.
Source: Qur’an 17:111
Praise to the Creator of light
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi khalaqas-samawati wal-arda wa ja‘aladh-dhulumati wan-nur.
Praise be to Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light.
Source: Qur’an 6:1
Praise in this world and the next
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ardi wa lahul-hamdu fil-akhirah, wa huwal-hakimul-khabir.
Praise be to Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and to Him belongs praise in the Hereafter. He is the Wise, the Aware.
Source: Qur’an 34:1
Praise for guidance
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلَا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi hadana li-hadha wa ma kunna li-nahtadiya law la an hadanallah.
Praise be to Allah, who guided us to this; we would never have been guided had Allah not guided us.
Source: Qur’an 7:43
The praise of the people of Paradise
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi adhhaba ‘annal-hazan, inna rabbana la-ghafurun shakur.
Praise be to Allah, who has removed all sorrow from us. Our Lord is Forgiving, Appreciative.
Source: Qur’an 35:34
Praise when the promise is fulfilled
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُ وَأَوْرَثَنَا الْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَاءُ ۖ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi sadaqana wa‘dahu wa awrathanal-arda natabawwa’u minal-jannati haythu nasha’, fa-ni‘ma ajrul-‘amilin.
Praise be to Allah, who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us inherit the land, to settle in Paradise wherever we wish. Excellent is the reward of those who work.
Source: Qur’an 39:74
The last call of the people of Paradise
دَعْوَاهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ ۚ وَآخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Da‘wahum fiha subhanakallahumma wa tahiyyatuhum fiha salam, wa akhiru da‘wahum anil-hamdu lillahi rabbil-‘alamin.
Their call there will be “Glory be to You, O Allah”, their greeting there “Peace”, and the last of their call “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds”.
Source: Qur’an 10:10
The thanks of Dawud and Sulayman
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi faddalana ‘ala kathirim-min ‘ibadihil-mu’minin.
Praise be to Allah, who has favoured us over many of His believing servants.
Source: Qur’an 27:15
Ibrahim thanks Allah for his sons
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi wahaba li ‘alal-kibari isma‘ila wa ishaq, inna rabbi la-sami‘ud-du‘a’.
Praise be to Allah, who has granted me in old age Isma‘il and Ishaq. Indeed, my Lord hears supplication.
Source: Qur’an 14:39
Thanks for deliverance
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي نَجَّانَا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi najjana minal-qawmidh-dhalimin.
Praise be to Allah, who saved us from the wrongdoing people. Taught to Nuh when he boarded the Ark.
Source: Qur’an 23:28
Praise and peace on the chosen
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَىٰ
Alhamdu lillahi wa salamun ‘ala ‘ibadihil-ladhinastafa.
Praise be to Allah, and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen.
Source: Qur’an 27:59
Glory to the Lord of honour
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Subhana rabbika rabbil-‘izzati ‘amma yasifun, wa salamun ‘alal-mursalin, wal-hamdu lillahi rabbil-‘alamin.
Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of honour, above what they describe. Peace be upon the messengers, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Source: Qur’an 37:180-182
Glorification morning and evening
فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ
Fa-subhanallahi hina tumsuna wa hina tusbihun, wa lahul-hamdu fis-samawati wal-ardi wa ‘ashiyyan wa hina tudhhirun.
So glorify Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. To Him belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth, in the late afternoon and at noon.
Source: Qur’an 30:17-18
The end of Surah Ya-Sin
فَسُبْحَانَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
Fa-subhanal-ladhi bi-yadihi malakutu kulli shay’in wa ilayhi turja‘un.
So glory be to Him in whose hand is the dominion of all things, and to Him you will be returned.
Source: Qur’an 36:83
Blessed is the best of creators
فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
Fa-tabarakallahu ahsanul-khaliqin.
So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.
Source: Qur’an 23:14
The last verse of Surah ar-Rahman
تَبَارَكَ اسْمُ رَبِّكَ ذِي الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ
Tabarakasmu rabbika dhil-jalali wal-ikram.
Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honour.
Source: Qur’an 55:78
His is the creation and the command
أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Ala lahul-khalqu wal-amr, tabarakallahu rabbul-‘alamin.
Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Source: Qur’an 7:54
Everything glorifies the King
يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ
Yusabbihu lillahi ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ardil-malikil-quddusil-‘azizil-hakim.
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, the King, the Most Holy, the Almighty, the Wise.
Source: Qur’an 62:1
To Him belong dominion and praise
يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Yusabbihu lillahi ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things.
Source: Qur’an 64:1
The whole universe glorifies Him
سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
Subhanahu wa ta‘ala ‘amma yaquluna ‘uluwwan kabira. Tusabbihu lahus-samawatus-sab‘u wal-ardu wa man fihinn, wa im-min shay’in illa yusabbihu bi-hamdihi wa lakin la tafqahuna tasbihahum, innahu kana haliman ghafura.
Glorified and exalted is He far above what they say. The seven heavens, the earth and whoever is in them glorify Him; there is nothing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification. He is Forbearing, Forgiving.
Source: Qur’an 17:43-44
Praise in every state
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Alhamdulillah fills the scale” (Muslim). Praise is due in ease and hardship: in ease out of gratitude and in hardship out of contentment with the decree. The Qur’an teaches praise for creation (6:1), for guidance (7:43), for deliverance (23:28) and for children (14:39), so every blessing has a model of thanks.
Tasbih, declaring Allah free of every imperfection, often accompanies praise: “Glorify with the praise of your Lord.” Ending a gathering with “Subhana rabbika rabbil-‘izzati ‘amma yasifun…” (37:180-182) is reported from several of the Salaf.
Praising Allah in the Words of the Qur’an: Tasbih and Tahmid: questions and answers
What is the difference between tasbih and tahmid?
Tasbih (subhanallah) negates every defect from Allah; tahmid (alhamdulillah) affirms every perfection and thanks Him. Together they form complete praise.
Can verses of praise be recited without wudu?
Yes, from memory, as dhikr. Touching the mushaf requires wudu according to most scholars.
Related duas
- Duas of Gratitude and Praise
- Dhikr: the Best Words of Remembrance with Their Rewards
- All the Rabbana Duas of the Qur’an, with Meaning
- Rabbi Duas: Supplications Beginning with “My Lord” in the Qur’an
- Verses of Tawhid and the Names of Allah for Remembrance
- Qur’anic Verses of Tawakkul: Words of Reliance on Allah
- Verses of Hope and Comfort for Hard Times
- Ayat ash-Shifa: the Healing Verses and Qur’anic Ruqyah