The Four Recitations Most Beloved To Allah

عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدَبٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحَبُّ الْكَلاَمِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَرْبَعٌ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لاَ يَضُرُّكَ بَأَيِّهِنَّ بَدَأْتَ

Samurah bin Jundub narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “There are four words dearest to Allah: ‘Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah)’, ‘Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah)’, ‘Laa ilaaha illallah (There is no God but Allah)’, and ‘Allahuakbar (God is Most Great)’. It does not matter which you say first.”

Narrated in Sahih Muslim

Grade: Sahih (authentic)

Reflections:

1. Every Muslim should regularly recite zikir (remembrance of Allah).

2. Four zikir which are dearest to Allah are

a. Tasbih – سُبْحَانَ اللّهُ (Subhanallah)

b. Tahmid – اَلْحَمْدُلِلّهِ (Alhamdulillah)

c. Tahlil – لاَ اِلَهَ اِلاَّ اللّهُ (Laa ilaaha illallah)

d. Takbir – اَللّهُ اَكْبَرُ (Allahuakbar)

3. There is no specific order in which these zikir should be chanted.

4. A similar hadith tells of the weight of these recitations:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَأَنْ أَقُولَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ

Abi Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “To say, ‘Subhanallahi walhamdulillahi walaa ilaaha illallahu wallahu akbar’ is dearer to me than all that the sun rises over (i.e. the world).”

Narrated in Sahih Muslim

Grade: Sahih (authentic)

May our tongues never grow weary of uttering tasbih, tahmid, tahlil and takbir.