(100x) سُبْحَانَ اللّٰهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
Allah is free from imperfection, and all praise is due to Him.
Subḥāna-llāhi wa bi ḥamdih.
Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “He who says [the above] in the morning and in the evening 100 times, will not be surpassed on the Day of Judgement by anyone with better deeds except the one who says the same words or more.” (Muslim 2692)
Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says [the above] 100 times a day, all of his sins will be forgiven, even if they are as abundant as the foam of the sea.” (Bukhārī 6405)
Brief Commentary
• We begin the dhikr by saying ‘Subḥānallāh’, a phrase which glorifies Allah through negating any deficiencies from Him. Allah is free from all defects. Allah is the Most Glorified who has no partner or rival, who possesses every aspect of perfection, and whose actions are pure and free from evil.
• We follow this up by saying ‘Alḥamdulillāh’. Through this phrase, we praise Allah in a complete manner which encompasses praising Him (1) for the qualities that He possesses, and (2) for the good He has done for us.
• The wording structure of this duʿā’ means that “I am praising Allah for allowing me to glorify Him”.
• It also carries the meaning of: “I am able to glorify Allah due to the qualities He has which are deserving of Praise, that allowed me to do this”.
• The number quoted in the ḥadīth (100 times) is the minimum to achieve the rewards associated with it. However, a person is allowed, and should aim to do more than this. This is different to other acts of worship which have a fixed number e.g. number of rakʿāt in ṣalāh.
Virtues
This phrase (سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِه) is one of the most beloved phrases to Allah, and it carries many virtues, including:
• The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever says سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِه, a palm-tree will be planted for him in Paradise” (Tirmidhī).
• The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, “What is the most virtuous speech?” He said, “What Allah selected for His angels or for His servants: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ” (Muslim).
• The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever find it difficult to struggle at night (i.e. stand in prayer at night), or is stingy to spend his wealth (in the path of Allah), or is cowardly to fight the enemy — then he should abundantly say سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ, for it is more beloved to Allah than a mountain of gold which he spends in the path of Allah” (Ṭabarānī).
• The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When death approached Allah’s Prophet Nūḥ (ʿalayhis-salām), he said to his son: ‘… (I command you with) سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ . It is the prayer of everything, and with it the creation is given sustenance’” (Ḥākim).
• This ḥadīth means that the entire universe – including the angels, the mountains, and trees – praises and glorifies Allah, as Allah says, “The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praises—but you cannot comprehend their glorification. He is indeed Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving” (17:44). This tasbīḥ is the key of them receiving the provisions of Allah.
Action Points
• Ponder over the deep meanings of this dhikr. When saying ‘SubḥānAllah’, think about how Allah is perfect: free from all the partners people associate with Him, free from oppression, evil and injustice.
• When saying ‘bi-ḥamdihī’, think about: the (1) blessings Allah has given you and (2) the Perfect Names and the qualities of Allah. Think of the greatness of Allah, His majesty, His generosity, His nobility, His power etc.
• The special phrasing of this dhikr means that you have to realise that you doing tasbīḥ of Allah is a gift from Him — and this requires you to thank and praise Him (ḥamd). Each time you glorify Him, you praise Him for allowing you to glorify Him. It is a never-ending cycle, as you can never praise Allah enough.
• This dhikr only takes a few minutes to say. By utilising a few minutes of your morning and evening to say this powerful dhikr, your sins will be forgiven and you will be from the people with the best deeds.
