I wanted to know about the dhikr ‘La Hawla wa La Quwwata Illa Billah’ لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِالله 1) What is the full meaning of “La Hawla wa La Quwwata Illa Billah” (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِالله) and what should someone be thinking and reflecting when saying it? I think I have seen/heard …

I wanted to know about the dhikr ‘La Hawla wa La Quwwata Illa Billah’ لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِالله 1) What is the full meaning of “La Hawla wa La Quwwata Illa Billah” (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِالله) and what should someone be thinking and reflecting when saying it? I think I have seen/heard translations like no power or strength except by/from Allah and something like not being able to stay away from sins and not being able to do good except with Allah’s help. I don’t know if the meaning is very clear and I am not sure what the difference is between the word hawla and quwwa. The english words used in the translation, power and strength, seem similar and I don’t get the difference. InshaAllah I will get clarification.

2) What are all the dunya (worldly) and deeni/akhirah (hereafter) benefits of reciting the dhikr “La Hawla wa La Quwwata Illa Billah” (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِالله)? Will you please mention the ayahs from the Quran and specific ahadith/hadiths that talk about this dhikr?

3) How do you attain those benefits? Is there a certain number of times and/or a specific time of day or week it should be recited? Does it have to be everyday or can it be whenever a person has a need?

4) Is this zikr also a form of istighfar and tawba? By saying it, is it equal to seeking/asking forgiveness from Allah and repenting to Allah from all of one’s past sins?

In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

The phrase, لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله has numerous benefits, some of which are mentioned below along with references to the ahadith in the footnotes in which the particular phrase is underlined for ease of reading.

A Treasure from amongst the Treasures of Paradise: Abu Dhar (radiyallahu anhu) narrated: Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to me: “Should I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?” I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “There is no might or   power except with Allah.”¹

Protection from Shaytaan: Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu anhu) narrated:  Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever recites when he leaves his home: ‘In the Name of Allah, I have placed my trust in Allah, and there is no might or power except with Allah,’ it will be said to him: You have been guided, spared and protected, and Shaytan will be kept far from him.”²

Forgiveness of Sins: Abdullah ibn Amr (radiyallahu anhu) narrated: Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “There is no one on the earth who says: ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allah and Allah is the Greatest and there is no might or power except with Allah,’ except that his sins are forgiven even if they were equal to the foam of the sea.”³

Attainment of Religious and Secular Objectives: Allama Panipati (rahmatullahi alayhi) has related from Mujaddid Alf-Thani (rahmatullahi alayhi) the following daily wazeefah for the attainment of one’s religious and secular objectives: 100 times Darud Sharif, 500 times: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله, and 100 times Darud Sharif.4

The meaning of لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله has been explained by Rasulullah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself. It means: “There is no might to avoid disobeying Allah except by the protection of Allah and no strength to obey Allah except with the help of Allah.”5 One can reflect on this explanation when reciting it.

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum

Ml. Sohail Bengali
Correspondence Iftā Student, US.

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Dārul Iftā, Madrasah In῾āmiyyah

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