Home » Hanafi Fiqh » HadithAnswers.com » The virtue of certain words of dhikr and ‘la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’

The virtue of certain words of dhikr and ‘la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’

Is this statement of ‘Umar (radiyallahu anhu) authentic?

Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibnul Khattab (radiyallahu anhu) says: ‘Subhanallah’ is the worship of the creation. ‘Alhamdulillah’ are the thanksgiving words. ‘La ilaha illallah’ are the words of sincerity and devotion. The blessings of the recitation of ‘Allahu Akbar’ fills up the heavens and earth. When a man recites ‘La haw la wa la quwwata illa billah’ , Allah says: ‘Aslama was taslama.’

Answer

This narration is recorded in Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaq and Tafsir Tabari as the statement of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibnul ‘As and not Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibnul Khattab (radiyallahu ‘anhum).

The wording as appear in Tafsir Tabari are as follows:

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) said: “When a person says ‘La ilaha illallah’, then these are the words of sincerity. No good deeds are accepted until a person utters these words. When he says ‘Alhamdulillah’, then these are the words expressing gratitude. None can express gratitude to Allah, except by saying these words. When a person says ‘Allahu Akbar’, it fills up whatever is between the heavens and earth. When he says ‘Subhanallah’, then this is the worship/du’a of the creation through which Allah [responds to those who utter them] and when he says ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’, Allah says, ‘My slave has surrendered and submitted.’”

(Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaq; Jami’u Ma’mar ibn Rashid, Hadith: 20579, Tafsir Tabari, Surah: Al Isra/Bani Israil, Verse: 44. Also see: Kitabud Du’a of Imam Tabarani, Hadith: 1602 and Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah: Al Isra/Bani Israil, Verse: 44)

The narration is suitable to quote as the statement of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhuma).

Note: The last part of this narration has been authentically reported as a Hadith of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Should I not inform you of some words which are from the treasures of Jannah under the ‘Arsh?’ When Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) replied in the affirmative, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Say, La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’ for Allah Ta’ala responds by saying, ‘My slave has surrendered and submitted.’

(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 2 pg. 298, vol. 2 pg. 335 and vol. 2 pg. 520, Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 1 pg. 21. Also see: Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 1 pg. 502)

Imam Hakim (rahimahullah) has declared this Hadith authentic and ‘Allamah Dhahabi (rahimahullah) concurs.

Also see here.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

Read answers with similar topics: