Big idea: Four short phrases that make our hearts big with praise.
سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ
Subhanallahi walhamdulillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil aliyyil azeem.
Glory be to Allah. All praise belongs to Allah. There is no god but Allah. Allah is the Greatest. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the High, the Mighty.
Have you ever stood outside on a clear night and looked up at the stars? Noor did, on a camping trip with her uncle. The sky was so full that she forgot to talk.
Then she whispered, "Subhanallah." Glory be to Allah. It just came out. She did not plan it.
Her uncle smiled. "That is the first part of Tamjeed," he said. "Tamjeed means to give glory. When something is so wonderful that you have no other words, you can say that Allah is far above any flaw."
The next morning, a warm breakfast was waiting. Noor said, "Alhamdulillah." All praise belongs to Allah. Gratitude had no other place to go.
Then came the others. "La ilaha illallah," for the One who has no partner. "Allahu akbar," because Allah is greater than anything we can see, fear, or want.
And the last part is for the moments when we feel small. "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah." There is no power and no strength except with Allah. When a job feels too big, we remind ourselves that real strength comes from Him.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us that the words most beloved to Allah are four of these: subhanallah, alhamdulillah, la ilaha illallah, and Allahu akbar. They take a second to say, and they are a treasure.
Tamjeed means giving glory to Allah. These words tell us that Allah is perfect, deserves all praise, is One, is the Greatest, and is the source of all strength.
Take one phrase for the day. Say "Subhanallah" when you see something amazing, "Alhamdulillah" when something is good, and "Allahu akbar" when something feels too big.
Which of these four phrases would you reach for first today, and why?
Source: Built from phrases in Sahih Muslim 2137 (the four beloved phrases) and Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 and Sahih Muslim 2704 (la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah). The joined wording is the common learning text.