5 Words of Remembrance Beloved by Allah (Easy Dhikr)
What if you feel you cannot memorize much of the Quran? A man once came to the Prophet ﷺ with exactly that worry. The answer he got was five short words of remembrance beloved by Allah, easy enough for anyone to say, followed by a dua for his own needs. Here is the hadith, what each word means, and how to make them part of your day.
At a glance
- Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 832 (also Sunan an-Nasa’i 924)
- Narrated by: ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Grade: Hasan (al-Albani); Hasan (Darussalam) for an-Nasa’i
- Topic: Simple dhikr for everyone
- Practise it: Say the five words after salah, then the short dua for yourself
The hadith: a man who could not memorize the Quran
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said that he could not memorize anything from the Quran, and asked to be taught something that would be enough for him. The Prophet ﷺ said:
قُلْ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
“Say: Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is most great, and there is no might and no strength but in Allah.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 832 · Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa · Grade: Hasan (al-Albani) · Translation from Sunnah.com
The man then asked, “Messenger of Allah, this is for Allah, but what is for me?” and the Prophet ﷺ taught him a short dua for himself. When he stood up he made a sign with his hand, and the Prophet ﷺ said that he had filled his hand with good. An-Nasa’i narrates the same story (Sunan an-Nasa’i 924, Hasan, Darussalam).
The five words and their meanings
- Subhanallah: Glory be to Allah. He is free from every imperfection.
- Alhamdulillah: Praise be to Allah, for everything.
- La ilaha illallah: There is no god but Allah.
- Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest.
- La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah: There is no might and no strength except with Allah.
Said together, as the Prophet ﷺ taught, they read: Subhanallah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
Why these words are beloved by Allah
In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ named four of these words as the dearest of all speech to Allah:
أَحَبُّ الْكَلاَمِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَرْبَعٌ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
“The dearest phrases to Allah are four: Subhan Allah, Al-Hamdulillah, La ilaha illa-Allah, Allahu Akbar. There is no harm for you in which of them begin with.”
Sahih Muslim 2137a · Narrated by Samurah ibn Jundub · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
And about the fifth, the Prophet ﷺ told Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is one of the treasures of Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 6384).
Your share: the dua that follows
When the man asked what was for him, the Prophet ﷺ taught him to say:
اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي وَارْزُقْنِي وَعَافِنِي وَاهْدِنِي
Allahummar-hamni, warzuqni, wa ‘afini, wahdini
O Allah, have mercy on me, and sustain me, and keep me well, and guide me.
Sunan Abi Dawud 832 · Grade: Hasan (al-Albani) · Translation from Sunnah.com
Four requests in one short line: mercy, provision, well-being and guidance. The order in the hadith is a nice lesson too: first we praise Allah, then we ask Him for what we need.
Reflection: this hadith is a mercy for anyone who feels they are “not good enough” at worship. The man was honest about what he could not do, and he was given something he could do. Whatever our level, there is a door of remembrance open to us.
How to practise it
The hadith does not give a number or a time, so these are suggestions:
- Learn the five words this week, one or two a day, using the video above.
- Say them after salah, while walking or while waiting, whenever your tongue is free.
- Follow them with the short dua for mercy, provision, well-being and guidance.
- Teach them to a beginner, a child or a new Muslim; they are easy to remember.
Key lessons
- The Prophet ﷺ gave these five words to a man who struggled with the Quran; dhikr is open to everyone.
- Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar are the dearest words to Allah.
- La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is a treasure of Paradise.
- After praising Allah, ask Him for your own needs.
Questions people ask
What are the words most beloved to Allah?
The Prophet ﷺ said the dearest phrases to Allah are four: Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar, and it does not matter which you start with (Sahih Muslim 2137a).
What can I say if I cannot memorize the Quran?
The Prophet ﷺ taught a man in that situation to say: Subhanallah, walhamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (Sunan Abi Dawud 832). If you are still learning the Quran, keep going step by step, and ask a local teacher what you need for your salah.
What does ‘Allahummar-hamni warzuqni wa afini wahdini’ mean?
It means: O Allah, have mercy on me, sustain me, keep me well and guide me. The Prophet ﷺ taught it to the same man as his own share after the five words (Sunan Abi Dawud 832).
May Allah make these five words easy on our tongues, and grant us His mercy, provision, well-being and guidance.
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