Glorifying Allah: The Reward of La ilaha illallah 100 Times
There are many ways of glorifying Allah: salah, reading the Quran, dua, and the dhikr the Prophet ﷺ taught us. One of my favorite dhikr is a single sentence declaring that Allah is One, said a hundred times a day. The Prophet ﷺ attached five rewards to it, including the reward of freeing ten slaves.
At a glance
- Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6403 and Sahih Muslim 2691
- Narrated by: Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Grade: Sahih (Bukhari and Muslim)
- Topic: Daily tahlil and its reward
- Practise it: Say it 100 times a day, morning is a good time
The hadith
مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهْوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ، كَانَتْ لَهُ عَدْلَ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ، وَكُتِبَ لَهُ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ، وَمُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ مِائَةُ سَيِّئَةٍ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ حِرْزًا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ، حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ، وَلَمْ يَأْتِ أَحَدٌ بِأَفْضَلَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ إِلاَّ رَجُلٌ عَمِلَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ
Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “Whoever says: ‘La ilaha illal-lah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu-l-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shai’in qadir,’ one hundred times will get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves; and one hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and one hundred sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his saying) will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who does more than he.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6403 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation from Sunnah.com
Imam Muslim narrates the same hadith (Sahih Muslim 2691). In Sahih al-Bukhari 6404, saying it ten times is described as being like freeing one slave from the descendants of Isma’il.
The dhikr and its meaning
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهْوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir
There is no god but Allah alone, who has no partner. To Him belongs the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He has power over all things.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6403 · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
Every part of it is a declaration about Allah: He is the only one worthy of worship, He has no partner, everything belongs to Him, all praise is His, and nothing is beyond His power.
The five rewards
- Like freeing ten slaves.
- One hundred good deeds are written for you.
- One hundred sins are wiped from your record.
- A shield from Shaytan for that day until the evening.
- No one brings anything better on that day, except someone who said it more.
Why does freeing a slave matter so much? In another hadith the Prophet ﷺ explained its reward:
مَنْ أَعْتَقَ رَقَبَةً مُسْلِمَةً، أَعْتَقَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهُ عُضْوًا مِنَ النَّارِ، حَتَّى فَرْجَهُ بِفَرْجِهِ
“If somebody manumits a Muslim slave, Allah will save from the Fire every part of his body for freeing the corresponding parts of the slave’s body, even his private parts.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6715 · Narrated by Abu Hurairah · Translation adapted from Sunnah.com
So a few minutes of dhikr each day carries the reward of an act that frees a person from the Fire. Allah is the Most Generous, and He adds the other rewards on top.
Reflection: the last part of the hadith is easy to miss. No one brings anything better, except someone who did more. The door is never closed; a hundred is a goal, not a limit.
How to practise it
The hadith says “in a day” but does not fix a time, so these are suggestions:
- Say it in the morning, so the protection from Shaytan covers your whole day.
- Set aside a few quiet minutes each day for it, so it becomes a habit.
- Count on your fingers or use the video above to keep pace.
- Think of the meaning while you say it, not only the number.
Key lessons
- Saying this dhikr 100 times a day carries the reward of freeing ten slaves.
- One hundred good deeds are written and one hundred sins are wiped away.
- It is a shield from Shaytan until the evening.
- There is no upper limit; whoever does more, gains more.
Questions people ask
What is the reward of saying La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah 100 times?
The reward of freeing ten slaves, one hundred good deeds written, one hundred sins wiped away, and protection from Shaytan for that day until evening (Sahih al-Bukhari 6403, Sahih Muslim 2691).
When should I say it?
The hadith says “in a day” and does not fix a time (Sahih al-Bukhari 6403). Saying it in the morning means its protection covers the day. For detailed rulings, ask a local scholar.
What does glorifying Allah mean?
Glorifying Allah means declaring His perfection and greatness, with words like Subhanallah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu Akbar, and with every act of worship done for Him.
May Allah make it easy to add this dhikr to our daily adhkar, and may Allah protect us all from the torment of the Hellfire.
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