Subhanallahi wa Bihamdihi ‘Adada Khalqihi: 4 Heavy Dhikr Phrases

Dhikr (also spelled dzikir or zikir) simply means remembering Allah. One morning, the Prophet ﷺ showed his wife Juwayriyah (may Allah be pleased with her) that a few well-chosen words can weigh more than hours of remembrance. These are the four heavy phrases of dhikr, Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi ‘adada khalqihi, with the Arabic, the English meaning and the story behind them.

The hadith of Juwayriyah

The Prophet ﷺ left Juwayriyah’s room early in the morning, after she had prayed Fajr and was sitting in her place of prayer. He came back in the forenoon and found her still sitting there, doing dhikr. He asked whether she had been in the same place since he left, and she said yes. Then he said:

The same story is in Sunan Abi Dawud 1503 (Sahih, al-Albani), and Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3555 and Sunan an-Nasa’i 1352 (both Sahih, Darussalam) narrate a version where he teaches her to say each phrase three times.

The four phrases in Arabic and English

• ‘Adada khalqihi: as many as the number of His creation, past, present and future.
• Wa rida nafsihi: as much as pleases Him.
• Wa zinata ‘arshihi: as much as the weight of His Throne.
• Wa midada kalimatihi: as much as the ink needed to write His words, which never run out.

Reflection: Juwayriyah’s long dhikr was not wasted; the Prophet ﷺ found her still at it and taught her something more. The lesson is not to do less, but to think about the meaning of what we say. Each phrase stretches our praise beyond anything we could count.

Why short dhikr can be heavy on the scale

The idea of light words weighing a lot appears in another famous hadith too. The Prophet ﷺ said:

Both hadiths share the same words, Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi. They are easy on the tongue, but their weight on the Day of Judgement is something only Allah measures. That is a good reason never to look down on a short dhikr.

How to practise it

In Muslim’s narration the Prophet ﷺ said the phrases three times in the morning, after Fajr. You can follow that, and also use them at other times:

• After Fajr, say the four phrases three times before you start your day.
• Learn them in parts: start with Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi, then add one phrase a day.
• Think of the meaning as you say each one: the number of creation, His pleasure, His Throne, His words.
• Use them when time is short, on a commute or between tasks.

Key lessons

• Four phrases said three times can outweigh a whole morning of dhikr.
• The meaning and quality of our dhikr matter, not only the number.
• We can praise Allah as many as His creation and the weight of His Throne.
• The Prophet ﷺ taught his family dhikr gently and practically.

Questions people ask

Remembrance of Allah is something each one of us can do day and night, whether by salah, dua or dhikr. Allah has made many ways for His servants to remember Him; let’s start with these four phrases tomorrow morning.

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