Dua 1: The opening of the Quran
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbil-ʿālamīn
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Quran 1:2, translation by Sahih International
Dua praising Allah, words He loves.
The Prophet ﷺ said the best dua is Alhamdulillah.1 He also taught fuller words of praise: two phrases that are light on the tongue and heavy on the scale, the four words most beloved to Allah, and a praise that outweighs a whole morning of dhikr.
Dua 2: Heavy on the scale
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ
Subḥānallāhi wa biḥamdih, subḥānallāhil-ʿaẓīm
Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him. Glory be to Allah, the Magnificent. (Two phrases beloved to the Most Merciful, light on the tongue, heavy on the scale.)
Sahih al-Bukhari 7563, 6406
Dua 3: The four best words
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Subḥānallāh, wal-ḥamdu lillāh, wa lā ilāha illallāh, wallāhu akbar
Glory be to Allah, all praise is for Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. (The Prophet ﷺ said saying these is dearer to him than everything the sun rises over.)
Sahih Muslim 2695
Dua 4: Taught to Juwayriyah3 times
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، عَدَدَ خَلْقِهِ، وَرِضَا نَفْسِهِ، وَزِنَةَ عَرْشِهِ، وَمِدَادَ كَلِمَاتِهِ
Subḥānallāhi wa biḥamdih, ʿadada khalqih, wa riḍā nafsih, wa zinata ʿarshih, wa midāda kalimātih
Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him, as many times as the number of His creation, as much as pleases Him, as much as the weight of His Throne, and as much as the ink of His words.
Sahih Muslim 2726
Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
When and how to say it.
The Prophet ﷺ said the best dua is Alhamdulillah.1 He also taught fuller words of praise: two phrases that are light on the tongue and heavy on the scale, the four words most beloved to Allah, and a praise that outweighs a whole morning of dhikr.
The story of Dua 4
The Prophet ﷺ left his wife Juwayriyah after Fajr while she sat making dhikr, and came back in the late morning to find her still there. He told her he had said four phrases three times after leaving her, and that if they were weighed against all she had said that morning, they would outweigh it.
Praise before you ask
The Prophet ﷺ heard a man make dua without praising Allah or sending salawat, and said he had rushed. He taught that you should begin by praising Allah, then send salawat on him, then ask for what you want.2 Any of the phrases on this page makes a good opening for your own dua.
Praise in the Quran
The Quran opens with praise, Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil-alamin (Dua 1), and it describes the people of Paradise ending their call the same way: "And the last of their call will be, 'Praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds!'" (Quran 10:10). Praise is how worship begins and how it ends.
Making praise a habit
- Say Alhamdulillah when you wake, after eating and drinking, and when good news comes.
- Fill gaps in the day, in a queue or on a walk, with Dua 2: it takes two seconds.
- Say Dua 4 three times after Fajr, then go about your day.
- Learn the 99 Names of Allah, and praise Him by the names that fit what you are thankful for.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 3383, graded hasan.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 1481, graded sahih.
- Quran 1:2, translation by Sahih International
- Sahih al-Bukhari 7563, 6406
- Sahih Muslim 2695
- Sahih Muslim 2726
Questions
Good to know.
What is the best way to praise Allah?
The Prophet ﷺ said the best dua is Alhamdulillah (Tirmidhi 3383). The four words Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar are the most beloved to Allah.
Which dhikr is heaviest on the scale?
Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi, Subhanallahil-azim: light on the tongue and heavy on the scale (Bukhari 7563).
Should I praise Allah before making dua?
Yes. Begin by praising Allah, then send salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, then ask (Abu Dawud 1481).