To a man
جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا
Jazākallāhu khayran
May Allah reward you (a man) with good.
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2035
Jazakallah khair, the Muslim thank you
Jazakallahu khayran means "may Allah reward you with good". The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever says it to someone who did them a favour has praised them as fully as they can.
To a woman
جَزَاكِ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا
Jazākillāhu khayran
May Allah reward you (a woman) with good.
The feminine form
To a group, or politely to one person
جَزَاكُمُ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا
Jazākumullāhu khayran
May Allah reward you all with good.
The plural form
A common replyThe reply
وَإِيَّاكُمْ
Wa iyyākum
And you too.
Said in reply
Quran 55:60In the Quran
هَلْ جَزَآءُ ٱلْإِحْسَٰنِ إِلَّا ٱلْإِحْسَٰنُ
Hal jazaaa'ul ihsaani illal ihsaan
Is the reward for good [anything] but good?
Quran 55:60, Sahih International translation
Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
Meaning, use and source
Jazakallah khair (جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا) means "may Allah reward you with good". It is how Muslims say thank you: instead of only thanking the person, you ask Allah to repay them with something better than you can give.
The hadith
Usamah ibn Zayd reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever has a favour done for him and says to the one who did it, jazakallahu khayran, has done the most he can to praise him" (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2035, graded hasan). Thanking people is part of thanking Allah: "Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4811).
Which form to use
- Jazakallahu khayran to a man.
- Jazakillahu khayran to a woman.
- Jazakumullahu khayran to a group. Many people also use it for one person, as a mark of respect.
Jazakallah on its own means "may Allah reward you", which is still a good dua, but the hadith adds khayran, "with good". Adding it makes the meaning complete.
How to reply to jazakallah khair
There is no single fixed reply in the hadith, so any good dua in return is fine. Common replies are:
- Wa iyyakum (وَإِيَّاكُمْ): "and you too". See wa iyyakum for the forms.
- Wa jazakum or wa antum fa-jazakumullahu khayran: "and may Allah reward you too".
- Ameen, accepting the dua, or barakallahu fik, "may Allah bless you".
Shukran, and thanks in your own language
Shukran is the everyday Arabic word for "thank you", and it is perfectly fine to use. So is "thank you" in English, or any language. Jazakallah khair adds a dua to the thanks, which is why Muslims love to use it. Many people say both: "thank you, jazakallah khair".
Spellings you will see
Jazakallah khair, jazakallahu khairan, jazak allah khair, jzk and jazakAllah khayr all mean the same. "JZK" is a common short form in messages, but writing the words in full keeps it a real dua.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 2035, graded hasan.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 4811.
- Quran 55:60, translation by Sahih International.
Questions
Good to know
What does jazakallah khair mean?
May Allah reward you with good. It is the Islamic way of saying thank you.
What is the reply to jazakallah khair?
Wa iyyakum (and you too) is the most common reply. You can also say wa jazakum (and may Allah reward you), ameen, or barakallahu fik.
Is it jazakallah or jazakallahu khairan?
Both are used. The hadith wording is jazakallahu khayran, with khayran (with good) at the end.
How do you say jazakallah khair to a woman?
Jazakillahu khayran, with an i sound after the k.