English
Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best speech is four: 'SubhanAllah' (Glory be to Allah), 'Alhamdulillah' (All praise is due to Allah), 'La ilaha illa Allah' (There is no god but Allah), and 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest)." In another narration: "The most beloved speech to Allah is four: 'SubhanAllah,' 'Alhamdulillah,' 'La ilaha illa Allah,' and 'Allahu Akbar.' It does not matter with which one you begin."
Qur’an-related source paragraphs
Allah the Exalted says:
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- Candidate: Sahih Muslim 2137a (unverified) 98% confidence
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Commentary and footnotes (10)
Chapter-heading commentary
(1) His statement: "And glorify Him..." – It is said that "glorify Him" means saying: "SubhanAllah" (Glory be to Allah), "Alhamdulillah" (All praise is due to Allah), "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah), "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest), and "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (There is no power nor strength except with Allah). Some versions add: "Al-'Aliyy al-'Atheem" (The Most High, the Magnificent). Thus, "glorification" encompasses all these phrases. Tafsir al-Khazin and Al-Madarik mention this from Qatadah.
(2) His statement: "Morning and afternoon" – This indicates consistency, as mentioning the two extremes implies the middle as well. Tafsir al-Khazin mentions this.
(3) His statement: "So exalt [Allah] with praise..." – This verse indicates the virtue of Tasbeeh (glorification) and Tahmeed (praise), as Allah made them sufficient for expressing gratitude for the blessings of victory and conquest. Tafsir al-Khazin mentions this.
(4) His statement: "And magnify Him..." – The intended meaning is that "magnify Him" can mean saying "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest), as mentioned in Al-Husseini. Al-Tafsirat al-Ahmadiyyah mentions this.
Note 5
(5) His statement: "The best speech..." – Some scholars use this hadith as evidence that if a person swears not to speak for a day and then says "SubhanAllah," "Alhamdulillah," "La ilaha illa Allah," or "Allahu Akbar," he breaks his oath. This is the view of Imam Shafi'i, as these are all forms of speech. However, our scholars (Hanafis) say he does not break his oath, because although these phrases are linguistically speech, they are not considered "speaking" in common usage. Rather, one is called a "reciter" (qari') or "glorifier" (musabbih), not a "speaker" (mutakallim). The principle in oaths is that they are based on common usage unless a specific intention is made. This is supported by hadiths mentioned in Fath al-Qadeer and others. The Shafi'i school bases oaths on linguistic reality, while the Maliki school bases them on Quranic usage. This is summarized from Mirqat al-Mafatih, Fath al-Qadeer, 'Umdat al-Ri'ayah, and Al-Binayah.
Chapter-heading commentary
(۱) قوله: وسبحوه إلخ : قيل : معنى سبحوه: قولوا: سبحان الله والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله ، والله أكبر، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله زاد في نسخة: «العلي العظيم فعبر بالتسبيح عن أخواته. قاله الخازن، وكذا في المدارك» عن قتادة.
(۲) قوله: بكرة وأصيلا : فيه إشارة إلى المداومة؛ لأن ذكر الطرفين يفهم منه الوسط أيضًا. قاله الخازن.
(۳) قوله : فسبح إلخ وفي الآية دليل على فضيلة التسبيح والتحميد حيث جعل ذلك كافيًا في أداء ما وجب عليه من شكر نعمته النصر والفتح. قاله الخازن.
(٤)قوله: وكبره إلخ : والمقصود عن ذكر الآية أنه يجوز أن يكون وكبره» بمعنى: وقُل: الله أكبر، على ما في الحسيني. كذا في التفسيرات الأحمدية.
Note 5
(٥)قوله : أفضل الكلام إلخ واحتج بهذا الحديث القائل بأن من حلف لا يتكلم اليوم فسبح أو هلل أو كبر أو ذكر الله فإنه يحنث، وهو قول الشافعي؛ لأن الكل كلام. وقال علماؤنا : لا يحنث؛ لأن هذا وإن كانت من الكلام لغة، لكن لا يُسمى بمثل ذلك متكلما عرفًا، بل قاريا ومسبحًا، فإن المتكلم عرفًا من يخاطب الناس ويتكلم بما يخاطب به الناس الأصل في هذا الباب أن مبنى الأيمان عندنا على العرف ما لم ينو محتمل لفظه؛ لأن المتكلم إنما يتكلم بالكلام العرفي وعلى هذا الأصل يتفرع فروع هذا الباب، ويؤيدنا الأحاديث التي ذكرت في فتح القدير وغيره، وعند الشافعي منبى الأيمان على الحقيقة اللغوية، وعند مالك على استعمال القراني، هذا حاصل ما في المرقاة» و«فتح القدير» و «عمد الرعاية» و«البناية».