What Is the Meaning of Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar?
Answered by Shaykh Bassem Itani
Question
Can you explain the meaning of the daily supplications: Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his Family, and all his Companions.
Subhan Allah
It means to declare Allah free from all imperfections and shortcomings. It signifies that Allah is exalted above anything that does not befit His majesty and holiness.
Alhamdulillah
It means to praise Allah for everything He does, as everything He does is just and wise. It also expresses gratitude to Allah for His countless blessings and contentment with His decisions, acknowledging His wisdom in all matters without objection.
Allahu Akbar
It means that Allah is greater than all great things. He is beyond any attribute that is unbefitting of Him, greater than anything in existence in might and majesty. His true nature and greatness are beyond human comprehension.
Consistent
I advise you to be consistent in reciting these three phrases after each obligatory prayer, as they bring great reward and forgiveness for sins. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Whoever glorifies Allah (by saying Subhan Allah) after every prayer thirty-three times, praises Allah (by saying Alhamdulillah) thirty-three times, and exalts Allah (by saying Allahu Akbar) thirty-three times, making them ninety-nine, and then completes the hundred by saying: La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir (There is no god but Allah, alone without any partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He is capable of all things), his sins will be forgiven, even if they are as abundant as the foam of the sea.” [Muslim]
[Shaykh] Bassem Itani
Shaykh Dr. Bassem Hussayn Itani was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1965. He earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies in 2005. Among his mentors were Shaykh Muhammad Taha Sukkar, Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, Shaykh Mulla Abdul ‘Alim al-Zinki, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Abdul Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa Dib al-Bugha, Shaykh Dr. Wahba al-Zuhayli, Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli, and others, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Shaykh Itani has a rich background in both academic and administrative fields. He has held significant positions in many governmental and non-governmental institutions in Lebanon and abroad. This includes his role as a member of the Academic Committee at SeekersGuidance and a senior teacher with the free online global seminary.
From 2020 to 2021, he served as the Dean of the College of Da‘wa – University for Islamic Studies (Lebanon) – Postgraduate Studies. He was the Director of Dar Iqra for Islamic Sciences from 1998 to 2018. Shaykh Itani is a well-versed teacher in several academic subjects, including Fiqh, Usul, Aqida, and Tafsir. He has supervised and examined numerous Master’s and Doctoral theses at various universities and colleges in Lebanon.
His contributions to Islamic sciences are also evident in his writings and research. His notable works include “The Relied-upon Statements of Imam Zufar in the Hanafi School,” “Collective Ijtihad: The Sublimity of Thought in the 21st Century,” and “Custom and its Impact in Islamic Jurisprudence.” Shaykh Itani has actively participated in numerous scientific conferences and seminars, both in Lebanon and internationally. He is linguistically adept, excelling in Arabic, proficient in French, and comfortably conversant in English.
