30 / Further Virtues of These Four Phrases

We have already discussed a number of the virtues of four phrases that constitute the finest speech after the Quran: “Glory be to Allah,” “All praise belongs to Allah,” “There is no deity but Allah,” and “Allah is the Greatest.”

Here we continue by mentioning further virtues of these phrases, as established in the relevant hadiths of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

7 — Another of their virtues is that Allah chose and selected these phrases for His servants, and assigned immense rewards and abundant recompense to remembering Him with them. Imam Ahmad narrated in the Musnad, as did al-Hākim in the Mustadrak, with a sound chain of transmission from Abū Hurayra and Abū Saīd, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Allah has selected four phrases from among all speech: ‘Glory be to Allah,’ ‘All praise belongs to Allah,’ ‘There is no deity but Allah,’ and ‘Allah is the Greatest.’ Whoever says, ‘Glory be to Allah,’ will have twenty good deeds recorded for him and twenty bad deeds erased from him. Whoever says, ‘Allah is the Greatest,’ will receive the same; whoever says, ‘There is no deity but Allah,’ will receive the same; and whoever says of his own accord, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all creation,’ will have thirty good deeds recorded for him and thirty sins erased from him.”1

The reward for praising Allah is increased beyond the standard reward stated for the four phrases when the servant offers such praise of his own accord. This is because praise is generally uttered only in response to some occasion, such as eating, drinking, or receiving a blessing. It is therefore as though the praise were offered in return for the favor bestowed upon him at the time. When, however,