a man to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I am unable to learn the Quran, so teach me something that will suffice me.” He said, “Say: ‘Glory be to Allah; all praise belongs to Allah; there is no deity but Allah; Allah is the Greatest; and there is no might or power except through Allah.’” The Bedouin said, “Like this”—clenching his hands—then said, “This is for Allah, but what is there for me?” He replied, “Say: ‘O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me well-being, provide for me, and guide me.’” The Bedouin took hold of these words and closed his palms over them. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “This man has indeed filled his hands with goodness.” 1.

The hadith scholar Abū al-Tayyib al-Azīmābādī said in his commentary on the Sunan of al-Dāraqutnī, “Its chain of transmission is authentic.” Al-Albānī, may Allah preserve him, said, “Its chain of transmission is good.” 2.

These, then, are some of the virtues of these four phrases reported in the Prophetic Sunnah. Each phrase also possesses particular virtues of its own, whose details will be presented, Allah willing. Anyone who reflects upon the foregoing virtues will find them truly immense. They demonstrate the great worth and lofty status of these phrases, as well as the many benefits and blessings they bring to the believing servant.

The reason for this immense merit may be—as some scholars have stated, and Allah knows best—that all the Names of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, are encompassed by these four phrases. “Glory be to Allah” encompasses the Names that affirm His transcendence, such as the Most Holy and the Source of Peace. “All praise belongs to Allah” affirms every kind of perfection for Allah—Blessed is He—in His Names and attributes. “Allah is the Greatest” proclaims Allah’s greatness and magnifies Him, and affirms that no