53/ The Interrelationship among the Four Phrases

I previously discussed the four phrases—“Glory be to Allah; all praise belongs to Allah; there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah; and Allah is the Greatest”—the reports concerning their merits collectively and individually, and their meanings and implications. It is therefore fitting, as this discussion draws to a close, to point out how closely interconnected and inseparable they are.

We learned from the preceding discussion that these phrases are the finest words after the Noble Quran—and that they are themselves found in the Noble Quran. We also cited a great many texts demonstrating the immense virtue of remembering Allah—Exalted is He—with these four phrases, and the abundant rewards, plentiful merits, and enduring good that this brings in this world and the Hereafter. All of this plainly demonstrates the strength of the bond and the close connection among these four phrases.

Moreover, as the scholars have explained, these phrases “fall into two pairs: glorifying Allah is coupled with praising Him. Hence, the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: ‘Two phrases are light on the tongue, heavy in the Balance, and beloved to the Most Merciful: Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him; glory be to Allah, the Magnificent.’ Al-Bukhārī and Muslim recorded it in their two Sahīh collections on the authority of Abū Hurayrah.1

The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—also said, in a report narrated by Muslim from Abū Dharr: ‘The finest words are those that Allah chose for His angels: Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him.’2 In the Quran, Allah—Exalted is He—says: ‘while we glorify