Among the opening supplications of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—is that which Abū Dāwūd and others narrated from Āishah, Abū Saīd—may Allah be pleased with them both—and others: When the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—began the prayer, he would say, “Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no deity but You.”1

This opening supplication is devoted entirely to praising Allah—Glorified is He—and affirming His transcendence above everything unbefitting of Him. He—Glorified and Exalted—is free of every defect, untouched by every deficiency, and deserving of every form of praise.

The words “exalted is Your majesty” mean: Your greatness is elevated and exalted; it towers above all greatness, Your rank is higher than every other rank, and Your sovereignty prevails over every other sovereignty. His majesty—Glorified and Exalted is He—is far above there being any partner with Him in dominion, lordship, divinity, or any of His names and attributes. As the believing jinn said, “Exalted is the majesty of our Lord; He has taken neither a wife nor a son.”2 That is, His greatness is exalted and His names are sanctified above His having a wife or a son.

The words “there is no deity but You” mean: none besides You is worthy of worship.

Thus, this magnificent opening supplication encompasses the three categories of monotheism: Allah’s oneness in His lordship, His exclusive right to worship, and His oneness in His names and attributes.

Another authentically established opening supplication is that narrated by Muslim in his Sahih from Abdullāh ibn Umar—may Allah be pleased with them both—who said: “While we were praying with the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—a man among the people said, ‘Allah is truly the Greatest; abundant praise belongs to Allah; and glory be to Allah morning and evening,’