1349 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said, “Whoever says: subḥānallāhi wa bi-ḥamdih (Glory be to Allah and praise is His) one hundred times, his sins will be erased, even if they are like the foam of the sea.” Agreed upon.⦗1⦘

Points derived from the ḥadith:
– ḥuṭṭat khaṭāyāhu (“his sins are erased”): a passive construction meaning that his sins are lifted, wiped out, and removed through pardon and forgiveness.
– zabad al-baḥr (“the foam of the sea”): the froth that rises when the sea is agitated, used here as a metaphor for great abundance.

Lessons learned from the ḥadith:

1. The narration demonstrates the excellence of this remembrance, which contains both the glorification of Allah Most High and His proclamation as transcendent above every imperfection, defect, or resemblance to created beings.
2. It equally affirms that all praise belongs to Him in His Most Beautiful Names and Exalted Attributes; He is the Ever-Living whose perfect life was preceded by no non-existence and will never come to an end.
3. Whoever glorifies and praises Allah with this phrase one hundred times in the course of a day and a night attains this great reward: his sins and misdeeds are cast away, even if they are as plentiful as the foam of the sea. What a magnificent grace and abundant gift this is.
4. The scholars limit this and similar texts to minor sins; major sins, they say, are not wiped away or expiated except through sincere repentance. Imām al-Nawawī added that if a person has no minor sins, it is hoped that this act will lighten the burden of his major sins.