remembrance is ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,’ and the best supplication is ‘Praise be to Allah.’” For praising the One whom one invokes in terms that imply the fulfillment of one’s request may be more effective than stating the request itself. As the poet said:

When a man praises you one day,
His praise suffices in place of asking.

Hence the words of the transmitted supplication:

“I ask You by virtue of the fact that all praise belongs to You. You are Allah, the Bestower of favors, the Originator of the heavens and the earth.”

He thus asks Him on the grounds that all praise belongs to Him. This shows that acknowledging His worthiness of praise is a means of obtaining what one seeks. This is like the words of Job, peace be upon him:

“Adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

Saying this is better than saying, “Have mercy on me.”

The supplication for the Night of Decree reported by ‘Ā’ishah says:

“O Allah, You are Pardoning and love to pardon, so pardon me.”

In the two Sahīh collections, Ibn ‘Abbās reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say in times of distress:

“There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, the Forbearing, the Magnificent. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of the Noble Throne.”

Another indication of the superiority of praise over supplication is that prescribed praise necessarily entails faith in Allah, whereas supplication does not necessarily entail it, for the disbelievers ask Allah