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The command to glorify Him also entails declaring Him free of every fault and evil and affirming His attributes of perfection. Glorification entails declaring Him free of imperfection and magnifying Him; magnifying Him necessarily entails affirming the praiseworthy attributes for which He is praised. Thus, it entails declaring His perfection, praising Him, proclaiming His greatness, and affirming His oneness.

Ibn Abī Hātim said:

My father narrated to us from Ibn Nufayl al-Harrānī, who narrated to us from al-Nadr ibn ‘Arabī, who said: A man asked Maymūn ibn Mihrān about “Subhāna Allāh” (Glory be to Allah). He replied:

“An expression by which Allah is magnified and declared free of all evil.”

He also said:

Abū Sa‘īd al-Ashajj narrated to us from Hafs ibn Ghiyāth, from Hajjāj, from Ibn Abī Mulayka, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who explained “Subhān” (glory) as Allah’s declaring Himself free of all evil.

It is also related through al-Dahhāk that Ibn ‘Abbās said concerning His words:

“Glory be to Him who took His servant by night”:

It expresses wonder.

Abū al-Ashhab related that al-Hasan said:

“Subhān” is a name that people cannot claim for themselves.

An explanation similar to that of Ibn ‘Abbās has been reported from several of the early generations: that it is