the Scale; they make it heavy, and, thirdly, they are beloved to the Most Merciful. This is the greater of the two rewards: that Allah, exalted be He, loves them. When Allah loves a deed, He loves the person who performs it; thus these two statements are among the means by which a servant attains Allah’s love.

What does “Subhan Allah wa bi-hamdih” mean? It means that you declare Allah utterly free from every defect and imperfection, affirming that He is perfect in every respect, majestic and exalted, while coupling this glorification with praise—praise that points to the perfection of His generosity and beneficence toward His creation, the completeness of His wisdom and knowledge, and all His other attributes of perfection.

“Subhan Allah al-ʿAzim” means “Glory be to Allah, the Magnificent,” the Possessor of grandeur; nothing is greater than Allah in authority, rank, wisdom, or knowledge. He is great in His essence and great in His attributes, exalted and sublime.

So, servant of Allah, persevere in these two phrases; keep them constantly on your tongue, for they are weighty on the Scale and dear to the Most Merciful, yet they cost you nothing—they are light upon the tongue: “Subhan Allah wa bi-hamdih, Subhan Allah al-ʿAzim.” One ought to say them often and abundantly.

Then the author mentioned the second hadith, narrated by Abu Hurayrah, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “To say: Subhan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, la ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu akbar—four words—are dearer to me than everything over which the sun rises,” meaning dearer to me than the whole world. These, too, are light words: Subhan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, la ilaha illa Allah, and Allahu akbar. People nowadays travel, crossing deserts, wastelands, dangers, and desolate stretches in order to gain a small share of worldly goods that they may enjoy for a brief time, yet