—to be said thirty-three times apiece—is a prescribed practice after the obligatory prayers. In another hadith it is reported that the count is brought to one hundred by adding: “La ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulk wa-lahu al-hamd, wa-huwa ʿala kulli shayʾin qadir” (There is no god but Allah, alone without partner; sovereignty and praise belong to Him, and He has power over all things).

This is one of the ways of making dhikr after the prayer.

Another authenticated manner is to say: “Subhan Allah, al-hamdu lillah, la ilaha illa Allah, Allahu akbar” twenty-five times each, making a total of one hundred. Still another is to recite “Subhan Allah” thirty-three times, “al-hamdu lillah” thirty-three times, and “Allahu akbar” thirty-four times, likewise completing one hundred.

Yet another form is to say “Subhan Allah” ten times, “al-hamdu lillah” ten times, and “Allahu akbar” ten times. One may alternate between these various formulas, for all of them are firmly established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Among the lessons in this hadith is the Prophet’s vast forbearance in accepting review and discussion. He sought the truth wherever it lay—even though the truth was always with him—yet he would still put people at ease and explain matters to them.

Another benefit is the recognition that any favor Allah grants is purely His grace; He bestows it on whom He wills and does no wrong thereby. If He enriches one person and leaves another in need, that is His bounty granted as He pleases, and it involves no injustice. The same applies when He endows one servant with knowledge and withholds it from another—it is all part of His favor. All bounty is in the hand of Allah; He gives it to whomever He wills.

A further lesson derived from this narration is that the wealthy among the Companions—like the poor