and by the ink with which His words are written.” Recorded by Muslim.

In another wording preserved by Muslim it states: “Subḥānallāh ʿadada khalqih; Subḥānallāh riḍā nafsih; Subḥānallāh zinata ʿarshih; Subḥānallāh midāda kalimātih.”

At-Tirmidhī likewise relates: “Shall I teach you words to say? Subḥānallāh ʿadada khalqih, Subḥānallāh ʿadada khalqih, Subḥānallāh ʿadada khalqih; Subḥānallāh riḍā nafsih, Subḥānallāh riḍā nafsih, Subḥānallāh riḍā nafsih; Subḥānallāh zinata ʿarshih, Subḥānallāh zinata ʿarshih, Subḥānallāh zinata ʿarshih; Subḥānallāh midāda kalimātih, Subḥānallāh midāda kalimātih, Subḥānallāh midāda kalimātih.”

[Explanation]

These reports highlight the excellence of a specific form of remembrance. The Mother of the Believers Juwayriyyah bint al-Ḥārith related that the Prophet ﷺ left her at dawn and returned mid-morning while she was still engaged in glorifying Allah and proclaiming His oneness. He informed her that after he had left he recited phrases whose weight equalled everything she had been saying since dawn:

• “Subḥānallāh wa bi-ḥamdih ʿadada khalqih” — three times;
• “Subḥānallāh wa bi-ḥamdih riḍā nafsih” — three times;
• “Subḥānallāh wa bi-ḥamdih zinata ʿarshih” — three times;
• “Subḥānallāh wa bi-ḥamdih midāda kalimātih” — three times.