—so that the Messenger ﷺ had now stirred his interest and prepared him to listen to what he was about to say. I answered, “Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He then said, “lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh (there is no power nor might except through Allah).”

This phrase entails disavowing any ability or strength except through Allah, for a human being possesses neither independent power nor strength; he cannot move from one state to another, nor withstand anything, except with Allah’s enabling. It is therefore a formula of seeking help: whenever something exhausts you and you feel incapable of it, say “lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh,” and Allah, Exalted is He, will aid you in it.

This utterance is not the formula of istirjāʿ (response to calamity) as many people imagine. When someone is informed of a misfortune and says, “lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh,” he is using the wrong expression. The proper formula of istirjāʿ is: “innā lillāh wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn (Surely we belong to Allah, and surely to Him we return).” The phrase under discussion, however, is for seeking divine assistance: whenever you want Allah to help you in a matter, say “lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.”

You will recall, in Sūrat al-Kahf, the story of the two men who owned gardens. One companion said to the other, “If only, when you entered your garden, you had said, ‘Whatever Allah wills; there is no power except through Allah,’ that would have been better for you and would have preserved your garden.” But the man entered it and declared, “I do not think this will ever perish, and I do not think the Hour will come.” Captivated by his garden and denying the Resurrection, he incurred Allah’s judgment: a calamity was sent down from the sky, and the garden became a barren, slippery plain.

The essential point is that the phrase “lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh” is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise. Say it, dear reader, whenever something wearies you, weighs heavily on you, or lies beyond your ability. Utter “lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh,” and Allah will make the matter easy for you. Allah alone grants success.