Mishkat al-Masabih

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God's messenger as saying that “Praise be to God” is the beginning of thanksgiving, for the man who does not praise God has not thanked Him.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “The first to be summoned to paradise on the day of resurrection will be those who praise God in prosperity and adversity.” Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Shu'ab al-iman.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s messenger as saying that Moses asked his Lord to teach him something with which to make mention of Him or to supplicate Him, and was told to say, “There is no god but God.” He replied to his Lord that all His servants said this, but he wanted something particularly for himself, and He said, “Moses, were the seven heavens and their inhabitants apart from me and the seven earths put in one side of a balance and ‘There is no god but God’ in the other, ‘There is no god but God’ would outweigh them.” It is transmitted in Shar as-sunna.

Abu Sa'id and Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone says “There is no god but God and God is most great”, his Lord will declare that he has spoken the truth, saying, “There is no god but me, and I am most great.” When he says, “There is no god but God alone who has no partner,” God says, “There is no god but me alone who has no partner.” When he says, “There is no god but God to whom belongs the dominion and to whom praise is due,” He says, “There is no god but me to whom belongs the dominion and to whom praise is due.” When he says, “There is no god but God, and there is no might and no power except in God,” He says, “There is no god but me, and there is no might and no power except in me.” He used to say that if anyone said these words in his last illness, hell would not devour him. Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said that along with the Prophet he once visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify God. The Prophet suggested that he would tell her something which would be easier (or more excellent)* for her than that, and told her it consisted of saying, “Glory be to God as many times as the number of what He has created in the heaven; Glory be to God as many times as the number of what He has created in the earth; Glory be to God as many times as the number of what is between them; Glory be to God as many times as the number of what He is creating; God is most great (a similar number of times); Praise be to God (a similar number of times); There is no god but God (a similar number of times); There is no might and no power except in God (a similar number of times).” *The transmitter was not sure whether "easier" or "more excellent" was used. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a gharib tradition.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather reported God's messenger as saying, “If anyone glorifies God a hundred times in the morning and a hundred times in the evening, he will be like one who makes the Pilgrimage a hundred times; if anyone praises God a hundred times in the morning and a hundred times in the evening, he will be like one who provides a hundred horses, as mounts in God’s path; if anyone declares that God is the only God a hundred times in the morning and a hundred times in the evening, he will be like one who frees a hundred of the descendants of Ishmael who are slaves; if anyone declares God’s greatness a hundred times in the morning and a hundred times in the evening, no one will bring more than he does that day, except one who says the same as he did or more.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying that “Glory be to God” fills half the scale, “Praise be to God” fills it, and “There is no god but God” has no veil between it and God till it reaches Him. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition whose isnad is not strong.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying that no one will ever say sincerely, “There is no god but God” without the gates of heaven being opened for it so that it may come to the Throne, as long as he avoids major sins. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God's messenger as saying he met Abraham on the night he was taken up to heaven, and he said, “Convey my greeting to your people, Muhammad, and tell them that paradise has good soil and sweet water, that it consists of level, treeless plains, and that its plants are ‘Glory be to God’; ‘Praise be to God’; ‘There is no god but God’; and ‘God is most great’.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan tradition whose isnad is gharib.

Busaira, who was one of the women emigrants, told of God’s messenger saying to them, “Apply yourselves to glorifying God, saying there is no god but He, and declaring His holiness; and count them on your fingers, for they will be questioned and asked to speak; and do not be negligent and so be deprived of mercy.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas said that a nomadic Arab come to God's messenger and asked him to teach him some words to say. He told him to say, “There is no god but God alone who has no partner; God is very great; Abundant praise is due to God; Glory be to God, the Lord of the universe; There is no might and no power except in God, the Mighty, the Wise.” On his remarking that these were for his Lord but he wanted to know what he should say for himself, he told him to say, “O God, forgive me, show mercy to me, guide me, provide for me, and grant me security.” The transmitter was doubtful about “grant me security.” Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said that, on coming upon a tree whose leaves were withered, God's messenger struck it with his staff, and the leaves were scattered. He then said that “Praise be to God; Glory be to God; There is no god but God; and God is most great” cause a man's sins to fall away just as the leaves of that tree were falling. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

Makhul quoted Abu Huraira as saying that God's messenger told him to say frequently “There is no might and no power except in God”, for it is part of the treasure of paradise. Makhul said that if anyone says, “There is no might and no power except in God” and “There is no refuge from God except by repairing to Him”, God will remove from him seventy categories of distress, the least of them being poverty. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a tradition whose isnad is not fully connected, and Makhul did not hear anything from Abu Huraira.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying that “There is no might and no power except in God” is a remedy for ninety-nine diseases, the lightest of which is anxiety.

He said that God’s messenger offered to guide him to a word from under the Throne which was part of the treasure of paradise, it being “There is no might and no power except in God.” He added that God most high says, "My servant has resigned and submitted himself to me." Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in ad-Da’awat al-kabir.

"Glory be to God" is the prayer of the creatures; "Praise be to God" is the word of thanksgiving; "There is no god but God" is the sentence which declares belief in God’s unity; and "God is most great" fills the space between heaven and earth. When a servant says, "There is no might and no power except in God", God says, "He has resigned and submitted himself to me." Razin transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “I swear by God that I ask God’s pardon and turn to him in repentance more than seventy times a day.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Al-Agharr al-Muzani reported God’s messenger as saying, “My heart is invaded by unmindfulness, and I ask God’s pardon a hundred times in the day.” Muslim transmitted it.

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “Turn, you people, in repentance to God, for I turn in repentance to Him a hundred times a day.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Dharr quoted God’s messenger as saying among the things he transmitted from God who is blessed and exalted that He has said, “My servants, I have made oppression unlawful for myself and I have made it unlawful among you, so do not oppress one another. My servants, you are all straying except those whom I guide, but if you ask for my guidance I will guide you. My servants, you are all hungry except those whom I feed, but if you ask me for food I will feed you. My servants, you are all naked except those whom I have clothed, but if you ask me for clothing I will clothe you. My servants, you are all sinning night and day, but I forgive all sins, so if you ask me forgiveness I will forgive you. My servants, you will not be able to injure me and succeed in such a purpose, neither will you be able to benefit me and succeed in such a purpose. My servants, even if the first and last of you, men and jinn, were as pious as the one with the most pious heart among you, that would not cause any increase in my dominion. My servants, if the first and last of you, men and jinn, were as wicked as the man with the most wicked heart among you, that would not cause any diminution in my dominion. My servants, if the first and last of you, men and jinn, were to stand in one plain and make request of me and I were to give every man what he asked, that would make no more diminution of what I possess than a needle would when put into the sea. My servants, they are only your deeds which I put to your account and then pay you in full for them; so let him who experiences good praise God, and let him whose experience is different blame no one but himself.” Muslim transmitted it.