Al-ḥamdu lil-lāh (Arabic: ٱلْـحَـمْـدُ للهِ) or Alḥamdulillāh is an Arabic phrase meaning “praise be to God,” sometimes translated as “thank God.”[1] This phrase is called ḥamdala (Arabic: حمدلة),[2] and taḥmīd (Arabic: تَـحْـمِـيْـد, lit. ‘Praising’).[3]
It is frequently used by Muslims of every background, due to its centrality to the texts of the Quran and Hadith (the words of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). Its meaning and in-depth explanation have been the subject of much exegesis. It is also commonly used by Arab Christians, and other non-Muslim speakers of the Arabic language.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The uttering of the words “Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection), Al-hamdu lillah (all praise is due to Allah), La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah) and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)’ is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.”
[Muslim].
وعنه رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: لأن أقول: سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، أحب إلي مما طلعت عليه الشمس” ((رواه مسلم)).
| Sunnah.com reference | : Book 16, Hadith 2 |
| Arabic/English book reference | : Book 16, Hadith 1409 |
Credit: wikipedia, https://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/16
Now that you have learned what’s in this Arabic phrase Alhamdulillah, say Alhamdulillah every time you hear good news from now on!
Say Masha Allah when you hear good news, not bad news.
“Masha Allah” can be uttered to congratulate someone. It is a reminder that although the person is being congratulated, it was Allah that ultimately willed it. In some cultures, people may utter Masha Allah in the belief that it may help protect them from jealousy, the ‘evil eye’ or a jinn.
Credit: http://www.islamic-dictionary.com/index.php?word=mashallah, Wikipedia.
So, what to say when you hear bad news? You’ll be learning all that in the coming post!
