Alhamdulillah
Encyclopedia
Alhamdulillah or is an Arabic phrase
meaning "Praise to God
" or "All praise is due to Allah
," similar to the Hebrew phrase
Halelu Yah
(Hallelujah). In everyday speech it simply means "Thank God!" It is used by Arabic-speakers of all religions, but more frequently by Muslim
s due to the centrality of this specific phrase within the texts of the Qur'an
and the words of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
.
However, its meanings and in-depth explanation have been the subject of much exegesis
and explanation.
The phrase has three basic parts:
Note:
(1) The word "Allah" is the fusion of the article al
(the) and the word ilah
(a god, deity).
Very much like in English, "The" article is used here to single out the noun as being the only one of its kind, "The god" (the one and only) or "God" with a capital G (the concept of capital letters does not exist in Arabic).
Therefore, "Allah" is the Arabic word for "God".
(2) "ilah" is the Arabic cognate
of the ancient Semitic
name for God, El
It also means that anything in existence to which is ascribed praise, thanks, glorification, or gratitude, is only able to achieve it due to God's infinite mercy and grace.
Alhamdulillah: in theory, it is to be said with a profound sense of love, adoration, and awe of the power, glory, and mercy of God. In practice, however, its use is so widespread in Arabic-speaking countries that it might better be understood as meaning "thankfully," "thank goodness," or "thank God" as used in American English. Which is to say that not all Arabic speakers who use the phrase are consciously praising God when they say it.
Furthermore, it not only praises God in general for the above-mentioned qualities, but also seeks to praise Him specifically for those attributes of God's names in Islam
, which God did necessarily have as omnipotent (such as all-seeing, all-hearing), but rather chose to have out of His mercy (the Loving (Al-Wadud), the Beneficent (Ar-Rahman)) and showering Grace upon His servants.
Some of the 99 Names of God in Islam, referred to by this idea are:
The phrase is first found in the second verse of the first sura
of the Qur'an (Al-Fatiha
). So frequently do Muslims and Arabic-speaking Jew
s and Christians invoke this phrase that the quadriliteral verb Hamdala حمدل, "to say al-Hamdu li-'llah" was coined, and the derived noun Hamdalah حمدلة is used as a name for this phrase.
In Islam, Alhamdulillah is used in the following situations:
After burping.
After sneezing.
Waking up.
Response to "How are you?"
In general, every time a Muslim desires to praise God, they say: Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله).
The triconsonantal root Ḥ-M-D (ح م د), meaning "praise," can also be found in the names Muhammad
, Mahmud
, and Ahmad
.
reported that Muhammad, said: "The best remembrance of Allah is to repeat La ilaha ilallah and the best prayer (du'a) is Alhamdulillah (all praise belongs to Allah)." (Narrated by Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Hakim who declared its chain sound)
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet said: "Any matter of importance which is not begun with Alhumdulillah remains defective." From Abu Dawood
Anas bin Malik reported that the Prophet said: "Allah is Pleased with His slave who says, 'Alhumdulillah' when he takes a morsel of food and drinks a draught of water." From Muslim
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
meaning "Praise to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
" or "All praise is due to Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
," similar to the Hebrew phrase
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
Halelu Yah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Halleluyah, and the Latin form Alleluia are transliterations of the Hebrew word meaning "Praise Yah". The last syllable is from the first two letters of the name of God, YHWH, written JHVH in Latin). Hallelujah is found primarily in the book of Psalms...
(Hallelujah). In everyday speech it simply means "Thank God!" It is used by Arabic-speakers of all religions, but more frequently by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s due to the centrality of this specific phrase within the texts of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
and the words of the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
However, its meanings and in-depth explanation have been the subject of much exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
and explanation.
The phrase has three basic parts:
- AlAl-is the definite article in the Arabic language; a particle whose function is to render the noun on which it is prefixed definite. For example, the word kitāb 'book' can be made definite by prefixing it with al-, resulting in al-kitāb 'the book'...
- The - Hamd-u - meaning the "feeling of gratitude", as opposed to Shokr, "words of gratitude".
- Li 'llah - preposition + nounNounIn linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
Allah. Li is a preposition meaning for, belonging to, etc.
Note:
(1) The word "Allah" is the fusion of the article al
Ål
Ål is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ål....
(the) and the word ilah
Ilah
is an Arabic term meaning "deity" or "god". The feminine is ; with the article, it appears as . It appears in the name of the monotheistic god of Islam as , translated, that is, "the god"...
(a god, deity).
Very much like in English, "The" article is used here to single out the noun as being the only one of its kind, "The god" (the one and only) or "God" with a capital G (the concept of capital letters does not exist in Arabic).
Therefore, "Allah" is the Arabic word for "God".
(2) "ilah" is the Arabic cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
of the ancient Semitic
Semitic
In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages...
name for God, El
It also means that anything in existence to which is ascribed praise, thanks, glorification, or gratitude, is only able to achieve it due to God's infinite mercy and grace.
Alhamdulillah: in theory, it is to be said with a profound sense of love, adoration, and awe of the power, glory, and mercy of God. In practice, however, its use is so widespread in Arabic-speaking countries that it might better be understood as meaning "thankfully," "thank goodness," or "thank God" as used in American English. Which is to say that not all Arabic speakers who use the phrase are consciously praising God when they say it.
Furthermore, it not only praises God in general for the above-mentioned qualities, but also seeks to praise Him specifically for those attributes of God's names in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, which God did necessarily have as omnipotent (such as all-seeing, all-hearing), but rather chose to have out of His mercy (the Loving (Al-Wadud), the Beneficent (Ar-Rahman)) and showering Grace upon His servants.
Some of the 99 Names of God in Islam, referred to by this idea are:
- Al-Wadud (the Loving)
- Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent)
- Ar-Raheem (The Merciful)
- Al-Kareem (The Generous)
- Al Ghafur (The Forgiving)
- As-Salaam (The Peace)
The phrase is first found in the second verse of the first sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
of the Qur'an (Al-Fatiha
Al-Fatiha
Sura Al-Fatiha , is the first chapter of the Qur'an. Its seven verses are a prayer for Allah's guidance, and stress His Lordship and Mercy...
). So frequently do Muslims and Arabic-speaking Jew
Arab Jews
Arab Jews is a term referring to Jews living in the Arab World, or Jews descended from such persons.The term was occasionally used in the early 20th century, mainly by Arab nationalists, to describe the 1 million Jews living in the Arab world at the time...
s and Christians invoke this phrase that the quadriliteral verb Hamdala حمدل, "to say al-Hamdu li-'llah" was coined, and the derived noun Hamdalah حمدلة is used as a name for this phrase.
In Islam, Alhamdulillah is used in the following situations:
After burping.
- Alhamdulillah
After sneezing.
- Alhamdulillah
- Thank God.
Waking up.
- Alhamdulillah-hillathee ah-yana ba'da ma ama tana wa ilayhi nushoor.
- Many thanks to God Who has given us life after having given us death (sleep) and that our final return (on the Day of Qiyaamah End of the worldIslamic eschatologyIslamic eschatology is concerned with the al-Qiyāmah . Like the other Abrahamic religions, Islam teaches the bodily resurrection of the dead, the fulfillment of a divine plan for creation, and the judgement of the soul; the righteous are rewarded with the pleasures of Jannah while the unrighteous...
) is to God.
Response to "How are you?"
- Keifa haluka, Wech rak?, Keifik? or Keifilhal?
- Alhamdu lillahi
- Thank God, I am fine.
In general, every time a Muslim desires to praise God, they say: Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله).
The triconsonantal root Ḥ-M-D (ح م د), meaning "praise," can also be found in the names Muhammad
Muhammad (name)
Muhammad was a prophet and an Arabic religious and political leader who preached and established Islam.Muhammad may also refer to:*Muhammad , listing people with the given name or surname Muhammad...
, Mahmud
Mahmud
Mahmud is the main transliteration of the Arabic given name, , , that comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D "Praise"....
, and Ahmad
Ahmad
Ahmad or Ahmed are the principal transliterations of the Arabic given name, . The name comes from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D, meaning "highly praised", implying "one who constantly thanks God".-Etymology:...
.
Hadith mentioning virtues of this phrase
Jabir ibn Abd-AllahJabir ibn Abd-Allah
Jabir ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Haram al-Ansari was a prominent companion of Muhammad and his descendants, the Shi'a Imams.-Early life:Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari was born in Yathrib 15 years before the Hijra. He belonged to a poor family of Yathrib. He was from the tribe of Khazraj. His mother...
reported that Muhammad, said: "The best remembrance of Allah is to repeat La ilaha ilallah and the best prayer (du'a) is Alhamdulillah (all praise belongs to Allah)." (Narrated by Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Hakim who declared its chain sound)
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet said: "Any matter of importance which is not begun with Alhumdulillah remains defective." From Abu Dawood
Anas bin Malik reported that the Prophet said: "Allah is Pleased with His slave who says, 'Alhumdulillah' when he takes a morsel of food and drinks a draught of water." From Muslim
See also
- Al-FatihaAl-FatihaSura Al-Fatiha , is the first chapter of the Qur'an. Its seven verses are a prayer for Allah's guidance, and stress His Lordship and Mercy...
- Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alaminAl-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alaminAl-hamdu lillahi rabbil 'alamin is the first Ayah of the first Surah of the Qur'an .- Significance :...
- DhikrDhikrDhikr , plural ; ), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity...
- Ash ShakurAsh ShakurAsh Shakur is one of the Names of Allah. It is part of the 99 Names of God, by which Muslims regard God and which are traditionally maintained as described in the Qur'ān, and Sunnah, amongst other places.-Meaning:...
- Glossary of Islam
- Hadha min fadhle RabbiHadha min fadhle Rabbiis an Arabic phrase whose translation in English nears "" or "" Generally speaking, the phrase is most often used to convey a sense humility and most importantly, gratitude to God for having something, be it material or spiritual, or otherwise, such as a talent one may possess, or good health,...
- HosannaHosannaHosanna is a liturgical word in Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, it is always used in its original Hebrew form, Hoshana.- Etymology :The word hosanna is etymologically derived from the Hebrew , ...
- Subhan'AllahSubhan'allahSubhan'Allāh is an Arabic phrase often translated as "Glorious is God."Said Mohammed bin AbeeBakr Abdulqader al-Razee, in his book "Mukhtar al-Sihah" one of the classic Arabic-wordbooks:...