Duas for remembering allah. Light on the tongue, heavy on the Scale
Authentic hadith describe the great reward of simple words of remembrance, from tasbih and tahlil to La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. The Prophet ﷺ counted his tasbih on the fingers of his right hand (Sunan Abi Dawud 1502).
12 sourced Du'as Arabic, transliteration, meaning, and source
Start with this Du'a
Two phrases heavy on the Scale
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم: كَلِمَتَانِ خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ، ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ، حَبِيبَتَانِ إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، سُبْحانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ
Wa qala salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam: Kalimatani khafifatani 'ala-l-lisan, thaqilatani fi-l-mizan, habibatani ila-r-Rahman: Subhana-llahi wa bihamdih, Subhana-llahi-l-'adheem
“He ﷺ also said: Two phrases are light on the tongue, heavy on the Scale, and beloved to the Most Merciful: Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him. Glory be to Allah, the Magnificent.”
قَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَنْ قَالَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ حُطَّتْ خَطَايَاهُ وَلَوْ كَانَتْ مِثْلَ زَبَدِ الْبَحْر
Qala salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam: Man qala: Subhana-llahi wa bihamdihi fi yawmin mi'ata marrah, huttat khatayahu wa law kanat mithla zabadi-l-bahr
“He ﷺ said: Whoever says Subhana-llahi wa bihamdihi (glory be to Allah and praise be to Him) a hundred times in a day, his sins are removed even if they were like the foam of the sea.”
Wa qala salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam: Man qala la ilaha illa-llahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu-l-mulk, wa lahu-l-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir 'ashra mirar, kana kaman a'taqa arba'ata anfusin min waladi Isma'il
“He ﷺ also said: Whoever says ten times: None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, without partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things, it is as though he had freed four people from the descendants of Isma'il.”
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَأَنْ أَقُولَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمسُ
Wa qala salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam: La-an aqula Subhana-llah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa-llah, wallahu akbar, ahabbu ilayya mimma tala'at 'alayhi-sh-shams
“He ﷺ also said: To say: Glory be to Allah, all praise is for Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, is dearer to me than everything the sun rises over.”
Wa qala salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam: A-ya'jizu ahadukum an yaksiba kulla yawmin alfa hasanah? Fasa'alahu sa'ilun min julasa'ihi: Kayfa yaksibu ahaduna alfa hasanah? Qal: Yusabbihu mi'ata tasbihah, fayuktabu lahu alfu hasanatin aw yuhattu 'anhu alfu khati'ah
“He ﷺ also said: Is any one of you unable to earn a thousand good deeds every day? One of those sitting with him asked: How can one of us earn a thousand good deeds? He said: He says Subhan Allah a hundred times, and a thousand good deeds are written for him, or a thousand sins are removed from him.”
A treasure of Paradise: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم: يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى كَنْزٍ مِنْ كُنُوزِ الْجَنَّةِ؟ فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: قُلْ لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
Wa qala salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam: Ya 'Abda-llahi-bna Qays, ala adulluka 'ala kanzin min kunuzi-l-jannah? Faqultu: Bala ya Rasula-llah. Qal: Qul: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
“He ﷺ also said: O 'Abdullah ibn Qays, shall I not point you to one of the treasures of Paradise? I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: Say: There is no might and no power except with Allah.”
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم: أَحَبُّ الْكَلاَمِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَرْبَعٌ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لاَ يَضُرُّكَ بِأَيِّهِنَّ بَدَأتَ
Wa qala salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam: Ahabbu-l-kalami ila-llahi arba': Subhana-llah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa-llah, wallahu akbar, la yadurruka bi-ayyihinna bada't
“He ﷺ also said: The words most beloved to Allah are four: Glory be to Allah, all praise is for Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. It does not matter which of them you begin with.”
Ja'a a'rabiyyun ila Rasuli-llahi salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam faqal: 'Allimni kalaman aquluh. Qal: Qul: La ilaha illa-llahu wahdahu la sharika lah, Allahu akbaru kabira, wal-hamdu lillahi kathira, subhana-llahi Rabbi-l-'alamin, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahi-l-'Azizi-l-Hakim. Qal: Faha'ula'i li-Rabbi, fama li? Qal: Qul: Allahumma-ghfir li, warhamni, wahdini, warzuqni
“A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Teach me words to say. He said: Say: None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, without partner. Allah is the Greatest, truly great. Abundant praise is for Allah. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. There is no might and no power except with Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise. The man said: These are for my Lord, so what is for me? He said: Say: O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me and provide for me.”
كَانَ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا أَسْلَمَ عَلَّمَهُ النَّبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصَّلاَةَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ بِهَؤُلاَءِ الْكَلِمَاتِ: اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرِ لِي، وَارْحَمْنِي، وَاهْدِنِي، وَعَافِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي
Kana-r-rajulu idha aslama 'allamahu-n-Nabiyyu salla-llahu 'alayhi wa sallam as-salata thumma amarahu an yad'uwa biha'ula'i-l-kalimat: Allahumma-ghfir li, warhamni, wahdini, wa 'afini warzuqni
“When a man embraced Islam, the Prophet ﷺ would teach him the prayer, then instruct him to make du'a with these words: O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, grant me well-being and provide for me.”
الباقيات الصالحات : سبحان الله والحمد لله ، ولا إله إلا الله ،والله أكبر ،و لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله
Al-baqiyatu-s-salihat: Subhana-llah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa-llah, wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
“The good deeds that endure are: Glory be to Allah, all praise is for Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, Allah is the Greatest, and there is no might and no power except with Allah.”
Musnad Ahmad 513 (hasan, as 'Uthman's explanation)
These are the words of the Companion 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, explaining "the enduring good deeds" mentioned in Quran 18:46.