The words
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh
There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6384; Sahih Muslim 2704
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, no power except with Allah.
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah means "there is no power and no strength except with Allah". The Prophet ﷺ called it a treasure from the treasures of Paradise.
The longer form
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ
Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāhil-ʿaliyyil-ʿaẓīm
There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.
A widely used form
Quran 18:39In the Quran
وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًۭا وَوَلَدًۭا
Wa law laaa iz dakhalta jannataka qulta maa shaaa'al laahu laa quwwata illaa billaah; in tarani ana aqalla minka maalanw wa waladaa
And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, 'What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah '? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children,
Quran 18:39, Sahih International translation
Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
Meaning, use and source.
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ) means "there is no power and no strength except with Allah". Hawl is the ability to move from one state to another, such as turning away from sin. Quwwah is the strength to do something, such as obeying Allah. Saying it admits that you can do nothing without Him. It is called the hawqalah.
A treasure of Paradise
The Prophet ﷺ said to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari: "Shall I not tell you of a treasure from the treasures of Paradise? La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6384, Sahih Muslim 2704).
When to say it
- When the muadhin says "hayya alas-salah" and "hayya alal-falah", reply la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (Sahih Muslim 385).
- Leaving home: "Bismillah, tawakkaltu alallah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (see the dua for leaving home).
- When starting something hard, when overwhelmed, or when something bad happens. Some people say it only in shock, but it is first a statement of reliance on Allah.
The longer form
Many Muslims add al-aliyyil-azim, "the Most High, the Most Great". It appears in some narrations and in the third kalima, Kalima Tamjeed (see the 6 kalimas). The short form is the wording in the two Sahih collections above.
In the Quran
The phrase la quwwata illa billah is in Surah Al-Kahf, where a believer tells his proud friend: "Why did you, when you entered your garden, not say: What Allah willed. There is no power except in Allah" (Quran 18:39). That is also the source of mashallah.
Spellings
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, la hawla wala quwwata illa billah, lahaula wala quwwata illa billah and la hawla quwwata illa billah are the same phrase.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6384; Sahih Muslim 2704.
- Sahih Muslim 385.
- Quran 18:39, translation by Sahih International.
Questions
Good to know.
What does la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah mean?
There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
When do you say la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah?
When you hear hayya alas-salah and hayya alal-falah in the adhan, when leaving home, and when facing any difficulty or task.
What is the reward of la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah?
The Prophet ﷺ called it a treasure from the treasures of Paradise (Bukhari 6384, Muslim 2704).
Is la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah in the Quran?
The words la quwwata illa billah are in Surah Al-Kahf 18:39. The full phrase comes from the hadith.