SubhanAllah
سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ
Subḥānallāh
Glory be to Allah.
Quran 23:91
SubhanAllah, glory be to Allah.
SubhanAllah means "glory be to Allah": He is perfect and far above any flaw or anything unworthy of Him. Muslims say it in wonder, in dhikr, and 33 times after every prayer.
With praise
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
Subḥānallāhi wa biḥamdih
Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Him.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6405
Two light words
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ
Subḥānallāhi wa biḥamdihī, subḥānallāhil-ʿaẓīm
Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him. Glory be to Allah, the Most Great.
Sahih al-Bukhari 7563
Quran 23:91In the Quran
مَا ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٍۢ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُۥ مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ ۚ إِذًۭا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَٰهٍۭ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ
Mat takhazal laahu minw waladinw wa maa kaana ma'ahoo min ilaah; izal lazahaba kullu ilaahim bimaa khalaqa wa la'alaa ba'duhum 'alaa ba'd; Subhaannal laahi 'ammaa yasifoon
Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. [If there had been], then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have sought to overcome others. Exalted is Allah above what they describe [concerning Him].
Quran 23:91, Sahih International translation
Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
Meaning, use and source.
SubhanAllah (سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ) means "glory be to Allah". The root s-b-h carries the sense of being far removed, so it declares that Allah is free of every fault, need and partner. It is called tasbih.
When to say SubhanAllah
- When you see something amazing in creation, or hear something surprising.
- When you hear something said about Allah that is unworthy of Him: "Glorified is Allah above what they describe" (Quran 23:91).
- When going downhill or as a plane descends. The Companions said Allahu akbar going up and SubhanAllah going down (Sahih al-Bukhari 2993).
- In ruku (subhana rabbiyal azim) and sujud (subhana rabbiyal a'la). See how to pray.
SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar after salah
The Prophet ﷺ taught: whoever says SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu Akbar 33 times after each prayer, then completes a hundred with "la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir", has his sins forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea (Sahih Muslim 597). Before sleep, he taught Ali and Fatimah 33, 33 and 34 (Sahih Muslim 2727). Use the tasbih counter to keep count.
Its reward
- "Whoever says subhanallahi wa bihamdihi a hundred times a day, his sins are wiped away even if they are like the foam of the sea" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6405).
- "Two words are light on the tongue, heavy on the scale and beloved to the Most Merciful: subhanallahi wa bihamdihi, subhanallahil-azim" (Sahih al-Bukhari 7563). It is the last hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari.
- "The most beloved words to Allah are four: SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, la ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar" (Sahih Muslim 2137).
Spellings
SubhanAllah, subhan Allah, subhanallah and subhanaAllah are all the same. The careful transliteration is subḥānallāh, with a throaty ḥ. For the related phrase about Allah, see subhanahu wa ta'ala.
- Quran 23:91, translation by Sahih International.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2993.
- Sahih Muslim 597.
- Sahih Muslim 2727.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6405.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 7563.
- Sahih Muslim 2137.
Questions
Good to know.
What does SubhanAllah mean?
Glory be to Allah. It declares that Allah is perfect and free of every fault.
When do Muslims say SubhanAllah?
In wonder at something, when hearing something unworthy said about Allah, when going downhill, in ruku and sujud, and 33 times after each prayer.
How many times do you say SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar after salah?
33 times each, then la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah... once to make a hundred (Sahih Muslim 597).
What is the reward of subhanallahi wa bihamdihi?
Saying it a hundred times a day wipes away sins even if they are like the foam of the sea (Bukhari 6405).