Islamic phrases

SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar, 33, 33 and 34 after salah

After every fard prayer, say SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu akbar 34 times, as the Prophet ﷺ taught in Sahih Muslim. Another wording makes it 33 of each, completing the hundred with la ilaha illallah. Both are sunnah. Tap the counter below to keep count.

  1. SubhanAllah 0/33
  2. Alhamdulillah 0/33
  3. Allahu akbar 0/34
33 times33

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ

Subḥānallāh

Glory be to Allah.

Sahih Muslim 596

33 times33

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

Al-ḥamdu lillāh

All praise is for Allah.

Sahih Muslim 596

34 times34

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

Allāhu akbar

Allah is the Greatest.

Sahih Muslim 596

Or 33 takbir, then this once to make 100Once

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahū lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamdu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr

There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things.

Sahih Muslim 597

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Guide

Meaning, use and source

After each of the five fard prayers, the Sunnah is to say SubhanAllah (سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ) 33 times, Alhamdulillah (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ) 33 times and Allahu akbar (اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ) 34 times, a hundred in all. Or say each 33 times and complete the hundred with la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah... once. Both wordings are in Sahih Muslim, so you can use either, or alternate.

The hadith

Ka'b ibn Ujrah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "There are words said after every obligatory prayer whose sayer is never disappointed: 33 tasbih, 33 tahmid and 34 takbir" (Sahih Muslim 596). Abu Hurayrah reported that he said: whoever says SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu akbar 33 times after every prayer, which makes 99, and completes the hundred with la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir, "his sins are forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea" (Sahih Muslim 597).

Poor Companions once complained that the wealthy had more reward because they could give charity. The Prophet ﷺ taught them this tasbih and said it would let them catch up with those ahead of them, unless others did the same (Sahih al-Bukhari 843).

What the three words mean

Other counts in the Sunnah

  • 10 of each after every prayer: the Prophet ﷺ called it easy, with few who do it (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3410, graded sahih).
  • 25 of each, with la ilaha illallah 25 times: the Prophet ﷺ approved this after a Companion saw it in a dream (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1350, graded sahih).
  • Before sleep: the Prophet ﷺ taught Ali and Fatimah to say the same tasbih when they went to bed, and said it was better for them than a servant (Sahih al-Bukhari 6318).

When to say it

Hanafi position

Say it after every fard prayer. After Fajr and Asr, which have no sunnah prayer after them, say it straight away. After Dhuhr, Maghrib and Isha, say Allahumma antas-salam, pray the sunnah, and then say the tasbih and the other adhkar. Its reward is not lost by the sunnah coming in between.

Other madhhabs
Shafi'i, Hanbali
The adhkar are said straight after the fard, before the sunnah prayer, following the wording of the hadith: after every prayer.
Maliki
The same in substance: the tasbih is recommended after the fard prayers.

Counting on your fingers

Abdullah ibn Amr saw the Prophet ﷺ count the tasbih on his right hand (Sunan Abi Dawud 1502; Jami at-Tirmidhi 3486). Counting on the fingers is the Sunnah, and most scholars allow beads or a counter. Use the counter above, or the full tasbih counter. For everything to say after the prayer, in order, see the adhkar after salah.

  1. Sahih Muslim 596 and 597.
  2. Sahih al-Bukhari 843 and 6318.
  3. Jami at-Tirmidhi 3410; Sunan an-Nasa'i 1350.
  4. Sunan Abi Dawud 1502; Jami at-Tirmidhi 3486.
  5. Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, on the adhkar after the fard. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.

The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.

Questions

Good to know

How many times do you say SubhanAllah after salah?

33 times, then Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu akbar 34 times (Muslim 596). Or 33 of each and la ilaha illallah once to make a hundred (Muslim 597).

Is it 33 or 34 Allahu akbar?

Both are sunnah. Muslim 596 has 34 takbir. Muslim 597 has 33 takbir followed by la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah... once.

What is the reward for SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar after salah?

Sins forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea (Muslim 597), and the one who says them is never disappointed (Muslim 596).

Can I say the tasbih after the sunnah prayer?

Yes. In the Hanafi school, after Dhuhr, Maghrib and Isha you say Allahumma antas-salam, pray the sunnah, then do the tasbih.

Can I use a tasbih counter or beads?

Yes. Counting on the fingers is the Sunnah, and most scholars allow beads or a counter.