Alhamdulillah — Meaning and How to Recite It

When to recite it

• After SubhanAllah in the post-prayer tasbih.
• After eating, drinking, and any blessing you notice.
• On waking, inside the longer praise reported in Sahih al-Bukhari.

Meaning and practice

Alhamdulillah gathers every form of praise and returns it to Allah. Gratitude here is not only for a pleasant event. It is a way of seeing that the blessing, and the ability to notice it, both come from Him.

After salah it is the middle phrase of the thirty-three, thirty-three, thirty-four count. Before sleep it appears in the same pattern in the report given to Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her.

If you lose the number, start the set again or continue from the last number you are sure of. The point is presence, and a counter simply keeps the number honest.

Source note: Sahih Muslim, the tasbih after salah. Recommended count: 33.

Frequently asked questions