Saying “Laa Haula Wa Laa Quwwata il-la-Bil-Laah”

Updated: 13th Oct. 2017/23rd Muharram 1439

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu.

لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله  Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah is one of the powerful statements proclaimed by the believers in Islam.

According to the glorious Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him, it is “one of the treasures of Paradise”.

This statement is an expression of a servant’s humble submission to the power and glory of his Lord Almighty. It is a declaration announcing the reality of all realities: Everything happens only with the help of Allah alone. Man, however strong, powerful and great, is powerless, weak and meek in front of Allah.

Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah in simple English means “There is neither might nor power except with Allah”.

This powerful statement is the proclamation that All power, might, strength, grandeur and glory is by Allah, from Allah and belongs to Allah. 

As I mentioned before, Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah is one of the Treasures of Jannah: 

a) Abu Musa (R.A) reported:

“While we were with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in a holy battle, we never went up a hill or reached its peak or went down a valley but raised our voices with Takbeer. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came close to us and said, “O people! Don’t exert yourselves, for you do not call a deaf or an absent one, but you call the All- Listener, the All-Seer.” The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, “O `Abdullah bin Qais! Shall I teach you a sentence which is from the treasures of Paradise? ( It is): ‘La haula wala quwata illa billah’. (There is neither might nor power except with Allah).” Sahih Bukhari

b) Abu Hurairah (R.A) said:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: ‘Be frequent in saying: Laa ḥawla wa laa quwwata illā billa”. For verily, it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise”.  Tirmidhi

We need to say لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله  Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah whenever we feel weak or are unable to do anything.

There are some specific occasions wherein we are encouraged by our Leader, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to say لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله  Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah:

1. When you wake up in night: 

The Prophet (ﷺ) “Whoever gets up at night and says: — ‘La ilaha il-lallah Wahdahu la Sharika lahu Lahul mulk, wa Lahu-l-hamd wahuwa ‘ala kulli shai’in Qadeer. Al hamdu lil-lahi wa subhanal-lahi wa la-ilaha il-lal-lah wa-l-lahu akbar wa la hawla Wala Quwata il-la-bil-lah.’ (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. He is the Only One and has no partners . For Him is the Kingdom and all the praises are due for Him. He is Omnipotent. All the praises are for Allah. All the glories are for Allah. And none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, And Allah is Great And there is neither Might nor Power Except with Allah). And then says: Allahumma, Ighfir li (O Allah! Forgive me). Or invokes (Allah), he will be responded to and if he performs ablution (and prays), his prayer will be accepted.” Sahih Bukhari

2. While listening to the Adhaan:

‘Umar b. al-khattab reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying: When the MU’ADHDHIN says:

“Allah is most great, Allah is most great”, and one of you says in response: “Allah is most great”, Allah is most great; then says: “ I testify that there is no god but Allah”, and he says in response: “I testify that there is no god but Allah”, then say:” I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, and he makes the response: “ I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, then says: “Come to prayer”, and he makes the response: “There is no might and no power except in Allah”: then says: “ Allah is most great, Allah is most great”, and he makes the response: “Allah is most great”, then says: “There is no god but Allah”, if he says this from his heart, he enter Paradise.” Sahih Muslim and Abu Dawood and Sahih Bukhari

So we must say Laa Haula Wa Laa Quwwata il-laa-Bil-Laah when we listen to Hayya Alas Salah, Hayya alal Falaah during the Adhaan (prayer call)

3. At the end of every obligatory salah, prayer:

لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله  Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah  is one dhikr that was said by the glorious Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) at the end of every obligatory prayer.

Abu Zubair reported:

Ibn Zubair uttered at the end of every prayer after pronouncing salutation (these words):” There is no god but Allah. He is alone. There is no partner with Him. Sovereignty belongs to Him and He is Potent over everything. There is no might or power except with Allah. There is no god but Allah and we do not worship but Him alone. To Him belong all bounties, to Him belongs all Grace, and to Him is worthy praise accorded. There is no god but Allah, to Whom we are sincere in devotion, even though the unbelievers should disapprove it.” (The narrator said): He (the Holy Prophet) uttered it at the end of every (obligatory) prayer. Read the Arabic Text of this Sahih Muslim hadeeth

4. When you leave your home:

Say this powerful du’aa every time you leave your house, Inshaaallah.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِاللَّهِ

Bismillaahi Tawak’kaltu ‘alal-laahi Laa haula wa laa Quwwata il-la bil-laah “In the name of Allah, I trust in Allah; there is no might and no power but in Allah” (Read the full hadeeth here)

Now, I would like to quote the ahadeeth which highlight the virtues of Laa haula wa laa Quwwata il-la bil-laah: 

1. Abdullah bin Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“There is no one upon the earth who says: ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, and there is no might nor power except by Allah, (Laa ilaaha illal-laah, wal-laahu akbar, wa laa ḥawla wa lā quwwata illa billaah) except that his sins shall be pardoned, even if they were like the foam of the sea.” Tirmidhi

2. According to a hadeeth, an interesting dialogue takes place between a Muslim and his/her Lord. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in this regard:

“Whoever says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest,’ His Lord affirms his statement and says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Me, and I am the Greatest,’

and when he says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone’ Allah says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Me alone.’

And when he says: ‘There no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone, having no associates,’ Allah says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Me alone, I have no associates.’

And when he says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, to Him belongs all the Dominion, and to Him all the praise is due,’ Allah says: ‘There no deity worthy of worship but Me alone, to Me belongs all the Dominion, and to Me all the praise is due.’

And when he says: ‘There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and there is no might or power but with Allah,’ Allah says: ‘There is deity worthy of worship but Me, and there is no might or power but with Me.” Tirmidhi

3. When a Muslim says “There is no might nor power except with Allah,” he will, in fact, be seeking to attain strength and help from Allah, the Almighty. He seeks refuge with Him in facilitating his matters, so he supplicates to Him submissively saying, “There is no might nor power but with Allah.” Thereupon, Allah, the Most Exalted will say, “my servant has become a believer in Me and has submitted to My power.” Ahmed

4. When our Master Muhammad (peace be upon him) met Ibraheem alaihis salam in the seventh heaven during his Meraaj (Ascension) journey, Ibraheem alaihis salam advised him, “Instruct your people to take much provision of the seeds of Paradise, for Paradise has excellent soil and vast plains.” The Prophet Muhammad asked him, “What are the seeds of Paradise?” Ibraheem alaihis salam replied, “Reciting ‘there is no might nor power but with Allah”. Ahmed

Related Reading: Jumu’ah Khutbah – Arabic         Friday Sermon – English

Seeds of Jannah

I conclude by reminding that Laa haula wa laa Quwwata il-la bil-laah forms a part of this all-in-one comprehensive du’aa.

Sal-lal-laahu ‘ala Muhammad, sal-lal-laahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

Jazakallaahu Khayra for reading this post.

Baarakallaahu feekum.

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