The 365 · Sunnah · Day 102 · Speech
Reciting 'Subḥān Allāh wa-bi-ḥamdihi, Subḥān Allāh al-ʿAẓīm' (Two Phrases Beloved to ar-Raḥmān)
The hadith
كَلِمَتَانِ خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ، ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ، حَبِيبَتَانِ إِلَى الرَّحْمَٰنِ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ
The Prophet ﷺ: 'Two phrases that are light on the tongue but heavy on the scale, beloved to ar-Raḥmān: Subḥān Allāh wa-bi-ḥamdihi, Subḥān Allāh al-ʿAẓīm.' (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6406, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2694, Abū Hurayrah.)
Svenska: Profeten ﷺ sade: 'Två fraser som är lätta på tungan men tunga på vågen, älskade av ar-Raḥmān: Subḥān Allāh wa-bi-ḥamdihi, Subḥān Allāh al-ʿAẓīm.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6406, Sahih Muslim 2694.)
Sahih Bukhari 6406, Sahih Muslim 2694 (Abū Hurayrah)
The story
Abū Hurayrah preserved this hadith as one of the Prophet's ﷺ most operationally clear teachings. The Companions used both phrases continuously throughout the day. The classical scholars (Ibn Ḥajar, an-Nawawī) considered this hadith one of the structural foundations of dhikr-discipline.
Why it's here
The Prophet ﷺ named these two phrases together with three structural qualities: (1) khafīfatān ʿalā al-lisān (light on the tongue: easy to say); (2) thaqīlatān fī al-mīzān (heavy on the scale: weighty in reward); (3) ḥabībatān ilā ar-Raḥmān (beloved to the Most Merciful). The three together establish a structurally optimal effort-to-reward ratio: minimum effort, maximum weight, divine love.
Try it today
1. Combine with Day 101's count of 100. Recite both phrases together: 'Subḥān Allāh wa-bi-ḥamdihi, Subḥān Allāh al-ʿAẓīm.' 2. The combined phrase takes about 4 seconds; 100 reps = 400 seconds = ~7 minutes. 3. Schedule a fixed window: post-Fajr, post-ʿAṣr, or post-Maghrib. 4. Recite with presence; quality > mechanical count.
In your day
Two short phrases. Light on the tongue. Heavy on the scale. The structural minimum-effort-maximum-reward dhikr. Build it as a daily anchor-point.
A reflection to carry
The two phrases beloved to ar-Raḥmān: 'Subḥān Allāh wa-bi-ḥamdihi, Subḥān Allāh al-ʿAẓīm.' Three structural qualities: light on the tongue, heavy on the scale, beloved to ar-Raḥmān. (Bukhārī 6406.)
Read the longer reflection
The structurally optimal effort-to-reward ratio: minimum effort, maximum weight, divine love. The combined phrase takes about 4 seconds; 100 reps = 400 seconds = ~7 minutes. Cure: combine with Day 101's count of 100; recite both phrases together; schedule a fixed window (post-Fajr, post-ʿAṣr, or post-Maghrib); recite with presence; quality > mechanical count. The Companions used these formulas continuously. The classical scholars considered this hadith one of the structural foundations of dhikr-discipline.
Sources: Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
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