The 365 · Sunnah · Day 102 · Speech
Reciting 'Subḥān Allāh wa-bi-ḥamdihi, Subḥān Allāh al-ʿAẓīm' (Two Phrases Beloved to ar-Raḥmān)
This day is still being reviewed. Its wording, transliterations, and references are being checked before it is final, so please take care with transliterations until then.
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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