Pairing of Subhan and al-Hamd in the Glorious Quran

Pairing of Subhan and al-Hamd in the Glorious Quran

Pairing of Subhan and al-Hamd in the Glorious Quran

18 November 2022

Allah concludes surah as-Saffat by saying:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ‎

وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ ‎

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.

And peace upon the messengers.

And all praise and thanks be to Allah, Lord of all creation. (180-182)

Commenting on this, Ibn Kathir (rahimahullah) wrote:

Now, the phrase “SubhanAllah” involves declaring Allah free and removed from any defects, which by extension also affirms His perfection.

Likewise, the phrase “Alhamdulillah” affirms His perfect qualities, which by extension involves Him being free of any defects.

Allah pairs these two phrases together here as well as in numerous places throughout the Quran.

[Tafsir ibn Kathir, 7/41]

Imam al-Baghawi (rahimahullah) in his tafsir of surah al-Saffat, concluded with the following report:

… Ali (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said:

Whoever would love to amass a heaping measure of reward of the Day of Resurrection, then let his closing words in any gathering be:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.

And peace upon the messengers.

And all praise and thanks be to Allah, Lord of all creation. (180-182)

[Tafsir al-Baghawi (rahimahullah), 7/66]

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