Islamic phrase · meaning and usage
Alhamdulillah meaning
Also written Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulilah, Al hamdu lillah, Alhamdolillah, Alhumdulillah, Elhamdulillah
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
al-ḥamdu lillāh
“All praise is for Allah”
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Alhamdulillah (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ) means “all praise is for Allah”. It is the first line of al-Fatiha after the basmala, and Muslims say it in thanks, after eating, after sneezing and in hard times too.
What Alhamdulillah means
Ḥamd is praise with love and gratitude. The definite article al- makes it all-embracing: every kind of praise belongs to Allah. So the phrase is more than “thank God”: it praises Allah for who He is, not only for what He gives.
Because it is not tied to good news, Muslims say it in every state. The Prophet ﷺ had one form for good things and another for hardship (below).
Word by word
| Arabic | Say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| الْحَمْدُ | al-ḥamdu | the praise (all praise) |
| لِ | li | for / belongs to |
| اللَّهِ | Allāh | Allah |
When to say it
- When something good happens, and when you are asked “how are you?”.
- After eating and drinking.
- After sneezing (then the listener says yarhamukallah).
- On waking up: al-ḥamdu lillāhil-ladhī aḥyānā ba‘da mā amātanā wa ilayhin-nushūr.
- In hardship: al-ḥamdu lillāhi ‘alā kulli ḥāl (“praise be to Allah in every state”).
- 33 times after each prayer.
How to reply
No reply is needed, except after a sneeze: when someone sneezes and says alhamdulillah, the listener says yarḥamukallāh (“may Allah have mercy on you”), and the sneezer answers yahdīkumullāhu wa yuṣliḥu bālakum.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي بِنِعْمَتِهِ تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتُ
al-ḥamdu lillāhil-ladhī bi-ni‘matihī tatimmuṣ-ṣāliḥāt
Praise be to Allah, by whose favour good things are completed. (Said on seeing something pleasing.)
Sunan Ibn Majah 3803
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ
al-ḥamdu lillāhi ‘alā kulli ḥāl
Praise be to Allah in every state. (Said on seeing something displeasing.)
Sunan Ibn Majah 3803
Where it comes from
In the Qur’an
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
دَعْوَىٰهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَٰنَكَ ٱللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَٰمٌۭ ۚ وَءَاخِرُ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ أَنِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Their call therein will be, "Exalted are You, O Allah," and their greeting therein will be, "Peace." And the last of their call will be, "Praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds!"
In the hadith
“The best dhikr is lā ilāha illallāh, and the best dua is al-ḥamdu lillāh.”
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3383
“Al-ḥamdu lillāh fills the scale.”
Sahih Muslim 223
“Allah is pleased with the servant who eats a meal and praises Him for it, or drinks and praises Him for it.”
Sahih Muslim 2734
When one of you sneezes, let him say al-ḥamdu lillāh, and let his brother say yarḥamukallāh.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6224
Common mistakes
- Saying it only for good news. The sunnah has a form for hardship too: al-ḥamdu lillāhi ‘alā kulli ḥāl.
- Pronouncing a light “h”. The ḥ in ḥamd is the breathy ḥā’ (ح), made in the middle of the throat, not the light ه.
- Using it to hide a complaint. Praise with the tongue goes with contentment in the heart; it is fine to also ask Allah for relief.
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Frequently asked questions
What does alhamdulillah mean?
Alhamdulillah means “all praise is for Allah”. It praises and thanks Allah, and it opens al-Fatiha (1:2).
What do you say back when someone says alhamdulillah?
Usually nothing is needed. After a sneeze, reply yarḥamukallāh. If they are sharing good news, you can say alhamdulillah or mashallah too.
Can you say alhamdulillah when something bad happens?
Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said al-ḥamdu lillāhi ‘alā kulli ḥāl (“praise be to Allah in every state”) when he saw something he disliked (Ibn Majah 3803).
How do you spell alhamdulillah?
Alhamdulillah is the most common spelling. Alhumdulillah, alhamdulilah and al hamdu lillah are also used. All write الحمد لله.
What is the reward of saying alhamdulillah?
It “fills the scale” (Muslim 223) and is called the best dua (Tirmidhi 3383). Allah is pleased with the one who praises Him after eating and drinking (Muslim 2734).
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How this page works and sources
Qur’an text and its English meaning are taken from the same Uthmani text and translation the Niyat app uses, and each ayah links to its place in our Qur’an reader. Hadith are cited by collection and number (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah); where a narration has a weak chain we say so. Hadith wording is summarised in plain English. Where the schools of law differ, the page says so in one line. The sound button uses your browser’s own Arabic voice; nothing is sent anywhere.
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