Islamic phrase · meaning and usage
Subhanahu wa Ta'ala meaning
Also written Subhanahu wa ta'ala, SWT, Subhanahu wa taala, Subhana wa ta'ala, Azza wa jall
سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ
subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā
“Glorified and exalted is He”
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Subhanahu wa ta’ala (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ, written SWT) means “glorified and exalted is He”. Muslims say or write it after the name of Allah, in the words of the Qur’an (17:43).
What Subhanahu wa Ta'ala means
It declares Allah free of every flaw (subḥānahū) and far above anything wrongly said about Him (ta‘ālā). Other phrases used the same way are ‘azza wa jall (“Mighty and Majestic”) and jalla jalāluh (“exalted is His majesty”).
Word by word
| Arabic | Say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| سُبْحَانَهُ | subḥānahū | glory be to Him |
| وَتَعَالَىٰ | wa ta‘ālā | and He is exalted (high above) |
When to say it
- After saying or writing the name “Allah”.
- In talks and writing about Allah.
How to reply
No reply is needed.
Where it comes from
In the Qur’an
سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ عُلُوًّۭا كَبِيرًۭا
Exalted is He and high above what they say by great sublimity.
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَٰٓؤُنَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّـُٔونَ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
And they worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, "These are our intercessors with Allah " Say, "Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?" Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him
Common mistakes
- Writing “Allah (SWT)” every time and never the words. The abbreviation is common; writing it in full at least once is better.
- Saying it for anyone but Allah. It is only for Allah. For the Prophet use ﷺ, for Companions radiyallahu anhu.
Frequently asked questions
What does subhanahu wa ta'ala mean?
“Glorified and exalted is He.” It is said after the name of Allah.
What does SWT stand for?
Subhanahu wa ta’ala. It is written after “Allah” in English texts.
Is it in the Quran?
Yes: subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā appears in several ayahs, such as 17:43 and 10:18.
What is azza wa jall?
“The Mighty and Majestic”: another phrase said after Allah’s name.
Is it compulsory to say SWT?
No, but it is a respected practice of glorifying Allah when His name is mentioned.
Related phrases
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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