La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is an Islamic expression that is often heard when a person faces trials or during a moment of difficulty. What does Islam say about it? How should it be pronounced and at what moment should it be said? Let us take the time to recall the meaning and the benefits of these words drawn from the hadiths of the Sunnah.
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah: Word-by-word definition
The formula « la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah » expresses the Muslim's acceptance of his servitude towards his Lord. It is a sentence of negation, composed of several words each of which has its own definition. Together, they contain the idea that Allah Alone can do all things and that we accept that He has full Power over everything.
The word-by-word definition of this sentence is as follows :
« La » expresses negation : « there is no », « there is not ».
« Wa » is the particle used to signify a sequence of ideas, a linking. It is the word « and » in the English translation.
Hawla : The idea of opportunity, adaptability, insight. To change, to change (into), to pass from one state to another, to transform, to intervene.
Quwwata : To feed someone, to provide for someone's sustenance, to nourish someone, to be able to, to have the strength to.
Illa : Means « save », « except »
Billah : This is a group of words formed of the particle « bi » and the name of Allah. It means « in Allah », « with Allah ».
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah : meaning and value
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah therefore means :
« There is no possibility of changing (of things changing, of finding a way out, of power…), nor any strength except in Allah ».
The secrets of la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah : Value and deeper meaning
This formula is a treasure among the treasures of Paradise. It is a formula through which believers seek relief from their Lord. It should not be confused with the invocation of return to Allah drawn from the Holy Quran, « Inna liLah wa inna ilayhi raaji oun », which is pronounced in case of misfortune, such as the death of a loved one.
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is rather a remembrance of God which consists, for the believer, in seeking relief from Allah. Through this sentence, the Muslim seeks the help and assistance of his Creator in difficult moments.
Pronouncing la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah in Arabic means that one acknowledges the Almightiness of Allah who is in control of everything: at once the creatures He has created, the Universe, and the situations in which one may find oneself. When one repeats this remembrance drawn from the Sunnah, one has the conviction that Allah ta'ala is the Only One to have the Capacity to make things evolve. To practise multiplying this remembrance is to place all our affairs in His Hands, for we acknowledge to Him the strength and the Power that we do not have in the face of people, of trials and of circumstances that we do not control.
When to say la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah?
The Tradition of our prophet Mohamed, may Allah grant him the finest salutations and prayers, reminds us of the importance of repeating this most precious dhikr "la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" each time we leave our home, through this reminder reported by Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, which we find in the sahih (authentic books) of Bukhari and Muslim:
«Would you like me to show you one of the gates of Paradise? I said: Yes! He said: (La Hawla wa la quwwata Illa Billah».
The Dhikr to say before leaving home is :
Bismillah tawakkaltou 3ala lah wa la haoula wa la qowata illa billah !
In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah and there is no power nor strength except in Allah !
It is, indeed, :
- a treasure and one of the gates of Paradise
- the means to strengthen one's heart through the remembrance of Allah
- a help against sadness and affliction
- the means to seek the relief of Allah, to Him the Majesty and the Glory
- one of the causes for warding off poverty
- one of the means to seek the forgiveness of Allah
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah: merits and benefits
According to Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), my privileged friend (may the prayer of Allah and His salutation be upon him) ordered me seven things: to love the poor and to draw close to them; to look at the one who is below me and not to look at the one who is above me; to maintain the ties of kinship even if they turn their backs on me; to ask nothing of anyone; to speak the truth even if it is difficult; not to fear, for the sake of Allah, the reproaches of those who reproach; and to repeat much -There is no strength nor power except through Allah- for these words come from a treasure beneath the throne». Reported by Ahmad and authenticated by Shaykh Albani
Imam al-Tirmidhi reports, according to 'Amr ibn al-As (Radhia Allahou Anhou), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: « There is no one on earth who says "La Ilaha Illa Allah, Allahu Akbar and La Hawla wa la Quwwata Illa Billah" without his sins being forgiven, even if they are as numerous as the foam of the sea ».
Conclusion
Multiplying the remembrance of Allah opens all the gates of Mercy, of sustenance, and of ease in our affairs. By accustoming his tongue to remembering Allah, the Muslim acknowledges with his heart and his tongue his servitude to the Most High, and He responds to the call of His servant when the latter calls upon Him. This is what is summed up by la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Is it not by humbling oneself before the Holder of the Kingdom of the two Worlds that the heart finds peace ? Allah is free of any defect or weakness, exalted be He. To repeat His Remembrance with this formula in particular is to admit that without Him we can do nothing, which increases our devotion when remembering Him. And what relief for hearts to ask for ease in our affairs of this lower world and of the Hereafter from the One who masters and controls everything, without being mastered, apprehended or controlled.
May Allah have mercy on His Creatures here below and on the Day of His Meeting.