Rabbana wa lakal hamd (رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ) is the response Muslims say in salah after rising from ruku’ (bowing), immediately after the imam says “Sami Allahu liman hamidah.” It means “Our Lord, and to You be the praise,” and saying it is an authentic Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and the four Sunan collections.
What looks like a single short phrase is actually four different authentic wordings, each from a different hadith, with a small but real disagreement between scholars about which form is preferred. This guide walks through the full Arabic and pronunciation, every authentic version including the long “filling the heavens and the earth” form, when to say it depending on whether you are leading, following, or praying alone, and what to do if you forget.
Table of Contents
What does “Rabbana wa lakal hamd” mean?
The phrase is short — three words in Arabic — but every word carries weight. Written with diacritical marks (harakat) it appears as:
رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ
And without diacritical marks (the form most commonly seen in everyday Arabic text):
ربنا ولك الحمد
Word by word, it breaks down as follows:
| Transliteration | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbana | رَبَّنَا | Our Lord (Rabb + nā, the possessive “our”) |
| wa laka | وَلَكَ | and to You (waw of coordination + 2nd-person pronoun) |
| al-hamd | الْحَمْدُ | the praise (definite article + verbal noun, all praise without restriction) |
Read together, the most precise English rendering is “Our Lord, and to You be the praise” — with “the praise” carrying the sense of all praise, owed comprehensively, without limit, to Allah alone. Many translators write it as “Our Lord, all praises are for You,” which captures the same intent in more natural English.
Pronunciation
The phrase is straightforward to pronounce, but a few sounds matter: the doubled b in Rabbana (the shadda on the bā), the soft w sound in wa, and the dental d in al-hamd. The video below walks through it word by word:
Key takeaways:
Related:
- Four authentic wordings exist in the Sunnah — short, with “wa,” with “Allahumma,” and the long “thirty angels” form (Sahih al-Bukhari 796, 799; Sahih Muslim 477; Sunan an-Nasa’i 1063).
- Said while standing after rising from ruku’, before going into sujud — by everyone praying, including the imam (per the majority of scholars).
- Said silently by imam, follower, and solo worshipper — only the tasmi’ (“Sami Allahu liman hamidah”) is said aloud.
- Forgetting it does not invalidate the prayer in the majority view; the Hanbali school treats omission as requiring sujood al-sahw.
The four authentic wordings of the dua
The Prophet (ﷺ) said this dhikr in more than one form. Each variation appears in a different sahih hadith, and scholars consider all four authentic. The Prophet rotated between them at different times — meaning a worshipper today can use any of them and is on firm ground. Here are the four versions side by side:
| Version | Arabic | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Short, with “wa” Rabbana wa lakal-hamd “Our Lord, and to You be the praise.” | رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ | Sunan an-Nasa’i 1063, narrated by Abu Hurayrah (sunnah.com/nasai:1063, graded Sahih) |
| 2. Short, without “wa” Rabbana lakal-hamd “Our Lord, to You be the praise.” | رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ | Sahih al-Bukhari 796 chapter wording, also Sunan Abi Dawud 848 and Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 266 |
| 3. With “Allahumma” Allahumma Rabbana lakal-hamd “O Allah, our Lord, to You be the praise.” | اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ | Sahih al-Bukhari 796, narrated by Abu Hurayrah (sunnah.com/bukhari:796) |
| 4. Devotional / “thirty angels” Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih “Our Lord, and to You be the praise — abundant, good, and blessed praise.” | رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ | Sahih al-Bukhari 799, narrated by Rifa’a bin Rafi’ al-Zuraqi (sunnah.com/bukhari:799) |
A fifth form — adding “Allahumma” to the “wa” version (Allahumma Rabbana wa lakal-hamd) — is also reported in some narrations and accepted as authentic, though it is less commonly cited. The substantive disagreement among scholars is not about authenticity but about preference: which version is best to use day to day. That question is covered in the section on the “wa” particle further below.
When to say it in salah
“Rabbana wa lakal hamd” has a very specific position in the prayer. It is said in i’tidāl — the standing posture after rising from ruku’ (bowing) and before descending into sujud (prostration). The sequence inside one rak’ah looks like this:
- Standing recitation (Surah al-Fatiha + another portion of Qur’an).
- Bow into ruku’ and say Subhana Rabbiyal Azeem three times.
- Rise from ruku’. As you rise, the imam (or you, if praying alone) says Sami Allahu liman hamidah.
- While standing fully upright, say Rabbana wa lakal hamd (or any of its variants).
- Descend into sujud and say Subhana Rabbiyal A’la three times.
The standing pause between ruku’ and sujud is short, but it has its own dhikr — and the Prophet (ﷺ) treated this brief moment as a recognised pillar of the prayer. The companion Anas ibn Malik described the Prophet’s i’tidāl as so prolonged that the people would say “he has forgotten” before he finally went into sujud (reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 800 and Sahih Muslim 472).
Imam, follower, or praying alone — who says what?
One of the most commonly asked questions about this dua is who says which of the two phrases — the tasmi’ (“Sami Allahu liman hamidah”) and the tahmid (“Rabbana wa lakal hamd”). The four major Sunni schools answer it slightly differently:
| Role | Hanafi (most common ruling) | Shafi’i | Maliki & Hanbali |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imam | Says only tasmi’ (per Abu Hanifa); his companions Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan say he says both. Most modern Hanafi practice follows the latter. | Says both tasmi’ and tahmid. | Says both tasmi’ and tahmid. |
| Follower (muqtadi) | Says only tahmid (“Rabbana lakal-hamd”). | Says both tasmi’ and tahmid. | Says only tahmid. |
| Praying alone | Says both. | Says both. | Says both. |
The disagreement traces back to two hadith. Sahih Muslim reports the Prophet (ﷺ) saying “When the imam says ‘Sami Allahu liman hamidah,’ say ‘Allahumma Rabbana lakal-hamd'” — which the Hanafis read as instructing the follower to respond with the tahmid only, in contrast to the tasmi’ which the imam said. The Shafi’is read the same hadith as additional, not exclusive — the follower adds the tahmid but is not prohibited from joining the tasmi’.
Practically, all four schools agree on one thing: everyone praying says the tahmid, in some form. The disagreement is only about whether the follower also says the tasmi’.
The longer versions and the “thirty angels” hadith
The shorter forms are the most common, but two longer versions are well-documented in the Sunnah and worth knowing. The first is the “abundant, good, and blessed” version that triggered one of the most striking exchanges in the Sahih:
Rifa’a bin Rafi’ al-Zuraqi narrated: “We were praying behind the Prophet (ﷺ), and when he raised his head from ruku’ he said ‘Sami Allahu liman hamidah.’ A man behind him said: ‘Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih.‘ When the Prophet finished the prayer he asked, ‘Who is the speaker just now?’ The man replied, ‘It was I.’ The Prophet said: ‘I saw thirty-some angels rushing to be the first to write it down.'”
Sahih al-Bukhari 799 (sunnah.com/bukhari:799)
This hadith is the basis for adding hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih (“abundant, good, and blessed praise”) after the standard phrase. Many worshippers use this longer form, especially in night prayer or in any unhurried prayer where there is space to do so.
The second longer form is the “filling the heavens and the earth” version, reported in Sahih Muslim 477 (narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri) and Sunan an-Nasa’i 1068:
رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ بَعْدُ أَهْلَ الثَّنَاءِ وَالْمَجْدِ خَيْرُ مَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ وَكُلُّنَا لَكَ عَبْدٌ لاَ مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلاَ يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ
Transliteration: Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil’as-samawati wa mil’al-ardi wa mil’a ma shi’ta min shay’in ba’d. Ahlath-thana’i wal-majdi, khayru ma qalal-‘abdu, wa kulluna laka ‘abdun. La mani’a lima a’tayta, wa la yanfa’u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd.
Meaning: “Our Lord, to You be the praise — filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling whatever else You will. Lord of glory and majesty — the truest thing a slave has said, and we are all slaves to You. None can withhold what You grant, nor can the possession of an owner benefit him before You.”
This is the form most often used by people who have memorised it for their personal prayer. It is heavy with meaning — affirming Allah’s right to praise that exceeds creation itself, and acknowledging absolute servitude before Him. Source: Sahih Muslim 477 (sunnah.com/muslim:477) and Sunan an-Nasa’i 1068.
With or without “wa” — the Shafi’i and Hanafi positions
A small but real disagreement runs through classical fiqh: should the phrase begin with “wa” (“and”) or not? Both forms are textually authentic — neither side disputes the soundness of the chains. The disagreement is about which is preferred:
- Shafi’i school — prefers “Rabbana wa lakal-hamd” (with “wa”). The reasoning is that the worshipper is responding to the imam’s tasmi’, so the “wa” connects the two phrases like a single sentence: “Allah hears the one who praises Him, and to You, our Lord, is the praise.”
- Hanafi school — generally prefers “Rabbana lakal-hamd” (without “wa”). The chapter heading in Sahih al-Bukhari (Vol. 1, Book 12, Chapter 124) reads “Superiority of saying Allahumma Rabbana lakal hamd” — without the “wa” — which is one of the textual anchors Hanafi scholars cite.
- Maliki and Hanbali schools — accept both, with most contemporary Hanbali scholars treating the “with wa” form as preferred for followers and “without wa” as equally valid for solo worshippers.
The grammatical question turns on the role of the waw. Most classical scholars treat it as waw al-‘atf (the waw of coordination) connecting the response to the imam’s call. Some Hanafi grammarians treat it as waw al-isti’naf (the waw of resumption), which is why they consider it omittable without changing the meaning. As the Darul Ifta of London noted in a fatwa on this exact question, the soundness of either form is not in dispute — the choice is stylistic, and a worshipper using either is on firm Sunnah ground.
Is it said silently or aloud?
“Rabbana wa lakal hamd” is said silently — by everyone, including the imam. Only the tasmi’ (“Sami Allahu liman hamidah”) is said aloud, and only by the imam (or by a worshipper praying alone). The follower says nothing aloud.
This is the position of the four major schools and is reflected in IslamWeb fatwa 124905 and the standard Hanafi and Shafi’i fiqh manuals. The reasoning: the tahmid is a personal dhikr addressed to Allah, not a call-and-response signal that needs to coordinate the congregation. The tasmi’ is a signal — it tells the congregation “we are now rising from ruku’ ” — so it is voiced. The tahmid is the heart’s response, and so it is whispered.
What if you forget to say it?
If you forget to say “Rabbana wa lakal hamd” while standing after ruku’ — perhaps because you were distracted, or you went into sujud too quickly — the prayer is still valid in the majority view. The Hanafi, Shafi’i, and Maliki schools classify it as a Sunnah (a recommended act), not a fard (obligatory pillar). Forgetting a Sunnah does not invalidate the prayer and does not require sujood al-sahw (the prostration of forgetfulness).
The Hanbali school takes a stricter view. Many contemporary Hanbali scholars — including the late Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen — held the tahmid to be obligatory, and considered forgetting it a reason to perform sujood al-sahw before salaam. This is the position cited in IslamQA fatwa 126097. If you follow the Hanbali school and you realise mid-prayer that you skipped the tahmid, you would add two prostrations of forgetfulness at the end of the prayer.
For everyone else: the prayer is complete, and the response is to make a habit of saying it the next time. There is no need to repeat the rak’ah or the prayer.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Rabbana wa lakal hamd” mean in English?
It means “Our Lord, and to You be the praise.” The phrase is a tahmid (an act of praising Allah) said while standing upright after rising from ruku’. The longer translations sometimes used — “Our Lord, all praises are for You” or “Our Lord, to You belongs all praise” — convey the same meaning, since the definite article on al-hamd implies “all” praise without restriction.
When exactly do you say Rabbana wa lakal hamd?
While standing fully upright (in i’tidāl) after rising from ruku’, and before going into sujud. In a congregation, the imam says “Sami Allahu liman hamidah” as he rises, and the followers respond with “Rabbana wa lakal hamd” once standing. Someone praying alone says both, in sequence.
Should you say it with or without “wa”?
Both forms are authentic and accepted. The Shafi’i school generally prefers “Rabbana wa lakal-hamd” (with “wa”); the Hanafi school generally prefers “Rabbana lakal-hamd” (without “wa”). The Maliki and Hanbali schools accept either. Whichever form you grew up with or your local imam uses is on firm Sunnah ground.
Should the follower also say “Sami Allahu liman hamidah”?
According to the Hanafi, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, the follower says only the tahmid (“Rabbana wa lakal hamd”) and not the tasmi’. According to the Shafi’i school, the follower says both. Someone praying alone says both regardless of madhab.
Is Rabbana wa lakal hamd said silently or aloud?
It is said silently by everyone — imam, follower, and solo worshipper. Only the tasmi’ (“Sami Allahu liman hamidah”) is said aloud, and only by the imam (or by a person praying alone).
What is the full longer dua of Rabbana lakal hamd?
The longest form, reported in Sahih Muslim 477 and Sunan an-Nasa’i 1068, is: “Rabbana wa lakal-hamd, mil’as-samawati wa mil’al-ardi wa mil’a ma shi’ta min shay’in ba’d. Ahlath-thana’i wal-majdi, khayru ma qalal-‘abdu, wa kulluna laka ‘abdun. La mani’a lima a’tayta, wa la yanfa’u dhal-jaddi minkal-jadd” — meaning “Our Lord, to You be the praise filling the heavens, filling the earth, and filling whatever else You will…”
What if I forget to say it during prayer?
The prayer remains valid. The Hanafi, Shafi’i, and Maliki schools classify the tahmid as a Sunnah, so forgetting it does not require sujood al-sahw. The Hanbali school considers it obligatory, and contemporary Hanbali scholars (including Ibn Uthaymeen) recommend performing two prostrations of forgetfulness if it is omitted.
Should the imam himself say Rabbana wa lakal hamd?
According to the majority of scholars — including the Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, and the position of Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan inside the Hanafi school — the imam says both the tasmi’ (aloud) and the tahmid (silently). Abu Hanifa’s individual position was that the imam says only the tasmi’. Most contemporary Hanafi practice today follows the position of his two companions and has the imam say both.
