La hawla wala quwwata illa billah (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰه) is one of the most beloved phrases of dhikr in Islam, taught by the Prophet ﷺ to his Companion Abu Musa al-Ash’ari as “a treasure from the treasures of Paradise” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6384, Sahih Muslim 2704). Scholars often call it the hawqala — an Arabic linguistic device for shortening the full phrase into a single coined word, the same way “Bismillah…” is shortened to basmala.
This guide explains exactly what the phrase means word by word, traces its Qur’anic root in Surah Al-Kahf, sets out the six authenticated occasions when the Prophet ﷺ recited or taught it, and audits the popular claims about its virtues against the gradings of major hadith scholars. You will find the exact references in Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah, alongside sourced commentary from Imam an-Nawawi, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Manawi, Ibn Baz and al-‘Uthaymin.
This guide covers the literal meaning of la hawla wala quwwata illa billah, the authentic hadith of the treasure of Paradise, its Qur’anic foundation in Surah Al-Kahf 18:39, the six occasions for reciting it, an honest audit of its virtues, the words of classical scholars, and the extended form ending with al-‘Aliyy al-‘Azim.
Table of Contents
What La Hawla Wala Quwwata Illa Billah Means
The phrase in Arabic is لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰه. A common Latin transliteration is la hawla wala quwwata illa billah, and you will see the same words written in many other phonetic forms across the Muslim world — la haula walakuata illabillah, lahaula walakuata illabillah, or la hawla wala quwwata illa billahil aliyyil azim for the extended form. All refer to the same act of dhikr.
The phrase is built from three Arabic ideas: hawl (حَوْل), quwwa (قُوَّة) and illa billah (إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰه). Hawl linguistically means change, turning, or transformation — the ability of a thing to move from one state to another. Quwwa means strength, capacity, or power. Illa billah means “except by Allah.” Put together, the phrase declares that no transition between states and no exercise of strength happens except by Allah’s will and enabling.
This is why classical scholars describe la hawla wala quwwata illa billah as a statement of tafwid — the conscious handing over of one’s affairs to Allah — and a statement of seeking help (isti’ana) from the only One who has real power. It is not a phrase of resignation in calamity; for that, the Qur’an teaches inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:156). La hawla wala quwwata illa billah is recited when a Muslim is moving toward a difficult task, leaving the house, replying to the call to prayer, or seeking the strength to obey Allah.
The phrase is also known as the hawqala (حَوْقَلَة). Arabic has a feature called nahṭ — the coining of a single word from a multi-word phrase. The same device gives us basmala (saying “Bismillah…”), hamdala (saying “Alhamdulillah“) and hasbala (saying “Hasbunallah…”). When a hadith encourages “the hawqala,” it is encouraging recitation of la hawla wala quwwata illa billah.
Key takeaways:
- Hawl means transformation; quwwa means strength — together the phrase denies any change or power apart from Allah.
- Primary hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 & Sahih Muslim 2704, narrated by Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, calling it “a treasure of Paradise.”
- Qur’anic root: Surah Al-Kahf 18:39 — “ma sha Allah la quwwata illa billah.”
- Six authenticated occasions: leaving the house, replying to the muadhdhin’s “Hayya ‘ala’l-falah,” after salah, during hardship, before difficult tasks, and as daily morning/evening dhikr.
- The popular claim that it “cures 99 ailments” is graded munkar (very weak) by Shaykh al-Albani — the authentic virtue is being a treasure of Paradise.
- The extended form adds Allah’s attributes al-‘Aliyy (the Most High) and al-‘Azim (the Great).
The Hadith of the Treasure of Paradise
The most famous hadith about la hawla wala quwwata illa billah is narrated by Abu Musa Abdullah ibn Qais al-Ash’ari. The Companions were on a military expedition, and as they ascended an elevation they raised their voices in the takbir. The Prophet ﷺ told them to be gentle with themselves, since the One they were calling upon was not absent or far away. Then, turning to Abu Musa, he said:
“O Abdullah ibn Qais, shall I direct you to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?” I replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “Say: La hawla wala quwwata illa billah.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 · Sahih Muslim 2704Related:
The same teaching is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari through three separate chains — 6384 in the Book of Invocations, 6610 in the Book of Divine Decree (in a chapter titled literally “Bab La Hawla Wala Quwwata illa Billah”), and 7386 in the Book of Tawhid. Sahih Muslim records it as 2704 in the Book of Dhikr, Du’a, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness. Sunan Ibn Majah 3825 narrates a parallel version from Abu Dharr al-Ghifari with the same wording. The chain through Abu Musa al-Ash’ari is one of the most rigorously authenticated chains in the dhikr literature.
Imam an-Nawawi, in his Kitab al-Adhkar, explains that the phrase is called a kanz (treasure) because of how much it weighs on the scale of good deeds for so little effort. The tongue moves briefly; the meaning — complete acknowledgment that Allah alone holds the power to bring about every state and every action — is enormous. This is the same principle the Prophet ﷺ described elsewhere when he said certain phrases are “light on the tongue, heavy on the scale, beloved to the Most Merciful” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6406, Sahih Muslim 2694).
The Qur’anic Foundation: Surah Al-Kahf 18:39
Although the exact wording la hawla wala quwwata illa billah appears in hadith rather than the Qur’an, the meaning is rooted in a single Qur’anic instruction. In Surah Al-Kahf, Allah tells the parable of two men — one of them given two flourishing gardens, the other a believing companion. The garden-owner boasted of his wealth and his children and assumed his fortune would never end. His believing companion rebuked him:
“And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, ‘Ma sha Allah, la quwwata illa billah’ — ‘What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah.’ Although you see me less than you in wealth and children…”
Surah Al-Kahf 18:39
The parable continues: a calamity descends on the boastful man’s garden and it is destroyed. He is left wringing his hands, saying, “Would that I had not associated anyone with my Lord.” This is the Qur’anic backdrop the Prophet ﷺ drew on when he taught his Companions to recite the hawqala. The believing companion’s words — la quwwata illa billah — are almost word-for-word the second half of the phrase. The Sunnah completes the sentence with la hawla at the front, locking together both the denial of independent change and the denial of independent power.
Imam Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of Surah Al-Kahf, ties this verse directly to the Sunnah teaching of la hawla wala quwwata illa billah. He explains that what the Qur’an asked the garden-owner to say is precisely what every Muslim is invited to internalize whenever they are entering a blessing, a difficulty, or any moment where they are tempted to rely on their own strength. The phrase is, in this sense, a tongue-level training in tawhid — an audible refusal to attribute power to anything other than Allah.
When to Say La Hawla Wala Quwwata Illa Billah
The Sunnah specifies several authenticated occasions for reciting la hawla wala quwwata illa billah. Each is grounded in a sahih or hasan narration, so a Muslim who wants to apply the dhikr correctly can do so without relying on weak or fabricated reports.
- Replying to the muadhdhin during the adhan. When the muadhdhin says “Hayya ‘ala’s-salah” (“Come to prayer”) and “Hayya ‘ala’l-falah” (“Come to success”), the listener replies with la hawla wala quwwata illa billah. This is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 613 and Sahih Muslim 385.
- Leaving the house. Anas ibn Malik narrated that whoever, on leaving his house, says: “Bismillah, tawakkaltu ‘ala Allah, la hawla wala quwwata illa billah” — “In the name of Allah, I trust in Allah, there is no power and no strength except by Allah” — it is said to him, “You are sufficed, protected and guided,” and Shaytan moves aside from him (Sunan Abi Dawud 5095, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3426).
- As dhikr after the obligatory prayer. The Companions reported the Prophet ﷺ reciting it among the dhikr of post-salah remembrance.
- In hardship and overwhelming circumstances. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah explains in Majmu’ al-Fatawa that by this word a person is able to bear heavy burdens, endure horrors and reach high stations — it is a phrase of seeking help (isti’ana), not of grief-resignation.
- Before a difficult task. Whenever a Muslim is about to undertake something that feels beyond their strength — a hard conversation, an exam, a journey, a treatment — reciting la hawla wala quwwata illa billah aligns the heart with the truth that the strength to do this comes from Allah.
- As morning and evening dhikr. Shaykh Ibn Baz, in Majmu’ al-Fatawa (vol. 9, p. 294), recommended reciting it morning, evening, and frequently throughout the day, given that the Sunnah does not bind it to a fixed daily count but encourages its abundance.
Worth noting: there is no authenticated narration prescribing exactly one hundred or any specific tally of la hawla wala quwwata illa billah per day. Recitations in fixed numbers (33x, 100x, 300x) are sometimes circulated, but these tallies are not traceable to a sahih chain. The Sunnah pattern is occasion-based — tied to leaving home, hearing the adhan, after salah and during difficulty — combined with the encouragement to recite it abundantly.
Virtues and Benefits: Authentic Versus Popular Claims
The virtues of la hawla wala quwwata illa billah are real, but many online articles repeat embellishments that the hadith scholars have classified as weak or fabricated. Honest engagement with the dhikr means separating what is sahih from what is merely circulated.
Benefits established by authentic hadith
- A treasure from the treasures of Paradise. The most rigorously authenticated virtue: a stored reward beyond what the worshipper realizes in this world (Sahih al-Bukhari 6384, Sahih Muslim 2704).
- Protection on leaving the house. Whoever says it on departure is “sufficed, protected and guided” and Shaytan steps aside (Sunan Abi Dawud 5095, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3426).
- One of the most beloved phrases to Allah. Imam an-Nawawi places it in the same family of “kalimat” the Prophet ﷺ described as light on the tongue and heavy on the scale.
- Strength to endure hardship. Ibn al-Qayyim writes in Al-Wabil al-Sayyib (p. 106) that la hawla wala quwwata illa billah has an astonishing effect on bearing difficulties, repelling grief, anxiety, sadness and worry.
- The opener of locked affairs. Imam al-Manawi, in Fayd al-Qadir (vol. 3, p. 15), observes that “nothing opens the locks of affairs like your saying la hawla wala quwwata illa billah.”
Popular claims that are weak or unestablished
Several claims appear repeatedly on dhikr websites but have been graded weak or worse by hadith scholars. IslamWeb Fatwa 126278 collects the gradings:
- “La hawla wala quwwata illa billah cures 99 ailments, the least of which is anxiety” — reported by at-Tabarani; graded munkar (very weak, almost rejected) by Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani.
- “The angels recite it around the Throne until the Day of Judgment” — reported by Abu al-Shaykh; authenticity not established.
- The story of ‘Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja’i whose son was kidnapped and freed after reciting la hawla wala quwwata illa billah — graded da’if (weak) by Al-Albani.
- “Whoever recites it 100 times along with 100 salawat…” — no authentic chain.
This is not a reason to recite the hawqala less. It is a reason to recite it on the foundation that the Sunnah actually gives us — the treasure of Paradise, the protection of one who leaves home upon Allah, the lightness of tongue with weight on the scale — rather than on the back of stories the Prophet ﷺ never authenticated.
What Classical Scholars Said About the Hawqala
Beyond the basic translation, classical scholars wrote at length about why this short phrase carries such weight. Their commentary fills in why the Prophet ﷺ singled it out as a treasure.
- Imam an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH), in Kitab al-Adhkar, classifies it among the most virtuous expressions of submission, explaining that it embodies complete renunciation of independent power and complete reliance on Allah.
- Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751 AH), in Al-Wabil al-Sayyib and Zad al-Ma’ad (vol. 4, p. 183): “This word has an astonishing effect on the endurance of difficulties… it has a strong impact in repelling grief, anxiety, sadness and worry, and it repels poverty.”
- Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH), in Majmu’ al-Fatawa: “By this word a person is able to bear heavy burdens, endure horrors, and obtain high status.” He emphasizes that the phrase is one of isti’ana (seeking help), not of istirja’ (resignation at calamity) — a distinction many Muslims today miss.
- Imam al-Manawi (d. 1031 AH), in Fayd al-Qadir (3/15): “Nothing opens the locks of affairs like your saying la hawla wala quwwata illa billah.”
- Shaykh Ibn Baz (d. 1420 AH), in Majmu’ al-Fatawa (9/294): recommends recitation morning, evening, and at every opportunity, noting it is a phrase of submission and a means of strengthening the soul.
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH), in Sharh Riyad al-Salihin (5/522): “It is a du’a of seeking help, recited when a person is exhausted or unable to accomplish a task, asking Allah for the strength to act.”
- Imam Abdullah al-Haddad (d. 1132 AH), in Risalat al-Mu’awana: frames the phrase as the cure for grief because grief is fixation on what is lost, and acknowledging that all change is by Allah’s hand dissolves that fixation.
The Extended Form and Related Dhikr
The full phrase is sometimes recited in its extended form: la hawla wala quwwata illa billahil aliyyil azim (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰه ٱلْعَلِيِّ ٱلْعَظِيم) — “there is no power and no strength except by Allah, the Most High, the Great.” Both the short and extended forms are narrated in the Sunnah. The extension adds two of Allah’s names: al-‘Aliyy (the Most High) and al-‘Azim (the Great), the same two attributes paired in the famous Ayat al-Kursi (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255). Adding them sharpens the meaning — the One whose power is being affirmed is the One whose elevation and greatness are absolute.
La hawla wala quwwata illa billah sits inside a family of short dhikr phrases, each handling a different spiritual register. It helps to keep them distinct:
- Hasbunallah wa ni’mal wakil — “Allah is sufficient for us and the best Disposer of affairs” (Surah Aal Imran 3:173). For trusting Allah after one has acted and the outcome is beyond their hand.
- Tawakkaltu ‘ala Allah — “I rely on Allah.” Often paired with bismillah and the hawqala when leaving the house (Sunan Abi Dawud 5095).
- Astaghfirullah — “I seek Allah’s forgiveness.” For repentance and erasing sin.
- Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un — “To Allah we belong and to Him we return” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:156). For calamity, loss and grief.
- La hawla wala quwwata illa billah — the present-tense seeking of strength to act, to obey, to endure, and to face what is ahead.
Use them where the Prophet ﷺ used them. La hawla wala quwwata illa billah is your phrase when you are about to do something hard — not when something terrible has already landed (then inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un is the Sunnah). Building this habit of placing each dhikr in its right occasion is how the early Muslims walked through a day with the tongue and the heart aligned.
What does La Hawla Wala Quwwata illa Billah mean in English?
La hawla wala quwwata illa billah (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰه) means “there is no change of state and no power except by Allah.” Hawl is the ability to move from one condition to another, quwwa is strength or capacity, and illa billah means “except by Allah.” Together the phrase declares that no transition and no exertion of power happens without Allah’s will and enabling.
Is La Hawla Wala Quwwata illa Billah mentioned in the Quran?
The exact wording is from the Sunnah, but its meaning is rooted in the Qur’an. In Surah Al-Kahf 18:39, the believing companion rebukes the boastful garden-owner: “Why did you not say, when you entered your garden, ma sha Allah, la quwwata illa billah?” The Sunnah completes this Qur’anic instruction by adding la hawla in front of la quwwata illa billah.
What is the hadith about La Hawla Wala Quwwata being a treasure of Paradise?
Narrated by Abu Musa Abdullah ibn Qais al-Ash’ari, the Prophet ﷺ said: “O Abdullah ibn Qais, shall I direct you to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?” He said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Say la hawla wala quwwata illa billah.” Recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 6384, Sahih al-Bukhari 6610, Sahih al-Bukhari 7386, Sahih Muslim 2704 and Sunan Ibn Majah 3825.
What are the authentic benefits of saying La Hawla Wala Quwwata illa Billah?
Authenticated benefits include: it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise (Bukhari 6384, Muslim 2704); whoever recites it on leaving the house with bismillah and tawakkul is “sufficed, protected and guided” and Shaytan steps aside (Abu Dawud 5095, Tirmidhi 3426); classical scholars including Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Manawi describe it as a phrase that helps endure difficulties, repel grief and anxiety, and “open the locks of affairs.” The popular claim that it cures 99 ailments is graded munkar by Shaykh al-Albani per IslamWeb Fatwa 126278.
When should I say La Hawla Wala Quwwata illa Billah?
The authenticated occasions are: replying to the muadhdhin’s “Hayya ‘ala’s-salah” and “Hayya ‘ala’l-falah” during the adhan (Bukhari 613, Muslim 385); leaving the house, combined with bismillah and tawakkul (Abu Dawud 5095, Tirmidhi 3426); as part of dhikr after the obligatory prayer; during hardship and overwhelming circumstances; before a difficult task; and frequently as morning and evening dhikr, as recommended by Shaykh Ibn Baz.
What is the difference between La Hawla Wala Quwwata and Hawqala?
They are the same dhikr. Hawqala (حَوْقَلَة) is the Arabic linguistic device of naḥt — coining a single word from a multi-word phrase. So “the hawqala” is the act of saying la hawla wala quwwata illa billah. The same device gives us basmala (“Bismillah”), hamdala (“Alhamdulillah”) and hasbala (“Hasbunallah”). When a scholar encourages “the hawqala,” they are encouraging the same phrase.
Memorize the phrase, settle its meaning in your heart, and weave it into the moments the Sunnah pointed to: on the threshold of your home, when the muadhdhin calls to success, after every prayer, and the next time you find yourself facing something heavier than you. The tongue moves briefly — and a treasure is laid up in Paradise.
