Times and places when it is mustahabb to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah

Praise
be to Allah

The word of
Tawheed (i.e., Laa ilaaha ill-Allah – there is no god but Allah), is the
greatest word in existence. For it all of creation was created, the
Messengers were sent, and the Books were revealed. It is the word of piety,
the foundation of the faith and the pillar of belief, and it is the
trustworthy handhold which, whoever grasps it will be saved, and whoever
dies believing in it will be blessed with a blessing after which he will
never be wretched. The virtues of this word and its place in the religion
are far greater than can be described or defined.

It was narrated
that Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “The best
dhikr is Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no god but Allah), and the best
du‘aa’ is al-hamdu Lillah (Praise be to Allah).”

Narrated by at-Tirmidhi
(3383) who said: It is hasan ghareeb. Narrated by an-Nasaa’i in as-Sunan
al-Kubra (6/208); he included it in a chapter entitled Chapter on the
best dhikr and the best du‘aa’. Also narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his
Saheeh (3/126); he included it in a chapter entitled: Statement that
praising Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is one of the best kinds of
du‘aa’, and saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah is one of the best kinds of dhikr.

Classed as hasan
by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (1/63) and by Shaykh
al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.

Al-Mubaarakfoori
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Because it is
the word of Tawheed, and there is nothing like Tawheed. It is that which
differentiates between disbelief and faith. And because it makes one’s mind
focus completely on Allah, to the exclusion of all else; and it is more
purifying to the soul and cleansing to the heart, and more effective in
ridding the nafs of evil and keeping the Shaytaan at bay.

Tuhfat
al-Ahwadhi
(9/325)

Therefore the
successful one among the people of this world is the one who frequently
recites these words at all times and in all places, and whose tongue and
heart never weary of repeating them, remembering their meanings, and bearing
in mind their objectives. These words are among the adhkaar concerning which
there is no report to say that it is recommended to recite them  in a
specific place or at a specific time; rather the reports speak in general
terms so that the Muslim can utter these words in any situation,, when he is
busy and when he has free time, when he is going to sleep and when he is
awake, when he is at home and when he is travelling, when praying by day or
by night, fasting, performing Hajj or ‘umrah, sitting or standing. If he can
say them with every breath he takes, then he will be successful and
victorious.

Ibn Hajar
al-Haytami (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The best of the
adhkaar for which the Lawgiver did not single out a particular situation or
time is reciting Qur’an, followed by the words Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, because
of the report which says: “The best dhikr is Laa ilaaha ill-Allah.” End
quote.

Al-Fataawa
al-Hadeethiyyah
(p. 109)

Nevertheless,
there are several hadiths which encourage reciting this dhikr in specific
situations or at specific times. They include the following:

1.    

After wudoo’:

“There
is no one among you who does wudoo’ and does it well, then says, ‘Ashhadu
an laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan
‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (I bear witness that there is no god except Allah
alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His
slave and Messenger),’ but the eight gates of Paradise will be opened to him
and he will enter through whichever one he wishes.’”

Narrated by
Muslim (234) from the hadith of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘amir (may Allah be pleased with
him).

2.    

When waking up
from sleep during the night:

“Whoever
turns over at night and says Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka
lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer.
Al-hamdu-lillaah wa subhaan-Allaah wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu
akbar, wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no god but
Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate. To Him belongs praise and His is
the sovereignty, and He is Able to do all things. Praise be to Allaah, glory
be to Allaah, there is no god but Allaah and Allaah is Most Great. There is
no power and no strength except with Allaah), then he says, Allaahumma
aghfir li (O Allaah, forgive me), or he makes du’aa’, his prayer will be
granted. If he does wudoo’ and prays, his salaah will be accepted.”

Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (1154) from the hadith of ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit (may Allah be
pleased with him).

3.    

At the beginning
of the day:

““Whoever
says “La ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd
wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer” one hundred times in the day, will have a
reward equivalent to that of freeing ten slaves, one hundred hasanahs (good
deeds) will be recorded for him, and one hundred sayiahs (bad deeds) will be
erased from his record, and it will be protection for him from the shaytan
for that day, until evening comes. No one could achieve any better than him
except the one who does more than he did.
Whoever says Subhaan
Allaah wa bi hamdih (Praise and glory be to Allaah) one hundred times,
morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam
of the sea.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(3293) and Muslim (2691) from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah.

4.    

After saying the
salaam at the end of the prayer:

He (the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say following every
prayer, after saying the salaam: “Laa
ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa
huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer. Allaahumma laa maani‘ lima a‘tayta wa laa
mu‘ti lima mana‘ta wa la yanfa‘ dhaa’l-jadd minka al-jadd 
(There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate, His is the
sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all things. O Allah,
none can withhold what You give and none can give what You withhold, and no
wealth or majesty can benefit anyone for from You is all wealth and
majesty).”

Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (6330) and Muslim (593).

5.    

At times of
distress and hardship

The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say at
times of distress: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah al-‘Azeem al-Haleem, laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah Rabb al-‘Arsh al-‘azeem, la ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb ul-samawaati
wa Rabb ul-ard wa Rabb ul-‘Arsh il-kareem (There is no god but Allah,
the All-Powerful, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of the
mighty Throne; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of heaven, Lord of earth,
and Lord of the noble Throne).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6345) and Muslim
(2730),
from the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him).

6.    

On the day of
‘Arafah.

“The best that I
and the Prophets said on the afternoon of (the day of) ‘Arafah is

‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu la shareeka lah,
lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is
no god but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate; His is the dominion,
to Him be praise, and He has power over all things).”

Narrated by
at-Tabaraani in Fadl ‘Ashar Dhi’l-Hijjah; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (1503).

It is also
narrated that it is encouraged to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah in some hadiths
in which there is some weakness, but they were classed as hasan by some
scholars. These include the following:

1.    

It was narrated
that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Renew your
faith.” It was said: O Messenger of Allah, how can we renew our faith? He
said: “Say a great deal ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah.’”

Musnad Ahmad
(2/359); classed as saheeh by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (4/285);
classed as hasan by al-Mundhiri in at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb (2/342);
classed as da‘eef by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah ad-Da‘eefah (no. 896).

2.    

It was narrated
that Abu Hurayrah  (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Frequently
recite the testimony that there is no god but Allah before you are prevented
from doing so (by death).”

Narrated by Abu
Ya‘la in al-Musnad (11/8). Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in al-Futoohaat
ar-Rabbaaniyyah (4/110): It is hasan ghareeb. It was classed as hasan by
Shaykh al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (no. 467).

Imam al-Mundhiri
collected the hadiths which speak of the virtue of saying Laa ilaaha
ill-Allah, in his book at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb (2/265-271).

See also:
Fath al-Baari (11/207); an essay entitled Kalimat al-Ikhlaas wa
Tahqeeq Ma‘neehaa by al-Haafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allah have
mercy on him); the book Fiqh al-Ad‘iyah wa’l-Adhkaar (1/167-179); an
essay entitled Ma‘na Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wa Muqatadaaha wa Athaaruha
fi’l-Fard wa’l-Mujtama‘ by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve
him), published in Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah (issue no. 13)

And Allah knows
best.