1- So from the excellence of these words is that they are the most beloved speech to Allah.

Imam Muslim collected in his book from the hadeeth of Sumrah bin Jundab (رضي الله عنه) who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

‘The most beloved speech to Allah consists of four, there is no harm with which one you begin, Subhana Allahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la ilaaha il-lallah, wa Allahu akbar.’ [Saheeh Muslim]

And collected by Tayyalisi in his ‘Musnad’ with the wording:

‘There are four statements that are the most beloved speech to Allah, and they are in the Qur’an, there is no harm which one you begin with: SubhanAllaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la ilaaha il-lallah, wa Allahu Akbar.’ [Musnad at-Tayyalisi]

2- From their excellence is that the Prophet (ﷺ) informed us that they are more beloved to him than what the sun rose upon (i.e. from the Dunya and what is in it)

Muslim collected in his book ‘Saheeh’ from the hadeeth of Abu Hurairah who said: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

‘Indeed that I say: ‘Far is Allah from imperfection, and all praise be to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest,’ (Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la ilaaha il-lallah, wa Allahu akbar) is more beloved to me than what the sun rose upon.’ [Saheeh Muslim]

3 – From their excellence is, what is mentioned in ‘Musnad’ of Imam Ahmad and ‘Shu’ab al-Eeman’ by Bayhaqi with a good Isnaad from Assim bin Bahdalah from Abu Salih from Umm Hani bint Abu Talib who said:

‘The Messenger of Allah walked past me so I said: ‘Indeed I have become old and weak – or something similar to this – then he ordered me with an action which I should do while I am sitting. He (ﷺ) said:

‘Say Subhan’Allah one hundred times, indeed it is equivalent to freeing one hundred slaves from the offspring of Isma’eel. And

Say Alhamdulillah one hundred times, it is the equivalent to one hundred horses saddled with reins ready to carry a person in the path of Allah. And

Say Allahu akbar one hundred times, since it is the equivalent to one hundred camels slaughtered for the sake of Allah. And

Say La ilaaha il-lallah one hundred times, Ibn Khalf (the narrator from Aasim) said: I think he said: it fills what is between the heavens and the earth and on that day no one will have an action raised except the one who came with the like of it.’ [Al-Musnad & Shu’ab al-Eemaan]

Al-Mundhari said: Ahmad collected it with a Hasan Isnad [Targheeb wa Tarheeb (2/409)] and the ‘allaama al-Albaani declared its Isnad Hasan. [Silsilah Saheehah (3/303)]

Reflect upon this great reward, which is a result of these words.

So whoever says Subhan’Allah hundred times then it is the equivalent to freeing a hundred slaves from the sons of Isma’eel, the offspring of Isma’eel was mentioned specifically because they are the noblest of the Arabs in lineage.

Whoever says Alhamdulillaah a hundred times then he will have the reward as the one who gave charity of one hundred horses saddled and reined ready to carry the Mujahideen in the path of Allah. Whoever says Allahu Akbar a hundred times then he will have the reward as the one who spends camels slaughtered for the sake of Allah. Whoever said La ilaaha il-lallah a hundred times then it fills what is between the heavens and the earth and no one’s action is raised except if one comes with what was mentioned.

Similarly another report says:

Narrated by Amr bin Shu’aib on the authority of his father that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Who ever says ‘Subhan’Allah‘ 100 times before the sunrise (fajr) and before the sunset (Asr), it is better than giving 100 she-Camels in the cause of Allah.

And whoever says ‘Alhamdulilah‘ 100 times before the sunrise (fajr) and before the sunset (Asr), it is better than giving 100 horses in the cause of Allah.

And whoever says ‘Allahu Akbar‘ 100 times before the sun rise (fajr) and before the sunset (Asr) , it is better than freeing 100 slaves, and whoever says ‘La ilaaha il-lallah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul Hamdu wa huwa ‘alaa kulli shay’in qadeer.’ 100 times before the sunrise (Fajr) and before the sunset (Asr),

no one will come on the Day of Judgement with a deed better than his, except for the one who says what he says or increases it.” [Authenticated by Albani in Sahih Targheeb wa Tarheeb no: 658]

4- From the excellence of the status of these words, is that they are an expiation for sins. It is mentioned in ‘al-Musnad’, ‘Sunnan Tirmidhi’ and ‘Mustadrak al-Hakim’ from the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin ‘Amr bin al-‘Aaas (رضي الله عنه) who said the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) said: ‘There is no person on earth who says: ‘La ilaaha il-lallah, wa Allahu akbar, wa Subhana Allahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, La hawla wa la quwwata illa billaa, (There is no capability nor is there any power except with Allah) except that his sins are expiated even if they were more than the foam on the sea.’

Tirmidhi declared it to be Hasan, and al-Hakim authenticated it and Dhahabi agreed with him and al-Albani declared it to be Hasan. [Al-Musnad , Sunnan Tirmidhi, Mustadrak al-Hakim & Saheeh al-Jamia’ no. 5636]

As for the meaning ‘expiation of sins’ here it means minor sins, as is mentioned in Saheeh Muslim from Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say:

‘The five daily prayers, from one Juma’ till the next Juma’, from one Ramadhan till the next Ramadhan is an expiation for what takes place between them as long as the major sins are kept away from.’ [Saheeh Muslim]

Therefore expiation of sins has been limited to keeping away from the major sins; because a major sin can only be expiated by repentance.

Also there is a hadeeth that has been collected with the same meaning by Tirmidhi and other than him from Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) walked passed a tree which had dry leaves and he hit that tree with his stick and the leaves began to fall, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Indeed al-Hamdu lillaahi, wa Subhana Allahi, la ilaaha il-lallah, wa Allahu akbar, cause the sins of a slave of Allah to fall just like the leaves of this tree are falling.’

Declared Hasan by al-Albani.[Sunnan Tirmidhi & Saheeh al-Jamia’ no. 1601]

Source : The Excellence of the Four Statements
(Subhan’Allah wal hamdu lillaah, wa la ilaaha il-lallah, wa Allahu akbar) by Shaykh AbdurRazaaq al-Badr

5- From the excellence of these words is that they are plants of Paradise, Tirmidhi collected from Abdullaah bin Mas’ood, from the Prophet (ﷺ) that he said:

‘I met the Prophet Ibrahim on the night when I was taken on the night journey, and Ibrahim said:

O Muhammad convey my Salam to your Ummah, and inform them that Paradise has very fine soil, sweet water. That it has lowland and its plants are:

‘Subhana Allahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la ilaaha il-lallah, wa Allahu akbar’

(Far is Allah from imperfection, and all praise be to Allah, and there is none worthy of worship in truth except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest)’ [Sunnan Tirmidhi & Albani declared it Hasan in Saheehah no. 105]

In the Isnaad of this hadeeth is AbdurRahman bin Ishaaq, however the hadeeth has two supporting narrations which strengthen this narration from the hadeeth of Abu ‘Ayyoub al-Ansari and from the hadeeth of Abdullaah bin Umar.

The meaning is that plants in Paradise grow quickly due to these statements, just like the plants that are planted on lowland and the growth of its plants is fast.

6 – From its excellence is that there is none better according to Allah than a believer who lives his life in Islam and says ‘Allahu akbar, Subhana Allaahi, la ilaaha il-lallah, and al-Hamdu lillaahi,’ a lot.

What is collected by Imam Ahmad and by Nisa’ee in ‘Amal al-Yawm wa Laylah’ with a Hasan Isnaad from Abdullaah bin Shaddad: is that a group of three people from the tribe of Udhraah came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and accepted Islam and Abdullaah said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Who will look after them?’

Talha said: ‘I will.’

Abdullaah said: ‘They stayed with Talha and the Prophet (ﷺ) sent out a delegation and one of them went in it and was martyred. Abdullaah said: then the Prophet (ﷺ) sent another a delegation and another person went with them and was martyred.

Abdullaah continued: then the third person died on his bed.

Talha said: ‘I saw these three people who stayed with me [in a dream] they were in Paradise, and I saw the one who died on his bed in front of them, and I saw the one who was martyred last after him and I saw the one who was martyred last behind them._ Talha said: I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and I mentioned this to him, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

‘Why did you not stop them from going with the delegation, there is none better according to Allah from a believer who lives his life in Islam and says ‘Allahu akbar, Subhana Allahi, la ilaaha il-lallah, and al-Hamdu lillaahi,’ a lot.’

[Al-Musnad, Sunnan al-Kubra by Nisa’ee Book of Actions of the Day & the Night, Albani declared it Hasan in Saheehah No. 654]

This great hadeeth shows the great excellence of the one who has a long life and his actions are good, and his tongue continues to be moist with the Dhikr of Allah – Azza wa Jal, and success is from Allah Alone.