الحمد لله
al-hamdulillah
Alhamdulillah in Arabic is الحمد لله (al-hamdulillah), which means praise be to God.
It is a phrase of thanks to God, said after good news, after finishing a meal or after getting through a difficult situation.
Meaning: (Islam) praise be to God (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
الحمد (al-hamdu) means the praise and لله (li-llah) means for God, so the literal sense is the praise is for God.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as al-hamdulillah, in one flowing phrase.
When do people say it?
In many Arabic-speaking countries it is also the usual answer to how are you, meaning that you are doing well, thank God.
Did you know?
- Even when people are feeling terrible or facing an immense crisis, they will often respond to 'how are you' with alhamdulillah to signal their patience and faith.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, if someone says something wonderful has happened to you, answering with alhamdulillah is a way of showing that you are not being boastful.
- The phrase is so central to daily life that it is often used as a rhythmic filler or a verbal punctuation mark during a conversation, even when the speaker is not consciously praying.
Examples in context
- الحمد لله على كل حال.al-ḥamdu lillāhi ʿalā kulli ḥāl.Praise be to God in every situation.
- أنا بخير، الحمد لله.anā bikhayr, al-ḥamdu lillāh.I am fine, praise be to God.
- الحمد لله، لقد نجحت في الامتحان.al-ḥamdu lillāh, laqad najaḥtu fī al-imtiḥān.Praise be to God, I passed the exam.
Example conversation
Layla and Yusuf are meeting at a cafe.
- ليلى Laylaكيف حالك يا يوسف؟kayfa ḥāluka yā yūsuf?How are you, Yusuf?
- يوسف Youssefالحمد لله، أنا بخير.al-ḥamdu lillāh, anā bikhayr.Praise be to God, I am fine.
- ليلى Laylaهل أنت مشغول اليوم؟hal anta mashghūl al-yawm?Are you busy today?
- يوسف Youssefلا، لست مشغولاً.lā, lastu mashghūlan.No, I am not busy.
