الحمد لله
al-hamdu lillah
In Arabic, "praise be to God" is said as الحمد لله (al-hamdu lillah).
الحمد لله is an expression used to thank or glorify God for a specific blessing, or as a general statement of gratitude and contentment in life. Speakers also use it as a general statement of faith regardless of their current circumstances.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of al-hamdu (the praise) and lillah (to God or for God).
Which one should you use?
While الحمد لله is the standard form, الحمد لله رب العالمين (Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds) is a more expanded version often used in formal speeches or religious contexts. For a different type of glorification, one might use سُبْحَانَ اللهِ, which means "Glory be to God". In informal situations, one might say الحمد لله عَ كُلْ حَالْ, meaning "Praise be to God in all circumstances".
How do you pronounce it?
al-hamdu lillah
Did you know?
- While primarily associated with Islam, الحمد لله is also used by millions of Arabic-speaking Christians and Druze as a common expression of faith.
- When eating a meal, some speakers say الحمد لله at the end to signal they have finished and are satisfied, acting as a verbal 'full' sign.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, responding to someone asking 'How are you?' with الحمد لله is a standard way to signal that one is doing well, regardless of the actual intensity of their situation.
Examples in context
- الحمد لله على كل شيء.al-ḥamdu lillāhi ʿalā kulli shayʾ.Praise be to God for everything.
- الحمد لله، أنا بخير.al-ḥamdu lillāhi, ana bi-khayr.Praise be to God, I am fine.
- الحمد لله على هذه النعمة.al-ḥamdu lillāhi ʿalā hādhihi al-niʿmah.Praise be to God for this blessing.
Example conversation
Maryam and Youssef are discussing their health.
- مريم Maryamكيف حالك اليوم يا يوسف؟Kayfa haluka al-yawm ya Youssef?How are you today, Youssef?
- يوسف Youssefالحمد لله، أشعر بتحسن كبير.Alhamdulillah, ash'uru bitahassun kabir.Praise be to God, I feel much better.
- مريم Maryamهذا خبر رائع حقاً.Hadha khabar ra'i' haqqa.That is truly great news.
- يوسف Youssefشكراً لكِ يا مريم.Shukran laki ya Maryam.Thank you, Maryam.
