You should know that the most comprehensive and inclusive formula for expressing the repudiation of one’s own claim to power and ability is La hawla wala quwawata illa billah (there is neither power nor ability save by Allah).
Kalimat “laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billah” adalah kalimat yang berisi penyerahan diri dalam segala urusan kepada Allah Ta’ala. Hamba tidaklah bisa berbuat apa-apa dan tidak bisa menolak sesuatu, juga tidak bisa memiliki sesuatu selain kehendak Allah. Check out La Hawla Wala Quwwata Illa Billah by Ustaz Amal & Munif Ahmad on Amazon Music. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on.
The Proof of Islam (Imam al-Ghazali), may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Power (hawl) is motion and ability (quwwa) is aptitude.”
No creature possesses either ability or power over anything save through Allah, Who is Able and Capable. It is incumbent upon believers to have faith in whatever Allah permits them to do or abstain from – as for instance, in conforming to an injunction, whether by acting or abstaining, or in seeking their provision by resorting to action in the form of crafts and professions, and so on – it is Allah the exalted Who creates and originates their intentions, abilities and movements, and that the acts they choose to perform will be attributed to them in the manner known as ‘acquisition’ (kasb) and ‘working’, and shall be, in consequence, liable to reward and punishment; but that they exercise volition only when Allah Himself does so, and can neither do nor abstain from anything unless He renders them able to. They possess not a single atom’s weight of the heaven or the earth, nor do they attain to any partnership in its governance, or become supports to Him.
It is on the ability and power to make choices, which Allah has granted to His servants, that commands and prohibitions are based. Things which are done intentionally and by choice are attributed to them, and they are rewarded and punished accordingly.
Hence the meaning of la hawla wala quwwata illa billah is the denial of one’s possession of autonomous power and ability, and the simultaneous confession of the existence of that (relative) power and ability to make choices that He has given His servants to be their own.
He who claims that man has no choice or ability, that the acts he selects are identical with the acts he is compelled to do, and that he is in all circumstances coerced is a deterministic (jabri) innovator whose false claim would deny that there was any purpose in sending Messengers and revealing Scriptures. By contrast, he who claims that man possesses the will and power to do whatever he does by choice is a Mu’tazili innovator. But he who believes that a responsible (mukallaf) man possess power and choice to allow him to comply with Allah’s commands and prohibitions, but is neither independent thereby nor the creator of his own acts, has found the Sunna, joined the majoritarian community, and become safe from reprehensible innovation.
There is a lengthy explanation to this, which follows a rugged road where many have slipped and gone astray; and beyond it is the secret of Destiny, which has always perplexed intelligent minds and into which the Master of Messengers has commanded us not to delve. So let the intelligent be content with hints and let it suffice them to believe that everything was created by Allah, and nothing exists without His will and power. Then let them require their selves to conform to the commandments and prohibitions, and take their Lord’s side against their selves in every circumstance.
A hadith says that is one of the treasures of the Garden.’ Understand the indication contained in terming it a ‘treasure’ and you will know that its meaning is among the mysteries; for reward is of the same species as the act. The Prophet s.a.w has also said ‘Two raka’ats in the depths of the night are one of the treasures of goodness.’ Their reward comprises a hidden treasure because the time of their occurrence, namely the night implies this.
It is also reported that ‘La hawla wala quwwata illa billah is a remedy for 99 ailments, the least of which is sorrow.’ It is a remedy for sorrow because grief mostly occurs when one misses something one loves, or when a distressful thing occurs; and whenever either of these things occurs people perceive their helplessness and inability to achieve their desired aims; hence they feel sorrow. If at such times they repeat in their heart and with their tongues words which mean that they disavow the possession of any ability or power of their own, then this gives them certitude in their knowledge that they are helpless and weak except where Allah gives them power and ability, with the result that their sorrow is banished, and their knowledge of their Lord is increased. This can be clearly understood from the Prophet’s s.a.w saying: ‘When one believes in destiny, one’s sorrow departs.’
And in attributing ability and power to His Name, Allah, which is the axis of the Names and the most supreme of them, and in following it on most occasions with the two noble Names which indicate two of the attributes of the Holy Essence, namly those of Exaltation (Al-’Ali) and Magnitude (Al-’Azim), lies a sign that He totally transcends and is absolutely holier than the illusions of those who have strayed from the path, are blind to the evidence, and have delved without insight into the secret of destiny and the acts of Allah’s creatures. So take heed!
- Imam Abdullah Ibn ‘Alawi Al-Haddad
in ‘Gifts for the Seeker’
Translated from the Arabic by Mostafa Al-Badawi
لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah is one of the powerful statements proclaimed by the believers in Islam.
According to the glorious Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him, it is “one of the treasures of Paradise”.
This statement is an expression of a servant’s humble submission to the power and glory of his Lord Almighty. It is a declaration announcing the reality of all realities: Everything happens only with the help of Allah alone. Man, however strong, powerful and great, is powerless, weak and meek in front of Allah.
Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah in simple English means “There is neither might nor power except with Allah”.
This powerful statement is the proclamation that All power, might, strength, grandeur and glory is by Allah, from Allah and belongs to Allah.
As I mentioned before, Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah is one of the Treasures of Jannah:
a) Abu Musa (R.A) reported:
“While we were with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in a holy battle, we never went up a hill or reached its peak or went down a valley but raised our voices with Takbeer. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came close to us and said, “O people! Don’t exert yourselves, for you do not call a deaf or an absent one, but you call the All- Listener, the All-Seer.” The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, “O `Abdullah bin Qais! Shall I teach you a sentence which is from the treasures of Paradise? ( It is): ‘La haula wala quwata illa billah’. (There is neither might nor power except with Allah).' Sahih Bukhari
b) Abu Hurairah (R.A) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: ‘Be frequent in saying: Laa ḥawla wa laa quwwata illā billa”. For verily, it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise”. Tirmidhi
We need to say لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laahwhenever we feel weak or are unable to do anything.
There are some specific occasions wherein we are encouraged by our Leader, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to say لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah:
1. When you wake up in night:
The Prophet (ﷺ) “Whoever gets up at night and says: — ‘La ilaha il-lallah Wahdahu la Sharika lahu Lahul mulk, wa Lahu-l-hamd wahuwa ‘ala kulli shai’in Qadeer. Al hamdu lil-lahi wa subhanal-lahi wa la-ilaha il-lal-lah wa-l-lahu akbar wa la hawla Wala Quwata il-la-bil-lah.’ (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. He is the Only One and has no partners . For Him is the Kingdom and all the praises are due for Him. He is Omnipotent. All the praises are for Allah. All the glories are for Allah. And none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, And Allah is Great And there is neither Might nor Power Except with Allah). And then says: Allahumma, Ighfir li (O Allah! Forgive me). Or invokes (Allah), he will be responded to and if he performs ablution (and prays), his prayer will be accepted.' Sahih Bukhari
2. While listening to the Adhaan:
‘Umar b. al-khattab reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying: When the MU’ADHDHIN says:
“Allah is most great, Allah is most great”, and one of you says in response: “Allah is most great”, Allah is most great; then says: “ I testify that there is no god but Allah”, and he says in response: “I testify that there is no god but Allah”, then say:” I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, and he makes the response: “ I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, then says: “Come to prayer”, and he makes the response: “There is no might and no power except in Allah”: then says: “ Allah is most great, Allah is most great”, and he makes the response: “Allah is most great”, then says: “There is no god but Allah”, if he says this from his heart, he enter Paradise.' Sahih Muslim and Abu Dawood and Sahih Bukhari
So we must say Laa Haula Wa Laa Quwwata il-laa-Bil-Laah when we listen to Hayya Alas Salah, Hayya alal Falaah during the Adaan (prayer call)
3. At the end of every obligatory salah, prayer:
لا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلا بِالله Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata Il-la Bil-laah is one Dhikr that was said by the glorious Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) at the end of every obligatory prayer.
Abu Zubair reported:
Ibn Zubair uttered at the end of every prayer after pronouncing salutation (these words):” There is no god but Allah. He is alone. There is no partner with Him. Sovereignty belongs to Him and He is Potent over everything. There is no might or power except with Allah. There is no god but Allah and we do not worship but Him alone. To Him belong all bounties, to Him belongs all Grace, and to Him is worthy praise accorded. There is no god but Allah, to Whom we are sincere in devotion, even though the unbelievers should disapprove it.” (The narrator said): He (the Holy Prophet) uttered it at the end of every (obligatory) prayer. Read the text of this Sahih Muslim
4. When you leave your home:
Say this powerful du’aa every time you leave your house, Inshaaallah.
Bismillaahi Tawak’kaltu ‘alal-laahi Laa haula wa laa Quwwata il-la bil-laah “In the name of Allah, I trust in Allah; there is no might and no power but in Allah”
Now, I would like to quote this hadeeth which highlights the virtues of Laa haula wa laa Quwwata il-la bil-laah:
Abdullah bin Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“There is no one upon the earth who says: ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest, and there is no might nor power except by Allah, (Laa ilaaha illal-laah, wal-laahu akbar, wa laa ḥawla wa lā quwwata illa billaah) except that his sins shall be pardoned, even if they were like the foam of the sea.” Tirmidhi