There are also many invocations that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has taught his companions and these continue to be passed over to coming generations and even till date these are recited to invoke Allah's blessings. These invocations are also made when confronted with a difficult situation.
Today, we share a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ must be mentioned by a Muslim when seized by a calamity or in a situation beyond their control, usually when being oppressed or forcefully put through suffering. This Hadith is mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Book 80 Invocations كتاب الدعوات/ Chapter 50: Invoking Allah while ascending a high place باب الدُّعَاءِ إِذَا عَلاَ عَقَبَةً) as Hadith 6384, given herein under:
Narrated by Abu Musa:
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي سَفَرٍ فَكُنَّا إِذَا عَلَوْنَا كَبَّرْنَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ارْبَعُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ، فَإِنَّكُمْ لاَ تَدْعُونَ أَصَمَّ وَلاَ غَائِبًا، وَلَكِنْ تَدْعُونَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا ". ثُمَّ أَتَى عَلَىَّ وَأَنَا أَقُولُ فِي نَفْسِي لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ. فَقَالَ " يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ قُلْ لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا. كَنْزٌ مِنْ كُنُوزِ الْجَنَّةِ ". أَوْ قَالَ " أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى كَلِمَةٍ هِيَ كَنْزٌ مِنْ كُنُوزِ الْجَنَّةِ، لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ ".
We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey, and whenever we ascended a high place, we used to say Takbir (in a loud voice). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O people! Be kind to yourselves, for you are not calling upon a deaf or an absent one, but You are calling an All-Hearer, and an All-Seer." Then he came to me as I was reciting silently, "La haul a wala quwwata illa bil-lah." He said, "O `Abdullah bin Qais! Say: La haul a walaquwata illa bil-lah, for it is one of the treasures of Paradise." Or he said, "Shall I tell you a word which is one of the treasures of Paradise? It is: La haul a wala quwwata illa bil-lah."
The Ḥawqala (Arabic: حَوْقَلَة) or the La Hawla (Arabic: لَا حَوْلَ) is an Arabic term referring to the Arabic statement لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰهِ (lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata ʾillā bi-llāhi) which is usually translated as "There is no power nor strength except by God." [1]
A longer version is لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰهِ ٱلْعَلِيِّ ٱلْعَظِيمِ (lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata ʾillā bi-llāhi l-ʿaliyyi l-ʿaẓīmi), meaning "There is no power nor strength except by Allah the Lofty, the Great" is also recited to add further glory to our Lord. According to this verse, until Allah grants them, no one else has more power or might than Allah.
In fact, by reciting this phrase (there is no power and no strength except with Allaah) a believer is admitting his weakness that he is unable to do anything without the help and support of Allah. Irrespective of his status, position or the power he wields over the others, he still cannot do anything without the help of Allah Who is Above all of His creation
We must remember this short, yet powerful glorifying verse and recite it much too often as a thank you to Allah for His countless blessings on us and as protection from difficult times.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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