The short answer
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, also written la hawla wala quwwata illa billah, means "there is no might and no power except through Allah". In Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 (graded sahih), the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, calls these words a treasure from the treasures of Paradise. Sahih Muslim 385 (graded sahih) gives them as the reply to two calls of the adhan (the call to prayer).
How do you write and say La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah?
The Arabic below is the phrase as it is written in Sahih al-Bukhari 6384.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6384
لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.
There is no might and no power except through Allah.
1AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 6384
In syllables: lā ḥaw-la wa lā quw-wa-ta il-lā bil-lāh. The ḥ is a breathy sound from the throat, not the h of "hat", and the q comes from further back than an English k. Letters cannot show these sounds exactly, and a recorded pronunciation by a fluent reciter is coming. We do not use a synthetic voice for Arabic.
It is also spelt la hawla wala quwwata illa billah, with "wa la" run together. The wording in all three reports on this page stops at "illa billah". They do not contain the longer ending "al-'Aliyy al-'Azim".
What does La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah mean?
The word-by-word line below is this site's common English rendering of the phrase. It is not taken from the sources that follow, which are reported next without choosing between them.
Arabic reads right to left, so the first word is on the right.
- لاَ حَوْلَlā ḥawlano might
- وَلاَ قُوَّةَwa lā quwwataand no power
- إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِillā billāhexcept through Allah
Ibn Faris, in Mu'jam Maqayis al-Lughah, gives the root of hawla as movement in a turning, with the year as an example because it turns (source 5). That is the root only. The entry does not say what hawla means in this phrase, and we have not yet cited a dictionary entry for quwwa.
The Dorar hadith commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari 4205 explains the phrase as no movement, no means and no capacity except by Allah's will. It adds two readings, each introduced with qila, the passive form of "said", naming no one: no might in warding off harm and no power in gaining good except through Allah; and no turning from disobedience except through His protection and no power to obey except through His help (source 4). We report the three readings and choose none.
Why is it called a treasure of Paradise?
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, reports a trip with the Prophet in Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 and, in a separately recorded wording, in Sahih Muslim 2704a. Both are graded sahih. In each, the Prophet calls the narrator 'Abdullah ibn Qays.
| In the report | Bukhari 6384 | Muslim 2704a |
|---|---|---|
| The people | Said takbir (Allahu akbar) whenever they went up | Raised their voices in takbir |
| Abu Musa | Was saying the phrase in himself | Was behind him, saying the phrase |
| The treasure | "Say it, for it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise", or "Shall I tell you of a word that is a treasure?" (the narrator is unsure which) | Asks if he should direct him to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise; Abu Musa says yes; the Prophet says to say it |
1AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 6384
2AuthenticSahih Muslim 2704a
These are separate wordings, so a detail in one is not added to the other. The Dorar commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari 4205, a different report with the same words, calls it a treasure as a precious store from which benefit is expected, and because the phrase disowns strength and means and acknowledges that no matter is brought about and no state changed except by Allah's will and help (source 4).
What are the benefits of La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah?
The two treasure reports give one description: a treasure from the treasures of Paradise. Neither gives a number of repetitions, a time of day or a worldly reward, so we give none.
Is it only said in hard moments?
The reports on this page do not mention bad news or hardship. Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 and Sahih Muslim 2704a place the phrase during travel, and Sahih Muslim 385 places it as the reply to two calls of the adhan. None of them lists other occasions, so we do not either.
The last four words, without la hawla, are also in the Quran, in Al-Kahf 18:39: لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ, "There is no strength except in Allah!" The Mashallah page looks at that verse in its setting.
When do you say it in answer to the adhan?
'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet said to repeat what the caller says, except at two calls. At each of them the listener says the phrase instead (Sahih Muslim 385, graded sahih).
| The caller says | The listener says |
|---|---|
| حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ Ḥayya ʿalā ṣ-ṣalāh, "come to prayer" | لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh |
| حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ Ḥayya ʿalā l-falāḥ, "come to success" |
3AuthenticSahih Muslim 385
The report ends with a promise of Paradise for the one who says the closing "la ilaha illa Allah" from the heart. It attaches that promise to the closing words, not to this reply. The whole sequence, with the Iqamah, is on the Adhan and Iqamah page.
A comment listed under this report on dorar.net
Al-Daraqutni, in al-Ilzamat wa-l-Tatabbu' no. 264 (as listed on dorar.net), is shown with a comment on one route of this report: someone other than Isma'il narrated it from 'Umara as mursal, that is, with a link missing in the chain (source 6). Mursal is the word dorar.net prints, and it prints only the names Isma'il and 'Umara. The comment concerns one route, dorar.net shows no grading word from him, and we did not open the book.
I grew up hearing La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah said under the breath in difficult moments. I did not know it was also the reply to part of the adhan until I read the hadith for myself.
Try it: what would you say?
1In Sahih al-Bukhari 6384, which words does the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, call a treasure of Paradise?
Answer: Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh. The report names these words. Sahih Muslim 2704a has them too, in a separate wording. Source 1
2The caller reaches "Ḥayya ʿalā l-falāḥ". What does Sahih Muslim 385 say the listener answers?
Answer: Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh. The report gives this reply at both ḥayya ʿalā ṣ-ṣalāh and ḥayya ʿalā l-falāḥ. Source 3
3Does either treasure report give a number of times to say the phrase?
Answer: No, neither gives a number. Neither Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 nor Sahih Muslim 2704a gives a count. Source 2
Questions people ask
Is "la hawla wala quwwata" the full phrase?
No. It is the first part. In the three reports on this page the wording runs on to "illa billah", "except through Allah".
Who is 'Abdullah ibn Qays in the report?
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, calls the narrator, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, by this name in Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 and Sahih Muslim 2704a.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari's report of a journey: after the people said takbir on going up, the Prophet told them to be gentle with themselves because they were calling the All-Hearing, All-Seeing; he then came to Abu Musa, who was saying la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah to himself, addressed him as 'Abdullah ibn Qays, and said it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise (the narrator is unsure whether the Prophet's words were 'say it, for it is...' or 'shall I tell you of a word that is...').
Sahih al-Bukhari 6384 Book 80, Hadith 79
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 2
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari's report of a journey in Sahih Muslim 2704a: the people raised their voices in takbir; the Prophet told them to be gentle with themselves because they were calling One who hears, is near and is with them; Abu Musa, behind him, was saying la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah; the Prophet asked 'Abdullah ibn Qays whether he should direct him to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise, and when he said yes, told him to say those words.
Sahih Muslim 2704a Book 48, Hadith 56
Authentic: in Sahih Muslim
- 3
'Umar ibn al-Khattab's report: the listener repeats the caller's words, except that at hayya 'ala as-salah and at hayya 'ala al-falah he says la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
Sahih Muslim 385 Book 4, Hadith 14
Authentic: in Sahih Muslim
- 4
The Dorar hadith commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari 4205 (a report of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari on the return from Khaybar that has the same treasure words) explains la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah as no movement, no means and no capacity except by Allah's will, and also gives two further readings that are introduced with qila, naming no one. The Dorar hadith commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari 4205 says the phrase is called a treasure of Paradise in the sense that it is a precious store from which benefit is hoped, and because it disowns strength and means and acknowledges that no matter is arranged and no state changed except by Allah's will and help.
Dorar (al-Durar al-Saniyya) hadith commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari 4205 Records: scholarly-dorar-sharh-bukhari-4205-hawqala-meaning and scholarly-dorar-sharh-bukhari-4205-treasure-why. The commentary text is not signed on the page.
- 5
Ibn Faris, in Mu'jam Maqayis al-Lughah, says the root h-w-l is a single root meaning movement in a turning, and gives the year (al-hawl) as an example because it turns.
Ibn Faris, Mu'jam Maqayis al-Lughah, vol. 2, p. 121, entry hwl (shamela.ws) Record: scholarly-ibnfaris-hawl-root. A dictionary entry on the root only.
- 6
Al-Daraqutni, in al-Ilzamat wa-l-Tatabbu', no. 264 (as listed on dorar.net), is shown with the comment that someone other than Isma'il narrated the adhan-reply report of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (Sahih Muslim 385) from 'Umara as a mursal report.
Al-Daraqutni, al-Ilzamat wa-l-Tatabbu', no. 264, as listed on dorar.net Record: scholarly-daraqutni-ilzamat-264-muslim-385. Read through dorar.net; the book was not opened.
- Q
Quran Arabic and English for Al-Kahf 18:39 (the last four words and their English).
Tanzil Project Uthmani text, CC BY 3.0. English: adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall's translation (1930), modernised and checked against modern translations.
Next
- Adhan and Iqamah: words, reply and the four schoolsPrayer guide
- Mashallah: meaning and when to say itPhrase lesson
- Morning and evening adhkar: a beginner collectionCollection
- Hasbunallahu wa nimal wakeelDua lesson
- Duas, Remembrance and PhrasesThe hub
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