Alhamdulillah meaning
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ · Al-ḥamdu li‑llāh · All praise is due to Allah.
The answer
Alhamdulillah means "all praise is due to Allah". Muslims say it to give thanks: after eating, after sneezing, when asked how they are, and after any relief or good news. It is also repeated 33 times after each of the five daily prayers.
What is the English meaning of alhamdulillah?
Alhamdulillah means "all praise is due to Allah". It is said in gratitude and in contentment, and it recognises that every good thing originates with Allah, whoever it happened to arrive through.
The English gloss "thank God" gets the feeling across but not the wording. Hamd is praise for what someone is, not only thanks for what they did, and the al in front of it makes that praise total: the praise, all of it.
What does alhamdulillah mean in Arabic?
In Arabic it is الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, which is four pieces joined together: al (the) + hamd (praise) + li (due to) + Allah. Read literally it is "the praise, all of it, is due to Allah".
The longer form you hear at the opening of Surah al-Fatiha is alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen, "all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds". That is the same phrase with the object of praise named, not a different phrase.
How do you spell alhamdulillah?
Alhamdulillah is the standard English spelling, written as one word. Al-hamdu lillah, alhamdu lillahi, alhamdulilah, alhamdullah, hamdulillah and humdulillah are all spellings of the same Arabic phrase, which never varies: الحمد لله.
There is no single correct English spelling, because the phrase is transliterated by ear. If you want the one closest to the Arabic letters, it is al-ḥamdu li-llāh.
Alhamdulillah word by word
The gloss above is the whole phrase. This is what each part of the Arabic is doing, which is usually what people mean when they ask what Alhamdulillah means literally.
- الْal-
- the. It makes the praise total rather than partial: all of it, not some of it.
- حَمْدُḥamd
- praise given for what someone is, not only for what they did. Wider than shukr, which is thanks for a favour received.
- لِli-
- belongs to, is due to. An attached letter, not a separate word.
- اللَّهِAllāh
- Allah, in the genitive: the one the praise is due to.
When to say Alhamdulillah
- After eating, drinking, or receiving anything good.
- After sneezing.
- After prescribed prayer, 33 times.
- As the first line of Surah al-Fatiha in every unit of prayer.
How to spell Alhamdulillah
Arabic has one spelling for this phrase. English has many, because it is written by ear. These all refer to the same words.
- alhamdulillah (standard), al-hamdu lillah, alhamdu lillahi
- alhamdulilah, hamdulillah, humdulillah, alhamdullah (common phonetic spellings of the same phrase)
- alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen is the longer Qur'anic opening, not a different phrase
Each way people write Alhamdulillah has its own answer, plus the reason English produces it, on how to spell Alhamdulillah.
How to pronounce Alhamdulillah
al-HAM-du-li-LLAH. Light stop between hamdu and lillah.
Syllables: al · HAM · du · li · LLAAH (/al.ˈħam.du.li.lːaːh/)
al-HAM-du-li-LLAAH, stress on HAM, then run the rest together without pausing.
- ḥ (ح). The same throaty h as in subḥan. It is not the h of hat, and it is not the ch of loch. The throat narrows but nothing scrapes.
- du-li. Both syllables are short and unstressed. English speakers tend to stretch the du; keep it clipped.
- The final LLAAH. Doubled l, long a, breathed h. The stress rises again here, so the phrase has two peaks: HAM and LLAAH.
About one second at the pace used for 33 after prayer.
Spellings people type for Alhamdulillah
- alhamdulilah. One l instead of the doubled l in Allah.
- alhumdulillah. u instead of a in the stressed syllable, reflecting a common South Asian pronunciation.
- al hamdu lillah. Spaced out into its grammatical parts, which is accurate: al-hamdu, the praise, li-llah, belongs to Allah.
Full IPA, stress marks and audio-style guidance: how to pronounce Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah meaning in other languages
The sense of Alhamdulillah does not change between languages, only the words used to carry it. Here it is in the scripts most readers ask for.
| Language | Alhamdulillah written | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Urduاردو | الحمد للہ | تمام تعریفیں اللہ کے لیے ہیں۔ |
| Hindiहिन्दी | अल्हम्दुलिल्लाह | सारी तारीफ़ें अल्लाह के लिए हैं। |
| Bengaliবাংলা | আলহামদুলিল্লাহ | সমস্ত প্রশংসা আল্লাহর জন্য। |
| Malayalamമലയാളം | അൽഹംദുലില്ലാഹ് | എല്ലാ സ്തുതിയും അല്ലാഹുവിന് മാത്രം. |
| Tamilதமிழ் | அல்ஹம்துலில்லாஹ் | எல்லாப் புகழும் அல்லாஹ்வுக்கே உரியது. |
| Teluguతెలుగు | అల్హందులిల్లాహ్ | సమస్త స్తుతి అల్లాహ్కే చెందుతుంది. |
| Kannadaಕನ್ನಡ | ಅಲ್ಹಂದುಲಿಲ್ಲಾಹ್ | ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಸ್ತುತಿಯೂ ಅಲ್ಲಾಹನಿಗೆ ಸಲ್ಲುತ್ತದೆ. |
People also ask about Alhamdulillah
What does Alhamdulillah mean in English?
Alhamdulillah means "all praise is due to Allah" or "praise be to God". The definite article on al-hamd makes it total rather than partial praise, and the ending li-llah directs all of it to Allah. English speakers most often translate it simply as "thank God".
When do Muslims say Alhamdulillah?
Muslims say Alhamdulillah after eating or drinking, after sneezing, when asked how they are, when hearing good news, and when a difficulty passes. Many also say it in hardship, as an acknowledgement that Allah is praised in every circumstance, not only in comfortable ones.
How do you respond when someone says Alhamdulillah?
There is no required reply to Alhamdulillah in most situations; a simple Alhamdulillah back is normal. The one exception is sneezing: when the person who sneezed says Alhamdulillah, you answer Yarhamuk Allah, meaning "may Allah have mercy on you", and they reply Yahdikum Allah.
Can a Christian or non-Muslim say Alhamdulillah?
Yes. Alhamdulillah is Arabic, not exclusively Islamic vocabulary, and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews have used it for centuries; it appears in Arabic Bible translations as praise to God. Non-Arabic speakers use it too, usually as a respectful way of saying thank God.
What is the difference between Alhamdulillah and SubhanAllah?
Alhamdulillah praises Allah for what He gives, so it is thanks. SubhanAllah declares Allah free of any fault, so it is glorification. Thanks responds to a blessing; glorification responds to greatness or to something wrong. Both appear 33 times each in the post-prayer remembrance.
What is the full phrase Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin?
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin means "all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds". It is the first verse of Surah al-Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Qur'an, recited in every unit of every prayer, which makes it among the most repeated sentences on earth.
How many times should you say Alhamdulillah?
Thirty-three times after each obligatory prayer, alongside 33 SubhanAllah and 34 Allahu Akbar, completing a hundred (Sahih Muslim 596). Outside that set there is no fixed number. It is said whenever thanks is due, which in practice means many times a day.
Frequently asked
What does alhamdulillah mean?
"All praise is due to Allah." A recognition that the source of good is Allah, said in gratitude and contentment.
When do you say alhamdulillah?
After good news, after eating, after sneezing, and as fixed dhikr after prayer.
Is alhamdulillah the same as thank you?
Related but not identical. Thanking a person is separate. Alhamdulillah recognises Allah as the ultimate giver of every good, whether it came through a person or not.
What does alhamdulillah mean in Arabic?
In Arabic الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ breaks down as al (the) + hamd (praise) + li (due to) + Allah. Literally "the praise, all of it, is due to Allah."
How do you spell alhamdulillah?
Alhamdulillah is the standard English spelling. Al-hamdu lillah, alhamdulilah and hamdulillah all refer to the same Arabic phrase; the Arabic spelling الحمد لله never varies.
What is the reply to alhamdulillah?
After a sneeze, the person who hears alhamdulillah replies yarhamuka Allah (may Allah have mercy on you), and the sneezer answers yahdikumu Allah wa yuslihu balakum. In ordinary conversation no reply is required.
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