Which dhikr has the biggest reward?
The Prophet ﷺ called "La ilaha illallah" the best dhikr. Other phrases also carry huge rewards, especially "SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi, SubhanAllahil-'Azim" and the four words SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar. All of them are short enough to fit into any day.
La ilaha illallah: the best remembrance
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best dhikr is La ilaha illallah, and the best dua is Alhamdulillah" (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3383). It is the sentence of tawhid, the same words you said in your shahada. A longer form is especially rewarding: whoever says "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir" a hundred times in a day gets the reward of freeing ten slaves, a hundred good deeds, a hundred sins erased, and protection from Shaytan until evening (Sahih al-Bukhari 6403).
Light on the tongue, heavy on the scale
The Prophet ﷺ described two phrases that are light on the tongue, heavy on the scale and beloved to the Most Merciful: "SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi, SubhanAllahil-'Azim" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6406). He also said that whoever says "SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi" a hundred times a day has his sins forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea (Sahih al-Bukhari 6405). See What does "SubhanAllah" mean and when do I say it?
The four most beloved words
The most beloved words to Allah are four: SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar, and it doesn't matter which you start with (Sahih Muslim 2137). Other phrases with special virtues include:
- La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, described as a treasure of Paradise. See What does "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" mean?
- SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi, 'adada khalqihi, wa rida nafsihi, wa zinata 'arshihi, wa midada kalimatih, which the Prophet ﷺ taught his wife Juwayriyah as outweighing a whole morning of dhikr (Sahih Muslim 2726).
- Sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, especially on Fridays.
The "biggest" dhikr is the one you keep doing
Scholars note that the obligatory acts, like the five prayers, come before any extra dhikr. After that, the best dhikr for you is the one you can keep up with a present heart. A few phrases every day are better than a big burst once a month. See What is dhikr and how do I start?
- "La ilaha illallah" is called the best dhikr.
- "SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi, SubhanAllahil-'Azim" is heavy on the scale.
- SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah and Allahu akbar are the most beloved words to Allah.
- Consistency and attention matter more than chasing one "best" phrase.
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