La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah — لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ — means “There is no power and no strength except with Allah ﷻ.” The Prophet ﷺ called it a treasure from the treasures of paradise (Bukhari 4205, Muslim 2704). It is known as the hawqalah — and it is one of the most spiritually weighty short phrases in Islam, said when facing difficulty, when hearing the adhan, when confronting what feels beyond one’s ability.
What it declares
Hawl means ability to act, change, or move — the capacity to do anything. Quwwah means strength or power. La hawla wa la quwwata: there is no ability to act and no power to do anything — except with and through Allah ﷻ. It is the complete surrender of any claim to independent capability. The person who says it sincerely is declaring: I cannot do this myself. I cannot even move toward what is right without Your enabling of it. Every capability I appear to have is from You.
When to say it
After every phrase of the adhan — specifically after “Hayya alas-salah” (come to prayer) and “Hayya alal-falah” (come to success), the listener responds with la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (Bukhari 613, Muslim 383). It is also said when facing any difficulty — the Prophet ﷺ told Abu Musa al-Ash’ari ؓ that it is a treasure from the treasures of paradise in the context of using it as a dhikr of reliance. It is said when the heart feels overwhelmed, when a task feels too large, when sin feels difficult to overcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the meaning of La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah?
“There is no power and no strength except with Allah ﷻ.” The Prophet ﷺ described it as a treasure from the treasures of paradise (Bukhari 4205). It is the complete surrender of any claim to independent capability — said when facing difficulty, after specific adhan phrases, and as a continuous dhikr of tawakkul. Saying it sincerely is a declaration that all movement, all ability, all capacity to change comes from Allah ﷻ alone.
A treasure from the treasures of paradise. When something feels impossible — say it. When you hear the adhan — say it. When the nafs feels too heavy to overcome — say it. There is no power except His.