The Powerful Benefits of “رَضيتُ باللَّهِ ربًّا” and Its Path to Paradise
The Great Benefit of the Blessed dhikr: “رَضيتُ باللَّهِ ربًّا، وبالإسلامِ دينًا، وبِمُحمَّدٍ رسولًا”
The remembrance of Allah is the nourishment for both the body and soul. Through it, a person’s body and soul remain alive and flourishing. Whoever becomes heedless of Allah’s remembrance and stays distant from His memory not only suffers in terms of worldly and physical losses, but also experiences a spiritual death. A believer is always busy with the remembrance of Allah. Abdullah bin Busr (RA) narrated that a man said to the Prophet (PBUH): “O Messenger of Allah! The rules and regulations of Islam are too many for me, tell me something concise that I can hold onto strongly.” The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “لا يزالُ لسانُك رطبًا من ذكرِ اللهِ” (Sahih Tirmidhi: 3375).
Translation: “Your tongue should always remain moist with the remembrance of Allah.”
Thus, we must constantly glorify and praise our Creator and Sustainer. This is our duty. Whether we are sleeping, waking, standing, sitting, walking, eating, or drinking, we are always in need of His mercy. He provides us with life in our bodies, sight in our eyes, movement in our hands and feet, thoughts and abilities in our hearts and minds, the ability to work, and the means for our sustenance. Without Him, our existence and the entire universe would cease to exist. So, how can we find peace in the limbs He has created for us without remembering Him? I wish that more Muslims understood this.
Let me now share a powerful dhikr, whose recitation leads to tremendous benefits, including the forgiveness of sins and entry into Paradise. Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
من قالَ: رَضيتُ باللَّهِ ربًّا، وبالإسلامِ دينًا، وبِمُحمَّدٍ رسولًا، وجَبت لَهُ الجنَّةُ (Sahih Abu Dawood: 1529)
Translation: “Whoever says: ‘I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, and Muhammad as my Messenger,’ Paradise becomes obligatory for him.”
SubhanAllah, three simple words and a guarantee of Paradise! How easy it seems to attain Paradise. However, there is an important point to consider. As with the affirmation of faith (Shahada), which requires not only verbal confirmation but also the fulfillment of its practical requirements, similarly, to attain Paradise through this dhikr, one must not only recite it but also confirm it with the heart and act upon it. This means that these three statements must be reflected in a believer’s daily life. These are the same three questions that will be asked in the grave: “Who is your Lord? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet?” Therefore, this dhikr”رَضيتُ باللَّهِ ربًّا، وبالإسلامِ دينًا، وبِمُحمَّدٍ رسولًا” requires that we speak with our tongue, confirm with our heart, and live by these words, just as Umar (RA) did in his declaration.
Abu Qatadah (RA) narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked about fasting, he became upset, and Umar (RA) said: “رَضينا باللَّهِ ربًّا، وبالإسلامِ دينًا، وبمحمَّدٍ رسولًا” (Sahih Nasai: 2382).
Translation: “We are content with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion, and Muhammad (PBUH) as our Messenger.”
This narration is also found in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. In this narration, Umar (RA) is not simply mentioning these words; he is confirming and acting upon them, affirming that he is content with Allah as his Creator, with Islam as the only true religion, and with Muhammad (PBUH) as the Messenger of Allah. Anyone who verbally confirms, believes in his heart, and acts in accordance with these words—recognizing Allah as the Sovereign, Islam as the true path, and Muhammad (PBUH) as the final Prophet—will, by Allah’s grace, enter Paradise.
Another narration makes this even clearer. Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
ذاقَ طعمَ الإِيمانِ مَنْ رَضِىَ باللهِ ربًّا، و بِالإسلامِ دِينًا، و بِمُحمدٍ رسولًا (Sahih Muslim: 34)
Translation: “He who is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad (PBUH) as his Messenger has tasted the sweetness of faith.”
This Hadith shows that this dhikr is in fact a declaration of faith. To experience the sweetness of faith, one must have a deep understanding of Allah’s Lordship, His unity, and the attributes of His names. One must reject all other religions and accept Islam, and must submit fully to the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH).
Furthermore, Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
يا أبا سَعِيدٍ، مَن رَضِيَ باللَّهِ رَبًّا، وبالإسْلامِ دِينًا، وبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا، وجَبَتْ له الجَنَّةُ، فَعَجِبَ لها أبو سَعِيدٍ، فقالَ: أعِدْها عَلَيَّ يا رَسولَ اللهِ، فَفَعَلَ، ثُمَّ قالَ: وأُخْرَى يُرْفَعُ بها العَبْدُ مِئَةَ دَرَجَةٍ في الجَنَّةِ، ما بيْنَ كُلِّ دَرَجَتَيْنِ كما بيْنَ السَّمَاءِ والأرْضِ، قالَ: وما هي يا رَسولَ اللهِ؟ قالَ: الجِهادُ في سَبيلِ اللهِ، الجِهادُ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ. (Sahih Muslim: 1884)
Translation: “O Abu Sa’id, whoever is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad (PBUH) as his Prophet, Paradise becomes obligatory for him.” Upon hearing this, Abu Sa’id was astonished and asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Please repeat it.” The Prophet (PBUH) repeated it and then added, “And another action that raises a servant to a hundred levels in Paradise, the distance between each level being like the distance between the heavens and the earth.” Abu Sa’id (RA) asked, “What is that, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Jihad in the path of Allah, jihad in the path of Allah.”
This narration clarifies that the mention of ” رَضيتُ باللَّهِ ربًّا، وبالإسلامِ دينًا، وبِمُحمَّدٍ رسولًا” refers to a state of contentment with the Lordship of Allah, the religion of Islam, and the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH). This is the core of a believer’s faith and practice, and acts as a gateway to Paradise.
After understanding this, we now know when and where this dhikr can be made. There are three specific times where it is proven to be beneficial:
- At any time: This dhikr can be recited at any time without any restrictions, as demonstrated in the previously mentioned Hadiths.
- During the Adhan (call to prayer): It is established that this dhikr is recited during the Adhan. Scholars differ on whether it should be said at the time of the Shahada (testification) or at the end of the Adhan. Sheikh Ibn Baz and Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen stated that it should be said right after the Shahada, based on the following narration in Sahih Muslim:
Said bin Abu Waqas (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever says upon hearing the Mu’adhdhin: ‘I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, He is One without any partner, and that Muhammad (PBUH) is His servant and Messenger, and I am content with Allah as my Lord, Muhammad as my Messenger, and Islam as my religion—his sins will be forgiven.” (Sahih Muslim: 386)
- In the morning: Saying this dhikr in the morning guarantees entry into Paradise, as the Prophet (PBUH) said:
من قال إذا أصبحَ: “رَضِيتُ باللهِ رَبًّا، و بِالإسلامِ دِينًا و بِمحمدٍ نبيًّا”، فَأنا الزَّعِيمُ، لآخُذَنَّ بيدِهِ حتى أُدْخِلَهُ الجنةَ (Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah: 2686)
Translation: “Whoever says in the morning: ‘I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion, and Muhammad as my Prophet’—I guarantee that I will take him by the hand and enter him into Paradise.”
These are the three times proven for reciting this dhikr. Any other specific times mentioned in weak Hadiths, such as after prayers or in the evening, should be avoided.
In conclusion, I ask Allah to grant us the ability to frequently recite this dhikr and fulfill its practical requirements. Ameen.
By Maqbool Ahmad Salafi
Islamic Dawah Center, Masrah – Ta’if