A Remarkable Story About the Virtue of Praising Allah
Among the most beautiful prayers is praising Allah Almighty. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentions one of the most virtuous praises to Allah in a hadith:
A servant of Allah:
يَا رَبِّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ كَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِجَلاَلِ وَجْهِكَ وَلِعَظِيمِ سُلْطَانِكَ
“O Rabb! Praise be to You as befits Your majestic countenance and the greatness of Your dominion.”
This praise rendered two angels, entrusted with recording the servant’s deeds, incapable. They couldn’t determine how to record its reward. They ascended to the heavens and said:
“O Our Lord! Your servant has spoken words whose reward we do not know how to record.”
Allah Almighty, –knowing best what His servant had said–:
“What did My servant say?” asked.
The angels replied:
“O Our Lord! Your servant praised You in this manner: ‘O Rabb! Praise be to You as befits Your majestic countenance and the greatness of Your dominion.'”
Thereupon, Allah Almighty commanded those two angels:
“Until My servant attains Me and I reward him for what he has said (this praise), you shall record his words exactly as he spoke them!” (Ibn Majah, Adab, 55; Bayhaki, Shu’ab, VI, 225/4077)