Standing again
Rising from the bow
Allah hears the one who praises Him — and you answer.
سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ · رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ
Samiʿa Allāhu li-man ḥamidah · Rabbanā wa laka l-ḥamd
Allah hears the one who praises Him. Our Master, and to You belongs all praise.
Why it is said here
This is the one moment in the prayer that is a straight exchange. You announce that Allah hears whoever praises Him, and then immediately you praise Him — putting yourself in the sentence you just said. The Prophet ﷺ said the angels say it with you, and whoever's words meet theirs has his past sins forgiven.
samiʿaroot س م ع
سَمِعَ
heard — and answered, not merely registered
ḥamidahroot ح م د
حَمِدَهُ
praised Him
rabbanāroot ر ب ب
رَبَّنَا
our Master
Standing up straight after the bow, calmly, is a pillar. Rushing through it invalidates it.
Where the schools differ: Whether the person praying behind an imam says 'samiʿa Allāhu li-man ḥamidah' too, or only 'rabbanā wa laka l-ḥamd', is a known difference between the schools.
al-Bukhārī 796; Muslim 409 (ṣaḥīḥ)
Every statement of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these. Āyah references open here in AyaSeerah with the canonical text, translation and abridged tafsīr; ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com. Nothing here has to be taken on trust.