Alhamdulillah
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Alhamdulillah in Arabic means "Praise to God", similar to the Hebrew Halel luyah. In everyday speech it simply means "Thank God!"
The phrase is first found in the second verse of the first surah of the Qur'an. So frequently do Muslims and Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians invoke this phrase that the verb Hamdala, "to say al-Hamdu l-Illah," was coined.
In Islam, Alhamdulillah is used in the following situations:
- After sneezing.
- Alhamdu lillahi 'ala kull-lee ha-leen
- Thanks and all praise be to Allah under all conditions.
- Waking up.
- Alhamdulillah-hillathee ah-yana ba'da ma ama tana wa ilayhi nushoor.
- Many thanks to Allah who has given us life after having giving us death (sleep) and that our final return (on the Day of Qiyaamah End of the world) is to Him.
The root H-m-d, meaning "praise," can also be found in the names Muhammad and Ahmad. Allah, "God," is the Arabic cognate of the ancient Semitic name for God, El.
See also:
- Islam
- Health benefits of saying Alhamdulillah (http://www.islamonline.net/English/Science/2000/2/article3.shtml)