What is the meaning of (La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah)?
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The questioner : He says, what is the meaning of: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah?
The Shaykh : The meaning of La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is: there is no power to move from one state to another. Hawl means the act of moving, so it means that no one possesses the ability to move from one state to another, and no one has the strength to do so except by Allah (Mighty and Majestic), meaning except by the decree of Allah and seeking His help. For this reason, we find that a person desires something and tries to obtain it but fails because Allah did not will it. We also see that many people, when they desire something and seek help from Allah and entrust the matter to Him, Allah the Exalted helps them and makes the matter easy for them. Therefore, it is recommended that when a person responds to the mu'adhdhin, he should say, upon hearing the mu'adhdhin say: "Hayya 'ala al-salah, hayya 'ala al-falah", La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. This means: I am unable to move from my current state to prayer, and I have no strength to do so except by Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It is a word of seeking help, by which a person seeks assistance in achieving his desire.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : The meaning of La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah is: there is no power to move from one state to another. Hawl means the act of moving, so it means that no one possesses the ability to move from one state to another, and no one has the strength to do so except by Allah (Mighty and Majestic), meaning except by the decree of Allah and seeking His help. For this reason, we find that a person desires something and tries to obtain it but fails because Allah did not will it. We also see that many people, when they desire something and seek help from Allah and entrust the matter to Him, Allah the Exalted helps them and makes the matter easy for them. Therefore, it is recommended that when a person responds to the mu'adhdhin, he should say, upon hearing the mu'adhdhin say: "Hayya 'ala al-salah, hayya 'ala al-falah", La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. This means: I am unable to move from my current state to prayer, and I have no strength to do so except by Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It is a word of seeking help, by which a person seeks assistance in achieving his desire.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.