From Beneath the Throne
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Lā hawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh (لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ) is abbreviated as hawqalah.
Abbreviations are produced by taking a few letters from the original phrase to form a single word. Other abbreviations of Islāmic phrases include basmalah (بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ) and hamdalah (الحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِينَ).
In this phrase, two words are wholly affirmed for Allah: Hawl & Quwwah. The Arabic word hawl denotes meanings of movement and change. The word quwwah, on the other hand, denotes meanings of strength.
The following is a breakdown of each word with meanings and associations that provide a clearer idea of what the hawqalah entails:
لَا (No, neither)
حَوْلَ (Initiation, movement, progress, change, transformation)
وَ (And)
لَا (No, neither)
قُوَّةَ (Energy, strength, stamina, capability, power)
إِلَّا (Except)
بِ (With, by, through, by means of, by cause of)
اللَّهِ (Allāh)
The hawqalah appeals for Allāh’s support with the objective of realising a goal and entails moving from one state to another positive or better state: from sin to obedience, from sickness to health, from weakness to strength, from bad to good and from good to better. It is the opposite of regression. It is progression.
Subsequently, the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam taught us say it during the adhān at ‘Hayya ‘alas-salāh’ (hasten to the prayer) and ‘Hayya ‘alal-falāh’ (hasten to the success) i.e. to move from a state of non-prayer to prayer.
For the purposes of communicating a fuller meaning of the hawqalah, this author suggests the following explanatory translation, ‘The move towards progress or transformation cannot be initiated (hawl) nor can the ability (means) required to realise that progress be acquired (quwwah) except by Allāh’s support.’
The hawqalah demonstrates (1) the Muslim’s continual intent on progress (acquiring benefit or repelling harm), and his readiness and capability to act whilst (2) recognising Allāh’s causal and accommodating role and seeking His support.
In closing, the hawqalah is a statement of worship and a statement for seeking assistance, so intend and channel your duas & yearnings through it.
والحمد لله رب العالمين
وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد