Allah’s (subhanahu wa ta’ala) fondness for Alhamdulillah
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentions that when we see the throne of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), we will see Angels circling around it and saying this verse.
Ali (radi allahu anhu) said about Alhamdulillah – “A statement that Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) liked for himself, was pleased with for himself and He likes that it be repeated.”
Alhamdulillah for everything
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, No servant is blessed by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and says, ‘Alhamdulillah’, except that what he was given is better than that which he has himself acquired.
Hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah
It was narrated from Anas (radi allahu anhu) that: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) does not bestow a blessing upon any slave and he says: ‘Al-hamdu Lillah (praise is to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala)),’ except that what he gives (the praise) is better than what he received (the blessing).“
According to Aisha (radi allahu anha), whenever something pleased Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) he would say, All praise and thanks is due to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) (Alhamdulillah) through whose blessings all good things finish, and when something didn’t please Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) he would say, All praise and thanks is due to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) (Alhamdulillah) no matter what the situation. Hence we should not praise Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) only when he shows something good.
Everytime we say Alhamdulillah, we need to have two things going on in our head – praise for Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and thanks to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). For example, when someone asks how was your flight, and we reply with Alhamdulillah, we need to have the attitude that we are genuinely praising Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) for the flight and thanking him for it. Saying things like, “Alhamdulillah, my back hurts” or any other negative thing after Alhamdulillah, is not correct because we are negating Alhamdulillah by complaining.
Incomparable praise
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would regularly make Dua in sajdah at night saying that even he cannot do justice in giving Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) the praise he deserves. Only Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) can praise himself in the way he deserves.
Instilled in human nature for eternity
The first word ever said by a human was Alhamdulillah. When Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) breathed the Rooh into Adam (alaihissalam) and the Rooh was blown from the head down and when it reached the nose it tickled Adam (alaihissalam) and he sneezed. Just by his own nature (fitratan) and without anyone teaching him, he said Alhamdulillah. It just came to him because Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has ingrained it in his innate nature. And the first word Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) spoke to Adam (alaihissalam) was “Yarhamuk Allah” (Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) will have mercy on you). Hence it’s the most befitting way to begin the Quran.
Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) mentions in the Quran that the people of Jannah will always be making dua with Subhanallah, greeting each other with Salam, but the final phrase they will always say will be Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen.