Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Subhanallah is the conceptual opposite of Alhamdulillah. While Alhamdulillah affirms Allah’s perfect attributes and beauty, Subhanallah serves to negate any deficiencies, flaws, or partners attributed to Him, thereby affirming His absolute perfection through exaltation.
Answering your question, Dr. Yasir Qadhi, Instructor and Dean of Academic Affairs at Al-Maghrib Institute, and the Resident Scholar of the Memphis Islamic Center, states:
Subhanallah and Alhamdulillah are opposites. Alhamdulillah means we are praising Allah because He is worthy of being praised, because He has the most noble attributes and the most perfect names. Alhamdulillah—He is so majestic and perfect and beautiful that He deserves to be praised.
Its opposite is Subhanallah. What is its opposite? Subhanallah means—Alhamdulillah you affirm the positives, Subhanallah you negate the negatives. Subhanallah, you negate the negatives.
So Subhanallah, and that’s why Allah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala said, “Subhanahu ‘amma yushrikun” (Subhanahu ‘amma yushrikun). He is exalted and above the idols that they worship; He’s not like them.
Subhanahu—Allah never says “Alhamdulillah ‘amma yushrikun.” No, “Subhanahu ‘an ma yushrikun.” That Allah is exalted above what they think and what they ascribe to Him. So Allah says, and they said, “Take the Ar-Rahman a daughter.” Subhanahu! They say Allah has a son. Subhanahu! Allah didn’t say Alhamdulillah because that would not make sense here. Subhanahu—Allah is negating “I don’t have a son.”
Negating the negative: gods don’t have sons. Negating the negative: gods don’t have idols. Negating the negative: God does not go to sleep. So Subhanahu—you negate the negative. This is what Subhanahu wa Ta`ala [means]. And when you negate the negative, you are affirming the perfection of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala.
Almighty Allah knows best.
Read more:
- Benefits of SubhanAllah wa Bihamdihi
- Earn 1000 Hasanah Each Day with One Word
- Saying a Certian Dhikr During the Adhan: Permissible?
- Can I Do Dhikr on My Period?
- Can We Use Prayer Beads While Making Dhikr? (Video)
- 3 Forms of Dhikr That Will Benefit You Through Thick and Thin
Source: Dr. Yasir Qadhi Youtube Channel