Question:
If someone says “SubhanAllahﷻ , Alhamdulillah” one hundred times, it is said that he receives a thousand good deeds and a thousand sins are erased. But if a person recites these words without thinking about praising Allahﷻ and only with the intention of gaining reward, will he still receive the reward?
Answer:
This needs to be understood in three levels.
First level:
The person understands the meaning and says SubhanAllahﷻ while consciously praising Allahﷻ .
This is the best form and definitely brings reward.
Second level:
The person does not know the exact meaning but knows that this phrase is used to praise Allahﷻ because the Prophetﷺ ﷺ taught it.
Even in this case, reward is given. Evidence for this is the hadith where the Prophetﷺ ﷺ said that reciting one letter of the Qur’an earns ten rewards, and he clarified that Alif-Lam-Meem is not counted as one letter but as three separate letters. Even though people do not know the meaning of Alif-Lam-Meem, they still receive reward for reciting it.
Third level:
The person neither understands the meaning nor intends to praise Allahﷻ . He simply says the words thinking: “If I say this, I will get reward.” In that case there will be no reward, because actions are judged by intentions.
If there is no intention to praise Allahﷻ , the words become meaningless — like repeating a magical formula.