What he said when something bore down on him
Three sentences that name nothing except who is being addressed.
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الأَرْضِ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
Lā ilāha illā-Llāhu-l-ʿalīmu-l-ḥalīm. Lā ilāha illā-Llāhu rabbu-l-ʿarshi-l-ʿaẓīm. Lā ilāha illā-Llāhu rabbu-s-samāwāti wa rabbu-l-arḍi rabbu-l-ʿarshi-l-karīm
“There is no god but Allah, the Knowing, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the mighty Throne. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of the noble Throne.”
Where this comes from
Ibn Abbas says this is what he said at the time of karb, the distress that presses down on the chest. There is no request anywhere in it. It only says, three times over, who is there.
The full narration
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say at the time of difficulty, 'La ilaha il-lallah Al-`Alimul-Halim. La-ilaha illallah Rabul- Arsh-al-Azim, La ilaha-il-lallah Rabus-Samawati Rab-ul-Ard; wa Rab-ul-Arsh Al- Karim.' (See Hadith No. 356 and 357, Vol)
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 7426
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)