Radeyallahu ′Anhu

Radeyallahu Anhu, written in Arabic as رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ, means May Allah be pleased with him. Muslims usually say this phrase after mentioning a male Companion of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, such as Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, or another noble Sahabi. It is a short dua that shows love, respect, and honor for those who served Islam and supported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The phrase also reminds us that true success is not fame or power. True success is when Allah is pleased with a person.

A simple way to pronounce Radeyallahu Anhu is Ra dee yal laa hu an hu. Say it slowly like this: Ra dee, then yal laa hu, then an hu. The letter ع in anhu comes from the throat in Arabic. For non Arabic speakers, saying an hu softly is acceptable while learning. A more common spelling is Radhiyallahu Anhu, because the Arabic letter ض is often written as dh in English transliteration.

Muslims say Radeyallahu Anhu when mentioning a male Companion of the Prophet ﷺ. It is not said as a normal greeting. It is a respectful dua linked to people of great rank in Islamic history.

• When mentioning Abu Bakr, say Abu Bakr Radeyallahu Anhu.
• When mentioning Umar ibn al Khattab, say Umar Radeyallahu Anhu.
• When teaching children about the Sahabah, say this phrase to build respect in their hearts.
• When writing Islamic articles, books, or social posts, use it after the name of a male Companion.

For a female Companion, Muslims say Radeyallahu Anha, which means May Allah be pleased with her.

The wording Radeyallahu Anhu is connected to the beautiful Quranic idea that Allah is pleased with His righteous servants. Allah says about the early believers from the Muhajirun and Ansar: Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. Reference: Quran, Surah At Tawbah 9:100. The Quran also says about the successful believers: Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. Reference: Quran, Surah Al Bayyinah 98:8. These verses show why Muslims love making this dua for the Companions. The Prophet ﷺ also taught the Ummah to respect his Companions. He said not to insult his Companions, because even a huge amount of charity from others would not equal the reward of what they gave. Reference: Sahih al Bukhari 3673 and Sahih Muslim 2540. So when we say Radeyallahu Anhu, we are showing respect to those whom Allah praised and whom the Prophet ﷺ told us to honor.

Radeyallahu Anhu is often written in different ways in English, such as Radhiyallahu Anhu, Radiyallahu Anhu, Radhi Allahu Anhu, or رضي الله عنه. The meaning stays the same. For a female, the phrase is Radeyallahu Anha, written as رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا, meaning May Allah be pleased with her. For two people, it is Radeyallahu Anhuma, meaning May Allah be pleased with them both. For a group, it is Radeyallahu Anhum, meaning May Allah be pleased with them. Related phrases include Rahimahullah, which means May Allah have mercy on him, and Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, which is said after mentioning Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.