Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
There is no harm in saying, “Praise be to Allah for the existence of Allah,” if a correct meaning is intended, such as praising Allah for having a Lord whom we worship and in whom we place our hope, or remembering that Allah exists, hears, sees, and knows the condition of His servants, and that He, Glorified be He, does not allow the rights of the oppressed to be lost.
Nevertheless, it is better to use the established scriptural expressions of praise, especially when speaking about the blessing of faith and guidance.
Usually, the speaker does not merely intend to state the fact that Allah exists. Rather, he intends what follows from belief in Allah, such as hope and reassurance.
For example, someone afflicted by a calamity may be told:
“Praise be to Allah, Allah exists,”
meaning that Allah knows your condition, has mercy on you, comforts you in your affliction, and compensates you with something better.
A person who has been wronged may also be told:
“Allah exists,”
meaning that Allah sees what has happened to you, knows the injustice of the one who wronged you, and your right will not be lost with Him.
If this is what is intended, then the meaning itself is sound.
The Quran sometimes mentions truths about Allah in order to convey what follows from them in terms of reassurance, protection, and support.
When Moses and Aaron, peace be upon them, feared Pharaoh, Allah said to them:
“He said, ‘Do not fear. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see.’”
[Ta-Ha: 46]
The point is not merely to inform them that Allah hears and sees. Rather, it also reassures them that they are under His protection and care, and that nothing Pharaoh does will be hidden from Him.
Allah Almighty also says:
“Does he not know that Allah sees?”
[Al-‘Alaq: 14]
The verse contains a warning to the one who prevents others from praying, because Allah sees him, knows what he does, and will hold him accountable.
In this sense, one may understand a person’s saying during hardship:
“Praise be to Allah, Allah exists.”
A person may intend an even broader meaning, namely:
Praise be to Allah that we have a Lord whom we worship, to whom we turn, and upon whom we depend, and that He guided us to know Him and believe in Him.
Allah Almighty says:
“O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.”
[Fatir: 15]
Human beings are in need of their Lord in their existence, life, guidance, provision, and all of their affairs.
One of the greatest blessings is also that Allah guides a person to know Him, affirm His Oneness, and worship Him, so that he does not remain lost in polytheism and misguidance.
If this is what the speaker means, then there is no harm in the expression with regard to its meaning.
The expression should be understood correctly.
The existence of Allah, Glorified be He, is not something that came into being, nor is it a blessing that arose after previously not existing. Allah has always existed and will always exist.
Rather, the praise here refers to what Allah has bestowed upon the servant: knowing Him, believing in Him, worshipping Him, recognizing one’s need for Him, and the guidance, hope, and reassurance that result from this.
For this reason, the established scriptural expressions used to describe the blessing of guidance are clearer and more precise.
Among the most beautiful expressions in the Quran is the statement of the people of Paradise:
“Praise be to Allah, who has guided us to this. We would never have been guided had Allah not guided us.”
[Al-A‘raf: 43]
It is also authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to say:
“By Allah, were it not for You, we would not have been guided, nor would we have given charity, nor would we have prayed.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Therefore, a person may praise Allah for the blessing of faith, guidance, and knowing his Lord. These expressions are clearer in conveying the intended meaning.
Indeed, simply saying:
“Praise be to Allah”
is among the greatest and most comprehensive forms of remembrance.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Purification is half of faith, and ‘Praise be to Allah’ fills the scale.”
Narrated by Muslim.
It is permissible to say, “Praise be to Allah for the existence of Allah,” if a sound meaning is intended, such as praising Allah for the blessing of knowing Him, believing in Him, and worshipping Him, or remembering that Allah hears, sees, and knows the condition of His servants, so that the oppressed and afflicted find reassurance in His justice and mercy.
However, it is more precise and preferable to use clear scriptural expressions such as:
“Praise be to Allah who guided us,”
or:
“Praise be to Allah for the blessing of faith and guidance,”
or simply:
“Praise be to Allah.”
And Allah knows best.