Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaamaolikum, please can you send me details about the tasbeeh salah we pray. It consists of" subhanallahi wal hamdo lillahi wa la ilaha illallah wallahu akbar" recited 300 times in 4 rakahs 10 times in every stay like fatiha, ruku ,etc. does it have any link to sunnah oris it a bidaa.jakakallah alf khair, your muslim sister trying her best to become a momin. r 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Prayer of Tasbih

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

'Ikrimah reports from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said to 'Abbas ibn 'Abdal-Mutalib: "O 'Abbas, O Uncle, shall I not give you, shall I not present to you, shall I not donate to you, shall I not tell you ten things which, if you do, Allah will forgive your first and last sins, past and present sins, intentional and unintentional sins, private and public sins? The ten actions are: pray four rak'at, reciting in every rak'ah al-Fatihah and a surah. And when you finish the Qur'anic recitation of the first rak'ah, say, while standing, 'Subhanallah, al-hamdulillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wa Allahu Akbar' ['Glory be to Allah. All praise is due to Allah. There is no God except Allah. Allah is the greatest.'] fifteen times. Then make ruku', and while you are in ruku', say the same ten times; then stand, and say the same ten times. Then go down and make sajdah, and while you're in sajdah, say the same ten times. Then sit after the sajdah, and say the same ten times. Then make sajdah, and say the same ten times. Then sit after the second sajdah, and say the same another ten times. That is seventy-five [repetitions of the phrases] in each rak'ah. Do that in each of the four rak'at. If you can pray it once a day, do so. If you cannot, then once every Friday. If you cannot do that, then once a year. And if you cannot do that then once in your life."

Related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaimah, and at-Tabarani.

The above narration by Ikrimah is quoted as ‘sahih’ or authentic by many recorders of ahaadiths. Some scholars however have a difference of opinion and say that the above narration is not authentic, and there is no mention of the Prayer of Tasbih or ‘Salaat ul Tasbih’ in any of the four major schools of thought in Islam.

The prayer of ‘tasbih’ are voluntary and optional, and if one prays the prayer and his intention is to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), he will have his due reward from Allah Subhanah, Insha Allah; and if one does not pray them, there is absolutely no obligation or sin upon him.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan