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:

DEAR BROTHER BURHAN

ASSALAMO ALAIKUM

I WAS READING A BOOK AND IT WAS MENTIONED THAT ALLAH HAS 3000 NAMES. I WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM WITH YOU ABOUT IT. PLS. GIVE IN DETAIL.

WHEN WE DO TASBIH ON FINGERS, FOR E.G AFTER FARD SALAH 33 TIMES SUBHANALLAH, 33 TIMES ALHUMDULLIALH & 34 TIMES ALLAHU AKBAR, CAN WE USE BOTH THE HANDS , OR MUST USE ONLY RIGHT HAND.

THANKING YOU

JAZAKALLAH

A SISTER

(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:

Tasbih on both hands

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: I WAS READING A BOOK AND IT WAS MENTIONED THAT ALLAH HAS 3000 NAMES. I WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM WITH YOU ABOUT IT. PLS. GIVE IN DETAIL.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verse 110:

Say: "Call upon Allah or call upon ‘Rahmaan’: by whatever name ye call upon Him (it is well): for to Him belong (all) The Most Beautiful Names. Neither speak thy Prayer aloud nor speak it in a low tone but seek a middle course between."

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verse 180:

The Most Beautiful Names (all) belong to Allah: so call on Him by them

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "If any servant of Allah afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, his supplication will be accepted: 'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of your maidservant. My forehead is in Your hand. Your command concerning me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just. I call upon You by every one of the Beautiful Names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your Book, or have taught anyone of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the Knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur'an the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and remover of my griefs, sorrows, and afflictions'." A supplication in these words will be answered. Allah will remove one's affliction and replace it with joy and happiness. (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban)

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, the Most Beautiful Names all belong to Allah Subhanah, and none save The Lord Most Majestic, Most Supreme Knows how many Names He has chosen for Himself!

To the best of our knowledge there is absolutely no evidence in the Quran and the Sunnah whereby Allah Subhanah has limited the number of His Blessed Names and Attributes to 3000! The Messenger of Allah (saws) listed 99 of the innumerable Names of Allah Subhanah to his companions, but the exact number of Names the Lord Most Exalted has chosen for Himself is known to none save Him and Him Alone.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.489 Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart, will enter Paradise."

Your Question: WHEN WE DO TASBIH ON FINGERS, FOR E.G AFTER FARD SALAH 33 TIMES SUBHANALLAH, 33 TIMES ALHUMDULLIALH & 34 TIMES ALLAHU AKBAR, CAN WE USE BOTH THE HANDS , OR MUST USE ONLY RIGHT HAND.

Hadrat Hafsah (r.a.) reported, "The Messenger of Allah (saws) reserved his right hand for (doing every good)…. eating, drinking, putting on his clothes, taking, giving, etc. He used his left hand for other actions (cleaning his private parts, etc.)"

Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim, al-Baihaqi.

It is the preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to do every good with one’s right hand; thus if one were to do the Sunnah of ‘tasbeeh’ of Allah Subhanah, it would only be in accordance with the Sunnah and the etiquettes of Islam that one do so with one’s right hand and not with one’s left hand.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan