[Q 397] Method of Salāh tul-Tasbīh

Question:

Salaam can you explain the method on how to perform salaah tul tasbih please

ANSWER:

(Salāh tul-Tasbīh) contains immense reward. Some research scholars state that, only a person who is lazy in his religion will abandon it despite knowing about its excellence.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said to, Sayyiduna Abbas رضي الله تعالى عنه: “O uncle! Shall I not give you something? Shall I not grant you? Shall I not bestow upon you? Shall I not do good to you? There are ten traits, when you perform them (Salāh tul-Tasbīh), Allah Almighty will forgive your sins—previous and future, old and new, those done forgetfully and those done deliberately, small and large, hidden and apparent.” After this, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم taught the method of Salāh tul-Tasbīh. He صلى الله عليه و سلم then said: “If you are able to perform it every day, then do so; if not, then once every Jumuʿah; if not, then once a month; if not, then once a year; and if not, then at least once in a lifetime.”

The method reported in Sunan al-Tirmidhī from ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mubārak رضي الله تعالى عنه is as follows:

He said: Say الله أكبر, then recite:

سُبْحَانَکَ اللّٰھُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِکَ وَتَبَارَکَ اسْمُکَ وَتَعَالٰی جَدُّکَ وَلَآ اِلٰـهَ غَیْرُکَ (Thana)

then recite:

سُبْحَانَ الله وَالْحَمْدُ لله وَلَآ اِلٰـهَ اِلَّا الله وَالله اَکْبَرْ fifteen times.

Then recite اَعُوْذُ, بِسْمِ الله, الحمد (Sūrah al-Fātiḥah), and any other Sūrah, and after that, again recite this tasbīḥ (سُبْحَانَ الله وَالْحَمْدُ لله وَلَآ اِلٰـهَ اِلَّا الله وَالله اَکْبَرْ) ten times.

Then perform Rukūʿ and in Rukūʿ recite the tasbīḥ ten times.

Then raise your head from Rukūʿ and after سمع الله لمن حمد, and ربنا لك الحمد, recite the tasbīḥ ten times.

Then go into Sajdah and in Sajdah recite the tasbīḥ ten times.

Then raise your head from Sajdah and in the sitting position between the two Sajdahs, recite it ten times.

Then go into the second Sajdah and recite it ten times.

In this way, offer four rakʿāt. In each rakʿah, the tasbīḥ is recited 75 times, and across all four rakʿāt, it totals 300 times.

In Rukūʿ and Sujūd, recite the standard phrases:

سُبْحَانَ رَبِّیَ الْعَظِیْمِ in Rukūʿ and سبُحْاَنَ رَبِّیَ الْاَعْلٰی in Sujūd, and then recite the above tasbīḥ afterwards.

(Source: Bahār-e-Sharīʿat, Vol. 1, Part 4, Page 683, Maktabah al-Madīnah, Karachi)

Note: While standing, recite the tasbīḥ 15 times before Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. In all other positions, recite it 10 times.

The tasbīḥ can be counted using the help of your fingertips.

(Jannatī Zēwar, pg. 300, summarized)

Important Notes:

Do not recite Thanaa (Subḥānaka…) in the second and fourth rakʿah.

Recite the 15 tasbīḥ before Sūrah al-Fātiḥah.

In the second rakʿah, sit for Qaʿdah and recite At-Taḥiyyāt, Durūd, and Duʿā, then stand for the third rakʿah. In the third rakʿah, recite Thanaa again, followed by 15 tasbīḥ, and then continue with the recitation.

Answered by: Qazi Muteeb Attari( AskMufti Scholar)

Translation checked by: Muhamed Hamza Attari

Date: 27th March 2025.