Salat ul Tasbeeh

[armchair traveler]

I want to know the method of salat ul tasbeeh, and its orgin and status whether it is fard or sunnah or wajib. 

[Ruhi_Rose]

Salam, peace.  Its origin is from a hadith, quote:

"Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said to his uncle Abbas that, 'Uncle, If you can you may say salatul tasbih once in a week, if you can't, you may say it once in a month, or once in a year, else once in your life. This salah helps to receive forgiveness from your life's smaller, bigger, voluntary, involuntary, newer, older, hidden, expressed and all kinds of sins.' "

This hadith has another lengthier version as well.  It's supposed to be from Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi but without any hadith #

Many traditional Hadithists do not regard this hadith as sound or authentic. They call it "daif" meaning its authenticity is doubtful and according to many of them it is not sunnah. So you can call it nafl.   

However, if you assess salat ul tasbeeh on its own, independently, it is completely compatible with Quranic values of worship.

It is a 4 rakat salat which is offered just like any other salat and at any time of the day or night, only difference is that at every step you need to recite the zikr of Tehmeed, Tehleel and Takbir 10 times to make it a total of 300 in the 4 rakat salat. Therefore it's time consuming.  It is a voluntary prayer, not obligatory. 

Following is the zikr (or tasbeeh) of Tehmeed, Tehleel and Takbir which you need to recite:

SubhanAllah, Alhumdulilah, La ilaha illal La, Allah-o-Akbar 

Translation: All Glory be to Allah, all praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest.


Method:

Start salat the usual way by reciting niyah (intent) and sana which is "Subhanaka Allahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabara kasmuka wa ta'ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuka."   

- then recite the tasbeeh 15 times.

- Next, recite Fatiha and a Surah as in all salats after which recite tasbeeh 10 times.   

- During ruku after prescribed glorifications, recite tasbih 10 times.

- After standing up from ruku, recite tasbeeh 10 times.

- In the first sajood after prescribed glorifications, recite tasbeeh 10 times.

- In between the first and second sajood, recite tasbeeh 10 times.

- In the second sajood after prescribed glorifications, recite tasbeeh 10 times.

Repeat this procedure for the other rakats as well and end your prayer.

[armchair traveler]

Salam and thank u very much.   I assume we perform salat ul tasbeeh with our prayer beads or tasbeeh.   

[Ruhi_Rose]

Yes of course you can, but traditionalists who accept this nafl prayer discourage people from using the counting beads without citing any reasons.  They expect people to count on their finger tips.  But no need to listen to them.  You can certainly keep your counter beads or tasbih with you if you decide to offer this nafl prayer.

[Latifah Khaleedi]

Any idea what spiritual reason may forbid offering salat al tasbih with counter beads (tasbih beads)?

[Zainab_M]

Traditional rulings usually don't have any specific reasons.  However, in this case there could be a practical reason which they should have mentioned but haven't.  Salat ul tasbeeh requires reciting the tasbeeh-zikr while at ruku and sajood.  In those positions it might be practically difficult to hold a tasbeeh and count the beads.  It would be easier to count with fingertips by gently pressing them against the prayer mat in sajood or against the knees as one bends down for ruku.  But if someone has a health issue for which they need to offer salat siting on a chair or couch, then they can keep the counter beads with them.