بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين
ṢALĀT AL-TASBĪḤ (صَلَاةُ التَّسْبِيح) : ITS VIRTUE, METHOD AND AUTHENTICITY
Its Authenticity, Legal Status, Method and the Positions of the Classical Scholars
Introduction
Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is a well-known voluntary prayer consisting of four rakʿahs in which the worshipper repeatedly recites:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
“Glory be to Allah, praise belongs to Allah, there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.”
The question of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ has generated a genuine discussion among the scholars of ḥadīth and fiqh. Some eminent authorities accepted its principal narration as ṣaḥīḥ or ḥasan, particularly when its various routes are considered collectively. Other eminent authorities considered the narrations weak, and consequently did not regard the prayer as an established Sunnah.
Therefore, it is important to distinguish between two separate questions:
Is the ḥadīth concerning Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ authentic?
Is Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ recommended according to Islamic law?
The second question naturally depends upon the answer one gives to the first, together with one's principles concerning the use of ḥadīth in voluntary acts of worship.
The purpose of this article is not to disparage either position, but to present the evidence fairly and explain why a number of recognized scholars permitted and recommended this prayer.
1. The Qur'anic Foundation: The Virtue of Dhikr
The Qur'an repeatedly commands the believers to remember Allah abundantly.
Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا
“O believers! Remember Allah with abundant remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening.”
Qur'an, Sūrat al-Aḥzāb 33:41–42.
This verse establishes the general virtue of abundant dhikr and tasbīḥ. It does not, by itself, establish the particular form of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ; the specific form must therefore be discussed through the Sunnah and the juristic principles derived from it.
Allah also says:
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ
“When you have completed the prayer, remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on your sides.”
Qur'an, Sūrat al-Nisāʾ 4:103.
Again, this establishes the tremendous importance of dhikr in connection with prayer, although it does not constitute a specific proof for the special format of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
2. The Principal Ḥadīth of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ
The most famous narration is that of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما, concerning the Prophet ﷺ teaching his uncle al-ʿAbbās رضي الله عنه how to perform the prayer.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يَا عَبَّاسُ يَا عَمَّاهُ أَلَا أُعْطِيكَ أَلَا أَمْنَحُكَ أَلَا أَحْبُوكَ
“O ʿAbbās, my uncle, shall I not give you, grant you, and present you with a special gift...”
The narration then describes four rakʿahs containing seventy-five recitations of the tasbīḥ in each rakʿah, making three hundred recitations in total.
Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Kitāb al-Taṭawwuʿ, Bāb Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ, ḥadīth 1297. The narration is transmitted from Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما.
The principal route recorded by Abū Dāwūd includes:
Mūsā ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz → al-Ḥakam ibn Abān → ʿIkrimah → Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما.
Abū Dāwūd also recorded another narration concerning the prayer.
3. How Is Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ Performed?
According to the well-known narration, it consists of four rakʿahs.
The tasbīḥ is:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
“Glory be to Allah, praise belongs to Allah, there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.”
In each rakʿah it is recited 75 times, as follows:
Position | Number |
|---|---|
| After recitation, while standing | 15 |
| In rukūʿ | 10 |
| After rising from rukūʿ | 10 |
| First sajdah | 10 |
Sitting between the two sajdahs | 10 |
Second sajdah | 10 |
After the second sajdah while sitting | 10 |
Total per rakʿah | 75 |
Total for four rakʿahs | 300 |
The detailed method is contained in the narration of Ibn ʿAbbās recorded by Abū Dāwūd.
4. What Did Imām al-Tirmidhī Say?
An important piece of evidence is found in Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī.
After mentioning the relevant narrations, Imām al-Tirmidhī stated:
وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَيْرُ حَدِيثٍ فِي صَلَاةِ التَّسْبِيحِ، وَلَا يَصِحُّ مِنْهَا كَبِيرُ شَيْءٍ، وَقَدْ رَأَى ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ صَلَاةَ التَّسْبِيحِ وَذَكَرُوا الْفَضْلَ فِيهَا
A concise translation is:
“More than one report has been narrated from the Prophet ﷺ concerning Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ, although not much of what has been narrated concerning it is sound. Ibn al-Mubārak and more than one scholar regarded Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ as meritorious and mentioned its virtue.”
Reference: Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb mā jāʾa fī Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ, ḥadīth 481.
This statement is particularly important. It shows that the discussion was already known to the early scholars and that ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mubārak رحمه الله, an eminent early scholar and narrator, regarded Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ as having virtue.
Thus, the assertion that “no scholar recommended it” is too broad.
5. The Position of Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
One of the strongest classical references supporting the ḥadīth is found in the work of Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī رحمه الله, al-Nukat ʿalā Kitāb Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ.
While discussing Ibn al-Jawzī's tendency to declare certain narrations fabricated on account of weaknesses in individual chains, Ibn Ḥajar explained that a narration may be weak through one particular route while being established through another route that was not considered by the critic.
He then gives the ḥadīth of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ as an example and includes it among the narrations that are ḥasan or ṣaḥīḥ, rather than fabricated.
Reference: Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, al-Nukat ʿalā Kitāb Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ, 2/848–850.
This is an important methodological point.
A single chain may contain a weakness, yet the totality of several independent routes can raise a narration to the level of ḥasan li-ghayrihi or otherwise strengthen its basis, depending upon the nature of the weaknesses and the independence of the routes.
Therefore, simply demonstrating that one particular isnād is weak does not necessarily prove that the entire ḥadīth is fabricated.
6. The Position of Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
The statement attributed to Imām Aḥmad رحمه الله is frequently cited by those who reject Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
It is reported that when asked about the prayer, he said that he did not possess an authentic narration concerning it.
This position is reported in the classical literature and was relied upon by later scholars who considered the ḥadīth weak.
However, Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar also transmitted an incident suggesting that Imām Aḥmad's assessment may have changed after he was reminded of a particular chain containing al-Mustamir ibn al-Rayyān, whom Aḥmad regarded as trustworthy.
The issue of whether Aḥmad ultimately changed his position has therefore itself been discussed by later scholars.
References: Ibn Ḥajar, al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī / Futuḥāt al-Rabbāniyyah discussion of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ; also the reports cited by Ibn Qudāmah in al-Mughnī. A summary of the classical discussion is preserved in the scholarly literature.
Consequently, it is more accurate to say:
Imām Aḥmad is well known to have regarded the principal evidence as insufficient, although later reports have been used to argue that he may have softened or reconsidered that position.
It should not be stated categorically that there is unanimous certainty regarding his final position.
7. The Position of Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله is among the principal scholars who rejected the recommendation of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
He wrote:
وأجود ما يروى من هذه الصلوات حديث صلاة التسبيح، وقد رواه أبو داود والترمذي، ومع هذا فلم يقل به أحد من الأئمة الأربعة، بل أحمد ضعف الحديث ولم يستحب هذه الصلوات
The meaning is:
“The best of what is narrated concerning these prayers is the ḥadīth of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ, narrated by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī; nevertheless, none of the four imams adopted it, and Aḥmad regarded the ḥadīth as weak and did not recommend these prayers.”
Reference: Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, 11/579.
This is an authentic representation of the opposing position.
However, this statement should be understood as Ibn Taymiyyah's assessment, not as proof that every scholar agreed with him.
8. Was Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ Unknown to the Four Madhhabs?
This claim needs qualification.
It is sometimes stated:
“None of the four madhhabs accepted Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.”
That statement is too general.
There were certainly scholars within the different schools who rejected or questioned it.
However, there were also jurists within the madhhabs who accepted it.
The Ḥanafī School
In Radd al-Muḥtār, Ibn ʿĀbidīn رحمه الله discusses Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ and states:
وَحَدِيثُهَا حَسَنٌ لِكَثْرَةِ طُرُقِهِ
“Its ḥadīth is ḥasan because of the numerous routes through which it has been transmitted.”
He further describes its virtue as great and explains its method.
Reference: Ibn ʿĀbidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ʿalā al-Durr al-Mukhtār, 2/27.
This alone demonstrates that it is incorrect to portray the Ḥanafī school as having no acceptance of the prayer.
9. The Shāfiʿī School
The Shāfiʿī tradition also contains scholars who considered Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ recommended.
Among those mentioned in the literature are:
At the same time, Imām al-Nawawī رحمه الله transmitted and discussed the disagreement and expressed reservations concerning the weakness of the ḥadīth.
In al-Majmūʿ, the issue is explicitly discussed under Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
Therefore, it is again inaccurate to say that the Shāfiʿī school unanimously rejected it.
10. The View of Imām al-Nawawī
Imām al-Nawawī is especially important because he demonstrates that the issue was genuinely disputed among the scholars.
He records that some Shāfiʿī jurists regarded the prayer as mustaḥabb because of the ḥadīth concerning it, while he himself expressed reservations because of the weakness of the report and the unusual alteration to the ordinary structure of ṣalāh.
Reference: al-Nawawī, al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhdhab, 3/547–548, discussion of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
Thus, al-Nawawī should not simply be listed among those who “authenticated the prayer” without qualification. His treatment demonstrates the complexity of the scholarly debate.
11. The Number of Scholars Who Accepted the Ḥadīth
Later scholars such as al-Suyūṭī collected the statements of numerous authorities who authenticated or strengthened the narration.
Among the scholars reported to have accepted the ḥadīth, or considered it sufficiently established, are:
Later authorities continued to write dedicated works defending the authenticity of the narration.
References: al-Suyūṭī, al-Laʾālī al-Maṣnūʿah, 2/42–44; al-Mundhirī, al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb, discussion of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
It is noteworthy that several scholars did not merely mention the narration casually; they wrote specialized works collecting and analyzing its chains. Among those associated with works on the subject were al-Dāraqutnī, al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, Abū Mūsā al-Madīnī, al-Subkī, Ibn Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Dimashqī and al-Suyūṭī.
12. The Position of al-Albānī
In modern times, Shaykh Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī رحمه الله also authenticated the principal narration.
The version recorded by Abū Dāwūd is graded:
صحيح — Sahīḥ
according to al-Albānī's grading.
Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1297, grading attributed to al-Albānī.
Al-Albānī's position was based upon consideration of the various routes and supporting evidence rather than treating one isolated chain as the only evidence.
13. Why Do Some Scholars Reject the Ḥadīth?
The opposing scholars did not simply reject Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ without reason.
Their arguments include:
1. Weakness in individual chains
Some routes contain narrators or transmission problems which led certain hadith critics to regard the reports as weak.
2. Differences between the narrations
There are differences in the wording and manner of transmission among the reports concerning the prayer.
3. Unusual structure of the prayer
The prayer contains a large number of additional tasbīḥ recitations inserted into specific positions of ṣalāh.
4. The great reward mentioned
The narration mentions the forgiveness of numerous categories of sins. Some scholars considered that such a tremendous virtue would require especially strong evidence.
5. The position of early jurists
Ibn Taymiyyah and other scholars argued that if this were an established Sunnah of such tremendous virtue, it would have been more widely recognized among the earliest jurists.
These arguments are found in the discussions of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qudāmah, al-Nawawī and later scholars who considered the ḥadīth weak.
14. Does the Existence of Weak Chains Mean the Ḥadīth Is Fabricated?
No.
This distinction is extremely important.
A narration can be:
These are not interchangeable categories.
The fact that one scholar regards a particular chain as weak does not automatically make the entire narration fabricated.
This is precisely why Ibn Ḥajar's discussion is significant: he pointed out that a critic may judge a report based upon a particular route while other routes may exist which the critic did not consider. He then used Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ as an example.
15. A Crucial Point About Imām al-Tirmidhī's Statement
It is also important not to misrepresent Imām al-Tirmidhī.
He did not simply declare the complete Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ narration ṣaḥīḥ in the same manner that he classifies many other individual reports.
Rather, he said that several reports concerning it existed and that not much of what was narrated was sound, while also recording that Ibn al-Mubārak and other scholars regarded the prayer as meritorious.
Therefore, the correct scholarly presentation is:
There is a substantial classical basis for accepting the prayer, but there was never unanimous agreement concerning the authenticity of its ḥadīth.
16. The Principle of Respecting Valid Scholarly Disagreement
The issue of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ should not become a cause of accusation, hostility or condemnation between Muslims.
A person who performs Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is following a position held by recognized scholars of ḥadīth and fiqh.
A person who does not perform it because he follows the position that its ḥadīth is weak is likewise following a recognized scholarly position.
Consequently, it is inappropriate to say that someone who performs it is necessarily introducing a bidʿah, just as it is inappropriate to claim that every scholar who rejects it has rejected the Sunnah.
The historical record demonstrates genuine disagreement.
17. The Strongest Case for Its Permissibility
Those who accept Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ can summarize their evidence as follows:
First
The principal narration is recorded in Sunan Abī Dāwūd, with the famous narration of Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما.
Second
The subject was not based upon one isolated report. Several Companions and routes are associated with narrations concerning Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
Third
Imām al-Tirmidhī recorded that Ibn al-Mubārak and other scholars regarded the prayer as meritorious.
Fourth
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar explicitly included the ḥadīth of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ among reports that are ḥasan or ṣaḥīḥ, rather than accepting the accusation of fabrication.
Fifth
Ibn ʿĀbidīn, representing the later Ḥanafī fiqh tradition, explicitly states:
وَحَدِيثُهَا حَسَنٌ لِكَثْرَةِ طُرُقِهِ
“Its ḥadīth is ḥasan because of the numerous routes of transmission.”
Reference: Radd al-Muḥtār, 2/27.
Sixth
A considerable number of classical scholars either authenticated the narration, graded it ḥasan, or regarded the prayer as virtuous and recommended.
Seventh
In modern times, al-Albānī also graded the Abū Dāwūd narration ṣaḥīḥ.
18. What Is the Most Balanced Conclusion?
The fairest conclusion is not that “Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is unanimously Sunnah,” nor that “Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is unquestionably fabricated.”
Rather:
Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is a matter of established classical scholarly disagreement. A substantial group of eminent hadith scholars regarded its narrations as authentic or acceptable through their various routes, while another substantial group regarded the narrations as weak and consequently did not consider the prayer an established Sunnah.
The position that the prayer is permissible and meritorious therefore has substantial classical support.
At the same time, because the authenticity of its ḥadīth has been disputed by major hadith critics, one should avoid presenting the matter as though there were an absolute scholarly consensus.
19. Is It Correct to Call It “Sunnah”?
This depends upon what is meant by the word Sunnah.
If “Sunnah” means:
“An act transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ through evidence that a particular scholar considers authentic,”
then scholars who authenticate the ḥadīth may legitimately describe Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ as Sunnah or mustaḥabb.
But if a scholar believes the ḥadīth is not sufficiently authentic, he will naturally refrain from calling the prayer an established Prophetic Sunnah.
Therefore, the safer scholarly wording is:
“Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is a recommended
voluntary prayer according to a number of eminent scholars, based upon their acceptance of its narrations.”
This wording acknowledges the strength of the supporting scholarship without falsely claiming consensus.
20. Important Correction Regarding Ibn Taymiyyah
It is sometimes stated:
“Ibn Taymiyyah said Abū Ḥanīfah and al-Shāfiʿī knew nothing about Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.”
That wording should not be used as a blanket historical claim.
The better-documented statement from Ibn Taymiyyah is that none of the four imams adopted it as recommended and that Imām Aḥmad regarded the ḥadīth as weak.
However, later fiqh works demonstrate that scholars within the Ḥanafī and Shāfiʿī traditions did discuss, accept and recommend Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ.
For example, Ibn ʿĀbidīn explicitly describes its ḥadīth as ḥasan due to its numerous routes.
Thus, the historical evidence is more nuanced than the statement sometimes circulated today.
21. The Virtue of Tasbīḥ Is Undisputed
Even scholars who reject the specific narration of Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ do not reject the general virtue of tasbīḥ.
Allah says:
وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا
“And glorify Him morning and evening.”
Reference: Qur'an 33:42.
The Prophet ﷺ also taught abundant remembrance of Allah throughout his Sunnah.
Thus, the dispute is not about whether tasbīḥ is virtuous. The dispute concerns whether the Prophet ﷺ specifically legislated this particular arrangement of 300 tasbīḥ within four rakʿahs.
That distinction should always be maintained.
22. Final Ruling
Based on the evidence and the statements of the scholars, the following conclusion may be stated:
Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is permissible and may be performed as a voluntary act of worship according to the scholars who accepted or strengthened its ḥadīth.
There is substantial classical authority for this position.
The principal narration is recorded by Abū Dāwūd, and the prayer was recognized by early scholars such as ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mubārak.
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar regarded its narration as belonging to the category of ḥasan or ṣaḥīḥ, considering the wider transmission evidence.
Later Ḥanafī scholarship explicitly classified its ḥadīth as ḥasan because of its numerous routes.
Al-Albānī likewise authenticated the Abū Dāwūd narration.
At the same time, scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn ʿUthaymīn and others considered the evidence insufficient and did not regard Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ as an established Sunnah.
Therefore, the issue should be treated as a recognized matter of ijtihād, rather than a basis for declaring one another innovators or people who have abandoned the Sunnah.
And Allah سبحانه وتعالى knows best.
Selected References Primary Ḥadīth Sources
Classical Ḥadīth and Fiqh References
Concluding Note
The evidence demonstrates that Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ is not an issue that can honestly be presented as though only one side of the classical scholarship existed.
Those who regard it as established have relied upon Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Ḥajar, Ibn ʿĀbidīn, al-Mundhirī, al-Ḥākim, al-Khaṭīb, al-Suyūṭī, al-Bayhaqī and numerous other authorities.
Those who reject it have relied upon the critical assessments of scholars such as Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Nawawī in his discussion, Ibn ʿUthaymīn and others.
Accordingly, the person who performs Ṣalāt al-Tasbīḥ should not be condemned, and the person who leaves it because he follows the scholars who weakened its ḥadīth should likewise not be condemned.
The matter is one of scholarly disagreement concerning the authentication and legal implication of the reports.
والله أعلم بالصواب
