5/14. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1297 — Salat al-Tasbih Explained
Salat At-Tasbih
Salat al-Tasbih Hadith: Four Rak'ahs With Repeated Remembrance
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1297
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1297
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ بِشْرِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ بْنُ أَبَانَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لِلْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ " يَا عَبَّاسُ يَا عَمَّاهُ أَلاَ أُعْطِيكَ أَلاَ أَمْنَحُكَ أَلاَ أَحْبُوكَ أَلاَ أَفْعَلُ بِكَ عَشْرَ خِصَالٍ إِذَا أَنْتَ فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَكَ ذَنْبَكَ أَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ قَدِيمَهُ وَحَدِيثَهُ خَطَأَهُ وَعَمْدَهُ صَغِيرَهُ وَكَبِيرَهُ سِرَّهُ وَعَلاَنِيَتَهُ عَشْرَ خِصَالٍ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ تَقْرَأُ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ وَسُورَةً فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنَ الْقِرَاءَةِ فِي أَوَّلِ رَكْعَةٍ وَأَنْتَ قَائِمٌ قُلْتَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ مَرَّةً ثُمَّ تَرْكَعُ فَتَقُولُهَا وَأَنْتَ رَاكِعٌ عَشْرًا ثُمَّ تَرْفَعُ رَأْسَكَ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ فَتَقُولُهَا عَشْرًا ثُمَّ تَهْوِي سَاجِدًا فَتَقُولُهَا وَأَنْتَ سَاجِدٌ عَشْرًا ثُمَّ تَرْفَعُ رَأْسَكَ مِنَ السُّجُودِ فَتَقُولُهَا عَشْرًا ثُمَّ تَسْجُدُ فَتَقُولُهَا عَشْرًا ثُمَّ تَرْفَعُ رَأْسَكَ فَتَقُولُهَا عَشْرًا فَذَلِكَ خَمْسٌ وَسَبْعُونَ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ تَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَهَا فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّةً فَافْعَلْ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَفِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ مَرَّةً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَفِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ مَرَّةً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَفِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ مَرَّةً فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَفِي عُمُرِكَ مَرَّةً " .
Abdullah ibn Abbas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to al-Abbas ibn AbdulMuttalib: Abbas, my uncle, shall I not give you, shall I not present to you, shall I not donate to you, shall I not produce for you ten things? If you act upon them, Allah will forgive you your sins, first and last, old and new, involuntary and voluntary, small and great, secret and open. These are the ten things: you should pray four rak'ahs, reciting in each one Fatihat al-Kitab and a surah.When you finish the recitation of the first rak'ah you should say fifteen times while standing: "Glory be to Allah", "Praise be to Allah", "There is no god but Allah", "Allah is most great". Then you should bow and say it ten times while bowing. Then you should raise your head after bowing and say it ten times. Then you should kneel down in prostration and say it ten times while prostrating yourself. Then you should raise your head after prostration and say it ten times. Then you should prostrate yourself and say it ten times. Then you should raise your head after prostrating and say it ten times in every rak'ah.You should do that in four rak'ahs. If you can observe it once daily, do so; if not, then once weekly; if not, then once a month; if not, then once a year; if not, then once in your lifetime.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1297In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 48English translation : Book 5, Hadith 1292
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1297
This Salat al-Tasbih hadith gives a detailed prayer taught to al-Abbas ibn AbdulMuttalib. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) described four rak'ahs, with Fatihat al-Kitab and a surah in each rak'ah. After the recitation in the first rak'ah, the person says: Glory be to Allah, Praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, and Allah is most great, fifteen times while standing. The same words are then repeated ten times in bowing, after rising from bowing, in prostration, after rising, in the second prostration, and after rising again. The hadith also gives flexible timing: daily if possible, otherwise weekly, monthly, yearly, or once in a lifetime.
What we learn from this hadith
- The prayer is described as four rak'ahs with Qur'an recitation in each rak'ah.
- The hadith gives a repeated set of remembrance words in each prayer posture.
- The narration mentions seventy-five repetitions in each rak'ah.
- The timing is made flexible for what a person is able to do.
