Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) taught Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh in the following way:

"...To perform 4 Rak'aat. In each Rak'aat, read Sura Fatiha and a Sura. When you finish Qiraat in the first Rak'aat, recite the Tasbeeh: سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا اله الا الله والله اكبر 15 times while standing. Then perform Ruku’ and read this Tasbeeh 10 times in Ruku’. Then stand up from Ruku’ and read this Tasbeeh 10 times. Then go in Sajdah and read this Tasbeeh 10 times in Sajdah. Raise the head from Sajdah and read this Tasbeeh 10 times. Then go in Sajdah again and read this Tasbeeh 10 times. Then raise the head from Sajdah and read this Tasbeeh 10 times(in sitting posture before standing). This amounts to 75 times in one Rak'aat. Do this (likewise) in 4 Rak'aat..." (Abu Daawud)

أن تصلي أربع ركعات تقرأ في كل ركعة فاتحة الكتاب وسورة، فإذا فرغت من القراءة في أول ركعة وأنت قائم، قلت: سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، خمس عشرة مرة، ثم تركع، فتقولها وأنت راكع عشرا، ثم ترفع [ص:30] رأسك من الركوع، فتقولها عشرا، ثم تهوي ساجدا، فتقولها وأنت ساجد عشرا، ثم ترفع رأسك من السجود فتقولها عشرا، ثم تسجد، فتقولها عشرا، ثم ترفع رأسك، فتقولها عشرا

Position of the Hadith:

In the Sanad of this Hadith, there is a narrator named Musa Bin Abdul Azeez. Ibn-ul-Jawzi qualified this Raawi as مجهول (unknown). That is why he included this Hadith among the fabricated Hadith. The scholars of Hadith judged this attitude of Ibn-ul-Jawzi as exaggerated. This is because it is not true that the narrator Musa Bin Abdul Azeez is an unknown narrator. Scholars of Hadith such as Ibn Ma'in, An-Nisa'a and Ibn Hibbaan qualified him as an authentic narrator. Imam Bukhari mentioned this Hadith exactly as it is in his Juz Qirat Khalfal-Imam. In addition to this, he reported Hadith of this Rawi in his Adab-ul-Mufrad. This proves that he is not an unknown Rawi according to the scholars of Hadith. 

Besides, we have scholars of Hadith such as Al-Khateeb, Abu Musa Al-Madeeni, Abul Hassan Bin Fadl, Al-Munziri, Ibn-us-Salaah, An-Nawawi etc. who qualified this Hadith as authentic. According to Al Munziri, this Hadith has been qualified as an authentic Hadith by 'Ulama such as Abu Bakr Al-Ajuri, Sheikh Abu Muhammad Abdur Raheem, and Sheikh Al-Hafiz Abul Hassan Al-Muqaddasi. This Hadith is also reported by Hazrat Abdullah Bin 'Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu). Al-Haakim says about this Hadith:

"The version reported by Hazrat Abdullah Bin 'Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) whereby Rassouloullah taught this Salah to his cousin is authentic."

Then, after mentioning its Sanad, Al-Hakim says:

"It is an authentic Hadith in which there is no doubt."

Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh and Allaamah Bin Hajar

In his Ajawibah-ala-Risaalah-al-Qazwini, Allaamah Bin Hajar says:

"The truth is that this Hadith (Hadith regarding Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh) is in the degree of a Hadith Hassan because it is reported by several Sanad."

N.B: A Hadith Hassan is a Hadith which is acceptable/fair (passable) and quite strong in order to be practiced.

Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh and Sheikh Nasiruddeen Al-Baani

Concerning the Hadith of Hazrat Abdullah Bin Abbaas (Radiyallahu Anhu) about Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh, Sheikh Nasiruddeen Al-Baani said:

"اسناده ضعيف كما اشار اليه المصنف لكن الحديث له شواهد يتقوى بها ولذلك اوردته فى صحيح ابى داؤد"

"The sanad of this Hadith is weak as the author (Ibn Khuzaimah) pointed out but the Hadith is supported by several Hadith which allows it to rise to the degree of a strong Hadith. That is why I mentioned it in Sahih Abu Daawud. "

Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh and Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal (Rahimahullah)

At first, Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal (Rahimahullah)was not in favour of the Hadith concerning Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh. According to him, all the Hadith on this subject are weak. But according to what Allaamah Jalaaluddeen As-Suyuti (Rahimahullah) said in his Al-la-alil-Masnu'a, once Ali Bin Said drew the attention of Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal (Rahimahullah)to a Hadith on this subject which is reported by a Sanad according to which Muslim Bin Ibraahim reported it from Al Mustamirr Bin Ar-Rayyaan from Abul-Jawza, thus Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal (Rahimahullah) seemed to be satisfied / content. According to Allaamah Bin Hajar (Rahimahullah), Imam Ahmad (Rahimahullah)got this Hadith through a weak Sanad. That is why his opinion was that there is no strong Hadith on this subject. But when he learned of the Hadith reported by Al Mustamirr Bin Ar-Rayyaan, he retracted.

Hadith al-Ansaari

The above Hadith is reported by a person named Al-Ansaari. According to some scholars of Hadith, Al-Ansaari refers to Hazrat Jabir Bin Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu). According to Allaamah Bin Hajar (Rahimahullah), this refers to a Sahaabi named Abu Kabshah Al-Ansaari. In any case, such ambiguity concerning the name is not a criterion that can affect the position of this Hadith.

Conclusion

Thus, this Hadith is a Hadith that is already in the degree of Hadith Hassan. And now, by considering other Hadith that have been reported on this subject, it is not too much if one qualifies this Hadith as Saheeh and authentic. This leads us to understand that Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh is based on authentic proof. And the statement that there is no authentic Hadith that supports this practice is not more than a superficial statement.

[English version of "Salaat-ut-Tasbeeh" – Al Jamiat – Vol.6 No.6]