Tasbih

Tasbih (تسبيح) is a form of dhikr that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences glorifying God. The term can also be used loosely to refer to any kind of dhikr.fact|date=October 2007 To keep track of counting either the phalanges of the right hand or a misbaha is used. The Tasbih is similar to the Rosary in Christian religion.

Etymology

The term tasbih is an irregular derivation from subhanfact|date=October 2007, which is the first word of the constitutive sentence of the first third of the canonical form (see below) of Tasbih. The word literally means, as a verb, "to travel swiftly" and as a noun, "duties" or "occupation", with the implied meaning in this context being "to carry out duties assigned by Allah swiftly and expeditiously".

Canonical form "Tasbih of Fatima"

In order:
# Subhan'allah (سبحان الله) (Glory be to Allah) – repeated 33 times.
# Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله) (Praise be to Allah) – repeated 33 times.
# Allahu akbar (الله أكبر) (God is the Greatest) – repeated 34 times - some Muslims say it only 33 times.

ubstantiation from Hadith

The most cited Hadiths in support of the practice are the following:
* من سبح لله في دبر كل صلاة ، ثلاثاً و ثلاثين وحمد الله ثلاثاً وثلاثين وكبر ثلاثاً وثلاثين تكبيرة ، وقال تمام المئة ، لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير ، غفرت له خطاياه وإن كانت مثل زبد البحر ) – He who said Subhan'allah (Glory be to Allah) at the rear of each prayer thirty three times and thanked God thirty three times and performed "takbir" (Said Allahu Akbar: Greatest is Allah) thirty four times, and said there is no god but Allah nor he has a partner, his is the Mulk (All that is) and to him is Gratitude and he capable of everything, his transgressions would be forgiven even if they were as much as sea froth). Transmited by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj

* معقبات لا يخيب قائلهن أو فاعلهن دبر كل صلاة مكتوبة ، ثلاثاً وثلاثين تسبيحة وثلاثاً وثلاثين تحميدة وأربعاً وثلاثين تكبيرة *ndash; Endings whose sayer or doer at the rear of every prayer may never be abortive: thirty three "tasbihas" (Glorification of Allah), thirty three "tahmida" (The expression of gratitude to Allah) and thirty four "takbira" [the saying of Allahu Akbar] ). Transmited by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj - the author of Sahih Muslim, one of Islam's most authentic book of Hadith.

* In some Hadith, such as the following, it has been said that the Tasbih can also be repeated 10 times each.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 341:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The people said, "O Allah's Apostle! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures (in this life and the life to come in the Hereafter)." He said, "How is that?" They said, "The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah's Cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth (to spend likewise)." He said, "Shall I not tell you a thing, by doing which, you will catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; and nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same (deed as you do). That deed is to recite 'Subhan Allah ten times, and 'Al-Hamdulillah ten times, and 'AllahuAkbar' ten times after every prayer.