Salat Tasbeeh
Prayer
Asked on 19th May 2020
Question
Is there a hadith that supports Salat Ul-Tasaabeeh and its details such as how many rakats and procedure
Answer
The hadeeth concerning this prayer is weak.
Please read the fatwa by Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen.
Al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ Fatawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (14/327):
What seems more likely to be correct in my opinion is that Salat al-Tasbeeh is not sunnah (from the prophetic teachings), and that the hadeeth about it is da‘eef. This is for several reasons:
(i) The basic principle concerning acts of worship is that they are disallowed unless there is proven evidence that they are prescribed.
(ii) The hadeeth is mudtarib (weak); there is a difference of opinion concerning it for several reasons.
(iii) None of the imams regarded it as mustahabb.
(iv) If this prayer was prescribed, the ummah would have narrated a report concerning which there was no doubt and it would have been well known among them because of its great benefit. Moreover, it is not like any other act of worship, because there is no act of worship in which so much choice is given that it may be done once every day, or once in a week, or once in a month, or once in a year, or once in a lifetime. Because the weak hadeeth states that it is of great benefit and because it is not like any other act of worship, yet it is not well known and was not transmitted, we know that there is no basis for it, because if an act of worship is different from other acts of worship, and if it were of great benefit, people would pay attention to it and transmit it, and it would be popular and well known. Because that is not the case with regard to this prayer, we know that it is not prescribed. Hence none of the imams regarded it as mustahabb, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said. Among the nafl (voluntary) acts which are proven to be prescribed in Islam there is a great deal of goodness and barakah (blessing) for the one who wants more, so he should be content with that which is proven, and he has no need of that which is the subject of differences of opinion and doubts.
Allah knows best
Please read the fatwa by Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen.
Al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ Fatawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (14/327):
What seems more likely to be correct in my opinion is that Salat al-Tasbeeh is not sunnah (from the prophetic teachings), and that the hadeeth about it is da‘eef. This is for several reasons:
(i) The basic principle concerning acts of worship is that they are disallowed unless there is proven evidence that they are prescribed.
(ii) The hadeeth is mudtarib (weak); there is a difference of opinion concerning it for several reasons.
(iii) None of the imams regarded it as mustahabb.
(iv) If this prayer was prescribed, the ummah would have narrated a report concerning which there was no doubt and it would have been well known among them because of its great benefit. Moreover, it is not like any other act of worship, because there is no act of worship in which so much choice is given that it may be done once every day, or once in a week, or once in a month, or once in a year, or once in a lifetime. Because the weak hadeeth states that it is of great benefit and because it is not like any other act of worship, yet it is not well known and was not transmitted, we know that there is no basis for it, because if an act of worship is different from other acts of worship, and if it were of great benefit, people would pay attention to it and transmit it, and it would be popular and well known. Because that is not the case with regard to this prayer, we know that it is not prescribed. Hence none of the imams regarded it as mustahabb, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said. Among the nafl (voluntary) acts which are proven to be prescribed in Islam there is a great deal of goodness and barakah (blessing) for the one who wants more, so he should be content with that which is proven, and he has no need of that which is the subject of differences of opinion and doubts.
Allah knows best