Firstly, the basis for this prayer is a hadith narrated from a group of the Companions, including Ibn Abbas, as reported by Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah. According to the narration of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said to Al-Abbas: “Oh uncle shall I not give you, shall I not grant you, shall I not award you, shall I not do mercy on you; when you do 10 things Allah will forgive your sins, of the future and of the past, new and old, those you have forgotten and those you did knowingly, big and small, hidden and revealed. Do ten things, perform four units of prayer, and in each unit, recite the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatihah) and another Surah. Once you finish reciting in the first unit, while standing, say ‘Subhanallah’ (Glory be to Allah), ‘Alhamdulillah’ (Praise be to Allah), ‘La ilaha illallah’ (There is no god but Allah), and ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is the Greatest), fifteen times. Then bow, and while in the bowing position, say these phrases ten times. After raising your head from the bow, repeat these phrases ten times. Then, while in prostration, say these phrases ten times. Upon lifting your head from prostration, say them ten times. Finally, while in prostration again, say these phrases ten times. In total, you will have said seventy-five phrases in each unit, perform four units in the same way. If you can perform this prayer once daily do so. If not, then do it once every Friday. If that is not possible, then once a month. And if you cannot manage that, then at least once in your lifetime.”
Secondly, scholars have held vastly differing opinions regarding the authenticity of this hadith. Some have deemed it fabricated or severely weak. Among them is Ali ibn Al-Madini, as reported by Ibn Hajar, and it has been mentioned by Imam Al-Aqeeli in his work on weak narrations, as well as Ibn Al-Jawzi in his work on forged hadiths.
Some have authenticated it; Imam Al-Mundhiri in “At-Targhib wa At-Tarhib” said, “This hadith has been narrated through multiple chains and from a group of the Companions. One of the most notable examples is the hadith of Ikrimah. It has been authenticated by a group of scholars, including Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Ajjuri, our Sheikh Abu Muhammad Abdul Rahim Al-Masri, and our Sheikh Al-Hafiz Abu Al-Hasan Al-Maqdisi, may Allah have mercy on them. Abu Bakr ibn Abi Dawud said, ‘I heard my father say, “The most authentic hadith regarding the Tasbeeh prayer is this one.”‘ Muslim ibn Hajjaj (may Allah have mercy on him) said, ‘There is no chain of transmission better than this one for this hadith,’ referring to the chain from Ikrimah to Ibn Abbas.”
Thirdly, the ruling on the Tasbeeh prayer:
As far as I know, none of the scholars have explicitly stated that the Tasbeeh prayer is a confirmed Sunnah, as the level of confirmation requires specific indications. However, many scholars have held that the Tasbeeh prayer is Sunnah established from the actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This is the approach followed by the adherents of the various schools of law.
Imam Ibn Abidin from our scholars said, “The narration of its virtue is good due to the numerous chains of transmission and the presumption of those who claimed its fabrication. It carries immeasurable rewards, and thus some of the proficient scholars have stated that whoever disregards its great merit and abandons it is negligent of their faith. The criticism against its recommendation is based on the assumption that it disrupts the established format of prayer, but this is only due to the weakness of the narration. If it is elevated to the level of being considered good, then its recommendation is affirmed.
Fourthly, as for the objection that the nature of the prayer changes due to the frequent Tasbeeh and remembrance after the obligatory acts, and recitations, we say: The Sunnah has also established changing the format of the prayer in situations that differ from the usual practice, and no one has declared this as weakening the prayer’s validity. For example, in the Eid prayers, the majority increase the Takbirs before the recitation, and both before and after it according to the Hanafis. In the Eclipse prayer, additional bowing and recitation are added by the majority, and similarly, in the prayer for seeking rain according to the majority other than Hanafis. Thus, altering the form of the prayer is not a valid argument in itself.
As for the matter of narration, the hadith has been transmitted through various chains and by numerous companions, with some chains reinforcing others. Moreover, the consensus of many scholars to act upon it, including the adherents of all four major schools of law, further strengthens the authenticity of this Sunnah.
Fifthly, concerning the question of the best time for Salat al-Tasbeeh:
The hadith does not specify a particular time for this prayer. Some have attributed the best time to Friday night, but Ibn Hajar refuted this, stating that the hadith is general in its context. However, it is possible to perform it at virtuous times and places in order to seek increased rewards and acceptance. There is no doubt that performing it in the Haramain (the holy cities of Mecca and Medina) is superior to other places, and performing it during Ramadan and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is more virtuous than other times. Additionally, performing it in the last third of the night is better than other times.
It is important not to pray Salat al-Tasbeeh during the prohibited times, which are at sunrise, sunset, and when the sun is overhead at noon, until it has passed its zenith. Similarly, it should be avoided during disliked times, which are from dawn until sunrise, and from after Asr until sunset, according to the view of the Hanafi scholars and those who agree with them.
And Allah knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr