Answered by Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra
Question
How many tasbeeh of “Subhan Allah,” “Al-hamdu lillah,” and “Allahu Akbar” are you supposed to do after prayer and before sleeping?
I also saw that you should do 10 of each after each prayer, and you should do 33 Subhan Allah, 33 Al-hamdu lillah, and 34 Allahu Akbar when you are going to sleep, and I wanted to know if that was ok?
Also, what other tasbeeh can you do, and what’s the amount?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Regarding the number of glorifications (“tasbeeh”) after prayer, there are three positions mentioned by different hadiths:
1) To do ten repetitions each of “Subhan Allah” (Glory be to Allah), Alhumdulillah” (All praise is for Allah), and “Allahu “akbar” (Allah is the Greatest). [Bukhari]
2) To do 33 repetitions of each of the three formulas above and end with saying: “Laa ilaha ill-Allahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer (There is no god except Allah Alone, with no partner, His is the power and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things). [Muslim]
3) To do 33 of “Subhan Allah” and “Al-hamdu lillah”, and end with 34 “Allahu Akbar”. [Muslim]
Therefore, you can choose any of these that you wish, though more is always better, though when time is short, or interruptions are many, for example, you may practice the lesser one rather than leave it entirely.
As for before going to sleep, what is related in hadiths is the third opinion, namely ending with 34 “Allahu Akbar”, as far as I am aware. [Bukhari]
The fruit of these is to not merely recite with the tongue, which has its huge reward, but to connect the heart with Allah Most High while reciting them and reflecting on their meanings for maximum effect.
Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdullah Anik Misra
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Shaykh Abdullah Misra was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1983. His family hails from India, and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen, for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan, where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta’). He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance The Global Islamic Seminary. Currently, He resides in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian history, comparative religion, English singing, and poetry.