Section 1: Importance Of The Tasbih
1. What Is The Meaning Of ‘Remembering Allah Much’?
The Noble Qur’an tells us:
وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ….
“…Those men who remember Allah much and those women who also remember Allah much…” (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:35).
Remembering Allah (SWT) in every situation and in all circumstances helps to remove the veils of negligence and inattentiveness from one’s heart and also distances the Satanic whispers from oneself.
As far as the meaning of ‘remembering Allah much’ is concerned, it has been narrated in the Islamic traditions and various commentaries of the Qur’an (in regards to the verse of the Qur’an quoted above) that this phrase has a wide scope of understanding and application to it and includes all forms of the ‘official’ adhkar1 which the Muslims recite.
In a hadith from the Prophet of Islam (S) we read that: “When a man wakes up (from sleep) and proceeds to wake his wife up from her sleep, and both of them perform Wudu and then recite Salatul Layl (the night prayer), it is said that this man and woman remember Allah much.”
Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq ('a) has said that: “Whoever recites the tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ at night becomes included in the verse of the Qur’an which states:
... يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
‘O’ you who have true faith! Remember Allah – a constant and frequent remembering…’” (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:41).
There are many things which can make one negligent while in the material world and truly, the arrows of the whispering devils come from every direction and the only way to fight against these distractions is by remembering Allah i much.
Some people asked the Noble Prophet (S): “On the Day of Judgement, which of the servants will have the highest status?” The Prophet (S) replied:
ألذَّا كِرُونَ اللهَ كَثِيرأ
“Those who remember Allah much.” (Surat al-Ahzab, 33:41).
In addition, Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq ('a) has said, “Whoever remembers Allah much, Allah will give him a place in His shadow of Mercy in Paradise.”
From these narrations, we can deduce that remembering Allah (SWT) much has a wide range of meanings attached to it. However, the traditions show us that from these, the greatest form of remembrance of Allah (SWT) (which is the topic of this book) is that of the tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ ('a) which is comprised of:
34 Times:
أللّٰه أّكْبَرُ
33 Times:
أَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ
33 Times:
سْبْحٰانَ اللّٰهِ
In yet another verse of the Qur’an, Allah (SWT) tells us:
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا
In regards to this verse, there is a tradition from Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq ('a) in which he has stated that: “The meaning of ‘remembering Allah much’ is the tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’, as this (tasbih) includes the glorification, praise and sanctification (of Allah).”
2. Frequent Remembrance Of Allah (SWT)
Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq ('a) has said:
تَسْبِيحُ فَا طِمَةَ الزَّهْرَاء مِنَ الذِّكْرِالْكَثِيرِالَّذِي قَالَ اللّٰهُ عَزٌَوّجلَّ اذْكُرُوآللّٰه ذِكْراًكَثِيراً
“The tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ (peace be upon her) is from the application of remembering (Allah) much, just as Allah, the Noble and Grand, has stated that, …and remember Allah - a frequent remembering. ”
3. The Way Of The Ahlul Bayt ('A)
Imam ‘Ali Ibn Muhammad al-Hadi ('a) has said, “We the Ahlul Bayt perform ten actions before the time of sleeping: Wudu … and we recite ‘Subhana Allah’ thirty-three times; ‘Alhamdulillah’ 33 times; and ‘Allahu Akbar’ thirty-four times.”
4. Teaching The Tasbih To One’s Children
The Noble Prophet of Islam (S) taught the best lesson to his daughter Fatimah Az-Zahra’ ('a) - the tasbih! From the day which he taught it to her until now, millions of believers recite this tasbih after each of their daily prayers. Due to the respect of this tasbih, Allah (SWT) accepts and fulfills the legitimate desires of His servant, removes the difficulties in a person’s life and grants the servant success.
In the book, Qurb al-Isnad, it has been narrated from Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq ('a) that: “We command our children to recite the tasbihat2 of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ just as we command them to perform the Salat. You too (the Imam was speaking to his companion, Abu
Harun) should command your children to the same since any servant who recites this (the tasbih) will be protected from all misfortunes.”
5. Encouragement To Recite The Tasbih
The narrations from the A’immah3 ('a) in regards to the tasbihat are numerous and within them, these great personalities have instructed their followers (Shi’a) to recite the tasbih at all times.
We have a tradition from Imam Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali al-Baqir ('a) which states: “Allah has not been worshipped with anything greater than the tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ which is recited after every Salat, because if there was anything else better than this, then indeed the Prophet would have granted that to his daughter, Fatimah Az-Zahra’.”
6. Advice From Imam Az-Zaman (May Allah Hasten His Return) In Regards To The Tasbihat
The great Marja’, late Ayatullah al-’Uzma as-Sayyid Shahab ad-Din Mar’ashi al-Najafi Ji, who passed away in Qum over 10 years ago narrated the following incident:
“One time, during my ziyarat to al-’Askariain (the shrine of Imam ‘Ali Ibn Muhammad an-Naqi ('a) and Imam Hasan Ibn ‘Ali al-’Askari ('a) in Samarrah) and thereafter on my way to visit the son of the 10th Imam – Sayyid Muhammad, I became lost. Due to my intense hunger and thirst, I gave up hope of living as through this ordeal, I had almost fallen unconscious. While in this state, I collapsed to the ground. All of a sudden, I opened my eyes and found my head in the lap of a magnanimous person. He gave me some water to drink, the like of which I had not ever drank in my entire life! After that, we started our journey and along the way, he shared some of his bread with me.
He then asked me, ‘O’ Sayyid! Where do you want to go?’ I replied, ‘To the Haram of Sayyid Muhammad.’ He said, ‘This here is the Haram of Sayyid Muhammad.’ I looked up and realized that I was under the blessed dome of Sayyid Muhammad even though where I got lost was quite a distance away from the sanctuary of this son of the Imam!
During the time that I was with this great personality, he advised me to perform many recommended acts such as the recitation of the Noble Qur’an and the tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ ('a), but it did not even occur to me who this man was until he disappeared from my sight. At that time, I realized that it was the Imam of our time!’”
7. The Greatness Of The Tasbih Of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ ('A)
As noted, Allah (SWT) has not been praised with anything greater than the remembrance contained in the tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ ('a) since if there was anything greater than this, then surely the Noble Prophet (S) would have given that as a gift to his daughter.
This is a form of remembrance of Allah (SWT) which, in the eyes of Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq ('a) is greater than 1,000 rak’at of Salat!
In addition, every servant of Allah (SWT) who holds firm and performs this remembrance is guaranteed that he shall never experience any loss or harm.
Therefore, just as parents order their children to perform the Salat, they must also abises them to perform the ta’qibat (prayers and supplications after the Salat). Even though this specific form of supplication - the tasbih - is a mere 100 recitations, however in the scale of the Divine, it has a reward of 1,000!
This form of remembrance pushes the Satan away from a person and earns a believer the pleasure of the Creator of the Universe.
It also removes any (spiritual) heaviness which a person may have in his ears and as we are told, not a single servant of Allah i recites this remembrance after the Salat before he moves his feet from its previous position, except that Allah (SWT) forgives his sins and finds that person worthy of entering Paradise. This reward especially holds true if it is performed after Salatul Fajr and if a person completes the tasbih with saying ‘La Ilaha Illa Allah’ and then asks forgiveness for his sins.
With saying the tasbihat, a servant of Allah (SWT) will be placed into the ranks and raised up (on the Day of Judgement) with those who ‘remember Allah (SWT) much’. Such a person will also be worthy of being among those whom Allah (SWT) Himself remembers, just as He has stated and promised:
... فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ...
8. The Sign Of A True Believer
In the book, Makarimul Akhlaq, it has been stated that the recitation of the tasbih of Fatimah Az-Zahra’ ('a) is one of the five signs of a true believer.
