''Tasbih'' () is a form of ''

dhikr (; ; ) is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. It plays a central role in Sufism, and each Sufi order typically adopts a specific ''dhikr'', accompanied by specific ...

'' that involves the glorification of

God in Islam In Islam, God (, contraction of , ) is seen as the Creator god, creator and God the Sustainer, sustainer of the universe, who God and eternity, lives eternally. God is conceived as a perfect, Tawhid, singular, immortal, omnipotent, and omnisc ...

by saying: "''Subhan Allah''" (). It is often repeated a certain number of times, using either the fingers of the right hand or a '' misbaha'' to keep track of counting.

Etymology

The term ''tasbeeh'' is based on in the Arabic root of sīn- bāʾ-

ḥāʾ Heth, sometimes written Chet or Ḥet, is the eighth letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician ''ḥēt'' 𐤇, Hebrew ''ḥēt'' , Aramaic ''ḥēṯ'' 𐡇, Syriac ''ḥēṯ'' ܚ, and Arabic ''ḥāʾ'' . It is also related to t ...

(--). The meaning of the root word when written means to glorify. 'Tasbeeh' is an irregular derivation from ''subhan'', which is the first word of the constitutive sentence of the first third of the canonical form (see below) of tasbeeh. The word literally means, as a verb, "to travel swiftly" and, as a noun, "duties" or "occupation". However, in the devotional context, ''tasbih'' refers to ''Subhan Allah'', which is often used in the Qur'an with the preposition ''ʿan'' (), meaning "Allah is exalted ver what they (polytheists) attribute to Him">polytheists.html" ;"title="ver what they (polytheists">ver what they (polytheists) attribute to Him (Al-Tawba: 31, Al-Zumar: 67 et al.). Without this preposition, it means something like "Glory be to Allah." (Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 116).

Interpretation

The phrase translates to "Glory be to God" but a more literal translation is, "God is above [all things]". The root of the word subḥān () is derived from the word sabaḥa (, "to be above"), giving the phrase a meaning that God is above any imperfection or false descriptions. The phrase often has the connotation of praising God for his total perfection, implying a rejection of any anthropomorphic elements or associations with God, or any attribution of mistakes or faults to him. Thus, it serves as testimony to God's transcendence (, '' tanzīh''). For example, the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

says ''subḥāna llāhi ʿammā yaṣifūn'' ("God is above that which they describe") and ''subḥāna llāhi ʿammā yušrikūn'' ("God is above that which they associate with him"). The phrase is mentioned in the

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

s of Sahih Bukhari, VBN 5, 57, 50.

Variants

Various Islamic phrases include the Tasbih, most commonly:

Usage

It is also often cited during the Islamic prayer (

salat ''Salah'' (, also spelled ''salat'') is the practice of formal ibadah, worship in Islam, consisting of a series of ritual prayers performed at prescribed times daily. These prayers, which consist of units known as rak'a, ''rak'ah'', include ...

), supplication ( dua), during a sermon ( khutba) in the

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

and commonly throughout the day. It is sometimes used to express shock or amazement. Muhammad taught Muslims that it is one of the four praises that God likes Muslims to say continuously.

Fatimah bint Muhammad

In the early years of the marriage of Ali and

Fatimah Fatima bint Muhammad (; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun caliphs and ...

, Ali earned very little money and was unable to afford a servant for Fatimah. Fatimah's hands were blistered from constant grinding; her neck had become sore from carrying water; her clothes had become dirty from sweeping the floor. One day Ali was aware that Prophet Muhammad had some servants, and advised Fatimah to ask him for one of his servants. Fatimah went, but she was unable to ask. Finally, Ali went with Fatimah to Muhammad's house. He did not accept their request, saying "there are many orphans (starved), "I will give you one thing better than helping of servant". He taught them a special manner of Dhikr which is known as the "tasbih of Fatimah". # 34 repetitions of ʾallāhu ʾakbar (), meaning "God is Greater han everything. This saying is known as Takbir (). # 33 repetitions of al-ḥamdu lillāh (), meaning "All praise is due to God.". This saying is known as Tahmid (). # 33 repetitions of subḥāna -llah (), meaning "Glorified is God". This saying is known as Tasbih ().

Etymology

Interpretation

Variants

Usage

Fatimah bint Muhammad

See also

References

Further reading