Fatima Tasbih

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The Tasbih (Rosary) of Hazrat Fatima

By: Mansooreh Gharib


Explanation of Hazrat Fatima’s Tasbih:

It is quoted from Imam Ali, saying: “Fatima, the apple of the Prophet’s eyes was in my house. She ground with the mill so much that her hands formed calluses, and drew water from the well with the bucket so much that the rope marked her chest, and swept the house so much that her clothes became dusty. So, she was in difficulty and trouble. One day I heard a slave had been brought to the Prophet. I said to Fatima: “When you go to visit your father ask him for a servant to help you in doing your daily work.” The next day she went to her father, She saw a group of people talking to him. So, she came back without saying anything for the sake of decency.”

Imam Ali said: “The Prophet knew that Fatima had come to his house for a need, so he came to our house and asked her: “Dear Fatima, what did you want?” She remained silent. He asked again and she didn’t say anything. I said: “O Messenger of Allah, I’ll tell you. Fatima has ground with the mill so much that her hands formed calluses, and drew water from the well so much that the rope marked her chest and she swept the house so much that her clothes became dusty and got the smell of smoke. We heard that some slaves were brought to you. So, I told her to come to you and ask for a servant to help her.”

The Prophet said: “I’ll teach you something that is much better than a servant you asked for. When you get up (when you go to bed, according to some books) recite these praises unto the Lord:

Say “Allah-u-Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest) 34 times.
Say “Alhamd-u-Lillah” (Praise is for Allah) 33 times.
Say “Subhan-Allah” (Glory to Allah) 33 times.

Teaching the Tasbih to the Children:

The Prophet taught her daughter, Fatima, the best lesson, which was the Tasbih. From that time, millions of people have been saying that Tasbih after their prayers. They have been asking the Lord for help via the Tasbih.

In the book “Qorb-al-Asnad”, it is quoted from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq: “We instruct our children to say the Tasbih just as we instruct them to pray. You, too (addressing Abu Haroon) do it, because whoever doesn’t recite the Tasbih, falls into misery.”

The Tasbih with a Long Presence of Heart:

Sheikh Ali bin Jazaeri, said the Tasbih for one hour because with each word of the praises he said, his tears flowed down his cheeks.

The Tasbih, the Sign of a Faithful Person:

It is written in “Makarem-ul-Akhlaq” that the Tasbih of Fatima is one of the five signs of a faithful person.
The Tasbih and Imam Sajjad:

It is said that when Imam Sajjad was taken to Yazeed, he decided to kill Imam. So, he started speaking to Imam and intended to make him say something that would give him a pretext to cause his death. But the Imam said nothing more than Yazeed had said. In his hand, there was a Tasbih and while speaking he turned it.

Yazeed said: “I speak to you and you answer me while your fingers turn the Tasbih. How do you permit yourself to do that?”

The Imam said: “My father informed me that the Prophet didn’t move from his place after the morning prayers and didn’t say anything. Sometimes he took the Tasbih and said: “O Lord! I entered morning while I was praising You equal to the number of the beads of the Tasbih that is in my hand.” Then he turned the Tasbih and spoke without praising.

The Imam continued: “This will be counted for me and will protect me till bedtime.” When he went to bed he also gave a special praise to Allah. “I follow my great grandfather and do the same thing.”

Then Yazeed looked at the people around him and said: “He defeated me by his answer,” and ordered them to let him go.

The Favors of the Angels:

When one of you goes to bed an honorable angel and a mulish Satan come to you quickly. The angel says: “End your day in a good way and start your night doing the right.” At the same moment the Satan says: “End your day committing sins and start your night with wrongdoings.” If the person obeys the angel and ends his day and begins his night in Allah’s name and says the Tasbih, that angel drives the Satan away and protects the person till he/she gets up.

When the person gets up, the Satan comes to him again and repeats what it said the night before. If the person recites the Tasbih, the Satan flees and Allah gives the reward a heavenly reward equal to the reward of the one who has prayed the whole night.

Fatima’s Tasbih (Rosary):

It is written in “Makarem-ul-Akhlaq” that Fatima had a Tasbih made of woolen thread, which had 100 knots, and she used it to recite the Tasbih. When Hazrat Hamzah (Prophet’s uncle) was martyred, she used his soil for making Tasbih.

After the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the people used his soil to make Tasbih.

Imam Sadiq said: “The first Tasbih was our mother’s (i.e. Fatima’s) which was made of blue thread and after that, she made beads of Tasbih from the soil of Hamzah’s grave.

The Soil of Imam Hussain’s Grave:

Imam Sadiq said: “Prostration on the soil of Hussain illuminates the seven layers of the earth, and if somebody keeps a Tasbih made of Imam Hussain’s soil, they are considered the prayers of Allah, even if they don’t say anything.

The Value of Tasbih:

Imam Baqir said: “Allah has not been praised in any way better than saying the Tasbih. If there had been something better, the Prophet would have taught Fatima.”

The Effects of the Tasbih:

Imam Sadiq said: “Two brothers went to the Prophet and said: “We want to go to Syria for trading. What shall we do to be protected from dangers?”

He (Prophet) said: “When you go to bed, say the Tasbih, and after that say Ayat-ul-Kursi (A verse of the Holy Qur’an, surah Baqara). Then, you will be protected from all the dangers.”

On the way thieves followed them, and when they entered the caravanserai, the thieves sent their slave to see what they were doing.

When the slave reached them, the two brothers went to bed and did whatever the Prophet had told them. Suddenly, the slave saw walls surrounding the brothers. He came back to the thieves and told them the story, but they didn’t believe him and went in the caravanserai themselves. They also didn’t see anything but walls.

The next morning the thieves went to the brothers and said: “We wanted to steal your goods but last night we didn’t see anything but walls.”

The brothers told them the whole story and the thieves said: “We will not follow you anymore because with what you say nobody can rob you of your goods.

Imam Sadiq said: “Whoever says the Tasbih after saying his prayer, before moving from his place the heaven is their reward.

Tasbih in the Qur’an:

Imam Sadiq said about the Verse: “Praise Allah a lot.”

The one who says the Tasbih has obeyed Qur’anic verses and has praised Allah a lot!


[imamreza.net]

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# Merits of Hazrat Fatimah’s Tasbih

Allahu Akbar - 34 times, Alhamdulillah - 33 times and Subhanallah - 33 times.

This is what we call the Tasbih of Hazrat Fatimah.

The Tasbih of Hazrat Fatimah is from the emphatically recommended acts of worship in the Islamic Shariat. It has immense significance in the eyes of the infallible Imams and the Shiite jurists. It is a simple act of worship from the aspect of performance; however, its effect, reward and merit are abundant. This can be gauged from the fact that when the Holy Prophet wished to impart this act of worship to his daughter Hazrat Zahra, he declared,

‘O Fatimah! I have granted you something that is superior to a maidservant and to the world and everything in it.’ (Aasaar o Asraare Tasbih Zahra, Pg. 7)

In this context Imam Muhammad Baqir informs, ‘Allah is not worshipped by anything more meritorious than the Tasbih of Fatima Zahra. Had there been any worship superior to it, most surely the Holy Prophet would have granted it to Hazrat Fatimah.’ (Wasaaelush Shea, Vol 4 Pg. 1024)

Imam Jafar Sadiq says about the dearness of this Tasbih in the eyes of the Imams of the Ahl-ul-bayt:

“Reciting Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra everyday after every Namaz is liked by me more than reciting one thousand rakats of (mustahab) namaz”. (Al-Kafi, Kitabus Salaat)

Reciting this Tasbih results in forgiveness of sins. In a tradition, Imam Muhammad Baqir says:

“One, who recites the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra and then seeks forgiveness, will be forgiven”. (Wasaaelush Shia Vol 4, Pg. 1023)

It also results in driving Satan away and in the satisfaction of Allah as tradition from Imam Mohammad Baqir says:“(Reciting Tasbih) drives away Satan and makes results in the satisfaction of Allah”. (Wasaaelush Shia Vol 4, Pg. 1023)

Reciting Tasbih regularly delivers the reciter from adversities in this world as well as the hereafter. One of the graceful effects of the regular recitation of the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra is that it delivers the reciter from adversities and hardships in this world as well as the hereafter. Thus one should not ignore its benefits and effects and should not be careless and lazy in its recitation

In this connection, Imam Jafar Sadiq says to one of his companions:

“You do adhere to it and be regular about its recitation, for surely one who is steadfast upon its recitation will not encounter adversity.” (Al-Kafi, Kitabus Salaat, Pg. 343)

How to recite Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra:

According to a tradition from Imam Jafar Sadiq, one should recite Allaho Akbar 34 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Subhaanallah 33 times. (Behaarul Anwaar Vol 85, Pg. 334)

Reciting Tasbih immediately after Namaz

Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra should be recited immediately on completion of Namaz. This entails that as soon as the reciter has finished the Namaz, he should remain seated in the same position of Tashahud without moving his feet and doing any other thing, immediately he should commence the recitation of the Tasbih. The reciting of Tasbih immediately on completion of Namaz has a special excellence, which is not there otherwise.

The above statement can be evidenced by the following tradition of Imam Jafar Sadiq wherein he states:

“One who recites the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra before even moving his feet, Allah will forgive him.” (At-Tahzeeb of Shaikh Toosi (r.a), Vol 2, Pg. 105)

Imam Jafar Sadiq has said: “One who recites the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra after a wajib namaz before he stretches out his legs (i.e. he recites the Tasbih while he is in the posture of Tashahud) , then Jannat (Paradise) becomes wajib upon him” (Falaahus Saael by Ibne Taaoos (r.a.), Pg. 165)

Another tradition from Imam Sadiq says: “One who glorifies Allah after the obligatory prayer through the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra, and then follows it up by saying ‘Laa elaaha illallaho’, Allah will forgive his sins.” (Al-Kafi, Kitabus Salaat, Pg. 342)


Reciting the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra before sleeping

Imam Jafar Sadiq says: “One who recites the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra at the time of going to bed, he will be accounted amongst those who have remembered Allah a lot.” (Wasaaelush Shia Vol 4, Pg. 1026)

In the book ‘Wasaaelush Shia’ there is a tradition from Imam Muhammad Baqir which says that at the time of going to bed, Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra and then Maoozatain (Surah Falaq and Surah Naas) and Ayatul Kursi should be recited.

Teaching the recitation of Tasbih to the children

In this connection, Imam Jafar Sadiq says:

“O Abu Haroon! We order our children to recite the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra in the same manner as we order them for the performance of Namaz” (Al-Kafi, Kitabus Salaat, Pg. 343)

Reciting Tasbih made out of the Turbah of grave of Imam Hussein:

It is better that the Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra be made of the pure Turbah (soil) of the grave of Imam Hussein

It has been narrated from Imame Zaman: “ One who just holds the Tasbih made out of the soil of the grave of Imam Hussein and does not do any dhikr, even then for him will be written the reward of having recited the Azkaar” (Wasaaelush Shia Vol 4, Pg. 1033)

Imam Jafar Sadiq says:

“One dhikr or Isteghfaar recited on the Tasbih made out of the soil of the grave of Imam Hussein is equal to 70 such dhikr recited on any other thing.” (Wasaaelush Shia Vol 4, Pg. 1033)

Some noteworthy points:

1. One of the conditions of worship, rather the most important of them all, is being attentive in its performance. This is specially so in the recitation of Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra.

2. There should be continuity in the recitation of the Tasbih without any interruptions. This has been the practice of our holy Imams (Al- Kaafi, Kitaabus Salaat, Pg. 343)

1. In case one has a doubt regarding the number of Azkaar that he has recited, then he should start again. This is according to a tradition from Imam Sadiq (Al- Kaafi, Kitaabus Salaat, Pg. 342)

Thus, by the grace of Allah and the blessings of Imam Mahdi, we have come to realize the importance of reciting Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra and its merits. We pray to Allah to grant us the Taufeeq that we may be regular in its recitation. [tebyan.net from duas.org ]

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