Understanding Salat al-Tasbih: A Guide for Women During Ramadan

Salat al-Tasbih: Importance, Practice, and Alternatives for Women in Ramadan

Women, Salat al-Tasbih, and the Blessed Month of Ramadan

While there are many types of voluntary prayers (Nafl) besides the obligatory ones, very few Muslim men and women perform them regularly. However, among these voluntary prayers, Salat al-Tasbih is one that women show a significantly greater inclination towards compared to men, especially within the Deobandi community. The popularity of this prayer among Deobandi women is such that it surpasses the importance they place on the prayers of Ishraq, Chasht, Tahajjud, and perhaps even the voluntary prayers during Laylat al-Qadr.

Observing the inclination of Deobandi women, many women from the Ahl al-Hadith community also show a greater interest in this prayer, even if they may neglect their obligatory prayers or not perform them at all, or if they are lax in their Sunnah prayers or do not pay much attention to other voluntary prayers.

When the blessed month of Ramadan arrives, a flurry of messages regarding Salat al-Tasbih begins on social media. As the last ten days of Ramadan approach, various discussions about Salat al-Tasbih are presented, and there is a strong encouragement to perform this prayer, especially during the last ten nights and particularly on Laylat al-Qadr.

Whenever a woman has asked me about this prayer, I have advised her not to perform it because the hadiths related to it are weak. The method of performing this prayer and the number of times to recite the tasbih indicate that a worshipper’s focus may shift from the prayer and its humility to counting and numbers.

Nevertheless, many scholars have deemed it permissible to perform this prayer because they consider the related hadiths to be authentic. However, in my view, the truth is that all the hadiths regarding this prayer are weak, and therefore, it is better not to perform it.

I want to draw people’s attention, especially women, to the voluntary prayers that are established through authentic hadiths, which carry immense rewards and in which there is no doubt regarding their performance. First and foremost, I want to highlight the prayer of Ishraq, which is equivalent in reward to Hajj and Umrah. If performing Ishraq is difficult, then at any time before the Dhuhr prayer, one should consistently perform two rak’ahs of Chasht (Duha) prayer, as this results in a charity for every joint of the body. This is the same prayer that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advised Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) to perform until his last breath, and Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) did so until he died.

There is a slight difference between Ishraq and Chasht. The method of performing the Ishraq prayer is to pray the Fajr prayer in congregation and remain seated in that place engaged in remembrance and supplication until the sun rises and is slightly elevated, after which two rak’ahs are performed. The Chasht prayer can be performed at any time after the sun has risen and before the Dhuhr prayer with the intention of Chasht, and it is also referred to as the Awabin prayer.

Ishraq and Chasht are generally considered similar prayers, but this slight difference should be kept in mind.

Similarly, among the voluntary prayers are the Sunnah of Wudu, Tahiyyat al-Masjid, and the night prayer. Specifically, I would like to mention that if Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, has given you a passion for worship, then try to wake up at night and perform as many two rak’ah prayers as you can, whether it is during Ramadan or outside of it. Make it a habit to perform at least eleven rak’ahs, which was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). This prayer will connect you with your Lord, grant you every kind of goodness, fulfill all your needs, make your every supplication accepted by Allah, and ease every difficulty for you, provided that you also perform the five daily prayers and fulfill other obligatory duties while completely avoiding immoral acts and major sins.

The life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) serves as a model for us. Consider how he focused on which acts of worship after the obligatory prayers and performed them with enthusiasm to the extent that his feet would swell. This was indeed the night prayer.

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would stand in prayer for such long periods that his feet would crack. One time, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Why do you exert yourself so much when Allah has forgiven your past and future sins?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Should I not be a grateful servant?”

(Sahih Bukhari: 4837)
(Imam Bukhari has mentioned this hadith under the Book of Tahajjud.)

✒️ Written by: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi