SHAFAQNA- ABNA: It is quoted from Imam Ali (A.S), saying: “Fatimah (S.A), the apple of the Prophet’s (PBUH) eyes was in my house. She ground with the grinder 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 helper had been brought to the Prophet (PBUH). I said to Fatimah (S.A): “When you go to visit your father ask him for a helper 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 nothing for the sake of decency.”
Imam Ali (A.S) said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) knew that Fatimah (S.A) had come to his house for a need, so he came to our house and asked her: “Dear Fatimah (S.A), what did you want?” She remained silent. He asked again and she didn’t say anything. I said: “O’ Messenger of Allah (SWT), I’ll tell you. Fatimah (S.A) has ground with the grinder 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 (PBUH) said: “I’ll teach you something that is much better than a helper 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 (peace be upon him and his household) taught her daughter, Fatimah (S.A), 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 Ja’far As-Sadiq (A.S): “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 and Imam Sajjad (A.S):
It is said that when Imam Sajjad (A.S) was taken to Yazid, 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 Yazid had said. In his hand, there was a Tasbih and while speaking he turned it. Yazid 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 (PBUH) 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 Yazid looked at the people around him and said: “He defeated me by his answer,” and ordered them to let him go.
Fatimah’s (S.A) Tasbih (Rosary):
It is written in “Makarem-ul-Akhlaq” that Fatimah (S.A) 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 (A.S), the people used his soil to make Tasbih. Imam Sadiq (A.S) said: “The first Tasbih was our mother’s (i.e. Fatima’s (S.A)) 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 (AS) Grave:
Imam Sadiq (A.S) said: “Prostration on the soil of Hussain (A.S) illuminates the seven layers of the earth, and if somebody keeps a Tasbih made of Imam Hussain’s (AS) soil, they are considered the prayers of Allah (SWT), even if they don’t say anything.
The Value of Tasbih:
Imam Baqir (A.S) said: “Allah (SWT) has not been praised in any way better than saying the Tasbih. If there had been something better, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) would have taught Fatimah (S.A).”
Tasbih in the Quran:
Imam Sadiq (A.S) said about the Verse: “Praise Allah (SWT) a lot.” The one who says the Tasbih has obeyed the Quranic verses and has praised Allah (SWT) a lot!