Minimum and Maximum Tasbih in Ruku‘ and Sajdah

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ تَدْرِي أَيُّ شَيْ‌ءٍ حَدُّ الرُّكُوعِ وَ السُّجُودِ قُلْتُ لَا قَالَ تُسَبِّحُ فِي الرُّكُوعِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ- سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ وَ بِحَمْدِهِ وَ فِي السُّجُودِ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى وَ بِحَمْدِهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَمَنْ نَقَصَ وَاحِدَةً نَقَصَ ثُلُثَ صَلَاتِهِ وَ مَنْ نَقَصَ ثِنْتَيْنِ نَقَصَ ثُلُثَيْ صَلَاتِهِ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يُسَبِّحْ فَلَا صَلَاةَ لَهُ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), once asked me, ’Do you know what the limits of Ruku’ (bowing down on one’s knees) and Sujud (prostration) are?’ I replied, ’No, I do not know them.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Say Tasbih (my Lord, (Allah) most Great, is free of all defects and I praise Him) in Ruku’ three times. In Sujud position say, ’My

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ هُوَ يُصَلِّي فَعَدَدْتُ لَهُ فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَ السُّجُودِ سِتِّينَ تَسْبِيحَةً.

“I once went to visit abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when he performed Salah (prayer). I counted his Tasbih in Ruku’ (bowing down on one’s knees) and Sujud (prostration) which were sixty Tasbih.’”

أَحَدُهُمَا فِي حَدِيثِهِ- وَ بِحَمْدِهِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَ السُّجُودِ سَوَاءً هَذَا لِأَنَّهُ عَلِمَ ع احْتِمَالَ الْقَوْمِ لِطُولِ رُكُوعِهِ وَ سُجُودِهِ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ رُوِيَ أَنَّ الْفَضْلَ لِلْإِمَامِ أَنْ يُخَفِّفَ وَ يُصَلِّيَ بِأَضْعَفِ الْقَوْمِ.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr from Fiamzah ibn Humran and al-Hassan ibn Ziyad who have said the following: “Once we went to visit abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, when there a group of people was with him. He (the Imam) performed al-’Asr Salah (prayer) with

قُلْتُ لَهُ أَدْنَى مَا يُجْزِئُ الْمَرِيضَ مِنَ التَّسْبِيحِ فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَ السُّجُودِ قَالَ تَسْبِيحَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ’How many Tasbih is sufficient in Ruku’ (bowing down on one’s knees) and in Sujud (prostration) in the case of one suffering from illness?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘One Tasbih is sufficient.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَا مِنْ كَلِمَةٍ أَخَفَّ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ مِنْهَا وَ لَا أَبْلَغَ مِنْ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يُجْزِئُنِي فِي الرُّكُوعِ وَ السُّجُودِ أَنْ أَقُولَ مَكَانَ التَّسْبِيحِ- لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ قَالَ نَعَمْ كُلُّ ذَا ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاهُمَا فَمَا تَفْسِيرُ سُبْحَانَ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘No word is lighter, easier and more eloquent for the tongue than Subhana Allah (Allah is free of all defects).’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘Can I say Tahlil (no one deserves worship except Allah), Tahmid (it is Allah only who deserves all praise) and Takbir (Allah is great beyond de

قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي إِمَامُ مَسْجِدِ الْحَيِّ فَأَرْكَعُ بِهِمْ فَأَسْمَعُ خَفَقَانَ نِعَالِهِمْ وَ أَنَا رَاكِعٌ فَقَالَ اصْبِرْ رُكُوعَكَ‌[2] وَ مِثْلَ رُكُوعِكَ فَإِنِ انْقَطَعَ وَ إِلَّا فَانْتَصِبْ قَائِماً.

“I once said to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘I am an Imam of the village. During Salah (prayer) I hear the sound of their shoes walking when I am in Ruku‘ (bowing down on one’s knees).’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Wait in your Ruku‘ for the length of your Ruku‘ until the sound stops, otherwise, you can rise to stand up straight.’”