Tasbee of Bibi Fatima Zahra a.s. It has been narrated by the Prophet of Islam s.a.w.

that Fatema was given her name because Allah swt has safeguarded her and her progeny from the fire. But is it enough to say I am a Shia and as a result I will automatically be granted protection from our great Bibi, or, do we need to analyse what she has left behind for us to ensure that we are protected with her wasila. In honour of our great leader I have done some research into the tasbee of Bibi Fatema a.s, it is one of the most practised amaals, however along with other acts of worship, we dont often know or realise the true merits or significance until later in life. The Sixth Imam has said: O Abu Harun, we command our youngsters to recite Tasbee of Fatima a.s., just as we command them to perform salat. Therefore be cautious of performing it, for whichever servant is not careful will become misfortunate. Inshallah under the guidance of our great Bibi, I pray we are able to appreciate and comprehend the great benefits this act of worship will have on us, and as a result we may practise it with true sincerity. After Imam Ali and Bibi Fatema a.s. got married, it has been said that our Bibi used to bring large quantities of water in a water bag which resulted in rope marks on her chest, she also used to operate a stone for grinding mill together, due to which her clothes would get soiled by the accumulation of flour dust and her hands had also formed calluses.. The Prophet s.a.w had just been granted a slave as a gift from a non Arab king and so Imam Ali a.s. told Bibi Fatema a.s to approach her father and ask him for a helper for herself. She went to the Prophet s.a.w and put forward her request to which he replied: My dear Fatima, should I give you something that is better then a servant and even better then everything in this world? After salat recite Allahu Akber 34 times Alhumdulilah 33 times Subhanallah 33 times and end with La illaha illallah The Prophet said to her that this is better then what you are asking for, in fact it is better then the world and all that is in it. The 6th Imam a.s. has said There is not any praise ( for Allah swt) better than the Tasbeeh of Bibi Fatima a.s., for if there was the prophet would have taught that to Fatima

This alone should allow us to appreciate how grand this act is, and how much significance we should attach to it. Any act of worship incorporates the body, mind and soul and puts them to work to produce prosperity and happiness for them. The same thing happens when someone offers prayers as all 3 entities are put to work. The involvement of these components is as follows: Body: the hands and tongue are in motion Mind: should be busy thinking of the contents of the prayer, which is an indication of its aims and means. Soul: Remembrance of God and the spiritual flight towards Allah swt Allahu Akber The dhikr of Allahu Akber means: Allah is superior and greater then what we can think or suppose of him Allah is greater then everything in existence Allah is superior to all creations, greater then those which can be sensed, which our intelligence can discern and all that which is within the world and universe. By saying this dhikr the greatness of Allah swt should be increased within our presence and as a result we should be able to reach the loftiest of stations. Which should re-affirm that namaz alongside this tasbee can lead to the meraj of a true momin. Alhumdulilah In the world alhumdulilah in addition to its meaning there is one hidden within it, a meaning of truth and sincerity in worship. Alhumdulillah means: Praise and Glory are reserved for Allah swt alone, the one who nurtures the whole universe. Saying alhumdulilah removes any sort of negligence or inattention we may have within us. It causes us to remember the blessings which we have been given and, hence, we are able to take notice and remind ourselves of the lordship of Allah swt. This dhikr teaches us not to attach to worldly belongings, and that owning these riches should not be considered as something awarded by them themselves, but rather as a blessing.

Subhanallah It has been narrated by Imam Jaffer as Sadiq a.s. that he was once asked the meaning of this dhikr and he replied: It means that he is pure, and transcends all things which can be thought about him It means Glory to Allah, he is free from being associated with anyone By reciting this dhikr we remind ourselves the great magnificent power we have surrendered to, we should become humbled before Allahs absolute perfection. This should lead us towards the path of goodness, beauty and perfection, hence, we accordingly should organise our lives in that direction. La illaha illallah There is no God but Allah This is the slogan of Islam, this slogan represents the totality of the world view and the ideological philosophy of the Islamic school. It consists of one negation and one affirmation. It negates all deities and frees us from the yokes of slavery and all devilish powers, whereas servitude to Allah means we can arrange our lives in a logical manner according to Allahs wisdom. Whilst by now we should appreciate the four components to this tasbeeh Imam Jaffer Sadiq a.s. has said there is a loftier meaning behind it: Pure is the possessor of glory, who is the proud and the exalted, Pure is the possessor of nobility , who has lofty station and grand status Pure is the possessor of the dominion, who has honour and precedence Pure is the possessor of virtue and beauty Pure is the one who has decorated himself with divine light, immensity and dignity Pure is the one who is able to see the imprints of the ant on a clear transparent stone, and who can see the birds on top of trees and upon delicate flowers. This really goes to show how much more there is to this act of worship.

However now we understand the meaning of the tasbeeh, what is the secret behind it and why has it been prescribed in this manner? A man one day went to Imam Jaffer as Sadiq a.s. and asked him: What is the secret behind the Kabah having four rukns and being a cubic square? The Imam replied it is because Baitul Mamur has four rukns The person the asked why does Baitul Mamur have four rukns The Imam replied Because the Arsh has four rukns The man further asked why does the Arsh have four rukns To which the replied Because every Arsh is dependant upon the Rukn The first is Allah hu Akber The second is Alhumdullilah The third is Subhanallah & the fourth is La Illa ha illallah Just imagine how powerful this tasbee and the words it consists of, really is, it has the strength to hold up the arsh, so with the correct niyyat and sincerity no doubt it can perform miracles. Imam Jaffer as Sadiq has said to recite this tasbee is better then reciting 1000 rakats of namaz. As a result we can begin to appreciate how grand this amaal really is and that it has the capability of taking a person up to the arsh, hence is it any wonders that two of the conditions to reciting it is: The Qibla should be faced The person should be in the state of wudhoo The tasbee is just like namaaz in that it has the power to spiritually uplift a person and if we make a sincere intention before reciting it, then is it possible to see anyone other then Allah s.w.t.? or would we praise anyone other then him? We should practise everyday to recite this amaal with complete presence of heart, Sheik Ali Jazeri took one hour to recite this tasbee, with each dhikr tears streamed from his eyes. It has been narrated in Makarimul Akhlaq that Sayyida Fatima a.s. used to have a tasbee made of a woollen thread that had 100 knots in it. When Hazrat Hamza r.a. died during the battle of uhud, he was given the title sayyadush shuhada. The sand from his grave was gathered and transformed into beads for Bibi Fatimas tasbee. Since the events of Karbala Imam Hussein a.s. has been given the title Sayyadush shuhada and now sand from his grave is used to form tasbeeh beads. It is said that the sand of karbala is said to have great merit and blessings.

Using a Khak- e Shifa tasbee should help us to remember the struggle which took place in karbala and assist us in keeping the culture of martyrdom alive in our hearts. It will also then aid us in shedding tears over the events that unfolded and help us build a greater affirmity with Imam Hussein a.s. Imam Jaffer as Sadiq a.s. was asked in relation to making a tasbeeh from the soils of Hazrat Hamzahs grave or Imam Husseins, a.s. and the Imam replied As for the tasbee whose beads are made from the turbah of Imam Hussein, before one does dhikr with it the beads themselves perform the tasbeeh With so much merit in Khaak- e shifa, why is it that we have been revolutionised into using ones with coloured beads, crystals and gemstones. If we analyse some more hadiths I hope to be able to bring back the use of Khaak e- shifa and allow us to benefit from the very fact just holding the tasbee has rewards for us. Imam e Zamana a.s. has said there is sawab for one who forgets to do dhikr but has in their hand a tasbeeh made from the turbah of Imam Husseins grave. Imam Jaffer as Sadiq a.s. has said prostration on the soil of karbala illuminates the seven layers of the earth, and if somebody keeps a tasbeeh made from the soil of karbala they are considered the prayers of Allah even if nothing is said. It has been mentioned in Rawdhatul Wahidaan by Imam Musa Kadhim a.s. the there are 5 signs of a mumin o A mohr on which to recite namaaz on o An akeek ring, which has to be worn on the right hand o A toothbrush, to brush your teeth before namaaz o A comb or hairbrush o A tasbeeh made from the sands of Imam Husseins grave Allah swt writes 40 sawabs with each bead that is recited, however if one recites tasbeeh in the state of negligence then Allah swt writes 20 sawabs for the person. Let us look at the effects of tasbeeh 1. It has the power to award the reciter with the forgiveness of sins, Imam Jaffer as Sadiq a.s. has said anyone who after wajib salaat, before moving his feet, recites tasbeeh then all his sins will be forgiven. 2. The 6th Imam has also said, if tasbeeh is recited after every wajib namaz without having moved their legs then heaven becomes obligatory on them.

3. Imam Baqir a.s. has said one who performs the tasbeeh then asks for forgiveness will be forgiven. The dhikr of the tasbeeh is only 100 times however the weight in the scales of deeds is 1000 and will as a result distance shaitan from them, resulting in Allah swt being pleased with them. 4. Allamah Muqarram states in regard to the benefit of this tasbeeh, know that Allah has the right to return the salat to the offerer and not accept it, regardless of whether it is recited with all the conditions but the tasbee is omitted. 5. The salat is a beautiful flower however it is the tasbeeh that gives it its beautiful smell. As a result we should have a connection with this tasbeeh and recite it at al times. Especially after salat and before going to sleep, as the tasbeeh will beautify our sleep. Imam Jaffer as Sadiq a.s. has said one who recites the tasbeeh at night becomes amongst those from which the Quran says in Surah 33 Ayat 44 On the day when they will be brought into the presence of their lord, their greeting to each other will be PEACE BE WITH YOU, God has an honourable reward for you Whenever we go to sleep, one noble angel and one shaytan come quickly to us, whereas the angel would like us to finish our day and start our night in a good manner, however shaytan would like the opposite whereby we would finish our day and start our night in sin. If the person obeys Allah and ends the day with the remembrance on him, the tasbeeh of Bibi Fatimah a.s. the angel will get rid of shaytan. The same pattern will follow in the morning and if we are strong enough to recite the tasbeeh when we rise, the Allah s.w.t. will write the reward of that person for the whole night. Inshallah I pray that we are able to perform this amaal with true sincerity and are able to reap the rewards of it. In Summary though the tasbeeh is A gift from Allah to the Ummah A way of attesting to the oneness of Allah Is an ascension for the believer Is an adornment for our salat Is better then 1000 accepted rakat of salat in the presence of Allah Is a means by which ones scales of good deeds will be made heavier Is a way of attaining the pleasure of Allah Is a reason for entering into heaven Is the dhikr of Allah.