He would therefore perform this tasbīḥ prayer sitting down, reciting a surah and chanting it so deliberately that it became longer than one that is ordinarily longer.

185 — Among the corroborating reports is what the two Ṣaḥīḥs (1) transmit from ʿĀʾishah: “I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ perform the forenoon voluntary prayer at all, yet I do perform it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would sometimes leave off a practice that he loved to do, fearing that people would adopt it and it would then be made obligatory for them.”

186 — This usage—calling a supererogatory prayer ‘tasbīḥ’—is found in the speech of the Companions, who reserved the term for that purpose. As for the Prophet’s own usage ﷺ, specific evidence is required to show that he employed it in this sense.

Tasbīḥ as the general remembrance of Allah

187 — Tasbīḥ can also denote the general remembrance of Allah Most High. People say, “So-and-so is doing tasbīḥ” when he is remembering Allah; this includes both the declaration of divine oneness (tahlīl) and words of praise (taḥmīd). From this usage the index finger was called the sabbāḥah—the ‘glorifying finger’—even though one actually raises it while affirming monotheism.

Tasbīḥ as the specific formula “subḥān Allāh”

188 — Tasbīḥ may likewise refer specifically to the servant’s saying “subḥān Allāh” (“Glory be to Allah”), and this is its more restricted sense.

189 — In the Sunan collections (2) it is narrated that when Allah Most High revealed, “So glorify the name of …”