The Chief of the Women of the world and the Lady of Paradise, Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.) used to grind barley manually by the stone mill in her house which caused cuts in her sacred hands. The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) asked her to go to the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) and request for a maid assistant. When she requested for a maid, the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said to her: “Fatima! Shall I tell you something which is better than a servant and even better than everything that is in this world? After the Salat, recite Allahu Akbar 34 times; Alhamdulillah 33 times and Subhanallah 33 times, and end it by saying La Ilaha Illallah once.” (Kanzul Ummal v2 p 57)

Surah al-Ahza’ab Ayah 35: “Allah has promised forgiveness and great rewards to…. the men and women who remember Allah very often.” The Infallible Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Whoever recites Tasbih-e-Fatima Zahra (s.a.) at night, becomes included in Ayah 41 of Surah al-Ahza’ab: “O believers, remember Allah very often”

Someone asked the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.): “On the Day of Judgment, which of the servants will have the highest status?” He (s.a.w.a.s.) replied: “Those who remember Allah very often”

The Infallible Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “We command our youngsters to read Salat and also recite Tasbih-e-Fatima Zahra (s.a.). Whoever recites the Tasbih will avoid misfortune, his sins are forgiven, Allah makes him worthy of Paradise, and Angels protect him if he recites the Tasbih before sleep, protection from tragedies, it cures the pain.”

The Tasbih should be recited without interruption and it is helpful if few tears rolled out while reciting it.

It is stated in the book Makarem-ul-Akhlaq that initially Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.) used to recite the Zikr on a woolen thread with one hundred knots tied in it. When Hazrat Hamza, the uncle of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) was martyred in the Battle of Uhad, the soil from his grave was used to make the first beads of the Tasbih. When the King of Martyrs, the Infallible Imam Husayn (a.s.) was martyred at Karbala, the soil from around his grave was used to make the beads of the Tasbih which have many merits and blessings.

Meanings of the elements of Tasbih:

Allahu Akbar: means Allah is Superior and Greater than what we can think or suppose of Him; Allah is greater than everything in existence; Allah is Superior to all creations which can be sensed, which our intelligence can discern, and all that which is within the world and the universe. The words, ‘Allahu Akbar” are the same word which a newborn Muslim child hears for the first time in Azaan and Iqamah; and the last words that a person will hear when one dies in Talqin. The words “Allahu Akbar” are the first and only Zikr in the Salat which are obligatory and a part of the foundation (Rukn) of the Salat.

Alhamdulillah: means All Praise be to Allah. This is reserved for Allah alone Who nurtures the entire universe. By saying this phrase, the feeling of thanking Him is brought to life in our souls. Speaking of this Zikr removes any sort of negligence within us and causes us to remember the blessings which we have been given and we are able to take notice and remind ourselves of the Majesty of Allah. There are 99 names of Allahbut the name “Allah” is the most comprehensive of all names.

Subhanallah: means Glory be to Allah. The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said: “It means to testify that Allah transcends all things which are unworthy of being thought about Him.” About the meaning of the phrase “Subhanallah”, the Gateway of Knowledge, Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “It meant that Allah is Great and of high status, the Possessor of Nobility and Greatness Who is free from all defects and from all those things which the polytheists may  say about Him. Any time a servant of Allah says this phrase, all of the Angels immediately send prayers and salutations upon that person.” (Mizan al-Hikmah v. 5 p 2363) The Infallible Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Allah will remove seventy types of difficulties from a person who says “Subhanallah” thirty times every day-the minimum difficulty is poverty. The second benefit is that the person will be saved from grief, sorrow, and a fatal death, just as we see that the reason for the safety of Prophet Younus when he was in the belly of the whale was because of him reciting “Glory be to You (Allah), surely I was from amongst those who were unjust (to themselves)” Surah al-Anbiya Ayah 87 (Al-Amali of Shaykh Saduq)

Sources used: The Glorious Qur’an,  Tasbih Fatima by Abbas Azizi