Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed as to
whether Salaat al-Tasbeeh is prescribed in Islam. The reason for this
difference of opinion concerning it is the difference of opinion
concerning the soundness of the hadeeth which speaks of it. The prominent
scholars are of the view that it is da‘eef (weak).
1.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have
mercy on him) said in al-Mughni (1/438):
With regard to Salaat al-Tasbeeh, Ahmad said: I do not like
it. It was said to him: Why? He said: There is nothing saheeh about it, and
he waved his hand as if dismissing it. End quote.
2.
al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy
on him) said in al-Majmoo‘ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab (3/547-548):
al-Qaadi Husayn, and the authors of al-Tahdheeb and
al-Tatimmah said: Salaat al-Tasbeeh is mustahabb, because of the hadeeth
narrated concerning it. But this view of it as mustahabb is subject to
further discussion, because the hadeeth in question is da‘eef (weak), and it
involves changing the regular format of the prayer, so it should not be done
without a hadeeth (to support it). Al-Tirmidhi said: More than one hadeeth
was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
concerning Salaat al-Tasbeeh, but not many of them are saheeh. And
al-‘Aqeeli said: There is no proven hadeeth about Salaat al-Tasbeeh. End
quote.
3.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
(may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/579):
The best of the reports narrated about these prayers is the
hadeeth about Salaat al-Tasbeeh, which was narrated by Abu Dawood and
al-Tirmidhi, but nevertheless none of the four imams spoke of it; in fact,
Ahmad regarded the hadeeth as da‘eef, and these prayers are not mustahabb.
4.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may
Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen
(14/327):
What seems more likely to be correct in my opinion is that
Salaat al-Tasbeeh is not sunnah, and that the hadeeth about it is da‘eef.
This is for several reasons:
(i)
The basic principle concerning
acts of worship is that they are disallowed unless there is proven evidence
that they are prescribed.
(ii)
The hadeeth is mudtarib (weak);
there is a difference of opinion concerning it for several reasons.
(iii)
None of the imams regarded it
as mustahabb.
(iv)
If this prayer was prescribed,
the ummah would have narrated a report concerning which there was no doubt
and it would have been well known among them because of its great benefit.
Moreover, it is not like any other act of worship, because there is no act
of worship in which so much choice is given that it may be done once every
day, or once in a week, or once in a month, or once in a year, or once in a
lifetime. Because the weak hadeeth states that it is of great benefit and
because it is not like any other act of worship, yet it is not well known
and was not transmitted, we know that there is no basis for it, because if
an act of worship is different from other acts of worship, and if it were of
great benefit, people would pay attention to it and transmit it, and it
would be popular and well known. Because that is not the case with regard to
this prayer, we know that it is not prescribed. Hence none of the imams
regarded it as mustahabb, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have
mercy on him) said. Among the naafil acts which are proven to be prescribed
in Islam there is a great deal of goodness and barakah for the one who wants
more, so he should be content with that which is proven, and he has no need
of that which is the subject of differences of opinion and doubts. End
quote.
For more information, please see the answer to question no.
14320
And Allah knows best.