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Fatwa CenterSaying Tasbeeh more than three times in Rukoo' and Sujood
Question
Assalaam alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh. How many times it is permissible to say subhaana rabbiyal atweem in rukoo and subhaana rabbiyal a'la in sujood? If a person says subhaana rabbiyal atweem in rukoo or subhaana rabbiyal a'ala in sujood 4 times instead of 3 times by mistake or after getting confused whatever he has already said it 3 times or not, what he should do? If a person says in Attahiyat ashadu an laa ilaha illaa Allah wahdahu laa shariikalah instead of ashadu an laa ilaha illaa Allah, what should he do?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
It is permissible to say the Tasbeeh in the Rukoo‘ and Sujood once or twice or Three times or more if you wish. The minimum number of Tasbeeh is one time in the Rukoo‘ and one time in the Sujood and the minimum level of perfection is three times. Ibn Qudaamah 
said, “The worshipper says Subhaana Rabbiya Al-‘Atheem three times and this is the minimum level of perfection. If he says it once, it is enough...” He also said, “The worshipper says Subhaana Rabbiya Al-A‘laa three times; and if he says it once, it is enough.” [Al-Mughni]
There is no harm in saying the Tasbeeh more than three times in Rukoo‘ or Sujood, like four or five times and it is not considered wrong. A group of jurists maintained that the utmost level of perfection for the Imaam in this regard is to say the Tasbeeh ten times because Anas 
said, “I have not seen anyone whose prayer is more similar to that of the Messenger of Allaah than this young man - meaning ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd Al-‘Azeez. We guessed that he says the Tasbeeh ten times in Rukoo‘ and ten times in Sujood.” Imaam Ahmad said, “Al-Hasan reported that the perfect manner in reciting the Tasbeeh in Rukoo‘ and Sujood is to say it seven times, the average is five, and the minimum is three times.”
The maximum number of Tasbeeh for the worshipper performing the prayer individually is determined by what is common among Muslims. Also, it was said that there is no maximum number of Tasbeeh (in this case) unless the worshipper fears to undermine the attentiveness of the heart. It was further said that he makes Tasbeeh for the same length of his reciting while standing upright in prayer. Another scholarly opinion suggests seven times. In brief, there is no harm in saying Tasbeeh in Rukoo‘ and Sujood more than three times.
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 88987 and 92193.
On the other hand, there is no problem in adding the phrase, ‘Wahdahu laa Shareeka Lahu,’ to the Tashahhud. In fact, some versions of the Tashahhud were reported containing this phrase. Imaam Maalik cited in his book Al-Muwatta’ that ‘Aa'ishah 
used to say in the Tashahhud, “Ash-hadu an laa Ilaaha illa Allaah, wahdahu laa shareeka lah, wa anna Muhammadan ‘Abdullaahi wa rasooluh."
Furthermore, Ibn ‘Umar reported the Tashahhud with the following wording, “At-tahiyyaatu lillaahi was-salawaatu at-tayyibaat, as-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha an-nabiyyu wa rahmatu Allaahi wa barakaatuh- Ibn 'Umar said: I added 'wa barakaatuh'- As-salaamu 'alaynaa wa ‘alaa ‘ibaadi Allaah as-saaliheen, ashahdu an laa Ilaaha illa-Allaah - Ibn 'Umar said: I added 'wahdahu laa shareeka lah - wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘Abduhu wa rasooluh.” [Abu Daawood]
Allaah Knows best.
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