May tasbih be counted on both hands?
2026-10-13
F210 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Original Q&A · Complete published question and answer
Complete published question and answer, including the opening praise. The answer permits both hands while preferring the right; it does not label use of the left an innovation.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
على بركة الله، نبدأ هذا اللقاء برسالة وصلت من اليمن من السائلة (ن. ع. ن) تقول في هذا السؤال: هل التسبيح باليد اليمنى سنة مؤكدة، والتسبيح باليسرى بدعة؟ وهل كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يسبح باليمين؟ وما الدليل على ذلك؟ مأجورين.
الجواب
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم.
الحمد لله، وصلى الله وسلم على رسول الله، وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن اهتدى بهداه، أما بعد:
فقد ثبت عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ما يدل على أن التسبيح باليمين أفضل، ومن سبح باليسار فلا بأس، أو سبح بهما جميعا باليمنى واليسرى كل ذلك لا بأس به.
وقد ثبت عن عائشة -رضي الله عنها- قالت: «كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يعجبه التيمن في تنعله وترجله وطهوره، وفي شأنه كله»، وجاء عنه صلى الله عليه وسلمأنه «كان يعقد التسبيح بيده اليمنى» وقال للنساء: اعقدن بالأنامل يعني: باليسرى واليمنى جميعا، فالأمر في هذا واسع، عقد التسبيح باليمين والشمال جميعا، أو باليمنى كله جائز، ولكن اليمنى أفضل، نعم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
Seeking Allah's blessing, we begin this programme with a letter from Yemen. The questioner, N. ʿ. N., asks: Is counting tasbīḥ on the right hand an emphatic Sunnah, and counting it on the left an innovation? Did the Prophet ﷺ count tasbīḥ on the right? What is the evidence for that? May you be rewarded.
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Praise belongs to Allah. May Allah bless and grant peace to the Messenger of Allah, his family and companions, and those who follow his guidance. To proceed:
Reports established from the Prophet ﷺ indicate that counting tasbīḥ on the right is better. Whoever counts it on the left incurs no harm, nor does one who counts it on both the right and the left; there is no harm in any of that.
It is established that ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: ‘The Prophet ﷺ liked to begin with the right in putting on his shoes, combing his hair, purifying himself, and all his affairs.’ It is also reported that he ﷺ counted tasbīḥ with his right hand. He said to the women: ‘Count on the fingers,’ meaning on both the left and the right. There is latitude in this matter: counting tasbīḥ with both the right and left, or with the right, is all permissible, but the right is better. Yes.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website, fatwa 14149
الموقع الرسمي للشيخ عبد العزيز بن باز
Official Ibn Bāz website
Complete published Arabic question and answer checked against the official source, including follow-up exchanges and closing words where present. Arabic diacritics omitted, directional formatting marks removed and honorific glyphs expanded for display. Source footnotes are kept separate.