The Length of Tasbīḥ in Bowing and Prostration
6-4-2026 | IslamWeb
Question:
I try to model my prayer on the hadith of Al-Bara ibn Azib, who described the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad as balanced. In Fajr I recite 4–2 pages and say tasbi? 10 times; in Dhuhr 3–2 pages with 8 tasb??s; in Asr and Isha 1.5–1 page with 6 tasbi?s; and in Maghrib half a page with 4 tasbi?s. A report from Anas ibn Malik says Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz recited tasbi? 10 times. If authentic, should tasbi? be 10 in all prayers or vary with recitation length?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His Slave and Messenger.
The ḥadīth of Al-Barāʾ Ibn ʿĀzib 
is reported in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim with the wording: “I observed the prayer with Muḥammad 
and I found that his standing, his bowing, his standing after bowing, his prostration, his sitting between the two prostrations, his prostration, and his sitting between the taslīm and leaving were nearly equal in length.” [Muslim]
As for the amount of tasbīḥ in bowing and prostration, the scholars have differed regarding it. Some held that it should be similar in length to the standing, while others specified it as ten tasbīḥāt, or seven, or five, and the minimum is three. Therefore, the matter is broad and flexible.
Ibn Qudāmah, may Allaah have merchy upon him, said in Al-Mughnī: “The complete tasbīḥ is seven, the moderate is five, and the minimum is three”. Al-Qāḍī, may Allaah have merchy upon him, said: “The complete amount of tasbīḥ for one praying alone is that which does not lead him into forgetfulness, and for the Imām it is that which does not cause hardship upon the followers. It is also possible that completeness is ten tasbīḥāt, because Anas reported that the Prophet, ﷺ used to pray like the prayer of ʿUmar Ibn ʿAbd Al-ʿAzīz and they estimated that to be ten tasbīḥāt. Some of our companions said that completeness is to glorify Allah for a duration similar to his standing, based on the ḥadīth of Al-Barāʾ [which has been mentioned earlier].” [End quote].
In any case, the matter of tasbīḥ is flexible, and lengthening or shortening the prayer depends on the condition of the one praying and the circumstances of the congregation. At times, lengthening may be better, and at other times, shortening may be more appropriate.
Allah Knows best.