Source: Fatawa Muhammadiyah, Vol. 1, Page 335
❀ Question
➊ What is the ruling on reciting Thana (“Subhanak Allahumma…”) after Takbeer al-Tahrimah? Is it fard, wajib, sunnah, or mustahabb? Kindly answer in the light of Qur’an and Sunnah.
➋ Should Thana be recited at the beginning of every rak‘ah?
❀ Answer
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
There is a difference of opinion among scholars regarding this matter.
✿ Opinion 1: Wujub (Obligation)
Some scholars consider Thana after Takbeer al-Tahrimah to be wajib.
Their evidence is the Hadith of al-Musi’ al-Salah in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
((فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: ” إِنَّهُ لَا تَتِمُّ صَلَاةٌ لِأَحَدٍ… ثُمَّ يُكَبِّرُ، وَيَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ، وَيُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ…))
(‘Awn al-Ma‘bud, Bab Salat man la yuqeem sulbahu fi al-ruku‘ wa al-sujud, Vol. 1, p. 320)
Translation:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The prayer of any person is not complete until he performs ablution properly, then says takbeer, and then praises Allah and glorifies Him…”
According to commentators such as Allama Shams al-Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi and Shaykh Nasiruddin al-Albani (رحمهما الله), this Hadith indicates that praise and thana after takbeer al-tahrimah is wajib.
‘Awn al-Ma‘bud states:
((وفیه وجوب الحمد والثناء بعد تكبیر التحریمة))
“This Hadith proves that praising Allah and reciting thana after takbeer al-tahrimah is wajib.”
Shaykh al-Albani also declared it wajib in his Sifat Salat al-Nabi (p. 72), interpreting la tatimmu salat as negating the validity of prayer without it.
✿ Opinion 2: Sunnah (Preferred Practice)
The majority of scholars hold that Thana after takbeer al-tahrimah is sunnah, not wajib.
They interpret the phrase “la tatimmu salat” as negation of completeness (kamal), not validity.
Imam Ibn Qudamah al-Hanbali wrote:
((وجملة ذلك أن الاستفتاح (سبحانك اللھم وغیرہ) من سنن الصلاة في قول أكثر أهل العلم…))
(al-Mughni with Sharh al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 515)
Translation:
“In summary, the opening supplication (Subhanak Allahumma… or others) is from the Sunnahs of prayer, according to most scholars.”
Imam Malik (رحمه الله) did not consider it at all.
✿ Views of Muhaddithin and Fuqaha
Imam Shawkani wrote regarding the Ahadith of Thana narrated from Hazrat Ali (RA) and Hazrat A’ishah (RA):
((وَالْحَدِيثَانِ… تَدُلُّ عَلَى مَشْرُوعِيَّةِ الِاسْتِفْتَاحِ بِهَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتِ))
(Nayl al-Awtar, Bab Dhikr al-Istiftah, Vol. 2, pp. 192, 296)
“These narrations and reports prove that reciting thana is legislated (sunnah).”
Shaykh Muhammad Sabiq Misri likewise wrote:
((يندب للمصلي أن يأتي بأي دعاء من الأدعية التي كان يدعو بها النبي ﷺ ويستفتح بها الصلاة))
(Fiqh al-Sunnah, Vol. 1, pp. 121, 124)
“It is recommended for the worshipper to recite any of the opening supplications used by the Prophet ﷺ when starting the prayer.”
✿ Preferred (Rajih) View
The stronger opinion is that Thana after takbeer al-tahrimah is sunnah, not wajib.
Thus:
◈ If someone forgets to recite Thana, their prayer is valid.
◈ If a follower leaves it intentionally out of fear of missing Surah al-Fatihah with the imam, their prayer remains valid.
Imam Ibn Qudamah wrote:
((واذا نسي الاستفتاح أو ترکه عمدا… لم یعد إلیه لأنه سنة فات محلها…))
(al-Mughni with Sharh al-Kabir, Vol. 1, p. 518)
“If one forgets or deliberately leaves the opening supplication until he begins recitation, he should not return to it, as its place has passed. The same applies to the ta‘awwudh.”
✿ Additional Fatwa
Mawlana Abu al-Barakat al-Madrawi (Ahl al-Hadith scholar) ruled:
If the imam is reciting aloud (jahri qira’ah), the follower should not recite Subhanak Allahumma but begin directly with Surah al-Fatihah, as this is what is authentically proven from the Ahadith.
This was also affirmed by Muhaddith al-Zaman Hafiz Muhammad Gondlawi (رحمه الله).
(Fatawa Barkatiyyah, pp. 56, 58)
✿ Conclusion
◈ Reciting Thana after Takbeer al-Tahrimah is sunnah according to the majority of scholars.
◈ Some Muhaddithin, including Shaykh al-Albani, considered it wajib, but the stronger opinion is that it is sunnah.
◈ Thana is recited only at the beginning of the first rak‘ah, not at the beginning of every rak‘ah.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
