#503: The Authenticity of Saying Subhānaka Fa Bala and it Likes after reciting Certain Verses
QUESTION
” Question: What is the authenticity of saying Subhanaka fa bala when the worshipper recites
اليس ذللم بقادر على ان يحي الموتى؟
Does he not have the power to give life to the dead?
And saying Subhanaka Rabbiyal A’la After reciting
سبح اسم ربك الاعلى
And is this restricted to the worshipper alone to say it or the imam should also say it Even in the prayers he recite aloud.. Jazakallahu khayran.. May Allah reward you all striving to teach us the Deen in Islam Node.”
ANSWER
Alhamdulillāh.
May Allāh grant you Ilm and answer your Du’ā, āmīn.
Indeed the statement to which you referred “Subhānaka Fa Bala and its likes have references in some Ahādith.
Though some Ulamā have made statements regarding the authenticity of some of these Ahādith.
We will refer to some of them in this answer.
It is recorded in the Sunan of Abū Dāwud – rahimahullāh – that Mūsā Ibn Abī Ā’ishah said:
“There was this man who used to pray on the roof of his house, who whenever he recited the verse:
أَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى
“would say:
سبحانك فبلى
“Subhānaka Fa Bala”
“He was asked where he got that from and he said: I heard it from the Messenger of Allāh – salallāhu alayhi wasallam”
Shaykh Muhammad Nāsiruddīn Al-Albānī – rahimahullāh – declared it Sahih in Sahih Sunan Abī Dawūd
It is also recorded by At-Tirmidhī and Abū Dāwud from Abū Hurayrah – radiyallāhu anhu – that he heard the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam- saying:
“Whosoever among you reads:
:(و َالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ )
And ends in:
أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَحْكَمِ الْحَاكِمِينَ
Should say:
بلى وأنا على ذلك من الشاهدين
Balā Wanahnu ‘Alā Dhālika Mina Ash-Shāhidīn
And whosoever recites:
لَا أُقْسِمُ بِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ
Until he reaches:
أَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَنْ يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَى )
Should say:
بلى
“Indeed”
And whosoever recites:
فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Should say:
“We believe in Allāh”
The Ulamā differed on the authenticity of this Hadīth.
Al-Hāfidh Ibn Hajar – rahimahullāh – maintained that it were Hasan by virtue of the manyness of its Chains in the Fat’h.
While others maintained that it were weak, it is authentically recorded from Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Az-Zubayr and Abū Mūsā Al-‘Ash’ārī – radiyallāhu anhum – that whenever they recited the verse:
سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى
They would say :
Subhāna Rabbi Al-A’alā
Then the Ulamā that upheld that the Ahādith were authentic differed on the places of recitation.
Some of them held that it couldn’t be said while in Salāt.
While others maintained that there was nothing to prevent that.
Then those that allowed it in the Salāt then differed. Majority held that it must be done inaudibly since it were not a part of the Qur’ān, whether one was a follower or the Imām.
And Allāh knows best. Bārakallāhu fīkum.
Our position, and Allāh knows best, is that it were permissible and recommended to state them as we have quoted in the Ahādith inaudibly whether as the Imām, a follower, or praying alone.
And Allāh knows best.
Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.
📚 IslamNode
