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What is the ruling on saying "Subhan Rabbi Al-Adheem (Glory to my Lord, the Most Great)" in rukoo‘ (bowing), and is it required to say it once, twice, or three times? What is the ruling on saying "Subhan Rabbi Al-A’la (Glory to my Lord, the Most High)" in sujood (prostration)? What is the ruling if the worshiper mistakenly said "Subhan Rabbi Al-A’la" three times in rukoo‘, or said "Subhan Rabbi Al-Adheem" three times in sujood? And what is the ruling if he realized that before rising?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Hanbalis are of the view that if someone says "Subhana Rabbiyal-Ala" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) in ruku (bowing) and "Subhana Rabbiyal-Adheem" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great) in sujud (prostration) by mistake, they must perform the sujud al-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness). However, if they rectify it before rising, it is not obligatory for them to perform sujud al-sahw, though it is recommended according to them.

As for Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, he is of the opinion that what is obligatory is the general act of tasbih (glorification), and no specific wording is designated. Thus, if one substitutes the dhikr (remembrance) of ruku with the dhikr of sujud, nothing is incumbent upon them. He believes that the texts indicate the obligation of tasbih, and the Sunnah has clarified its place. He also states that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, regularly performed tasbih with various wordings, and the specific wording "Subhana Rabbiyal-Adheem" or "Subhana Rabbiyal-Ala" is not designated as exclusive.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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