the original state is the absence of that which he doubted, unless it is a case of waswas (obsessive whispering/doubt), in which case he should not pay attention to it. This is the ruling for all other integral parts of the prayer.
156 - Issue: He said: "And he says: Subhana Rabbiya al-'Azim (Glory be to my Lord the Almighty) three times, and that is the minimum of perfection, but if he says it once, it suffices him."
The entirety of this is that it is prescribed to say during one's bowing: "Subhana Rabbiya al-'Azim". This is the opinion of al-Shafi'i and the scholars of the school of opinion (Ahl al-Ra'y). Malik said: We have no specific limit for bowing and prostration, and I have heard that [it is to perform] tasbih (glorification) in bowing and prostration. Our evidence is what 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir reported, saying: When [the verse] "So glorify the name of your Lord, the Almighty" (Surah al-Waqi'ah: 74) was revealed, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Place it in your bowing." And from Ibn Mas'ud, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "When one of you bows, let him say three times: 'Subhana Rabbiya al-'Azim'. And that is its minimum." Both were reported by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah (1). Hudhayfah also reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say when he bowed: "Subhana Rabbiya al-'Azim" three times. Reported by al-Athram. Abu Dawud also reported it (2), but he did not say: "three times". A single tasbih suffices because the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded tasbih in the hadith of 'Uqbah without specifying a number, which proves that the minimum suffices. The minimum of perfection is three, due to the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud: "And that is its minimum." Ahmad said in his treatise (3): The hadith came from al-Hasan al-Basri that he said:
(1) The first [report] was recorded by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter on what a man says in his bowing and prostration, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/200, 201. And Ibn Majah, in: Chapter on tasbih in bowing and prostration, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/287. It was also recorded by al-Darimi, in: Chapter on what is said in bowing, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Darimi 1/299. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 4/155. The second [report] was recorded by Abu Dawud, in: Chapter on the duration of bowing and prostration, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/204. And Ibn Majah, in the previous chapter. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/287, 288. It was also recorded by al-Tirmidhi, in: Chapter on what has come regarding tasbih in bowing and prostration, from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/62, and Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 1/232, 371. (2) In: Chapter on what a man says in his bowing and prostration, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/201. It was also recorded by Ibn Majah, in: Chapter on tasbih in bowing and prostration, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/287, 288. (3) It is al-Risalah al-Sunniyyah. See: Majmu'at al-Hadith al-Najdiyyah 455.
