عَنْ سعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى امْرأَةٍ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا نَوًى -أَوْ حَصًى- تُسَبِّحُ بِهِ، فَقَالَ: «أُخْبِرُكِ بِمَا هُوَ أَيْسَرُ عَليْكِ مِنْ هَذَا أَوْ أَفْضَلُ» فَقَالَ: «سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ عَدَدَ مَا خَلَقَ فِي السَّماءِ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللّهِ عَدَدَ مَا خَلَقَ فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللّهِ عَدَدَ مَا بيْنَ ذَلِكَ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللّهِ عَدَدَ مَا هُوَ خَالِقٌ ، وَاللّهُ أَكْبرُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، وَالْحَمْدُ للّهِ مِثْل ذَلِكَ، وَلا إِلَـٰهَ إِلّا اللّهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ، وَلا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلّا بِاللّهِ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ» رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ.
Sad ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he entered along with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) upon a woman who had date-stones—or pebbles—before her with which she was glorifying Allah. He said: "Shall I tell you of what is easier for you than this, or better?" He said: "Glory be to Allah as many times as the number of what He has created in the heaven, and glory be to Allah as many times as the number of what He has created in the earth, and glory be to Allah as many times as the number of what is between that, and glory be to Allah as many times as the number of what He is yet to create; and Allah is the Greatest the like of that, and praise be to Allah the like of that, and there is no god but Allah the like of that, and there is no power nor might except with Allah the like of that." Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who said: a hasan (good) hadith.
الشرح · explanation
نوى: جمع نواة وهي بذرة التمر.
"Date-stones": the plural of nawat, which is the pit of a date.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ الإتيان بهذه الألفاظ على نحو ما ورد في الحديث أفضل من استعمال الحصى أو السبحة، لأنّ قوله عدد ما خلق وما ذكر بعد يكتب له به ثواب بعدد المذكورات، وما تعده بالحصى أو النوى قليل بالنسبة لذلك الكثير الذي لا يعلم كنهه وعدده إلا اللّه تعالى.
That uttering these words in the manner mentioned in the hadith is better than using pebbles or the prayer-beads (subhah), because his saying "the number of what He has created" and what follows records for him a reward equal to the number of the things mentioned, whereas what one counts with pebbles or date-stones is little compared to that great multitude whose extent and number none knows but Allah the Exalted.