The permissibility of expressing surprise with words of tasbīḥ, tahlīl, and suchlike

We relate in the same Ṣaḥīḥs that ‘Ā’ishah narrated that a woman asked the Prophet about bathing after menstruation. He instructed her on how to bathe. He said: “Take a piece of musk and purify yourself with it.” “How must I clean with it?” she asked. He said: “Clean with it.” “How?” she asked. He said: “Glory be to Allah! Clean!” ‘Ā’ishah said, “I drew her close to me and said: ‘Follow the trace of the blood.’” ^[2].

I say that this is the wording of one of al-Bukhārī’s narrations, and the others and Muslim’s narrations are in the same sense. Firṣah, with a kasrah on the fā’ and with a ṣād, means ‘a piece’. Misk (‘musk’), with a kasrah on the mīm, is the well-known perfume, but some say that the mīm has a fatḥah (mask) and that what is meant is ‘skin’; and many other things have been said. The chosen position is that she should take a little musk, put it on a piece of cotton or wool, a rag, or suchlike, and place it in the vagina to render the area fragrant and remove the unpleasant odour. Some say that the actual purpose [of this] is to improve fertility, but that is a weak [opinion]. And Allah knows best.

We relate in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim that Anas reported that the sister of Umm Ḥārith once wounded a man. They took the dispute to the Prophet and he said: “Retaliation, retaliation.” Umm ar-Rubayyi‘ asked: “Messenger of Allah, will you exact retaliation from So-and-so, when Allah does not exact retaliation from her?” The Prophet replied: “Glory be to Allah! Umm ar-Rubayyi‘, retaliation is the prescription of Allah.” ^[3].

I say that the source of the hadith is in the two Ṣaḥīḥs, but what we have cited here is the wording of Muslim which conforms to the meaning we have in mind. Ar-Rubayyi‘ has a ḍammah on the rā’, a fatḥah on the bā’, and a shaddah on the yā’.

We relate in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim that ‘Imrān ibn al-Ḥuṣayn narrated, in a long hadith about the story of a woman who was taken prisoner: “She escaped and rode the she-camel of the Prophet . She made a vow that if Allah saved her she would slaughter it. When she arrived, they mentioned the matter to the Messenger of Allah , who said: ‘Glory be to Allah! How ill she rewards her [the camel]!’” ^[4].

We relate in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Muslim from Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī , in the hadith about seeking permission, that he said to ‘Umar . . . and at the end of it he said: “O Ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, do not be a punishment for the Companions of Allah’s Messenger .” He said: “Glory be to Allah! I merely heard something and wished to confirm it.” ^[5].

We relate in the two Ṣaḥīḥs, in the long hadith of ‘Abdullāh ibn Salām , when someone said that “You are one of the inhabitants of Paradise,” he exclaimed: “Glory be to Allah! It is not befitting for anyone to say something he does not know. . .” He then recounted the rest of the hadith. ^[6].