Tasbih after salah: the 33-33-34 explained

You'll often see this tasbih summarized as just "33, 33, 34" with no further explanation — three numbers that only make sense once you know what's being counted and why the third one is different from the first two. Here's the exact wording, an authentic alternative, and where it's said.

The 33-33-34 version

Said right after finishing prayer:

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ (×٣٣) الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (×٣٣) اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ (×٣٤)

Subhanallah (33 times), Alhamdulillah (33 times), Allahu Akbar (34 times).

Glory be to Allah (33 times). Praise be to Allah (33 times). Allah is the Greatest (34 times).

Source: Sahih Muslim 596a, narrated by Ka'b ibn Ujrah — the Prophet ﷺ described this as one of a group of remembrances whose "sayer will never be disappointed."

An authentic alternative: 33, 33, 33, then a closing declaration

A separate, equally authentic narration records a slightly different pattern:

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ (×٣٣) الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ (×٣٣) اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ (×٣٣) لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Subhanallah (33 times), Alhamdulillah (33 times), Allahu Akbar (33 times), then: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir.

Glory be to Allah (33 times). Praise be to Allah (33 times). Allah is the Greatest (33 times) — ninety-nine in total — then: There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner. His is the dominion, His is the praise, and He is able to do all things.

Source: Sahih Muslim 597a, narrated by Abu Hurairah — the Prophet ﷺ said whoever does this will have their sins forgiven, even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.

Both versions are authentic. Neither is more correct than the other — use whichever you find easier to remember, or alternate between them.

When it's said

Right after the salam, following the istighfar and salam dua, and typically before the Three Quls. See our after-prayer adhkar guide for the complete sequence.

A practical note

A hundred counts sounds like more than it is — said at a normal pace it takes under a minute. The harder part is usually the phone in your hand the moment you finish praying. Pray auto-blocks the apps most likely to interrupt this window, calculated on your device, so that minute has a real chance to happen before anything else competes for it.