I’ve seen some people say Allaahu Akbar when they go up the stairs and Subhaan Allaah when they come down, thinking this is Sunnah? Is that true?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

Although it’s true that when the Prophet ﷺ and the Sahaabah would go up a hill, they would say Allaahu Akbar and when they went down a hill, they would say Subhaan Allaah, HOWEVER that dhikr was limited to a specific situation of TRAVELING and it cannot be used generally. 

Sure we can ALWAYS say Subhaan Allaah or Alhamdulillaah or any other dhikr at ANY TIME. 

And that’s a great virtue. 

But that’s NOT the problem. 

The problem comes when we associate a certain act of ibaadah with a specific time, manner, place etc without any proof from the authentic Sunnah. 

So if we associate a certain specific dhikr when going to the stairs and a certain specific dhikr every time we go down the stairs, we need EVIDENCE for that. And if there’s NO PROOF, then that becomes bid’ah.

And there’s NO PROOF of saying Subhaan Allaah going down the stairs or saying Allaahu Akbar going up the stairs.

🍃Here’s what Shaikh ibn Uthaymeen said about the same issue:

“During his journeys, when the Prophet ﷺ climbed up a hill he would say takbeer, and when he went down into a valley he would say tasbeeh. 

That is because the one who is above a thing may feel proud and think that he is great, so it is appropriate for him to proclaim the greatness of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala by saying: Allaahu Akbar. 

And when he descends, he is going down to a lower level, so it is appropriate for him to glorify Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala when going down. 

This is the context of saying takbeer and tasbeeh. 

But there is no report in the Sunnah about doing that when not traveling. 

Acts of worship are based on tawqeef i.e., they are limited to what is narrated in sound reports. 

Based on that, when a person goes up the stairs in his house he does not have to say takbeer, and when he comes downstairs he does not have to say tasbeeh. 

Rather that only applies in the case of traveling.”

(Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh)

And Allaah knows best.