Ameerul Mo'mineen Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (p.b.u.h) had said, "Fatima (p.b.u.h) was the most exalted and respected lady of the Prophet's (p.b.u.h) family. She fetched water-bags so many times that it resulted in making a mark on her chest. Moreover, she swept her house many times in a day, and operated the flour grinding stone mill for many hours and thereby had contracted callouses on her palms. Moreover, for igniting the oven, she lit a big fire, that stained her clothes."

In a nutshell, all these strenuous house-hold chores were beyond her.

"Observing her slogging so hard, I (Ali (p.b.u.h)) suggested her to the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) and request him to provide a maid to help her."

One day she went to the Prophet's (p.b.u.h) house and saw that he was engaged in talking to some people. She returned to her house. But the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) knew the cause of her coming. He (p.b.u.h) went to her house and asked, "O my beloved daughter, what was the matter?"

Hazrat Ali (p.b.u.h) related unto him the hardship Fatima (p.b.u.h) had to face. Hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) said, "Can I suggest you something that would be beneficial to you?" So saying, he advised that after every prayer, you should say Allaho Akbar ('God is Greatest') 34 times, SubhanAllah ('Glory to be God') 33 times and Alhamdu Lillah ('All praise is for God') 33 times. It shall be better than having a helper, and also from all other things of the world (Elal-ush Sharaye, vol.2, p.366; Bihar vol. 43, p.82).

In some other traditions, much emphasis was laid to this Tasbih, apart from prayers, it was enjoined to recite this before going to bed.

According to other tradition, it was said on the authority of Imam Ja'far Sadiq that this Tasbih is useful to the children as well as the youth.

In another tradition also, it was enjoined that without reciting this Tasbih, your prayers will not be worth accepting.

In this regard, a tradition from Imam Ja'far Sadiq says that to recite this Tasbih is much better than performing one thousand rakats of recommended (mustahab) prayers.