Saying 'Ya Lateef' 129 times
30-3-2009 | IslamWeb
Question:
I have heard of using Allahs names appropriately for making duaas eg. if one seeks forgiveness so use all names related to that, but i have few relatives who force me to do tasbeeh with a specific name, specific number eg. Ya Lateef(129 times) please advise ,I ask my relative( an aalim himself in India) show me the proof in ahadith, he calls me an extremist.May Allah reward all of you
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
It is better for a person who supplicates to choose the Names and Attributes of Allaah that correspond to his need, and then he supplicates while mentioning them. For instance, if he supplicates for forgiveness, it is appropriate for him to say: “O Ghafoor (The Forgiving in abundance), O Raheem (The Especially Merciful), forgive me.” This is the case in most supplications which are mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah. For example, Allaah Says (what means): {[Moses] said, “My Lord, forgive me and my brother and admit us into Your Mercy, for You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”}[Quran 7:151] However, this (supplicating to Allaah by mentioning only His Names and Attributes which correspond to one’s need) is not an obligation.
For more benefit on the etiquette of Du’aa’ (supplication), please refer to Fataawa 88296 and 83421.
Furthermore, no person can oblige you to supplicate with a specific supplication even if this supplication is legislated, let alone if it is not, like mentioning Allaah by saying “Ya lateef’” which many people are accustomed to do especially after the prayer, and which some of them say without supplicating after it at all. Indeed, we have already mentioned that saying a specific number about which there is no evidence is considered an innovation in religion; for more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 97265.
The one who calls you extremist is wrong; rather, restricting oneself to what is mentioned in the religion is the best form of moderation.
Finally, we advise you to be patient over the harm that you may face, and you should be wise when dealing with people who object to you.
Allaah Knows best.