Fatimah complained to me about the marks on her hands from grinding flour. I suggested to her, "Why don't you go to your father and ask him for a servant?" She went to the Prophet ﷺ to request a servant but did not find him there. When he returned, she had already left. When she later informed him about it, he came to us, and we had already gone to bed. We had a thin curtain over us, and when we wore it long, our feet would protrude, but when we wore it sideways, our heads or feet would be exposed.
The Prophet ﷺ asked Fatimah, "Were you the one who came earlier with a need?" She replied, "Yes, I complained to you about the marks on my hands from grinding flour, and you suggested I ask for a servant." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Shall I guide you to something better than having a servant? When you go to bed, say subḥān Allāh (Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times, al-ḥamdu lillāh (Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times, and Allāhu akbar (Allah is the Greatest) thirty-four times."
شَكَتْ إِلَيَّ فَاطِمَةُ مَجْلَ يَدَيْهَا مِنَ الطَّحِينِ فَقُلْتُ لَوْ أَتَيْتِ أَبَاكِ فَسَأَلْتِيهِ خَادِمًا فَأَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَلَمْ تُصَادِفْهُ فَرَجَعَتْ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أُخْبِرَ فَأَتَانَا وَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مَضَاجِعَنَا وَعَلَيْنَا قَطِيفَةٌ إِذَا لَبِسْنَاهَا طُولًا خَرَجَتْ مِنْهَا جُنُوبُنَا وَإِذَا لَبِسْنَاهَا عَرْضًا خَرَجَتْ رُءُوسُنَا أَوْ أَقْدَامُنَا۔
فَقَالَ: «يَا فَاطِمَةُ أُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّكِ جِئْتِ فَهَلْ كَانَ لَكِ حَاجَةٌ؟» قُلْتُ بَلَى شَكَتْ إِلَيَّ مَجْلَ يَدَيْهَا مِنَ الطَّحِينِ۔ فَقُلْتُ لَوْ أَتَيْتِ أَبَاكِ فَسَأَلْتِيهِ خَادِمًا۔ قَالَ: «أَفَلَا أَدُلُّكُمَا عَلَى مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمَا مِنَ الْخَادِمِ؟ إِذَا أَخَذْتُمَا مَضَاجِعَكُمَا» فَقُولَا «ثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ وَثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ وَأَرْبَعًا وَثَلَاثِينَ مِنْ تَحْمِيدٍ وَتَسْبِيحٍ وَتَكْبِيرٍ»