Zaydi Scholars in the West

wa alaykum as salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!

Thank you for your questions! 

I agree with you in that there is a need for scholarly representation in the West. In this, the Sunni and Shia have had a head start for a long time now in the Western countries. That withstanding, I think that the lack of Zaydi representation in the West is more so due to the lack of interest on part of the scholarly community in Yemen. Unfortunately, many of our Yemeni brothers who live in the Western countries probably do not see the necessity for the spread of the madhhab of Ahl al-Bayt in the West, as many of them see it as simply an extension of tribal affiliation. There is effort on the part of some Zaydis in the West, some of whom are Yemeni and some of whom are western born, when it comes to the spread of the madhhab in English. We have those who are seeking to break free from the restricted confines of regional parochialism that has plagued our community. I guess this is where individuals like you come in: we need people such as yourself to actually be educated in the madhhab so that you can lead the way for others in the West. Also, people like yourself are more familiar with, as you said, the nuance that exists in the western world. So, with this I would say you should be the change that you want to see. 

God willing, we will continue with our mission to produce quality translations and articles in the English language. However, we will need individuals such as yourself who would actually enact and teach these humble contributions to the English-speaking world. 

To answer your questions, this phrase is mentioned verbatim in the Musnad Imam Zayd as a legitimate tasbeeh in the prayer. However, Imam al-Haadi, upon him be peace, criticised the use of this phrase in the prayer. So, this is another instance of disagreement within the madhhab. That withstanding, it is permissible to recite this in the prayer. However, according to the madhhab, it is preferable to recite the tasbeeh (Subhaana Allah al-Adheem wa bihamdih & Subhaana Allah al-'Ala wa bihamdih) mentioned in our translations (Ref. Al-Bahr).

Typically, there is nothing that's recited in the sitting between the two sittings. As for the permissibility of the phrase that you mentioned, I know of no statement from our imams in this regard. There is no report or narration that I know of in which the imams made this statement between the two sittings.

And Allah knows best!

IRS