Misbaha

Ads

Misbaha

A misbaha (Arabic: مسبحة), subha (Arabic:سبحة), Tasbih (Urdu), or tespih (Turkish) is a string of prayer beads, probably of Persian origin, which is traditionally used by Muslims to keep track of counting in tasbih.

The Misbaha is also known as Tasbih (تسبيح) -not to be confused with Tasbih a type of dhikr-in non-Arab Muslim regions or Sibha in some Arabic dialects e.g. Libyan Arabic. In Turkey, the beads are known as Tespih.

Use

A misbaha is a tool used to perform dhikr, including the 99 Names of Allah, and the glorification of God after regular prayer. A popular recitation might include Subhan'allah (glory be to God), Alhamdulillah (praise to God) and Takbir aka Allahu Akbar (God is great), each repeated 33 times.

It is often made of wooden beads, but also of olive seeds, ivory, amber, pearls or plastic. A misbaha usually consists of 99 beads (corresponding to the 99 Names of Allah), or sometimes 33 beads (in which case one cycles through them 3 times to equal 99).Their use as a religious item has somewhat diminished over the years, and many use them nowadays strictly as worry beads and as status symbols.

History

It is thought that in the early Muslim era loose pebbles were used or that people counted on their fingers.

However, According to Allamah Al-Majlisi, after the Battle of Uhud, Fatimah would visit Martyrs' Graveyard every 2 or three days, and then she made a Misbaha of Hamza's tomb soil, and after that people started making and using Misbhas.

Followers of Wahhabism disapprove of the misbaha, arguing that Muhammad only used the fingers of his right hand and this is how all muslims should pray.