639. Can I Use Prayer Beads (Masbahah/Tasbeeh) To Do Dhikr Or Should I Count On My Fingers?

By Asma bint Shameem 

Even though it’s *permissible* to use prayer beads for doing Tasbeeh and dhikr, it’s much BETTER to count on the fingers. 

Why?

Because using the fingers to do Tasbeeh and Dhikr is the SUNNAH. 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam only used his fingers to count and do all kinds of dhikr. 

And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam encouraged his Ummah to do the same. 

He said:

“Count on your fingers, for they will be questioned and made to speak.”*

(Ahmad —hasan by al-Albaani)

So if it’s the Sunnah then why abandon that for something that’s NOT from the Sunnah and use prayer beads?

So is it “haraam” to use prayer beads or counters etc for dhikr and Tasbeeh?

No it’s not actually ‘haraam’ or ‘bid’ah’ to use counters, prayer beads, etc for dhikr but it’s much BETTER to use the fingers because that’s what the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam did and encouraged. 

Shaikh ibn Uthaymeen said:

“Doing tasbeeh with the masbahah is not haraam or bid’ah, but it is better not to do it, because the one who does tasbeeh with the masbahah has *SHUNNED something better*.”

Shaikh al-Albaani said:

“If there is only one bad thing about the masbahah, which is that it takes the place of the Sunnah of counting on the fingers,....then that is bad enough. How rarely I see people counting their tasbeeh on their fingers!” (Al-Silsilat al-Da’eefah (1/117)

So it’s allowed to use the prayer beads if it serves a PURPOSE, like it helps you to stay focused on the dhikr or if it helps you to count, etc. 

But it would be more recommended and closer to the Sunnah to use the fingers. 

But whatever you use to make dhikr and Tasbeeh, make SURE your HEART is ATTACHED to the dhikr and you KNOW what you’re saying. 

That’s because HEEDLESS Dhikr, when there’s no focus of the heart or the tongue on the dhikr, is INVALID  and is of NO USE. 

Think about it. 

If there’s no connection of what’s on the tongue, with the heart, what good would that do?

What rewards would that bring?

That would then just be ‘lip service’, wouldn’t it? 

....irrespective of whether one uses the fingers or prayer beads or anything else. 

I’ve personally seen people holding prayer beads and *religiously* moving one bead after another, literally for hours, while their eyes are glued to the screen, watching Indian movies! 

Subhaan Allaah! 

What kind of ‘Dhikr’ is that?!!

Imaam Al-Mannaawi said: 

“As for what heedless people used to do, of holding a masbahah which is very ornate and costly, and carrying it without any presence of mind or thought, and talking or listening to people, or talking to them whilst moving its beads through his fingers, when his heart and tongue are distracted by worldly matters, this is *blameworthy* and is *makrooh*, and it *is one of the worst of reprehensible deeds*.”

(Fayd al-Qadeer, 4/468)

And Allaah knows best