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Tasbih
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Tasbih تسبيح (Arabic) is a string of Prayer beads probably of Persian origin which is traditionally used by Muslims and Sufis in prayer.
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A tasbih is a tool used to perform dhikr, including the (99) Names of Allah and the glorification of God after regular prayer with the formulas Subhan Allah (sublime is God), Al-hamdulillah (praise to God) and Allahu Akbar (God is great/the Greatest), the first two repeated 33 times whilst the last 34 times.
It is often made of wooden beads, but also of olive seeds, ivory, pearls or plastic. A tasbih mostly exists of 33 or 99 beads, but you can also find samples of 11, 100, and up to 1,000 beads.
It is thought that in the early Muslim era loose pebbles were used or that people counted on their fingers, a practice that is still widely followed. Followers of wahhabism call it an intolerable innovation, as they believe that the Prophet Muhammad never used something like a tasbih, instead using the seeds from dates. Nevertheless, it is told that the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and first caliph Abu Bakr used a tasbih.
It is now also used by many as a fashion accessory or as something to keep one's hands busy.
It was also popular in Iran amongst Christians long before the coming of Islam.[citation needed]
The Tasbih is also known as Mesbaha (مسبحة) or Sabha (سبحة) in some arabic dialects.