Abu Habiba Ismael on July 27, 2007 at 1:33 am said:

The problem with dhikr beads are simple

1. Most people use them thinking they are a sunnah of the Prophet, sal Allahu 3layh wa sallam.

2. Most people use them and NEVER actually do the sunnah of counting on their fingers which was the constant practice of the Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam

3. Most people who use dhikr beads think they are an “instrument” of Islam when what is obvious from the stories of the salaf is that they were used simply as a reminder of count, not as a tool in and of itself signifying remembrance of Allah.

4. While a notted string (interesting that allegedly Abu Hurayra, radhiAllah 3nhu, used a knotted string, but everyone now doesn’t even follow that practice but has opted for pebbles.) may have been used by Abu Hurayra, radhiAllahu 3nhu, it was still NOT a sunnah of the Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam, EVER to use a string, beads, bones etc. to make dhikr upon. So you find muslims today clanking away on pebbles and none of them even know what the Sunnah actually is, much less implement it.

The two conditions for an action being accepted are that 1. it is done sincerely for the sake of Allah and 2. it is in accordance with either a command of Allah or a command of His Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam. The Prophet ordered in the hadeeth for the dhikr to be done on the fingers.

I don’t see what’s so hard about all this.

The Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam said: “Between the Halaal and between the Haraam, are the doubtful matters so avoid the doubtful matters.”

Bro, you hae no idea what you are talking about. I feel like doing a survey in my house (since everyone uses one) to see what they say, but I already know the answer. My favorite one is your third point. Dhikr beads as a intrument. LOL. What kind of sound does it make? Many, some salafis just blow my mind. Thanks for the laughter akhi. May Allah reward you and grant you jannah. Ameen!

JazakAllah khair Andalus! Give it to them hard. I’m even surprised that salafis still hate on dhikr beads.

“That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart.”

The explanation, according to the sheikh I learned this hadith under, is that there are some who know the doubtful matters (ie the scholars of Islam). Therefore, if one has a doubt, one should consult a reliable scholar and thereby avoid what is doubtful not only by staying away from such things, but also by acquiring knowledge of the matter.
And in fact this is better than remaining unaware of the ruling said matter takes.

Wallahu t’ala alam

There’s a whole new dynamic out there in the world of sectarian antagonism. If one wants to stay in that game (though its better not to) one should at least keep up with the latest rules.

2- Every single individual who I’ve seen use a misbaha, I’ve also seen make dhikr on their fingers. EVERY LAST ONE.

3- Most people I know who carry misbahas tend to do more dkikr because the beads serve as a reminder of one’s need to be in constant rememberance of Allah.
They are also useful in allowing the person to concentrate on his/her adhkar without having to try to keep count, making it easier to have khushu’ when performing one’s dhikr.

4- Again, all the people I’ve known who use a misbaha are well aware of the actual sunnah and engage in it. They only use a string with wooden beads (not pebbles) in order to make the counting easier. Sort of the way most people use a watch to tell time rather than the sunnah of looking at the sky to determine prayer times.

As for the conditions you set, making dhikr is in accordance witht he command of Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless hima dn give him peace. Rather if you have some proofs that certain ways of counting are prohibited, you should bring them.

1. Most people use them thinking they are a sunnah of the Prophet, sal Allahu 3layh wa sallam.

2. Most people use them and NEVER actually do the sunnah of counting on their fingers which was the constant practice of the Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam

3. Most people who use dhikr beads think they are an “instrument” of Islam when what is obvious from the stories of the salaf is that they were used simply as a reminder of count, not as a tool in and of itself signifying remembrance of Allah.

4. While a notted string (interesting that allegedly Abu Hurayra, radhiAllah 3nhu, used a knotted string, but everyone now doesn’t even follow that practice but has opted for pebbles.) may have been used by Abu Hurayra, radhiAllahu 3nhu, it was still NOT a sunnah of the Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam, EVER to use a string, beads, bones etc. to make dhikr upon. So you find muslims today clanking away on pebbles and none of them even know what the Sunnah actually is, much less implement it.

The two conditions for an action being accepted are that 1. it is done sincerely for the sake of Allah and 2. it is in accordance with either a command of Allah or a command of His Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam. The Prophet ordered in the hadeeth for the dhikr to be done on the fingers.

I don’t see what’s so hard about all this.

The Prophet, sal Allahu 3layhi wa sallam said: “Between the Halaal and between the Haraam, are the doubtful matters so avoid the doubtful matters.”

According to Catholic sources, the use of prayer beads in Islam outdates their use in Christianity.

BY THE TIME the rosary, as we know it, became a regular part of Catholic prayer, prayer beads had long been a part of religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Muslim

and

Christian use of beads for reciting prayers began in medieval European monasteries and came into more widespread use as a way to assist the often illiterate worshippers in keeping track of their prayers. Although they were commonplace by the late Middle Ages, prayer beads were not officially accepted by the Catholic church until Pope Leo X gave the rosary approbation in 1520.

It is very likely that the Christians copied the idea from Muslims in Bilad al-Sham during the crusades.

In fact some wahabbist type fundamentalist Christians are anti-rosaries because of their “eastern” (ie Islamic) origin.