PRAYER
BEADS ARE A BIDA’
ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA
http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com
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DATED 27TH JUNE 2017 CE AND 2ND SHAWWAL 1438 AH
1.0 A SCHOLARLY RESEARCH BY SHAYKH
ALBAANI THAT PRAYER BEADS ARE A BIDA’
Taken from ‘Silsilah Ahadeeth
ad-Daeefah’ 1/83
A summary of the research by the Muhaddith, Shaykh, Allamaa’ Muhammad Nasiruddeen al-Albaani
Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya
A summary of the research by the Muhaddith, Shaykh, Allamaa’ Muhammad Nasiruddeen al-Albaani
Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya
Shaykh al-Albaani said in ‘Silsilah
ad-Da’eefah’:
83 – ‘What a blessed reminder are
prayer beads and indeed the best place to prostrate on is the earth and on that
which the earth produces.’
Mawdoo
(Fabricated)
Narrated by ad-Daylamee in ‘Musnad
al-Firdaws’ (4/98); he said that Abdoos bin Abdullaah informed us that Abu
Abdullaah al-Hussain bin Funjoowayah a-Thaqafi informed us that ‘Ali bin
Muhammad bin Nassrooweeyah narrated to us that Muhammad bin Haroon bin Isa
bin Mansoor al-Hashami narrated to us that Muhammad bin ‘Ali bin Hamzah
al-‘Alawee narrated to me that Abdul Samad bin Musa narrated to me that Zainab
bint Sulayman bin ‘Ali narrated to me that Umm al-Hasan bint Jafar bin al-Hasan
on the authority of her father on the authority of her grandfather on the
authority of ‘Ali marfoo’ (ascribed to the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam).
[Research of the Isnad][1]
Suyooti mentioned it in his book
‘al-Manha fee as-Subha’ (2/141) and Shawkani conveyed it from him in
‘Nail-Awtaar’ (2/166-167) and they remained quiet about this narration!
I say (Albaani): This chain has
darkness upon darkness; the majority of the narrators are Majhool
(unknown) and some of them have been blamed:
I did not find anyone who wrote a
biography for Umm al-Hasan bint Jafar bin al-Hasan.
Al-Khateeb wrote a biography for Zainab
bint Sulayman bin ‘Ali in his ‘Tareekh’ (14/334) and he said: ‘She was of the
best of women.’
Al-Khateeb wrote a biography for Abdul
Samad bin Musa, he is al-Hashmi, (14/41) but he did not mention anything about
him eitherpraising or criticizing him. However, Dhahabi conveyed in ‘al-Meezan’
on the authority of al-Khateeb that he said regarding him: ‘Indeed they
regarded him as weak (Da’eef).’
Perhaps that was in
some of al-Khateeb’s other books, then I corrected that and said: Rather that
is in another hadeeth which will be mentioned with no. 2898.
Then Dhahabi said:
‘He narrates rejected narrations on the authority of his grandfather Muhammad
bin Ibraheem al-Imaam’
I say (Albaani):
Perhaps he is the point of objection in this hadeeth.
As for Muhammad bin
‘Ali bin Hamza al-‘Alawee then al-Khateeb also wrote a biography for him (3/63)
and said: ‘Ibn Abee Haatim said: I heard from him and he is Sadooq
(truthful) who died in the year 286.’
Muhammad bin Haroon,
he is Muhammad bin Haroon bin al-Abbas bin Abee Jafar al-Mansoor, and
al-Khateeb also mentioned him (3/356) saying: ‘He was from the people who had
intelligence, had excellence and was a lecturer. He held the post of an Imaam
of the masjid al-Madina in Baghdad for 50 years and he died in the year 308.’
As for Abdullaah bin
al-Hussain bin Funjoowayah at-Thaqafi then he is Thiqaah (trustworthy), his
biography is in ‘Siyaar alaam an-Nubala’ (17/383) and ‘Shadhrat ad-Dhaab’
(3/200).
Likewise with Abdoos
bin Abdullaah, his biography is in ‘Siyaar alaam an-Nubala’ (19/98) and in
‘Lisaan al-Meezan’ (4/95).
[The Explanation]
From what has
preceded it becomes clear to you that the Isnaad(chain) is Da’eef
(weak), so it cannot be used as evidence.
Now, in my opinion,
this hadeeth is Baatil (false) due to its meaning for the following
reasons:
Firstly: that prayer
beads are a Bida’ which were not present at the time of the Prophet –sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam- and were innovated after the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi
wa sallam-[2], so how could it make sensethat the Messenger – alayhi
asallam- would encourage his Companions ina matter they did not know?!
The evidence for this
is what Ibn Waddah al-Qurtubi mentioned in ‘al-Bida’ wal-Nahee anhaa’ (p.12) on
the authority of Saltt bin Bahraam who said: ‘Ibn Mas’ood passed by a woman who
had aTasbeeh (prayer beads) and would count upon them, so he broke it
and threw it away. Then he passed by a man who was counting upon pebbles, so he
kicked him with his leg. Then he said: You have preceded the Prophet! You have
carried out an oppressive Bida’! You have preceded the Companions of
Muhammad –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- in knowledge!’
The chain up to Saltt
is Saheeh, he is Thiqaah (trustworthy) from theAtbaa’ at-Tabi’een
(followers of the successors of the Companions), so its chain is broken.
Then it was narrated
on the authority of Abaan bin Abee ‘Ayaash who said: I asked al-Hasan about a Nathaam
(a thread with pearls etc. arranged upon it) made from pearls and date stones
etc, isTasbeeh counted upon it?
So he said: None of
the women of the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-or the female
emigrants did this.
However, its chain is
very weak.
Secondly: that prayer
beads oppose the guidance of the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam:
Abdullaah bin ‘Amr said: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi
wa sallam- counting the Tasbeeh with his right hand.’
Narrated by Abu
Dawood (1/235), Tirmidhi (4/255) who graded it hasan, Ibn Hibban (2334), Hakim
(1/547), Bayhaqi (2/253) and its chain is Saheeh just as Dhahabi said. I
researched it in ‘Saheeh Abu Dawood’ (1346).
[The Command of the
Messenger]
Then prayer beads
oppose the command of the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-, when
he said to some women:
‘You should make Tasbeeh[3],
Tahleel[4], Taqdees[5] and do not be negligent and forget Tawheed
(and in a narration: mercy), and count them on your fingertips since
they will be questioned and will respond.’
This hadeeth is Hasan,
narrated by Abu Dawood and other than him, Hakim and Dhahabi authenticated it
and an-Nawawi and al-Asqalani graded it as Hasan as is mentioned in
‘Amali al-Adhkaar’ (1/84) and it has supporting evidence on the authority of
‘Aeysha which is Mawqoof (the Isnad only goes back to the Companion),
see ‘Saheeh Abu Dawood’ (1345).
This is why a group
of scholars have made the hadeeth ‘What a blessed reminder are prayer beads…..’
Da’eef; as is mentioned by Shaykh Muhammad Khaleel al-Qawooqjee in
‘Shawaariq al-Anwaar al-Jaleela’ (1/113).
[Here the Shaykh
mentions technical information related to the Isnadof the hadeeth]
[He continues:]
It may be said: Some
of the Ahadeeth mention performing Tasbeehwith pebbles and the Messenger
–sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- approved of it, therefore there is no
difference between this and Tasbeeh using prayer beads, as Shawkani
said.
I say (Albaani):
Perhaps this would be acceptable if the Ahadeeth regarding this were authentic,
however this is not the case. Most of what is narrated regarding this are two
Ahadeeth which Suyooti brings in his booklet as we indicated, so it is
necessary to mention them and explain their mistakes:
Firstly on the
authority of Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas that he and the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam- entered upon a woman while she was counting Tasbeeh
on date stones or pebbles in front of her and the Messenger –sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam- said: ‘Shall I inform youof that which is easier upon you
than this or better?’
He said: ‘SubhanAllaah
equivalent to the number of what Allaah created in the heavens….’ the hadeeth.
Narrated by Abu
Dawood (1/235), Tirmidhi (4/277-278), Ibn Hibban 92330 – in his book ‘Zawaid’,
Doorqi in ‘Musnad Sa’ad’ (130/1), Mukhalas in ‘al-Fawaid’ (9/17/2), and Hakim
(1/547-548)[6] by way of ‘Amroo bin al-Harith that Sa’eed bin Abi Halaal
narrated to him on the authority of Khuzaimah on the authority of ‘Aeysha bint
Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas on the authority of her father.
Tirmidhi said:
‘Hadeeth Hasan.’
Hakim said: ‘Saheeh
al-Isnad.’
Dhahabi agreed with
him, however he was mistaken because this Khuzaimah is Majhool (unknown)
even Dhahabi himself said in ‘al-Meezan’: ‘Khuzaimah is unknown and so is
Sa’eed bin Abi Halaal.’
Hafidh said likewise
in ‘Taqreeb’: ‘Indeed he is unknown.’
Even with Sa’eed bin
Abi Halaal being Thiqaah, as-Saajee mentioned on the authority of Ahmad that he
became confused and Yahya also described him as confused as in ‘al-Fasal’ by
Ibn Hazm (2/95).Perhaps what supports this argument is his narrating this
hadeeth, because some of the trustworthy narrators who narrated from Sa’eed do
not mention Khuzaimah in their chain, so the chain becomesbroken. This is why
Hafidh al-Mizee did not mention ‘Aeysha bint Sa’ad amongst the shuyookh (those
who were narrated from) of Ibn Abi Halaal, so this Isnad is not without
the defects of Jahaala (a narrator being unknown) or Inqitaa’ (a
break in the chain), so how can this hadeeth be Saheeh or Hasan?!
Some of those who
authored works claiming Prayer Beads are from the Sunnah were ignorant of this
information or they pretended to be ignorant of it such as those of the present
day who follow their desires and blindly follow their Shaykh Abdullaah
al-Ghamaari who likewise pretended to be ignorant of this truth. He mentioned
this hadeeth in his ‘Kanz’ (103) so that he could make the Prayer Beads
permissible for his Mureeds (loyal followers) consequently making it
permissible for them to wear them around their necks just as some of the Mushayikh
(shaykhs) of the Soofi orders wear them.
See the refutation
against him in the introduction to volume three of this ‘Silsilah’ (p.37) and
you will see the strangest of the strange.
The second hadeeth is
on the authority of Safeeyah who said:
‘The Messenger of
Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- entered upon me while I had 4,000
date stones in front of me and I would countTasbeeh upon them.
He said: ‘O daughter
of Huyaiya what is this?!’
She answered: ‘I am
counting Tasbeeh upon them.’
He said: ‘I have said
more Tasbeeh than this while I have been standing here near you.’
She requested: ‘Teach
me O Messenger of Allaah!’
He said: ‘Say SubhanAllaah
equivalent to the number of what Allaah created of things….’
Narrated by Tirmidhi
(4/274), Abu Bakr ash-Shafi’ee in ‘al-Fawaaid’ (73/255/1), Haakim (1/547) by
way of Hashim bin Sa’eed on the authority of Kanana Maula (the freed slave of)
Safeeyah, from her.
Tirmidhi regarded it
as weak by saying: ‘This hadeeth is Ghareeb(strange), we do not know it
except from this route of the hadeeth of Hashim bin Sa’eed al-Koofee and his Isnaad
is not well-known.Also, there is a hadeeth on this issue on the authority of
Ibn ‘Abbas.’
As for Hakim then he
said: ‘Saheeh al-Isnaad’ and Dhahabi[7] agreed with him and this is
strange coming from him, since he mentioned this Hashim bin Sa’eed in
‘al-Meezan’ and said: ‘Ibn Ma’een said: He is nothing. Ibn ‘Adee said: Whatever
he narrated cannot have supporting narrations.’
This is why Hafidh
said in ‘Taqreeb’: ‘He is weak’.
This Kanana’s
condition is unknown; no-one other than Ibn Hibban regarded him as trustworthy.
Then I amended this
and said: However a group of narrators have narrated from Kanana and from them
were Zuhayr and Hudayj, the two sons of Muwayyeeyah, Mohammad bin Talha bin
Musrif and Sa’adaan bin Basheer al-Juhani; all these four are trustworthy and
also included along with them is Yazeed bin Mughliss al-Bahilly, whom a group
regarded as trustworthy while others regarded him as weak. So the one from whom
the likes of these narrate is included in the group of those who are regarded
as ‘Sadooq’; just as I recently researched in a uniquely detailed piece
of study ‘Tamaam al-Mina’ (p.204-206), so do not be deceived by some of the
ignorant ones, like Saqqaf and other than him; therefore the defect in this
hadeeth is only Hishaam.
What indicates that
these two hadeeth are weak is that this story is mentioned on the authority of
Ibn Abbas without mentioning pebbles and its wording is as follows:
Ibn Abbas said: On
the authority of Juwayreeyah that the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-
left her early when he went to pray the morning prayer, while she was in her
place of prayer, then he returned after he had prayed Duha prayer and
she was still sitting.
So he said to her:
Are you still in the same state that I left you in?
She answered: Yes.
The Prophet –sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘I have already said
four statements after you, three times, and if they were weighed against what
you have said today then they would outweigh what you have said. They are:
SubhanAllaahi wa bihamdihee, ‘adad Khalqihi, wa ridha nafsihi, wazeenat
‘arshihee, wa Midaad kalimaatihi.
(Allaah is free from
imperfection and praise is for him; to the amount of his creation, the pleasure
of His own Self, the beautification of His ‘Arsh and the extent of His
words.)
Narrated by Muslim
(8/83-84) and Tirmidhi (4/274) and he authenticated it. Also narrated by
Nisa’ee in ‘Amal al-Yawm wa Layla’ (161-165), Ibn Majah (91/23), Ahmad (6/325
& 429-430).
So this authentic
hadeeth indicates two matters:
The first is that the
person in the story is Juwayreeyah and not Safeeyah as was mentioned previously
in the second hadeeth!
The second matter is
that the mention of pebbles in the story is rejected. What supports this is
that Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood –RadhiAllaahu anhu- rebuked those whom he saw
counting Tasbeeh upon pebbles.
This has been
mentioned on the authority of Ibn Mas’ood via many chains, one of which has
already preceded. If the use of pebbles forcounting Tasbeeh was that
which the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-had relayed then it
would not have been hidden from Ibn Mas’ood,inshAllaah.
Indeed this rebuke
was adopted by some of those who graduated from the school of Ibn Mas’ood,
including none other than Ibraheem bin Yazeed Nakhai, the scholar from Koofa,
who used to prohibit his daughter from helping women braid thread together for
prayer beads which they would use for Tasbeeh[8]!
Narrated by Ibn Abi
Shaybah in ‘al-Musannaf’ (2/89/2) with a good chain.
[The Amount of Dhikr]
If the Dhikr
were a lot, a person might perhaps say: It is not possible to enumerate exactly
the amount counted upon fingers as is the waymentioned in the Sunnah.
The reply is: indeed
this matter of contempt came from anotherBida’, which is the act of
performing the Dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah much more than the limited
amount – which Allaah the Most-Wise did not legislate. So this Bida’
necessitated another Bida’which is the prayer beads since, as far as I
know, the most that has been mentioned in the authentic Sunnah is indeed one
hundred andit is possible for the one used to doing so to count this easily on
one’s fingers.
As for the hadeeth:
‘Whoever says one hundred
times a day: ‘Laa ilaaha illAllaahwahdahu la shareeka lahu…..’ the hadeeth.
So the intent is: one
hundred in the morning and one hundred in the evening; as is clearly mentioned
in some of the authentic narrations and they have been explained in ‘Saheehah’
(2762).
As for what Ibn Abi
Shaybah (2/391) narrated on the authority of Weeqa on the authority of Sa’eed
bin Jubayr who said: Umar bin al-Khattab saw a man counting Tasbeeh with
prayer beads he had, Umar said: What would be better than this would be for him
to say: ‘SubhanAllaah …..’
This is rejected due
to the following reasons: the disconnection between him and Sa’eed as well as
Weeqa being weak and he is Ibn Eyaas who is layin in hadeeth (he is not
discarded, he is upright in himself but his hadeeth are not precise).
If there was only one
resultant evil from the prayer beads which is that they have, or have nearly,
annihilated the Sunnah of counting on fingers – which they agree is better –
then this would have been sufficient evil since it is indeed rare that I see an
old person count the Tasbeeh on his fingertips!
Indeed the people
have also diversified innovating with this Bida’, so you see some of
those who ascribe themselves to one of the Soofiorders wearing prayer beads
around their necks![9]
Some of the people
use prayer beads while they are talking to you or while they are listening to
you talk! The last thing my eyes fell upon a few days ago was a man going along
some streets, busy with people, on an ordinary bicycle and in one of his hands were
prayer beads!!
They make a pretence
to the people of not neglecting the remembrance of Allaah, even for the blink
of an eye! Many of theseBida’ become the cause of the loss of an
obligation. It has happened to me – and to others – many a time that I have
given my Salaams to one of them and they have replied with just a signal,
without saying as-Salaam! The evils of these Bida’ are innumerable. How
excellent was the saying of the poet:
Every good is in the
following of the Salaf * and every evil is in the innovations of the Khalaf[10]
A Summary of what the
Shaykh mentioned:
A- that prayer beads
are a Bida’ which were not present at the time of the Prophet –sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam- and were innovated after the Messenger –sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam-[11], so how could it make sensethat the Messenger –
alayhi asallam- would encourage his Companionsin a matter they did not
know?!
B- That prayer beads
oppose the guidance of the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam:
Abdullaah bin ‘Amr said: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi
wa sallam- counting the Tasbeeh with his right hand.’
C- Then prayer beads
oppose the command of the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-, when
he said to some women: ‘You should makeTasbeeh, Tahleel, Taqdees
and do not be negligent and forget Tawheed (and in a narration: mercy), and
count them on your fingertips since they will be questioned and will
respond.’
D- Ibraheem bin
Yazeed Nakhai, the scholar from Koofa, used to prohibit his daughter from
helping women braid thread together for prayer beads which they would use for Tasbeeh!
E- As far as I know,
the most that has been mentioned in the authentic Sunnah is indeed one hundred
and it is possible for the one used to doing so to count this easily on one’s
fingers.
F- If there was only
one resultant evil from the prayer beads which is that they have, or have
nearly, annihilated the Sunnah of counting on fingers – which they agree is
better – then this would have been sufficient evil since it is indeed rare that
I see an old person count theTasbeeh on his fingertips!
G- How excellent was
the saying of the poet: Every good is in the following of the Salaf * and every
evil is in the innovations of the Khalaf[12]
All Praise belongs to
Allaah, may His peace and blessings be upon our final Prophet Muhammad, his
family, his companions and all those who follow his guidance.
Footnotes
[1] Headings were
added for clarity (T.N.)
[2] What supports
that is the statement of the scholars of language: ‘Indeed the words:
‘as-Subha’
(Prayer beads) is a newly created word, it was unknown to the Arabs.’
[3] To say
‘SubhanAllaah’ (T.N.)
[4] To say ‘La illaha
ill Allaah’ (T.N.)
[5] ‘To say
‘SubhanAllaah al-Malikul Quddoos; or Subooh Quddoos Rabb al-malaikatu war-Ruhu;
and it is possible that Taqdees means to say Allaahu Akbar’. (Mishkat
al-Masabih (2/9) –Checked by shaykh Albani) (T.N.)
[6] Suyooti
attributed it in ‘al-Manha’ to Nisa’ee and Ibn Majah and Shawkani followed him
in that, however there is some speculation about this due to two points:
a- That Ibn Majah did
not relate this narration at all.
b- That Nisa’ee
narrated it in ‘al-Yawm wa Layla’ as is mentioned in ‘at-Thufah’ (3/325), so it
was necessary to qualify it and I did not see this in the printed version.
[7] Suyooti followed
him in this in ‘al-Manha’ &Shawkani was deceived by it.
[8] In this and what
has preceded is a clear refutation of Shaykh al-Habashee in his claim that
no-one has preceded me in rejecting prayer beads.
[9] Shaykh Abdullaah
al-Ghamari, the shaykh of the Darqaweeyah order and other orders, encourage
them saying: ‘There is nothing wrong with wearing prayer beads around the neck
as it is the same as a writer placing his pen on his ear!’ How amazing it is
when a Faqih makes a good analogy because this is the most baseless
analogy on the face of this earth as it is built upon fabricated ahadeeth.
[10] The
transliteration of which is: ‘Kullu khairin fee ittiba’ man Salaf * wa Kullu
Sharrin fee Ibtida’ man Khallaf’(T.N.)
[11] What supports
that is the statement of the scholars of language: ‘Indeed the words:
‘as-Subha’
(Prayer beads) is a newly created word, it was unknown to the Arabs.’
[12] The
transliteration of which is: ‘Kullu khairin fee ittiba’ man Salaf * wa Kullu
Sharrin fee Ibtida’ man Khallaf’(T.N.)
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2.0 THE RULING ON USING
BEADS FOR TASBEEH
|
 |
Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan said, when asked about the
ruling on using beads for remembering Alllaah:
The tasbeeh beads (misbahah), when a person makes use of it, believing
that in using it there is some excellence and virtue, and that it is from the
ways and means of the remembrance of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, then this
is an innovation.
As for when a person uses them from the angle of the permitted things
(mubaahaat), or that he counts those things with them which he needs to count,
then this is from the permitted affairs.
As for taking them as religion and nearness, then this is treated as
[being from] the newly-introduced innovations.
And it is better that a person
glorify (Allaah) and count the tasbih (glorification) by his fingers, this is
what is desirablel.
As for taking the beads upon the
understanding that there is virtue in them as is believed by some of the Sufis
and their followers and for which reason you find them carrying these bulky
beads and wearing them around their necks, this enters into showing off (riyaa)
from one angle, and it has no foundation in the shariah
(from another), hence making use of it and employing it becomes from the
newly-introduced innovations.
Nur alaa al-Darb Fatawa Shaykh
Salih al-Fawzan (1/81) through al-Bida' wal-Muhdathaat (p. 343-344).
http://www.bing.com/search?q=The+Ruling+on+Using+Beads+for+Tasbeeh&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IETR02&conversationid=
3.0 RULING ON USING THE MASBAHAH (PRAYER BEADS)
Some
scholars say that it is permissible to use the masbahah (prayer beads), but
they say that it is preferable to do tasbeeh (count praises) on one’s fingers;
others say that it is bid’ah (reprehensible innovation).
Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fatawa (22/187): “Some of them might
show off by putting their prayer-mats over their shoulders and carrying their
masbahahs in their hands, making them symbols of religion and prayer. It is
known from the mutawatir reports (reports in such large numbers that they
couldn’t be forged) that neither the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) nor his Companions used these as symbols. They used to recite tasbeeh
and count on their fingers, as the hadeeth says: “Count on your fingers, for
they will be asked, and will be made to speak.” Some of them may count their
tasbeeh with pebbles or date stones. Some people say that doing tasbeeh with
the masbahah is makrooh (disliked), and some allow it, but no one says that
tasbeeh with the masbahah is better than tasbeeh with the fingers.” Then he
(may Allah have mercy on him) goes on to discuss the issue of showing off with
the masbahah, saying that it is showing off with regard to something that is
not prescribed by Islam, which is worse than showing off with regard to
something that is prescribed.
Al-Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen (al-Liqa al-Maftooh, 3/30) was asked
whether using the masbahah for tasbeeh is bid’ah, and his reply was: “It is
better not to do tasbeeh with the masbahah, but it is not bid’ah, because there
is a basis for it, which is the fact that some of the Sahabah (Companions) did
tasbeeh with pebbles. But the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) taught us that tasbeeh with the fingers is better, as he said, ‘Count with
the fingertips, for they will be made to speak.’ Doing tasbeeh with the
masbahah is not haram (impermissible) or bid’ah, but it is better not to do it,
because the one who does tasbeeh with the masbahah has shunned something
better. Using the masbahah may also be contaminated with some element of
showing off, because we see some people carrying masbahahs that contain a
thousand beads, as if they are telling people, ‘Look at me, I do a thousand
tasbeehs!’ Secondly, those who use the masbahah for tasbeeh are usually
absent-minded and not focused, so you see them doing tasbeeh with the beads,
but their gaze is wandering all over the place, which indicates that they are
not really concentrating. It is better to do tasbeeh with one’s fingers, preferably
using the right hand rather than the left, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) used to count his tasbeeh on his right hand. If
a person counts his tasbeeh using both hands, there is nothing wrong with that,
but it is better to use the right hand only.”
Al-Shaykh
Muhammad Nasir al-Deen al-Albani said in Al-Silsilat al-Da’eefah
(1/110), where he quotes the (weak) hadeeth “What a good reminder is the subhah
[masbahah],”
“In
my view, the meaning of this hadeeth is invalid for a number of reasons:
Firstly,
the subhah [masbahah] is bid’ah and was not known at the time of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). It happened after that, so how
could he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have encouraged his Sahabah
to do something that was unknown to them? The evidence for what I have said is
the report narrated by Ibn Waddah in Al-Bid’ wa’l-Nahy ‘anha from
al-Salt ibn Bahram, who said: ‘Ibn Mas’ood passed by a woman who had a
[masbahah] with which she was making tasbeeh, and he broke it and threw it
aside, then he passed by a man who was making tasbeeh with pebbles, and he
kicked him then said, “You think you are better than the Sahabah, but you are
following unjustified bid’ah! You think you have more knowledge than the
Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)!”’ Its isnad
(chain of transmission) is saheeh (authentic) to al-Salt, who is one of the
trustworthy (thiqah) followers of the Tabi’een (Successors).
Secondly,
it goes against the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him). ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘I saw the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) counting the
tasbeeh on his right hand.’”
He
also said (1/117): “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, even though
all are agreed that counting on the fingers is preferable, then that is bad
enough. How rarely I see people counting their tasbeeh on their fingers!
Moreover,
people have invented so many sophisticated ways of following this bid’ah, so
you see the followers of one of the [Sufi] tareeqahs (orders) wearing the
masbahah around their necks! Or some of them counting with the beads whilst
talking or listening to you! Or another one – the like of whom I have not seen
for some time – riding his bicycle through a street crowded with people, with
the masbahah in one of his hands! They are showing the people that they are not
distracted from the remembrance of Allah for even an instant, but in many cases
this bid’ah is a cause of their neglecting what is obligatory (wajib). It has
happened many times – to others as well as myself – that when I greet one of
these people with salam, they answer only by waving and not by saying the words
of the greeting. The bad results of this bid’ah are innumerable, and no one can
say it better than the poet:
‘All
goodness is in following that which went before (the salaf)
All
badness is in the innovations of those who came later.’”
And
Allah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
https://islamqa.info/en/3009
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