Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ed., Islamic 

Spirituality: Foundations (New York: Crossroad, 1987); 

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Hamid Dabashi, and Seyyed Vali 

Reza Nasr, eds., Shiism: Doctrines, Thought, and Spiritual-

ity (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1988); 

Jacob Neusner, Tamara Sonn, and Jonathan E. Brockopp, 

Judaism and Islam in Practice: A Sourcebook (London: 

Routledge, 2000); Constance E. Padwick, Muslim Devo-

tions: A Study of Prayer-Manuals in Common Use (1961. 

Reprint, Rockport, Mass.: Oneworld, 1996); Muhammad 

A. Rauf, Islam: Creed and Worship (Washington, D.C.: 

The Islamic Center, 1974); John Renard, Seven Doors 

to Islam: Spirituality and the Religious Life of Muslims

(Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996).

prayer beads

Muslims use prayer beads like a Catholic rosary 

as a devotional aid to count recitations performed 

during private worship. Known as the subha, 

tasbih, or misbaha, prayer beads are widely used 

by Muslims from all parts of the Islamic world. 

Use of beads in prayer and devotional practices 

began as early as the ninth century. The subha is 

composed of either a short single string of beads 

or a long strand divided into three groups sepa-

rated by larger marker beads with a short handle 

at the end. The beads are most often arranged in 

groups of 11, 33, or 99 but the number may vary 

if the handle or marker beads are intended to be 

included in counting. In practice 100 beads must 

be counted in reciting the 99 

names

 

oF

 g

od

, most 

of which are mentioned in the q

Uran

, and his 

essential name a

llah

. Prayer beads are also used 

in other recitation practices such as repetitions of 

the phrase la ilaha illa allah, (there is no god but 

God). Sufis often employ prayer beads in their 

recitation practices.

All Muslims are encouraged to constantly have 

the name of God on their lips, and some choose 

to always keep a set of beads in their hand for 

this purpose. Some scholars historically discour-

aged the use of prayer beads based on reports in 

the 

hadith

. In these reports m

Uhammad

 (d. 632) 

K  558  

prayer beads

---

encouraged using the joints of the fingers to 

count recitations, though using pebbles and knots 

in a string are also mentioned as acceptable. In 

modern times Wahhabi scholars and some other 

Muslims have renewed the debate by denouncing 

the use of prayer beads as 

bidaa

, a religious inno-

vation introduced after the time of Muhammad. 

Nevertheless prayer beads remain an important 

part of worship for many Muslims.

See also 

dhikr

; 

prayer

; s

UFism

; W

ahhabism

.

Shauna Huffaker