Is a specific number required for the beads of the misbaha?
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Question:
He says: I have a misbaha with more than two hundred beads, and some people tell me, “I hope you will reduce it to ninety-nine.” Is there any dislike in having more? I ask for your guidance in this matter.
Answer:
First, regarding the use of the misbaha for dhikr, there is a distinction. If one believes that the misbaha has a special merit, that is a mistake, for there is no special merit in the misbaha. However, if one believes it has no special merit and uses it only to count the tasbih, just as one counts with pebbles or with one’s fingers, then there is no harm in that, and there is no blame in the number of beads being one hundred, ninety, ninety-five, or more or less than that; there is no harm in that. But despite all this, counting the tasbih with the fingers is better. Yes.
He says: I have a misbaha with more than two hundred beads, and some people tell me, “I hope you will reduce it to ninety-nine.” Is there any dislike in having more? I ask for your guidance in this matter.
Answer:
First, regarding the use of the misbaha for dhikr, there is a distinction. If one believes that the misbaha has a special merit, that is a mistake, for there is no special merit in the misbaha. However, if one believes it has no special merit and uses it only to count the tasbih, just as one counts with pebbles or with one’s fingers, then there is no harm in that, and there is no blame in the number of beads being one hundred, ninety, ninety-five, or more or less than that; there is no harm in that. But despite all this, counting the tasbih with the fingers is better. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 5681- لا يشترط عدد معين في خرزات المسبحة؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.