What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your opinion, regarding the misbaha? Many people use it to recite dhikr after finishing the prayer.
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your opinion, regarding the misbaha? Many of us use it to recite dhikr after finishing the prayer.
The Shaykh : The best and most preferable thing for a person is to count the dhikr with his fingertips, i.e., with his fingers, and let it be with the right hand, for that is better than reciting dhikr with the right and left hand. This is how the Sunnah came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He commanded that dhikr and tasbih be counted with the fingertips, and he said:, Sunan Ibn Majah 926Hasan (Darussalam).
As for tasbih with the misbaha, it contains matters that are contrary to the Sunnah, and they are:
First: It is a contradiction of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he guided regarding counting tasbih with the fingertips.
Second: This misbaha may sometimes lead to showing off (riya'), especially in those we see wearing them around their necks like necklaces. They put a thousand beads in them and wear them around their necks as if they are saying to people, "Look at us, for we recite dhikr a thousand times." So there is something of showing off in it. I do not say that everyone who uses it is a show-off, no, but I say that it may lead to showing off.
Third: If a person uses this misbaha to count tasbih, the common outcome is that he loses the presence of the heart. You find him relying on these specific counted beads, passing them one by one, while his heart is heedless. For this reason, we see these people who recite dhikr with the misbaha; we see their eyes moving around the people passing by them, and their lips moving with tasbih. And what appears, and Allah knows best, is that their hearts are heedless and attached to what they are looking at, since the heart generally follows the gaze. For this reason, I say that it is better for a person not to recite dhikr with the misbaha, but to count with the fingertips as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided to that. And Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : The best and most preferable thing for a person is to count the dhikr with his fingertips, i.e., with his fingers, and let it be with the right hand, for that is better than reciting dhikr with the right and left hand. This is how the Sunnah came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He commanded that dhikr and tasbih be counted with the fingertips, and he said:
They are those who are distracted
إنهم مستنطقاتI saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) counting them on his hand
وكان صلى الله عليه وسلم يعقد التسبيح بيمينهAs for tasbih with the misbaha, it contains matters that are contrary to the Sunnah, and they are:
First: It is a contradiction of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in what he guided regarding counting tasbih with the fingertips.
Second: This misbaha may sometimes lead to showing off (riya'), especially in those we see wearing them around their necks like necklaces. They put a thousand beads in them and wear them around their necks as if they are saying to people, "Look at us, for we recite dhikr a thousand times." So there is something of showing off in it. I do not say that everyone who uses it is a show-off, no, but I say that it may lead to showing off.
Third: If a person uses this misbaha to count tasbih, the common outcome is that he loses the presence of the heart. You find him relying on these specific counted beads, passing them one by one, while his heart is heedless. For this reason, we see these people who recite dhikr with the misbaha; we see their eyes moving around the people passing by them, and their lips moving with tasbih. And what appears, and Allah knows best, is that their hearts are heedless and attached to what they are looking at, since the heart generally follows the gaze. For this reason, I say that it is better for a person not to recite dhikr with the misbaha, but to count with the fingertips as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided to that. And Allah knows best.