What is the ruling on the prayer beads?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on the prayer beads, O our Shaykh?
The Shaykh : If the prayer beads are used for glorifying Allah, they are a religious innovation (bid'ah). If they are used for fidgeting and playing with them, that is permissible fidgeting, except on the day of Friday.
The questioner : You mean during the sermon?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : I have a question.
The Shaykh : Before your question, I want to draw your attention to the fact that those who habitually fidget with prayer beads do so everywhere. I have not seen you, and I apologize for saying this, during the Friday sermon to bear witness to you, but if it is valid to compare the absent to the present, I say that it is as if I see you now that when the professor is delivering the sermon, you are fidgeting with the prayer beads.
The questioner : ... When I use them for glorifying Allah, I do not intend to show off ... .
The Shaykh : You are a bit far from me; we are trying to get closer to each other. When the professor is delivering the sermon, you are fidgeting with the prayer beads. Why? It is not a lack of interest in his sermon; it is that the prayer beads have enslaved you. This has become a habit. Is that clear?
The questioner: Yes, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Therefore, if the prayer beads are for glorifying Allah, we said they are a religious innovation (bid'ah), and you agree with us, right? Or not much?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Because I see you and our brother there, like each other, you listen to the speech a little like this, you think, and I like it when one thinks - laughsThe Shaykh : (may Allah have mercy on him) —
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : This is what I want; I want one to be deliberate. Do you see? And so do not think that I am criticizing you. On the contrary, I am pleased with your standing and that of the one there, because I do not want the answer to be rushed, except with deliberation and thought. But at the same time, I do not want the deliberation and thought to go to waste. We want to see the outcome of the matter, meaning what came out of this thinking; we want to see its result. So what came out with you now? Do you agree with us that the prayer beads for glorifying Allah are: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times, and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) thirty-three times, and after that, on the head, La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah (There is no deity but Allah alone, having no partner)?
The questioner : The point is
The Shaykh : The point is that this is a religious innovation (bid'ah). Why? Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to count the glorification of Allah with his right hand.
The questioner : Not even with the left hand, only with the right hand?
The Shaykh : Yes. And secondly, he said to some women, and he had passed by them: So you agree with us that you do not use the prayer beads for glorifying Allah, praising Him, and declaring His greatness, but if you use them for waving.
The questioner : You mean ... - laughsThe Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on him.
The Shaykh : Or do you use them for what?
The questioner : For nothing.
The Shaykh : If it is for nothing, then what do you want? If it is for nothing, leave it and do without it, because it is not a thing.
Abu Layla : It is permissible for its light color ... .
The Shaykh : You mean to ward off the evil eye - laughsThe Shaykh : And the students - Yes.
Al-Halabi : You mean, O our Shaykh, you mentioned the exception regarding the issue of the prayer beads. If one is fidgeting with them, meaning there is no harm. Now, if one is a role model and the distant person sees him and says this man or thisThe Shaykh : or this Sunni, meaning he is holding prayer beads, so consequently it is permissible, as you see many people now, meaning they take the ruling with the least amount of evidence.
The Shaykh : The least amount ...The Shaykh : So-and-so. Yes, it is not permissible at all in that case.
Al-Halabi : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you. Yes.
The Shaykh : If the prayer beads are used for glorifying Allah, they are a religious innovation (bid'ah). If they are used for fidgeting and playing with them, that is permissible fidgeting, except on the day of Friday.
The questioner : You mean during the sermon?
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : I have a question.
The Shaykh : Before your question, I want to draw your attention to the fact that those who habitually fidget with prayer beads do so everywhere. I have not seen you, and I apologize for saying this, during the Friday sermon to bear witness to you, but if it is valid to compare the absent to the present, I say that it is as if I see you now that when the professor is delivering the sermon, you are fidgeting with the prayer beads.
The questioner : ... When I use them for glorifying Allah, I do not intend to show off ... .
The Shaykh : You are a bit far from me; we are trying to get closer to each other. When the professor is delivering the sermon, you are fidgeting with the prayer beads. Why? It is not a lack of interest in his sermon; it is that the prayer beads have enslaved you. This has become a habit. Is that clear?
The questioner: Yes, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Therefore, if the prayer beads are for glorifying Allah, we said they are a religious innovation (bid'ah), and you agree with us, right? Or not much?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Because I see you and our brother there, like each other, you listen to the speech a little like this, you think, and I like it when one thinks - laughsThe Shaykh : (may Allah have mercy on him) —
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : This is what I want; I want one to be deliberate. Do you see? And so do not think that I am criticizing you. On the contrary, I am pleased with your standing and that of the one there, because I do not want the answer to be rushed, except with deliberation and thought. But at the same time, I do not want the deliberation and thought to go to waste. We want to see the outcome of the matter, meaning what came out of this thinking; we want to see its result. So what came out with you now? Do you agree with us that the prayer beads for glorifying Allah are: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times, and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) thirty-three times, and after that, on the head, La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah (There is no deity but Allah alone, having no partner)?
The questioner : The point is
The Shaykh : The point is that this is a religious innovation (bid'ah). Why? Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to count the glorification of Allah with his right hand.
The questioner : Not even with the left hand, only with the right hand?
The Shaykh : Yes. And secondly, he said to some women, and he had passed by them:
O women of the believers, remember Allah and do not be heedless so that you forget mercy, and count with your fingers, for they will be questioned and asked.
يا نساء المؤمنات اذكرن الله ولا تغفلن فتنسين الرحمة ، واعقدن بالأنامل فإنهن مسئولات ومستنطقاتThe questioner : You mean ... - laughsThe Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on him.
The Shaykh : Or do you use them for what?
The questioner : For nothing.
The Shaykh : If it is for nothing, then what do you want? If it is for nothing, leave it and do without it, because it is not a thing.
Abu Layla : It is permissible for its light color ... .
The Shaykh : You mean to ward off the evil eye - laughsThe Shaykh : And the students - Yes.
Al-Halabi : You mean, O our Shaykh, you mentioned the exception regarding the issue of the prayer beads. If one is fidgeting with them, meaning there is no harm. Now, if one is a role model and the distant person sees him and says this man or thisThe Shaykh : or this Sunni, meaning he is holding prayer beads, so consequently it is permissible, as you see many people now, meaning they take the ruling with the least amount of evidence.
The Shaykh : The least amount ...The Shaykh : So-and-so. Yes, it is not permissible at all in that case.
Al-Halabi : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you. Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.