Which is better: counting the tasbih with a misbaha or with the fingers?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Which is better: concluding the prayer with a misbaha or with the fingers?
The Shaykh : Concluding the prayer? It would have been better if the question had been: Is it better to count the tasbih with the fingers or with a misbaha?
It is better to count the tasbih with the fingers, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to count the tasbih with the fingers of his right hand. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to some of the women among the Companions:.
As for counting with a misbaha, although it is permissible, it has some harms, among which are:
That it may lead to showing off, especially with those who display their misbahas in front of people and count them in front of them, especially if the misbaha has many beads, as if they are saying to people, "We are glorifying Allah by the number of these beads."
And because a person may be counting with the misbaha while his heart is inattentive, whereas counting with the fingers is closer to the presence of the heart than counting with the misbaha.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Concluding the prayer? It would have been better if the question had been: Is it better to count the tasbih with the fingers or with a misbaha?
It is better to count the tasbih with the fingers, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to count the tasbih with the fingers of his right hand. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to some of the women among the Companions:
Tie them with your fingers, for they are the ones that will be questioned.
اعقدن بالأنامل فإنهن مستنطقاتAs for counting with a misbaha, although it is permissible, it has some harms, among which are:
That it may lead to showing off, especially with those who display their misbahas in front of people and count them in front of them, especially if the misbaha has many beads, as if they are saying to people, "We are glorifying Allah by the number of these beads."
And because a person may be counting with the misbaha while his heart is inattentive, whereas counting with the fingers is closer to the presence of the heart than counting with the misbaha.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.