What is the ruling on making dhikr with a misbaha?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Using the fingers is better. It is better for three reasons: The first is that it is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided to. He said: .
The second is that it is further removed from showing off, because many of those who use misbahas have showing off in their hearts. Therefore, you find them wearing them, meaning they put them around their necks, as if they are saying to people, "Look at us, we make dhikr a lot."
The third is that it is more conducive to the presence of the heart. Making dhikr with the hand, with the fingers, is more conducive to the presence of the heart, because you see now those who make dhikr with misbahas have arranged them according to the number they want. If they want a hundred, they make it a hundred. If they want a thousand, they make it a thousand. So you find him making dhikr one, one, one, one, and he is very heedless. He looks at the people going and coming, and he is counting these beads. So the heart becomes heedless of the remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). For these three reasons, we say: Making dhikr with the fingertips is better, and making dhikr with the fingertips is counting with them. Meaning, like this: Subhan Allah, and he folds the little finger; Alhamdulillah, and he folds the ring finger; Allahu Akbar, and he folds the middle finger. And the meaning is not that he throws his thumb over every finger, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And counting among the Arabs is not counting the number with the fingertips. Rather, it is a specific manner of the fingers. Yes.
The student : Is it on the right only, or on the right and the left?
The Shaykh : It is better that it be with the right, meaning with the right hand is better. And if he makes dhikr with both hands, he is to be reminded of what is better. And it is said that it is better to count with the right. Yes. Yes.
Tie them with your fingers, for they are the ones that will be questioned.
اعقدن بالأنامل فإنهن مستنطقاتThe second is that it is further removed from showing off, because many of those who use misbahas have showing off in their hearts. Therefore, you find them wearing them, meaning they put them around their necks, as if they are saying to people, "Look at us, we make dhikr a lot."
The third is that it is more conducive to the presence of the heart. Making dhikr with the hand, with the fingers, is more conducive to the presence of the heart, because you see now those who make dhikr with misbahas have arranged them according to the number they want. If they want a hundred, they make it a hundred. If they want a thousand, they make it a thousand. So you find him making dhikr one, one, one, one, and he is very heedless. He looks at the people going and coming, and he is counting these beads. So the heart becomes heedless of the remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). For these three reasons, we say: Making dhikr with the fingertips is better, and making dhikr with the fingertips is counting with them. Meaning, like this: Subhan Allah, and he folds the little finger; Alhamdulillah, and he folds the ring finger; Allahu Akbar, and he folds the middle finger. And the meaning is not that he throws his thumb over every finger, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Count with the fingertips
اعقدن بالأناملThe student : Is it on the right only, or on the right and the left?
The Shaykh : It is better that it be with the right, meaning with the right hand is better. And if he makes dhikr with both hands, he is to be reminded of what is better. And it is said that it is better to count with the right. Yes. Yes.