I made a tasbih consisting of five hundred beads, and I recite the dhikr on it one thousand or two thousand times a day. I am unable to recite the dhikr on my fingers because I make mistakes and do not know the count, and I get bored on that day.

The questioner : I made a tasbih consisting of five hundred beads, and I recite the dhikr on it one thousand or two thousand times a day. I am unable to recite the dhikr on my fingers because I make mistakes and do not know the count, and I get bored on that day. Is this tasbih a religious innovation or not?

The Shaykh : The tasbih is not a religious innovation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by women who were reciting dhikr with pebbles, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Thus, the Sunnah has clarified the ruling on reciting dhikr with something other than the fingers, and that the preferred method is reciting dhikr with the fingers. So it is preferred for a person to recite dhikr with his fingers, and if he is unable to count with his fingers, there is no harm in reciting dhikr with pebbles or a tasbih, but on the condition that he avoids showing off (riya') in this by not reciting dhikr with it in front of people at times other than the prescribed times for dhikr, so that people are impressed by him and he fears showing off in this situation.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.