Stop This Kind of Bid'ah

Masbahah (Prayer Beads)

Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani said in Al-Silsilat al-Da’eefah (1/110), where he quotes the (weak) Hadith “What a good reminder is the subhah [masbahah]”:

”In my view, the meaning of this hadeeth is invalid for a number of reasons:

Firstly, the subhah [masbahah (prayer beads) is bid’ah and was not known at the time of the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salam). It happened after that, so how could he (sallahu alayhi wa salam) have encouraged his Sahabah to do something that was unknown to them?

The evidence for what I have said is the report narrated by Ibn Waddaah in Al-Bid’ wa’l-Nahy ‘anhaa from al-Salt ibn Bahraam, who said:

"Ibn Mas’ood passed by a woman who had a [masbahah] with which she was making tasbeeh, and he broke it and threw it aside, then he passed by a man who was making tasbeeh with pebbles, and he kicked him then said, “You think you are better than the Sahabah, but you are following unjustified bid’ah! You think you have more knowledge than the Companions of Muhammad (sallahu alayhi wa salam)!”’

Its isnaad is saheeh to al-Salt, who is one of the trustworthy (thiqah) followers of the Taabi’een.

* Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (Rahimullah) said in al-Fataawa (22/187):

“Some of them might show off by putting their prayer-mats over their shoulders and carrying their masbahahs (prayer beads) in their hands, making them symbols of religion and prayer. It is known from the mutawaatir reports that neither the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salam) nor his Companions (RadiaAllahu anhum) used these as symbols. They used to recite tasbeeh and count on their fingers, as the hadeeth says:

“Count on your fingers, for they will asked, and will be made to speak"

Allah Said:

"This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn."

[Al-Qur'an 36:65]

"When they meet you they say: We believe and when they are alone bite their fingertips at you from rage." [Al-Qur'an 3:119]

The Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam said:

عَلَيْكُنَّ بِالتَّسْبِيحِ وَالتَّهْلِيلِ وَالتَّقْدِيسِ وَاعْقِدْنَ بِالْأَنَامِلِ فَإِنَّهُنَّ مَسْئُولَاتٌ مُسْتَنْطَقَاتٌ وَلَا تَغْفُلْنَ فَتَنْسَيْنَ الرَّحْمَةَ 

"Upon you [the women] is the tasbih, tahlil, and taqdees [that is subhan Allah Malik al Quddus or Subbuh Quddus Rubb Malaaika wa ruh] and count them with the finger tips for they will be questioned and will speak."

[Reported by Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood and other Saheeh according to Shaikh Al Albani]

And Allah knows best.