View source for Misbaha

{{Cleanup|date=July 2025|reason=over uses Persian terms, uses plain text as headlines, and other mistakes.}}
{{Short description|Muslim prayer beads}}
{{distinguish|Misbah|Msabbaha}}
[[File:Masbaha.jpg|thumbnail|right|A black misbaha]]
{{wikt | misbaha}}A '''''misbaha''''' ({{langx|ar|مِسْبَحَة|misbaḥa}}), '''''subḥa''''' ({{langx|ar|سُبْحَة|links=no}}) Gulf countries people call it Mesbah (Arabic: مِسْبَاَحْ) (Arabic and [[Urdu]]), '''''tusbaḥ''''' ([[Somali language|Somali]]), '''''tasbīḥ''''' ({{langx|ar|تَسْبِيح|links=no}}) ([[Iran]], [[India]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Pakistan]], [[Malaysia]] and [[Indonesia]]), or '''''tespih''''' ([[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]] and [[Albanian language|Albanian]]) is a set of [[prayer beads]] often used by [[Muslims]] for the {{lang | ar | [[tasbih]]}}, the recitation of [[prayer]]s (the {{lang | ar | [[dhikr]]}}), as well as to glorify [[Allah]].<ref name="Netton">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J6JlAgAAQBAJ&q=misbaha&pg=PT554 |title=Encyclopedia of Islamic Civilization and Religion |last=Netton |first=Ian Richard |date=2013-12-19 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135179670 |language=en}}</ref> It resembles the ''[[japamala]]'' used in [[Hinduism]], [[Jainism]], [[Sikhism]], and [[Buddhism]], or the [[rosary]] used in [[Catholicism]]. The Arab/Iranian/Turkish and their neighbors put a lot of care as to what materials are used, generally being gems, beads and so forth.

==Parts==
===Tessel===
Tessel/التأصيله. Some people call it karkoshah/ الكركوشه and some call it shrabah/شرابه and tamlikah/تمليكه.

They make it from cotton or other fabrics in different colors, different lengths and designs or use some grade of sterling silver with some design like Turkish people. They merge with other parts too.

Al Shahid/الشَاَهِدْ or alm'athnah/المِئْذَنَةْ is usually the longest part of the mesbah and the maker puts his signature on it. They are made from the same material as beads or, like some Turks, they do it from silver some time, and they put some symbols of flags or crescents or stars sometimes, and some people like a wide shahid or thin and long.

===Beads===
Beads/الخَرَزْ (Alkharaz)

The beads vary in shape, like corn shape/ذَرَوِيْ

===Barrel===
Barrel/بِرْمِيِلْيِ (birmelli) or بَرَاَمِيِلْيِ (barramili) and shape vary also from box shape/صِنْدُوُقِيِ (sandooqi) to round/دائري (daeiri) and also there more than 10 shape or even more like pigeon egg/بِيْضْ الحَمَاَمْ (baith alhamam) and every shape had sub shapes too.

Commas/الفَوَاَصِلْ (Al fawasel) or they call it Interpretations /التَفَاَسِيِرْ (altfaser). These small beads are separate every 11 beads for 33 beads. For example, it's two usually no matter how many beads in your hand it has a special design or from silver sometimes, or you can see them by the shape only.

===Materials===
Materials/الخَاَمَةْ (Al khamah)

Usually, the famous stone is always Amber الكَهْرَمَاَنْ (Al Kahrman) and is the most valued one for age-effect reasons and change of colors when using these materials, and many of them are valued excluding some asian (less aged stones)

Also, Ivory العَاَجْ (Al a'aj) and later they forbade it after some news of the almost extinction of some animals and smugglers of that material. 

Also, there are industrial materials and semi-industrial materials like backlit faturan and sandaluse. And all the materials are special in their own way: color patterns, clarity or impurities. 

Also, the most respected job is for crafters. 

And almost every muslim country has a famous crafter. They do it with simple tools and machinery, so the hand touch very special. 

And they call them Master/الاُسْتَاَذْ or اُسْطَىَ (Üsta).

==Use==
A misbaḥah is a tool that is used as an aid to perform [[dhikr]], including the [[names of God in Islam]], and after [[namaz|regular prayer]].<ref name="Netton"/> It is often made of [[wood]]en or [[plastic]] beads, but also of [[olive]] seeds, [[ivory]], [[pearl]]s, and semi-precious stones such as [[carnelian]], [[onyx]], and [[amber]]. 

A typical misbahah consists of three groups of beads, separated by two distinct beads (called ''imām''s) along with one larger piece (called the ''yad'') to serve as the handle.<ref name="Wensinck 1997"/> The exact number may vary, but they usually consist of 99 beads to assist in the glorification of God following prayers: 33 [[Subhan Allah|Tasbeeh]] (subhāna-llāh ), 33 [[Alhamdulillah|Tahmeed]] (ʾal-ḥamdu li-llāh), and 34 [[Takbir|Takbeer]] (ʾAllāhu ʾakbar). Some suggest the 99 beads also refer to the [[99 names of Allah]]. Smaller misbahas consist of 33 beads, in which case one cycles through them three times to complete 99. However, misbahas may also consist of 100 or 200-count beads to assist in the [[dhikr]] duties of certain [[Sufi order]]s.

It is often carried by pilgrims, [[dervish]]es, and many ordinary Muslims of all groups, however some consider it heretical innovation (''[[bid'ah]]'') and only allow dhikrs to be counted on the fingers.<ref name="Wensinck 1997">{{cite book |last1=Wensinck |first1=A.J. |editor1-last=Bosworth |editor1-first=C.E. |editor2-last=van Donzel |editor2-first=E. |editor3-last=Heinrichs |editor3-first=W.P. |editor4-last=Lecomte |editor4-first=G. |title=The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. IX (SAN-SZE) |date=1997 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |isbn=90-04-10422-4 |pages=741=2 |url=https://ia600603.us.archive.org/14/items/EncyclopaediaDictionaryIslamMuslimWorldEtcGibbKramerScholars.13/09.EncycIslam.NewEdPrepNumLeadOrient.EdEdComCon.BosDonHeinLec.etc.UndPatIUA.v9.San-Sze.Leid.EJBrill.1997..pdf |access-date=18 May 2022 |chapter=SUBḤA}}</ref> Many Shi'is use beads made from clay from [[Karbala]], sometimes colored red in memory of the martyred [[Imam Husayn]]'s blood or green in memory of his brother [[Hasan ibn Ali|Hasan]] (who supposedly turned green from poisoning).<ref name="Wensinck 1997"/>

Misbahahs are also used culturally to [[worry beads|reduce stress]] or as an indication of status in society.

[[File:Qur'an and tespih.jpg|250px|thumbnail|Qurʾan and Misbaha]]

==History==
In the early Muslim era, prayers were counted on fingers or with pebbles.

According to the 17th-century [[Shia]] cleric ʻ[[Allamah|Allāmah]] [[Muhammad Baqir Majlisi]], after the 625CE [[Battle of Uhud|Battle of Uḥud]], [[Fatimah bint Muhammad|Fāṭimah]] (the daughter of [[Muhammad]]) would visit the Martyrs' graveyard every two or three days, and then made a misbaḥah of [[Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib|Ḥamzah ibn ʻAbd al-Muṭṭalib's]] grave-soil. After that, people started making and using ''misbaḥahs''.{{Citation needed|date= December 2008}}

Some ''[[hadiths]]'' state the benefit of using the fingers of the right hand to count tasbīḥ following regular prayers.<ref>
Narrated Yusayrah, mother of Yasir: The Prophet (saw) commanded them (the women emigrants) to be regular (in remembering [[Allah]] by saying): "Allah is most great"; "Glory be to the King, the Holy"; "there is no god but Allah"; and that they should count them on fingers, for they (the fingers) will be questioned and asked to speak. (Book #8, Hadith #1496)
</ref>

The practice of using misbahahs most likely originated among [[Sufi]]s and poor people.<ref name="Wensinck 1997"/> Opposition to the practice is known from as late as the 15th century, when [[al-Suyuti]] wrote an ''[[apologia]]'' for it.<ref name="Wensinck 1997"/>

==Misbaha of Fatima Al-Zahra==
The Mesbaha of [[Fatimah|Fatima Al-Zahra]], is recommended among Muslims, especially [[Shiite]] (Shia) sect of Islam. The Tasbih of Zahra is as follows: Allahu Akbar is recited 34 times, Alhamdulillah is recited 33 times, and Subhan Allah is recited 33 times. [[Muhammad ibn Abdullah]] taught this dhikr to his daughter (Fatima Al-Zahra).<ref>[https://www.imna.ir/news/704375/%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AD%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%B3-%D8%B2%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D9%81%D8%B6%DB%8C%D9%84%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA-%D9%88-%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%86%DB%8C تسبیحات حضرت زهرا (س) + زیارت، فضیلت برای حاجت و معنی Tasbih of Hazrat Zahra (peace be upon her) + Ziarat, virtues based on need and meaning]</ref>

==See also==

* [[Prayer beads]]
** [[Rosary]]
** [[Prayer rope]]
** [[Kombolói]]
** [[Japamala]]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Tasbih1924.jpg|Misbaha, dated 1909 (1327 AH)
File:Tespih (fcm).jpg|Blue Misbaha
File:Big and small of it (306438345).jpg|Colorful Misbaha
File:Tasbih of Silver.JPG|Tasbih of Silver
File:Istanbul Prayer beads museum dec 2018 0340b.jpg|Istanbul Prayer beads museum Portrait painted beads
File:Istanbul Prayer beads museum dec 2018 0364.jpg|Istanbul Prayer beads museum Amberoid beads
</gallery>

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last1=Dubin|first1=Lois Sherr|title=The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present|date=2009|publisher=Abrams|location=New York|pages=79–92|edition=Rev. and expanded|chapter=Prayer Beads|isbn=9780810951747}}
* {{cite book|last1=Henry|first1=Gray|last2=Marriott|first2=Susannah|title=Beads of Faith: Pathways to Meditation and Spirituality Using Rosaries, Prayer Beads and Sacred Words|date=2008|publisher=Fons Vitae|location=Louisville, Ky.|isbn=9781887752954}}
* {{cite book|last1=Majlesi|first1=Mohammad Baqer|author-link1=Muhammad Baqir Majlisi|title=[[Bihar al-Anwar|Biḥār al-Anwār]]|volume=110|pages=133, 64|language=Arabic}}
* {{cite book|last1=Untracht|first1=Oppi|title=Traditional Jewelry of India|date=2008|publisher=Thames & Hudson|location=New York|pages=69–73|chapter=Rosaries of India|isbn=9780500287491}}
* {{cite book|last1=Wiley|first1=Eleanor|last2=Shannon|first2=Maggie Oman|title=A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads|date=2002|publisher=Red Wheel/Weiser|location=Boston|isbn=1590030109|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781590030103}}

==External links==
* [http://www.farsinet.com/tasbih/ History of the Tasbih in Iran]

{{Sufism terminology}}
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[[Category:Islamic culture]]
[[Category:Prayer beads]]
[[Category:Islamic terminology]]