Muslim Prayer Beads (Tasbih or Subha)

 
 

  • Muslim Rosary
    "In India, a Muslim rosary is called subhah in Persian, or tasbih, in Arabic. Counting the rosary is termed, in Urdu, subhah gardani, or tasbih parna. If the reciter (A: tasbihkhwan, singer of praises to Allah) does this at least each morning and night, as the Prophet said, he or she atones for that person's sins […] "

    Rosaries of India » Traditional Jewelry of India
    Oppi Untracht (2008) Thames & Hudson, Inc.

  • Muslim Tasbih
    "'Worship is the pillar of religion,' proclaimed the Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE). Salat, or prayer, is one of the Five Pillars, or essential rites, upholding Islam. Performed five times a day (at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall), prayer punctuates the rhythms of daily life with continual opportunities to come before God […] "

    Beads of Faith: Pathways to Meditation and Spirituality Using Rosaries, Prayer Beads and Sacred Words
    Gray Henry and Susannah Marriott (2008) Fons Vitae Publishing

  • Islamic Beads
    "The Muslims probably derived the concept of prayer beads from the Buddhists. When this happened, however, is uncertain. Called subha, meaning 'to exalt,' the Islamic rosary has ninety-nine counting beads in addition to an elongated terminal one, known as the Iman or 'Leader,' 'pillar,' or 'minaret.' […] "

    History of Prayer Beads » The History of Beads: From 100,000 B.C. to the Present
    Lois Sherr Dubin (2009) Abrams Publishers, Inc.

  • Islamic Subha
    "Called subha, from the Arabic to praise, the Muslim rosary has 99 beads, one for each name of Allah found in the Koran. It is believed that whoever recites these 99 names—as well as the phrase Glory to Allah on the long bead known as the Imam or leader bead—will get into heaven. The subha is strung with markers […] "

    Dharma Beads: Making and Using Your Own Buddhist Malas
    Joanna Arettam (2000) Journey Editions; Tuttle Publishing

  • Islam
    "Prayer beads are also used by Muslims. No one knows exactly when or how prayer beads entered this faith tradition, although scholars believe that prayer bead use in Islam was adopted from Buddhism. Muslims use strings of 33 or 99 beads with one "leader" bead, which represent the 99 names of Allah […] "

    Religious Use of Beads » Prayer Bead Traditions » A String & A Prayer: How to Make & Use Prayer Beads
    Eleanor Wiley and Maggie Oman Shannon (2007) Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC