Question:
What is the ruling on using the electronic Misbahah (pray beeds) to count Tasbīh?
Answer:
This now has spread more than the old pray beeds; But Tasbīh with it is by pressing a button and it counts and he looks after how much he has done, 100 Tasbīh.
So we advise with Tasbīh with the fingers, fingertips as the Prophet ﷺ and his companions used to do and all those who were in the previous generations, the forerunners, these Misbahahs were not popular amongst them for there is no asl for it, not the electronic Misbahah (or other than it), its a type like the watch, he places it on his finger and he just presses it, Subhāna Allāh, Subhāna Allāh, like that, after that he looks how much Tasbīh he has done, Allāh said;
(أَنِّى لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَٰمِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰۖ)
“Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female.”
[Āal-Imrān, 195]
Yes, counting is requested, for example He said: 100 times;
“Lā ilāha Illa Allāh Wahdahu Lā Sharīk Lahu ul-Hamdu wa Huwa Ala Kulli Shay’in Qadīr”
33 times after every Salāh,
معقبات لا يخيب قائلهن دبر كل صلاة ثلاث و ثلاثون تسبيحة ثلاث و ثلاثون تحميدة و ثلاث وثلاثون تكبيرة
“There are some words, the one who says them will never be disappointed, saying after every prayer Tasbīh thirty-three times, Tahmīd thirty-three times and Takbīr thirty-three times.” [Muslim]
Counting is requested, but this is something easy, what has come concerning numbers then count, like 100 times in the beginning of the morning;
“Lā ilāha Illa Allāh Wahdahu Lā Sharīk Lahu ul-Hamdu wa HuwaAla Kulli Shay’in Qadīr”
And what there has not come a number concerning it doesn’t require for you to count, for example you are in your car or on your way to somewhere, just do Tasbīh, and it is recorded with Allāh, as Allāh said;
(وَوَجَدُوا۟ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ حَاضِرًاۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا)
“And they will find all that they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one with injustice.” [Al-Kahf, 49]
Allāh will not waste the weight of an atom.
Allāh said,
(أَنِّى لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَٰمِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰۖ)
“Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female.” [Āal-Imrān, 195]
For the numbering has not come in every Tasbīh, Tahmīd and Tahlīl, is it that you must know how much Tasbīh or Takbīr you have done? It is not a must. What has come concerning numbers count: 33 times after every Salāh, 33 times Tasbīh, 33 times Tahmīd, 33 times Takbīr. Also what has come is counting 10 and 100.
But, is it a must that you know how much Tasbīh you’ve done while you are on your travels? How much Tasbīh you’ve done while you are on your bed? How much Tahlīl you’ve done in a day? It is not a must that you count all of it.
So what has come with numbers by the text count it, and it is easy for you to do it with your hand, SubhānAllāh, SubhānAllāh…this is ten, do Tasbīh with your right hand opening and closing ten times, and you keep count of the number with the other hand, so if you reach this one (the middle finger) you know you’ve completed 30, then another three on top, this is known, like this until 100.
It is easy to count ,so we are not in need of the Misbahah that the Prophet ﷺ or his companions did not do.
For indeed the Prophet ﷺ saw some of his wives and she was using pebbles so he ordered her to do Tasbīh with her fingertips, is this understood?
Ya’nī, not every dhikr from the adhkār needs to be counted, you read Qurān for example, are you in need of knowing how many letters you read?
(ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّين)ِ
“All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Ālamīn.ِThe Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).” [Al-Fātihah, 1-3]
It is enough that for every letter there is a Hasanah, and a Hasanah is by ten fold, there has not come counting concerning this, how many letters for me to know how many Hasanahs? And I times this by this.
It is recorded with Allāh;
(أَنِّى لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَٰمِلٍ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰۖ)
“Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female.”
[Āal-Imrān, 195]
This counting when you found them (those who later on became the Khawārij) saying do Tasbīh 100 times, do Tahmīd 100 times, do Takbīr 100 times, Ya’nī like this, with the fact that it has come with the wording 33 times, but in this way? and this gathering? and one is ordering and saying do this, do that in a loud voice?
It’s conclusion may Allāh preserve you:
That what has been numbered we count, what has come in the authentic evidence that it is to be counted you count it, like:
Morning Adhkār, Evening Adhkār, like reading (Qul Huwa Allāhu Ahad) 3 times in the morning and the evening, before sleeping, like this you do, three times you join your hands while leaving and opening then read (Qul Huwa Allāhu Ahad) and (Qul A’uthu bir-Rabb il-Falaq) and (Qul A’uthu bir-Rabb in-Nās) and repeat it, doing that 3 times, this you count it because a number has come concerning it,
As for those that remember Allāh while standing or sitting or lying down and ponder over the heavens and the earth (the creation of Allāh) this one is not able to count, nor has counting come in the established evidence from the dhikr of Allāh, how many times today have you done Tasbīh? How many times today….ect?
You are ordered with the dhikr of Allāh generally, Allāh Ta’āla said,
(فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ)
“Then when the Jumu’ah (prayer) is finished, you may disperse through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allāh, and remember Allāh much, that you may be successful.” [Al-Jumuah, 10]
So you stay on your bed counting? It is not a must to count, just do Tasbīh, just read the Qurān, and it is counted with Allāh how many Hasanāt, ya’nī (do) we need a computer to come and tell us how many letters did I read now in the Sūrah? And you return to ‘It’qān of Suyūtī and how many letter are in the Qurān, and how many letters are in this Sūrah, Tayyib, times it now by that, and a letter is ten Hasanāt, and how many Hasanāt do I have and likeso.
Count your sins! Allāh knows best how many tons you have and burdens, as for what Ibn Mas’ūd said may Allāh be pleased with him said:
فأنا ضامن أن لا يضيع من حسناتهم شيء
“For I guarantee that nothing from their good deeds will escape them.”
Answered by: Shaykh, the Allamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu Abdirrahman Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri – may Allah preserve him
Translated by: Abū ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi
Source: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/6696