Islamic Prayer Beads or Subha or Misbaha

Islamic Prayer Beads or Subha or Misbaha

Prayer

Islamic Prayer beads, also known as Subhas or Misbahas are used by Muslims to help count recitations and/or concentrate on their personal prayers. There are typically 33 or 99 beads on a Subha that aid Muslims in reciting the 99 names of Allah, or phrases that glorify God. Some Muslims hang the beads in their homes, near young children or in their car believing that the beads will protect them from harm. 

Check out the High Library for more information. 

Check out some sacred texts that relate to the artifact.  

Source:
Eleanor Wiley and Maggie Oman Shannon, A String and a Prayer: How to Make and Use Prayer Beads (Boston, MA: Red Wheel/Weiser, 2002).

Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, USA)

Dr. William V. Puffenberger

Elizabethtown College retains all intellectual property rights to this image including, but not limited to, digital rights and any derivative works. For permission for reproduction, please contact the College’s Administrative Assistant for Humanities.

The red beads with metal detailing are smaller than that of the black on wood beads. The black beads have a small red tassel at the end of the beads.

Wooden beads: 18 in X 1 in (45.7 cm X 2.5 cm)
Red beads: 8.5 in X 0.5 in (21.6 cm X 1.3 cm)
Black beads: 18 in X 0.75 in ( 45.7 cm X 1.9 cm)

Physical Object

Puffenberger #170

Turkey