What is the ruling of doing tasbeeh with the masbahah (the rosary beads)?

Answered by our Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, the Sincere Adviser, Abu ‘Abdirrahman Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajoori – may Allaah preserve him –

Question:

What is the ruling of doing tasbeeh with the masbahah (the rosary beads)?

Answer:

The hadeeth in doing tasbeeh with the masbahah is not authentic from the Prophet ﷺ, and the hadeeth of doing the tasbeeh with rocks is weak due to there being unknown narrators within the chain of narration, so if that is not authentic then doing it is considered a newly invented matter, it is incumbent to do tasbeeh with your fingers or finger tips, and the action will not be foresaken with Allah ﷻ:

“أَنِّي لا أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى”
“Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female.
[Aal-i-Imraan : 195]

And the Most High said:

“وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللهِ”
and whatever of good you put forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with Allah. [Al-Baqara : 110].

And He ﷻ said:

“فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَه ۝ وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَه”
So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it.
And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it.
[Az-Zalalah : 7-8]

And He ﷻ said:

“وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ”
“And We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We as Reckoners.”
[Al-Anbiyaa : 47].

Translated by : Abu Huthayfah Saamy Al-hindy