Islamic Prayer Beads

[Sunnie Ameena]

Asalamu Alaikum, Could someone tell me about Prayer Beads? There are some with 33 beads that I understand you have to pray on them 3 times to reach the 99, or a person can get a 99 bead strand. What are the prayers said on each bead? And is there a preference to plastic, glass, wood or natural stone beads? Any help will be appreciated. Sunnie Ameena

[Signor]

Could someone tell me about Prayer Beads? There are some with 33 beads that I understand you have to pray on them 3 times to reach the 99, or a person can get a 99 bead strand. What are the prayers said on each bead? And is there a preference to plastic, glass, wood or natural stone beads? Any help will be appreciated.

Waalikum Assalaam

How about replacing prayers beads with something better?

Narrated Yusayrah, mother of Yasir: The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) 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. (Abu Dawud,Book #8, Hadith #1496)

[Muhaba]

Is counting on fingers obligatory or only preferred? Sometimes it's easier to do zikr on fingers and sometimes prayer beads make keeping count easier. Nowadays, there are prayer beads available in every masjid.

The prayer beads with 33 beads can be used for doing the after-salah azkar (subhan-Allah, Alhamdullillah, and Allaho-Akbar) while those with 100 or more beads can be used for doing other azkar. Some prayer beads have ten tiny beads along with 100 normal beads. You can use such to keep count upto 1000.