How many beads are in a tasbih?

A tasbih usually has 99 beads (matching the 99 Names of Allah), 33 (one-third of Tasbih Fatimah), or 100 (a round daily wird). Two markers divide a 99-bead string into three sections of 33, so the same string counts 33 · 33 · 34.

Detail

The 99-bead misbaha is the classical form. Two marker beads make it possible to count 33, 66, or 99 without recounting.

The 33-bead pocket string is for one segment of Tasbih Fatimah at a time. You cycle through it three times after each prescribed prayer.

The 100-bead string is common in Sufi traditions where a daily wird is a round hundred of a specific phrase.

Related

Last verified . How we source and cite.