prayer/meditation beads?

Question

I know that different religions use beads in their practise
but is there a difference to these beads
Rosary , Malas , Islamic prayer beads etc ?

I ask because I have a set given to me by an Muslim man ...
and my daughter is looking for meditation beads
would it be wrong to use these ?
or should we shop for the right ones ?

Answer 1

my ex girlfriend is a christian and she says the pearl necklace i gave her for her birthday works better than rosary beads - she said she noticed a better quality of prayer with the pearls.

Answer 2

Not to upset anyone - but beads are memory devices so people do not loose tract of where they are in prayer/meditation.
Each ritual has a beginning and end, and so have beads to make set stopping points for different reasons.
I'd say if she is using an established meditation, then the correct bead string would be more helpful. I does not feel wrong, just possibly confusing due to too few or too many beads for her ritual.
Perhaps she could make her own set of beads?
Then you'd have Mother/daughter time, or family time.
Peace.

Answer 3

If you are a Buddhist, you would use the mala beads of which there are 108. I don't think you should get the Catholic rosaries, Islamic prayer beads and malas mixed up. Each has a different meaning and application within the individual religions.

Answer 4

I would have to say that whatever kind of beads you're daughter would like to see and feel would be the best for any kind of meditation, it isn't about whats wrong or right, but what the feeling is. The beads will only be as strong as she wants them to be or can feel them to be. She may want purple beads that are made of fuzz or something. Thats how I feel, anyway. You give the objects the power, they don't give it to you. But someone else may have possibly enchanted those beads too.

Answer 5

Why don't you make your own....they don't have to be shop bought and they would, at the end of the day be more personal. Making them is such an easy thing to do...and could also work out cheaper. Just find an outlet for beads, sort out a string or whatever you want to string the beads on. Decide how many beads you want on it...also the colour of the beads....let your imgination run wild....as they will only ever be used for that one basic reason.....to pray.

Answer 6

Well the beads are usually associated with a set of prayers number of repetitions which are traditional.

There are several Christian varieties: a Catholic roary for example has 5 sets of 10, 5 separator beads, and a series of starting beads which usually have a set of 3; Anglican prayer beads or "Christian prayer beads number 33. Eastern Christians use chotki or komvoschinon to count 33, 50 or 100 recitations of the Jesus prayer. Pearls of Life, invented by Martin Lönnebo, Bishop Emeritus of the Linköping Diocese of the Swedish Lutheran Church, is a set of 18 beads.

Muslim beads subhah number 99, or by multiplication allow for counting to 99 (referring to the most beautiful names for God).

Buddhist prayer beads count to 27 or to 108; see link for explanations of those numbers.

Hindu jap male number 108 also.

And of course other religions use other beads or cords or props as tools for prayer or meditation.

I don't think God is offended by using any of these nontraditionally, but human beings can be. If your daughter uses them respectfully, for devotion in private, and they work for her, I see no harm. If they are used publicly to offend others or for hateful reasons, there is no merit and there is harm to her at least.

Answer 7

Muslim prayer beans usually have 33 or 99 beads, but I have no idea about prayer beads for other faiths

Answer 8

Dear Readers

Peace to all

In Islaam there is no beads but book, name of book is Al-Qur'aan which mean Collection, Assembly, Collected works, Compilation...
[2:185] Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed, providing guideance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book.

May God guid us right path

Answer 9

As long as the beads serve their purpose then it makes NO difference which Religion that they were intended to be used for. The bottom line is, if they WORK for her, then they're GOOD.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 10

Beads are beads love, pray whatever you believe in on em.

Answer 11

There is a difference in the number of decades. The Buddhist one has a total of 108 if I'm not wrong.