SufiCo – Rare African Blackwood Ebony Shadhili Tasbih Prayer Beads

Origin Of The Material:

Ebony, also known as the million dollar tree, is as the name suggests; one of the most expensive woods on the entire planet! Evidence of long-distance trade in ebony dates back to ancient times, or rather the old kingdom of ancient Egypt. At the time there was just something about the secrecy of ebony that made it highly desired and sought after due to its mystery. The wood itself is derived from the Diospyros genus tree species, and its most popular variation is the African ebony which is known for its heavy, dense, and jet black heartwood. The wood is renowned for its elegant and majestic appearance, which is why for centuries it has been used in the craft of high-end furniture, musical instruments, as well as luxury car interiors. In fact, pieces of ebony were even found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. Traditionally, ebony has also been used in the black chess pieces due to chess being a game of immense intellect, there had to be a wood to match, and no better than ebony with its brilliant elegance. Its popularity had even reached South-Asia whereby the ancient kings of India would even use the wood to make drinking cups from as they believed it to be resistant to poison.

Quick Facts:

1 – Ebony wood has been known to be effective in treating those with anaemia.

2 – Ebony wood has been known to be affective in the dietary field, especially those with diabetes.

3 – Ebony leaves are practically used to treat many skin conditions such as scarring.

4 – Ebony wood extracts help protect the skin from damaging effects of pollution.

5 – Ebony wood is often harvested by the locals for its anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

Benefits:

Everything which is naturally existing in nature had to have been put there by a Creator, there is not even a speck of dust in this world which doesn’t serve a purpose. The materials used for prayer beads are no different, they have been made to serve their purpose and have been carefully selected through hundreds of years for their abilities in being able to store the energy from ones zikr & meditations. Anything which is omitted from our mouths from the Divine Scriptures, i.e. The Quran, or words of the Seal Of All Prophets, emit light. Where there is light, there cannot be darkness, since darkness is the absence of light. Where there is nur (light), there cannot be nar (fire), which is why in some regards prayer beads can also be a shield of light, which is why you see many saints wear them as necklaces. The more the beads are used through repetition of the remembrance of God, the more they become objects of light and presence. If the energy receptors of a persons spirit are open and sensitive enough, they will immediately be able to pick up on the energy and light emanating from the beads.

Scientific Literature:

The advent of recent scientific literature has shown us the effects of how positive & negative words affect the molecules within water. The findings of the study conducted by Masaru Emoto showed that if a person recited positive words on water, the molecule structure within the water would change to produce beautiful crystals. Whereas on the other hand, negative words would produce the opposite affect.

When we make remembrance of God or His Prophet ﷺ, we are emitting a light, golden in colour, as the words of Haq (Truth-hood) emit a golden light. This light then rains down like heavy showers on the area in which that remembrance has took place, that it is why it is said anywhere a Saint resides for 40 days or more, there stretches a light upto the heavens as a sign for those who can see that this was the place a Beloved of God had stayed. This light can also be stored within the beads themselves, and immediately when held in the hand there can be felt a certain energy. The more they are used, the more that energy increases.

The Craft:

Stage 1 – The Design:

The intricate design of the prayer beads are envisioned by the craftsman and a rough outline is sketched out onto a blank canvas. It is at this stage where the craftsman selects which materials they wish to utilise.

Stage 2 – Acquisition of the raw materials:

The hunt for the chosen materials begins and the wood is then ethically sourced and harvested from the finest and 100% organic of materials.

Stage 3 – The resize:

Once the material has been sourced it is then cut into smaller blanks and is now ready to begin onto the next stage of the process.

Stage 4 – The carving:

At this stage the beads, minarets, and separator pieces are carved into the desired shape and pattern. It is important to know that this entire method is done by hand; there are no moulds, markers or guidelines. This is a skill and art form which requires exquisite hand co-ordination and takes a craftsman many years to learn and perfect.

Stage 5 – Excavating the holes:

Similar to the last stage this is a skill which requires years of practise. There are no markers or guidelines, and if the holes are off by even a fraction of a millimetre the prayer beads will not be aligned correctly. If the holes are too narrow this will result in the beads being stiff and difficult to move along the thread. If the holes are too wide this will result in the beads being extremely loose and difficult to use.

Stage 6 – Unmasking the natural beauty:

The materials are then sanded to bring out the beauty which is hidden deep within the beads. slowly each and every grain is uncovered and is manifested within each bead.

Stage 7 – The set up:

There are currently 3 main set up systems of how prayer beads are separated;

Shadhili – 100 beads separated using 3 dividers in the set up of 33/17/17/33.

Naqshbandi – 200 beads separated using 7 dividers in the set up of 7/11/40/70

Tijani – 100 beads separated using 5 dividers in the set up of 12/18/20.

Stage 8 – The stringing:

The beads are now finally ready to be stringed together using a durable thread. It is at this stage where the thread tension is decided on and with some can even be adjusted afterwards.

Stage 9 – The tassel:

This process takes hours to complete and is crucial in the overall look and design of the prayer beads.

Stage 10 – The inspection:

The set of prayer beads are now ready for one last inspection before they are to be released.