Vintage Zaytun Olive Wood Shadhili Darqawi Tasbih Prayer Beads

salām, welcome to you..

“Come, come, whoever you are;
wanderer, worshipper, lover of learning.
It does not matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, come, yet again come”

~ mevlāna jalāluddīn rūmi ~ (رحمة الله عليه)

Origin:
The longing for union with God and the search for mystical depth has always been an ancient and perennial one. On this journey of renunciation and asceticism however, prayer beads have been a companion for saints, mystics, and seekers for thousands of years in absorbing oneself in the remembrance of God almighty.

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 was 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 effect.

the concept of this study done by emoto can also be applied to prayer beads but through a different perspective. the materials used for these prayer beads are some of the best in the world at absorbing and storing energy. when we make repetition of the beads through constant remembrance of God, for those who can see with the eye of the heart, it creates a certain energy which is then transferred to light, so ultimately the prayer beads become filled with light.

as good as prayer beads can store energy and emit light, they are also good at expelling evil eye and darkness. where there is light there cannot be darkness since darkness is the absence of light. this is why you see many saints who wear prayer beads around the neck as they are objects of light and presence, and in some regards a shield of light. each set of prayer beads have their own speciality, and take the form of being round, in the shape of a circle,
to which mevlāna rūmī says:

“i looked towards the stars, the planets, the galaxies, the realms, the universes, and they were all spinning and turning in the remembrance of Allāh, and so i joined them”

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.

Use:
The more the beads are used through repetition of the remembrance of God, the more they become objects of light and presence, and therefore should be treated with reverence. If the energy receptors of a persons spirit are open and subtle enough they will immediately be able to pick up on the energy and light emanating from the beads.

Information:
Wood: Olive | Zaytun
Size: 17mm
Bead count: 100
Fits around the neck: No