Grade A Lightweight Sandalwood Tijani Tasbih Prayer Beads

Origin Of The Material:

The oldest mention of Sandalwood dates back to the 5^th century BCE Ancient India being mentioned in the Nirukta (a commentary on The Vedas). Since termites are unable to destroy the hard, aromatic heartwood, in India the tree has always been regarded as a protective tree whose scent drives out evil spirits. Arab physicians first brought Sandalwood to Europe in the Middle Ages, appearing in Italian pharmacies at the beginning of the 15^th century. The German naturalist, physician, and botanist Adam Lonitzer, mentioned Sandalwood in his work on herbs, The Kreuterbuch which was published in 1957. In there he described Sandalwood as being able to strengthen the heart, stomach & liver; cleansing blood and combating thirst and heat. In the middle of the 19^th century, doctors treated gonorrhoea with Sandalwood. In Ayurvedic medicine, Sandalwood Is described as being bitter, cooling, astringent and soothing. It is also mentioned that when its powder form is combined and mixed with rosewater, it is used as a remedy for inflammation and skin diseases. Sandalwood is indigenous to the tropical belt of the Indian Peninsular, Northern Australia & Malay Archipelago, where the majority of our sandalwood is imported from due to being one of the best qualities of natural sandalwood found in the entire world. Alongisde Oud Agarwood & Ebony, Sandalwood is often cited as one of the most expensive woods found in the entire world.

Quick Facts:

• Sandalwood may help strengthen the heart, stomach, liver & other organs
• Sandalwood may help cleanse the blood
• Sandalwood may help combat heat & thirst.
• Sandalwood may help in the ailment of gonorrhoea
• Sandalwood may help in reducing inflammation and skin diseases

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.