SUBHAH

string of Muslim prayer beads whose units (100, 25, or 33) represent the names of God. As the beads (made of wood, bone, or precious stones) are touched one by one, Muslims may recite any of numerous formulas, the most common being Glory to Allah. But because prayer may also be recited in the secret of one's heart, a person can multiply his praises of God by merely moving the beads through his fingers while engaged in conversation. Though the subhah is widely used and is recognized as a sign of piety by most Muslims, others regard its use as pretentious and unnecessary. The Wahhabiyah, a Muslim sect founded in the 18th century, for example, considered the subhah a harmful innovation (bid'ah) whose use was consequently forbidden to true believers.