Travels with Mickey: Saudi Arabia

 SAUDI ARABIA 

Misbaha = worry beads. 

On my way to teach a presentation skills class in Riyadh my flight stopped in Medina, one of the important religious centers along with Mecca, of course. I noticed on the flight that a number of passengers had strings of beads which I later found out are called Misbaha, which are associated with prayer and concentration but are also called worry beads as they may be used to calm one's nerves and reduce tension. They held them in their hands and rubbed them. Perhaps it's easier to just show the explanation from Google.

"Misbaha (or tasbih) beads are a tool used to count dhikr (remembrance of Allah), typically featuring 99 beads (representing the names of God) or 33 beads, organized in cycles. Users hold the beads, often with the right hand, to maintain focus and consistency when reciting praises such as Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, and Allahu Akbar. 

How to Use Misbaha Beads:

Structure: They usually consist of beads, markers (dividers), and an alif (or imam) bead at the beginning.

Method: Hold the alif or first bead between your thumb and forefinger. Recite the chosen phrase, then move to the next bead for the following recitation.

Common Usage (After Prayer):

33 times: Subhan Allah (Glory be to God).

33 times: Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God).

33 times: Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest).

Completion: The 99th bead or the alif signifies the end of the round, often completed with a final supplication (dua).

Alternatives: While using beads is permissible, many scholars consider counting on the fingertips of the right hand to be more in line with the Sunnah. 

Using a misbaha helps keep focus during daily devotions and serves as a tactile reminder to remember God throughout the day."

My thoughts at the time were that they were praying the plane wouldn't crash. Maybe I was projecting.

Anyway,  the class I taught in Riyadh was very interesting. My arab students, all Microsoft employees spoke English, which was a requirement for employees of Microsft worldwide.

Nice guys. I don't remember any women in the class and I didn't see many on the street. We had arranged for breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon so the men could get out their prayer rugs and perform 2 of the five daily prayers offered as one of the five pillars of Islam. They were evidently flexible on the exact time as I remember.

Here are the five prayers.

• Fajr: Performed before sunrise.
• Dhuhr: Performed after noon, when the sun passes its zenith.
• Asr: Performed in the late afternoon.
• Maghrib: Performed immediately after sunset.
• Isha: Performed at night, usually an hour or more after sunset

A couple of things stood out to me about my time with these intelligent, hardworking students. The most significant was a conversation we had about 9/11. You see, my trip to the Middle East was a few week's after the attack on the twin towers. I remember going through the airport at JFK or La Guardia (I don't remember which) and there being virtually no one going anywhere. Least congested airport experience of all my travels.

So, what stood out from the conversation was that they were all quite convinced that the attack was instigated by Israel. Interesting, to say the least. Knowing that distrust and animosity runs deep between Isarael and it's Middle Eastern neighbors is one thing, but to experience it first hand gave me a better understanding of just how embedded this schism really is.

Obviously I made no attempt to dissuade them of their point of view. Let's face it, conspiracy theories ran rampant during that time and some of them still live on today.