Concerning Fringes, tzitzit, tasbih, and rosary

 

Ben Abrahamson

1 ي  · 

Concerning Fringes, tzitzit, tasbih, and rosary

"Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "My example and the example of the people is that of a man who made a fire, and when it lighted what was around it, Moths and other insects started falling into the fire. The man tried (his best) to prevent them, (from falling in the fire) but they overpowered him and rushed into the fire. The Prophet added: Now, similarly, I take hold of the *knots at your waist* (belts) to prevent you from falling into the Fire, but you insist on falling into it." (Book #76, Hadith #490)

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ النَّاسِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا، فَلَمَّا أَضَاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ جَعَلَ الْفَرَاشُ وَهَذِهِ الدَّوَابُّ الَّتِي تَقَعُ فِي النَّارِ يَقَعْنَ فِيهَا، فَجَعَلَ يَنْزِعُهُنَّ وَيَغْلِبْنَهُ فَيَقْتَحِمْنَ فِيهَا، فَأَنَا آخُذُ بِحُجَزِكُمْ عَنِ النَّارِ، وَأَنْتُمْ تَقْتَحِمُونَ فِيهَا ‏"‏‏.

In Islam, prayer beads are referred to as Misbaha or Tasbih or Sibha, and contain 99 beads, corresponding to the 99 Names of Allah. Sometimes only 33 beads are used, in which case one would cycle through them three times to equal 99. The beads are traditionally used to keep count while saying the prayer known as Tasbih of Fatima, which was a form of prayer offered as a gift by the Prophet Muhammad to his daughter Fatima, which is recited as follows: 33 times "Subhan Allah" (Glory be to God), 33 times "Al-hamdu lilah" (Praise be to God), and 34 times "Allahu Akbar" (God is the greatest). It is highly recommended to recite this prayer after the daily five ritual prayers.

I propose that these diverse customs can be related to a common Abrahamic teaching:

"Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, that they shall make themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and they shall put on the corner fringe a blue (tekhelet) thread. And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember (tizkhor) all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes" (Numbers 15:38-39) and "You shall make yourself twisted threads, on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself." (Deuteronomy 22:12)

The word for "remember" is tizkhor which is linguistically related to Dhikr (ذکر). This remembrance is traditionally accomplished in Judaism by looking at the strings and counting the knots. According to the shari'ah of Torah, one string and one knot on each corner is sufficient. However it became customary to wind 3 blue threads repeated as a set, seven to thirteen times, each separated by 3 white threads. In the full case, these 39 blue threads were seen as 13 blue stripes, with 12 white stripes between them, or 100 blue and white stripes for the whole gament. This was used to count the 100 blessings that had to be said each day (100 names of God). (Menochos 43b)

This is based on the verse in the Torah: "And now, O Israel, what (mah) does the Lord, your God, demand of you? Only to fear the Lord, your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to worship the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul," (Deuteronomy 10:12) The word for what (mah) also contains the meaning mei'ah (one hundred), an indication that the means of achieving fear of God is by reciting one hundred blessings each day (Menochos 43b) Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (the Tur) explains that King David (pbuh), based on this teaching, instituted the practice of reciting God's name in 100 blessings per day.

This is similar to a teaching in Islam: "Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." To count something means to know it by heart." (Sahih Bukhari 98, 7481)

In Sanhedrin 12b it is recorded that several Rabbis were arrested because they were in possession of blue fringes. It is known that from Nero onward, blue was allowed only for Roman government officials. The number of knots on the blue fringes was 25x4, which is same as Christian and Muslim usage 33x3.

When the blue fringes were prohibited by the Romans on pain of death, Christian hermits, ascetics, and monks of Egypt in the 3rd to 5th centuries, used knotted ropes to count prayers. The invention is attributed to Abba Anthony or his associate Saint Pachomius in the 4th century. Catholics and some Anglicans use the rosary with 54 plus an additional five beads as prayer beads. Eastern Orthodox Christian use prayer ropes with 33, 50, or 100 loops of knotted wool (or occasionally of beads).

In Jewish usage during the middle ages, because the blue thread was no longer available, white thread was used in its place. In order to distinguish between white and white, a series of 5 knots were used, to divide the 13 sets of 3 three blue (now white) threads into groups of 3, 3, 3, 4. This represented the 613 laws of the Torah (the name tzitzit = 600 + 8 threads + 5 knots) as a reminder. In medieval times, because the blue was unavailable, the 5 knots were divided by 10, 5, 6, 5 white threads (for the four letter name of God), or 7, 9, 11, 13 windings of white thread, or 7, 8, 11, 13 white threads. The last is the most common today, because it is most similar to the 3 blue threads in 13 sets, both numbering 39. It also has the reminder that 7+8 is the same as the first two letters of God's name, 11 is the same as the last two letters, and 13 is the valued of the word "Ehad" or One. Thus the knots and windings remind us of the words: "The LORD is One" Deuteronomy 6:4).

The verse about tzitzit (fringes) form an integral part of the Torah "Shema" prayer, in which a Jew declares his shahada, which is said morning and evening. I cannot help but be struck by the similarity of the Zakhor/Shema parallel to Dhikr/Sama both meaning remembering / listening.

Sema is a Sufi ceremony performed as dhikr. Sema means "listening" (as does Shema), while dhikr means "remembrance". These rituals often includes singing, playing instruments, dancing, recitation of poetry and prayers, wearing symbolic attire, and other rituals. The origination of Sema is credited to Rumi, Sufi master and founder of the Mawlaw'iyya. It is said that this unique form of dhikr began when Rumi was walking through the town marketplace one day when he heard the rhythmic hammering of the goldbeaters. It is believed that Rumi heard the dhikr, "la ilaha ilallah" in the apprentices beating of the gold and so entranced in happiness he stretched out both of his arms and started spinning in a circle (sufi whirling). It is said that Sema represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to perfection. Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrives at perfection. He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation.

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Ben Abrahamson

In Christian Roman, fringes with religious purpose were prohibited because it was similar to Jewish custom and could bring heavy penalties or death. (Based on Matthew 23:5 which criticizes the Pharisees for wearing "broad phylacteries and tassels on their garments.") Christians who secretly wanted to be faithful to "old testament" custom use ropes with knots instead.

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