The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Count on your fingers, for they will be asked, and will be made to speak.” (Tirmidhī)

Although it is Sunnah to use the hand for counting, one may use other means such as prayer beads or a tasbīḥ counter.

Abū Hurayrah used to glorify Allah 12,000 times every day and he used to say: “I do tasbīḥ in the same quantity of my blood money” i.e. he would hope to free himself from the Hell-fire through this amount of tasbīḥ.

It was said to ʿUmayr b. Hāni’: “We don’t see your tongue taking a break. How many times do you glorify Allah every day?” He replied: “100,000 times, except where my fingers may have erred (in the counting).”

Khālid ibn Maʿdan used to glorify Allah every day forty thousand times, in addition to his recitation of the Qur’ān. After he passed away and was laid down to be bathed, he began moving his finger in tasbīḥ.

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