How Muslims Count The Tasbih And Make Du'a

The crescent moon. This is the du'a of Qur'an 2:201. Sahih al-Bukhari 6389 records that it was the most frequent invocation of the Prophet Muhammad. The new moon appears in the same passage: verse 2:189 says the phases of the moon are a means for people to determine time and pilgrimage. The crescent as an emblem of Islam is a cultural convention. According to Britannica it became associated with the Ottoman Empire and from there with the Muslim world. It is not a doctrinal symbol.

The wudu water ewer. Verse 7:23 is the plea for forgiveness of Adam and his wife in the Qur'an. Sahih al-Bukhari 6306 also records a longer plea, called the most superior way of asking forgiveness. The icon shows a ewer used for the washing before prayer (wudu). Sahih Muslim 244 records that when a believer washes face, hands and feet, sins are washed away with the water, down to the last drop.

The prayer rug. Verse 1:6 belongs to the opening chapter, Al-Fātiḥah. Sahih al-Bukhari 756 records that whoever does not recite Al-Fātiḥah in his prayer, his prayer is invalid. So Muslims say this plea for guidance in every prayer. According to Britannica the prayer rug covers the bare ground or floor during prayer, one end carries an arch-shaped mihrab, and that end must point toward Mecca while the rug is in use. The rug is a tool, not a sacred object.

The jar of honey. Sahih al-Bukhari 5743 records ʿĀʾishah saying that the Prophet Muhammad spoke these words when tending the sick of his household. Qur'an 26:80 records the words of Ibrāhīm: He heals me when I am sick. The icon shows a jar of honey after Qur'an 16:69: from the bees' bellies comes a liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. No bee is drawn.

The home. Verse 17:24 tells the child to be humble with parents out of mercy and to ask Allah to be merciful to them as they raised the child when young. The text attaches no object to this prayer. The home is the library's own drawing, standing for the place where parents raise a child. No person is drawn.

A cluster of dates. Verse 28:24 is the plea of Mūsā as he rested in the shade, empty-handed in a foreign land. The icon shows a cluster of dates. Qur'an 19:25 records Maryam being told to shake the trunk of the palm tree so that fresh, ripe dates would drop for her. Sunan Abi Dawud 2356 records that the Prophet Muhammad broke his fast with fresh dates, or dry dates if there were none, or a few mouthfuls of water.

The pen and inkwell. Verse 20:114 tells the Prophet himself to pray: My Lord, increase me in knowledge. The icon shows a reed pen and an inkwell after Qur'an 96:4, which speaks of Allah as the One Who taught by the pen. No writing is drawn.

Daybreak. Chapter 113, Al-Falaq, asks for refuge in the Lord of the daybreak from the evil of whatever He has created, of the night when it grows dark and of the envier. The icon shows the sun just above the horizon, after the word daybreak (al-falaq) in the verse itself.

A green date-palm leaf. Verse 59:10 is the prayer of those who come later, asking forgiveness for themselves and for those who preceded them in faith. Sahih al-Bukhari 1361 records the Prophet Muhammad passing two graves, taking a green leaf of a date palm, splitting it in two and fixing one piece on each grave. The icon follows that hadith. A fatwa from Islamweb says that what is permitted at a grave is du'a, while candles and flowers are not. So the library's Islam shrine has no candles, incense or flowers.