Article – Prayer Beads

What Are Prayer Beads?

Prayer beads, also known as rosaries, malas, or tasbih, are used in various religious and spiritual traditions around the world as aids for counting prayers, recitations, or chants.

Prayer Beads Across Religions

“The Rosary is a prayer which always accompanies me. It’s also the prayer of ordinary people and the saints…and a prayer from my heart.”
–Pope Francis

“People count with self-satisfaction the number of times they have recited the name of God on their prayer beads, but they keep no beads for reckoning the number of idle words they speak.”
–Al-Ghazali, Medieval Muslim theologian and scholar

Prayer Beads in Buddhism

In Buddhism, malas are commonly used to count recitations of mantras or prayers during meditation or as part of devotional practices. A mala typically consists of 108 beads, representing the 108 defilements or mental afflictions that Buddhists seek to overcome.

Prayer Beads in Islam

In Islam, tasbih are prayer beads used by Muslims to recite the 99 names of Allah, the Islamic creed (the Shahada), or other prayers and supplications, and a spacer or tassel that marks the beginning and end of the tasbih.

Prayer Beads in Christianity

In Christianity, rosary beads are used by Catholics and some other Christian denominations as a tool for counting prayers, such as the “Hail Mary” or the “Our Father,” which are recited as part of the Rosary, a popular Catholic devotion. A typical rosary consists of five sets of ten beads (called decades) separated by larger beads, with a crucifix or a medal attached at the end.

Prayer Beads in Hinduism:

In Hinduism, malas are used for counting repetitions of prayers, mantras, or chants during meditation or as part of devotional practices. Hindu malas can vary in size and number of beads, but typically consist of 108 beads, representing the 108 sacred texts of Hinduism or the 108 Hindu deities, and a larger bead or a tassel that marks the beginning and end of the mala.

Prayer Beads in Sikhism:

In Sikhism, a monotheistic religion originating in India, the use of prayer beads is not as common as in some other religions, but some Sikhs may use a small string of prayer beads called “mala” to recite prayers or affirmations related to Sikh teachings, such as the “Ik Onkar” mantra or the “Mool Mantar,” which is the opening verse of the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib.

About the author

Akhilesh Gupta

Akhil Gupta is the founder and director of Universal Enlightenment Forum, a 501(c)3 corporation. He has been associated with Harvard University since 2015, first as a fellow at Advanced Leadership Initiative and later as an Impact Leader in residence in 2023. Akhil currently serves on The Dean’s Leadership Council at Harvard Divinity School, on the Advisory Board of Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program, and on the Advisory Board of Harvard’s Chan Initiative on Health and Homelessness.
He is the author of two books “Bridges Across Humanity” published in 2023 and “To Flourish is To Love Learn Play” to be published in December 2025.He was inspired to write these books while studying at Harvard University.
Prior to Harvard, he was the founder Chairman of Blackstone India & Senior Managing Director of The Blackstone Group. He also served in senior positions at Reliance Industries Limited and Hindustan Unilever
Akhil has a B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology and an MBA from Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. He served on the Advisory Council of the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University from 2014 to 2021

See All Commonalities Across Religions