For several weeks now, thousands of digital counters, or "clickers" as children call them, have been selling daily with children competing to achieve the highest number of clicks. Few of them know that the small device they wear on their finger is actually based on an ancient Muslim prayer tool.
The simple clicker, which sells for just a few shekels, between 5-10 shekels ($1.41-$2.82) and through direct import from China, where it can be found for about one shekel ($0.28), has become a wild hit with supplies running out instantly. But what most parents and children don't know is that the digital clicker wasn't designed for counting steps, tasks, or competitions, but actually replaces the traditional Muslim prayer beads known as "misbaha."
The misbaha in its original form is used by Muslim believers to count the number of times they praise Allah during prayer. The original misbaha is made of 99 beads symbolizing all 99 names of Allah mentioned in the Quran. A shortened misbaha has 33 beads. The purpose of the misbaha is to assist in reciting all of Allah's names one after another, and now – instead of the traditional beads we've progressed to an electronic clicker.
It's not entirely clear how a device intended for Muslim religious purposes has become a competitive game in Israel. While in Muslim tradition the misbaha is used for counting praises to God during prayer, the digital clicker in the hands of Israeli children has become a means for measuring motor skills, patience, and thumb endurance. But that's probably the secret of trends – they come in huge waves, pass quickly, and are left behind forgotten.
