Sitting in his wheelchair with a bright smile on his face, Sabir Fathi, a Jordanian expat based in Al Ain, spends hours every day making Islamic prayer beads (tasbeehs) with his own hands despite his disability .

Fathi, who is 50 years old, was born without legs and with a severe hand disability, but that hasn't stopped him from creating something beautiful, bead by bead.

“I was like this since birth,” he said gently rolling the beads through the two fingers on his right hand at Al Dhaid Dates Festival last week.“God took away my legs but gave me strength in my heart. But Alhamdulillah for everything.”

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For the past three decades, Fathi has called the UAE home. Inside his apartment in Al Ain, he has turned a small corner into a workshop.

He makes around three tasbeehs a day. Each one is crafted patiently, using natural stones like agate, turquoise, amber, rose quartz, and hematite sourced from around the world.“I don't shape the stones myself, but I have machines at home to adjust the size and thread the beads. Some people ask for special designs, and I customise them.”

'Spreading peace'

Fathi's fascination with tasbeehs, Islamic rosaries for God's praise and remembrance, began in childhood. Growing up, he would often watch people praying with the beads, the movement bringing calm and connection.“When I was young, I used to stare at the tasbeehs and wonder who made them. I never imagined I would one day make them myself,” he said.

The soft click of beads and the calm it brought to their faces fascinated him.“It started slowly. I made one for myself, then one for a friend, and people started asking for more,” he recalled initial days of his business. Today, his tasbeehs are sold across the UAE at exhibitions, cultural fairs, and online.“I take part in many exhibitions around the country. People come, listen to my story, and it makes me happy when they take my tasbeehs home. It feels like I am spreading peace.”

Wife's support

His wife plays a pivotal role in his work. From preparing the stones to handling the online sales, she manages every detail that requires movement or lifting.“He does everything himself, the threading, the designs, but I help with the things that need two full hands,” she said.“We have built this together.”

She sits beside him in his workshop, helping to arrange the stones, tie threads, and pack finished tasbeehs for delivery.“She is my biggest support,” he said.“When I cannot reach something or move the boxes, she does it for me. We work together every day.”

She also assists in delivering orders across Al Ain and nearby areas.“If someone calls and cannot come, we take it to them. I want my tasbeehs to reach people who really love them.”

'Baba, you are strong'

“For me, this work is more than just a source of income,” said Fathi.“With every tasbeeh I make, I believe I get a bit of reward from Allah. I don't just make my living through it, I make my akhirah (hereafter) as well. Each bead I thread reminds me to remember Him, to be patient, and to stay thankful.”

Despite his condition, he never sought pity. Instead, he focuses on what he can do - and does it with pride.“Many people ask me how I do it with my hands. I tell them, you can do anything if your mind tells you that you can.”

Though his two daughters live and work in Jordan, he feels that they are proud of what he does.“They tell me, 'Baba, you are strong.' And that makes me stronger.”

In his apartment in Al Ain, there is always sounds of stones, strings, and the soft clinking of beads.“There is no sound of struggle,” said Fathi.

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