Dhikr

Volume 1: Acts of Worship

The source text emphasizes that dhikr is not merely an act confined to the tongue, but worship that integrates with the heart and draws the servant closest to Allah. Dhikr is the most effective spiritual means that can be performed in every state (standing, sitting, lying down), is regarded as superior to many other acts of worship, and is a means for the servant's sins to be forgiven. The document details the varieties of dhikr, the special importance of the phrase "Lā ilāha illā Allāh," the blessing of dhikr gatherings, and the promised rewards of specific forms of dhikr (tasbīḥ, ḥamd, takbīr).

Summary

The source text emphasizes that dhikr is not merely an act confined to the tongue, but worship that integrates with the heart and draws the servant closest to Allah.

Sections

1. The Nature and Inner Depth of Dhikr

Dhikr, beyond being an outward act, is "gates of spiritual effusion" opened to the people of the heart. The text states that outward exegesis is a starting point for reaching the essence, while the true aim is "to understand the meaning of nearness" and "to take refuge from attribute in attribute, from essence in essence."

Two Directions of Dhikr: In the words of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, dhikr is of two kinds:
Dhikr that a person performs secretly within his inner world (its reward is great).
Remembering Allah when faced with forbidden acts and thereby refraining from that sin (this is greater).

2. The Principle of Divine Reciprocity

The central argument in the source text is that Allah Himself responds to the servant's dhikr. According to Qur'an 2:152 ("Remember Me, and I will remember you"), the servant's remembrance is rewarded with Allah's forgiveness and nearness. As expressed in a ḥadīth qudsī: if the servant remembers Allah within himself, Allah remembers him within His own Essence; if he remembers Him in a gathering, Allah remembers him in a more excellent gathering (among the angels).

3. The Superiority of Dhikr Over Other Deeds

Dhikr has been regarded as more meritorious than many arduous acts of worship in Islam.

Comparison with Jihad: The Prophet stated that dhikr can be superior even to striving in Allah's path; however, he made an exception for fighting until the sword is broken.
The Most Meritorious Deed: It is emphasized that the most meritorious of deeds and what most raises one's rank is "continuous remembrance of Allah."

4. The Social and Spiritual Impact of Dhikr Gatherings

Communities that gather to remember Allah are under special protection and mercy:

Angels surround these gatherings and ascend with them to the Throne.
Those present in these gatherings are forgiven through the blessing of that community, even if they came only to meet some other need.
The inhabitants of the heavens see houses in which dhikr is performed as brightly as people on earth see the stars.

The Virtues of the Word of Tawḥīd and Tasbīḥ

The text lists the specific benefits of certain words and forms of dhikr:

Lā ilāha illā Allāh (the Word of Tawḥīd)

Unmatched Weight: This phrase, when spoken with sincerity, weighs heavier on the scale than seven heavens and earths.
Salvation: When whispered to a person at the point of death, it demolishes mountains of sin.
The Price of Paradise: Whoever does not utter this phrase is regarded as having refused to enter Paradise.
Worldly and Otherworldly Good: The worldly good in the verse "the reward of good is nothing but good" has been interpreted as "Lā ilāha illā Allāh."

Tasbīḥ, Ḥamd, and Takbīr (Subḥān Allāh, al-ḥamd li-llāh, Allāhu akbar)

Erasure of Sins: The tasbīḥ performed thirty-three times each after every prayer is a means of forgiveness even if one's sins are as numerous as the foam of the sea.
Worldly Blessings: Saying the dhikr "Subḥān Allāhi wa bi-ḥamdihī..." one hundred times at the time of the morning prayer causes the world to come to one in submission.
Filling the Scale: "Al-ḥamd li-llāh" fills the scale; "Subḥān Allāhi wa-llāhu akbar" spiritually fills the space between earth and heaven.

Key concepts

The Most Meritorious Act of Worship: Apart from reciting Allah's Book, the most meritorious among acts of worship performed with the tongue is dhikr of Allah and turning to Him with sincere supplication.
The Principle of Reciprocity: As stated in Qur'an 2:152, the servant's remembrance of Allah is a means for Allah to remember the servant with forgiveness.
Comprehensiveness: According to Ibn ʿAbbās's exegesis, dhikr should be performed in every condition—night and day, on land and sea, in wealth and poverty, in illness and health.

Study questions

According to Ibn ʿAbbās, what are the two meanings of the phrase "the remembrance of Allah is greater" in Qur'an 29:45?

a) Allah's remembering you is greater than your remembering Him. b) The dhikr of Allah is greater than all other acts of worship that do not contain dhikr within them.

With which two similes is the person who remembers Allah among the heedless described in the text?

Like a lush green tree growing among dry grass, or like a soldier fighting relentlessly among routed troops.

What is the status of a person present at a dhikr gathering who is there not with the intention of dhikr but for some other need?

According to the ḥadīth qudsī, he too is forgiven; for that is a community such that no evil befalls one who sits with them.

Which dhikr and what time did the Prophet recommend to a person whom the world had turned away from?

He recommended saying "Subḥān Allāhi wa bi-ḥamdihī subḥān Allāhil-ʿaẓīm astaghfiru-llāh" one hundred times between dawn and the morning prayer.

According to Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, what are the two parts of dhikr?

a) The servant's remembering Allah within himself (in secret). b) When confronted with what Allah has forbidden, remembering Him and refraining from that forbidden act (which is greater).