THIRD SCIENCE · SECOND CHAPTER · FIFTH SECTION · First Article
First Article
He announces perpetual dhikr (dhikr-i mudām; constant remembrance of God) through Qur'anic verses and sacred hadiths.
O dear one! It should be known that the Real (al-Ḥaqq), exalted is He, has, out of His grace and favor, informed His servants that perpetual dhikr is a means to receiving inspiration from the Real, and that perpetual dhikr leads a person to complete tranquility. Thus, in His Ancient Speech (the Qur'an), He has said:
"So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me." (al-Baqara, 2:152) "Those who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides." (Āl ʿImrān, 3:191) "Remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on your sides." (al-Nisāʾ, 4:103) "Remember Allah much, that you may be successful." (al-Anfāl, 8:45) "And remember your Lord much and glorify [Him] in the morning and the evening." (Āl ʿImrān, 3:41) "And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in fear without being apparent in speech – in the mornings and the evenings. And do not be among the heedless." (al-Aʿrāf, 7:205) "And remember your Lord when you forget and say, 'Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct.'" (al-Kahf, 18:24)
"Men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah." (al-Nūr, 24:37) "Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (al-Raʿd, 13:28) "But whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind." (Ṭā Hā, 20:124) "Establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater." (al-ʿAnkabūt, 29:45) "The men and women who remember Allah often – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (al-Aḥzāb, 33:35)
"O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance and exalt Him morning and afternoon." (al-Aḥzāb, 33:41-42) "Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge – [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice." (Āl ʿImrān, 3:18) "So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women." (Muḥammad, 47:19) "And whoever is blinded from the remembrance of the Most Merciful – We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion." (al-Zukhruf, 43:36) "And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient." (al-Ḥashr, 59:19)
"O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that – then those are the losers." (al-Munāfiqūn, 63:9) "And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord – He will put him into an ever-increasing punishment." (al-Jinn, 72:17) "So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great." (al-Ḥāqqa, 69:52) "And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion." (al-Muzzammil, 73:8) "He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself and mentions the name of his Lord and prays." (al-Aʿlā, 87:14-15)
Allah, exalted is He, has said in sacred hadiths: "O son of Adam! Remember Me when you are alone so that I may remember you in the assembly of angels (the highest assembly)." "O son of Adam! I am as My servant thinks of Me. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me to himself, I remember him to Myself. If he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in an assembly better than it." "O son of Adam! Only the one who forgets everything besides Me remembers Me. So remember Me by forgetting everything besides Me, so that I may remember you by lifting the veils that screen you from Me. Remember Me with your tongue, and I will remember you with My pleasure. Remember Me with your heart (qalb), and I will remember you with My meeting (liqāʾ). Remember Me in humility and self-abasement, and I will remember you by exalting you. Remember Me in times of blessing, and I will remember you in times of hardship and poverty. Remember Me with striving and effort (mujāhada), and I will remember you with spiritual witnessing and vision (mushāhada). Remember Me with servitude, and I will remember you with My Lordship. Annihilate yourself in Me (fanāʾ) as you remember Me, and I will remember you with eternity (baqāʾ)."
"O son of Adam! You forget Me and remember others besides Me, yet you are protected by My goodness so that you do not suffer harm. While your tongue remembers Me, your heart (qalb) is with others besides Me. If you truly knew Me, you would not remember anyone but Me." "O son of Adam! When you remember Me, you have shown gratitude to Me. When you forget Me, you have been ungrateful." "O son of Adam! You are only blessed through My remembrance, and you only find joy and relief from distress through My remembrance." "O son of Adam! I befriend only the one who does not part from My remembrance." "O son of Adam! When My remembrance dominates My servant, he falls in love with Me, and I fall in love with him." "O son of Adam! To My servant whom My remembrance prevents from asking of Me, I give better than what I give to those who ask of Me."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, exalted is He, said: 'The phrase Lā ilāha illā Allah (There is no god but Allah) is My impregnable fortress. Whoever enters My fortress is safe from My punishment.'" "O son of Adam! Whoever seeks Me finds Me. Whoever finds Me serves Me. Whoever serves Me remembers Me. Whoever remembers Me, I remember him. I become his beloved."
Qitaʿ (Couplet)
Lā yetruku’z-zikra illā men yuşāhiduhū
Wa laysa yashhaduhū man laysa yazkuruhū
Fa lā azālu maʿa’l-ahwāli ashhaduhū
Wa lā azālu maʿa’l-anfāsi azkuruhū
Translation of the Couplet
None but the one who beholds Him abandons dhikr. None but the one who remembers Him can behold Him. Therefore, I never part from beholding Him in every state. I never part from His remembrance in every breath.
Poem
Nasītu’l-yawma min ʿishqī ṣalātī
Fa lā adrī ghadātī min ʿishā’ī
Fa dhikruk sayyidī aklī wa shurbī
Wa wajhuka in ra’ayta shifā’an dā’ī
Translation of the Poem
Today, out of love, I forgot my prayer. I no longer know whether it is evening or morning. My master, my eating and drinking is your remembrance. If I can behold it, your countenance is the cure for my affliction.