The topic of dhikr (dhikr, remembrance of God) can be examined under the following subheadings:
Preliminary Preparation, Meanings of the Word Dhikr, Evidences for Dhikr from the Book and the Sunnah, Statements of Scholars about Dhikr, Types of Dhikr, Formulas and Expressions of Dhikr, Warning Against Abandoning Dhikr, Movement in Dhikr, Reciting and Listening to Poetry in the Mosque, Benefits and Fruits of Dhikr.
Introduction
Dhikr, from yaqaza (wakefulness) to tawhid (the oneness of God), yields results in all spiritual stations (maqām). Dhikr also yields results in the maʿrifa (experiential knowledge of God) and spiritual states (ḥāl) for which seekers (sāliks) strive (exert effort). The only way to attain its fruits is through the tree of dhikr; whenever this tree grows and takes root, its fruits and benefits multiply…
Just as a wall is built upon a foundation and the ceiling stands upon the wall, so too is dhikr the foundation of all spiritual stations and principles upon which everything else is built.
For this reason, if a servant does not awaken from heedlessness, it is not possible for him to traverse the stages of the spiritual journey that lead to the divine maʿrifa, which is the very purpose of human creation. Allah the Exalted says in al-Dhāriyāt 51:56:
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” One awakens only through dhikr. Heedlessness is the sleep or death of the heart (qalb).
The Sufis, by obeying the command of the Lord and engaging much in dhikr, have made their lives like those of the angels. Love of the world does not enter their hearts. The world does not preoccupy them or separate them from their beloved. By sitting in the presence (majlis) of their Lord, they forget their lower selves (nafs). They become absent from everything other than Allah. When they find Him, they are enraptured (in love).
In a poem:
“My remembrance of You is not because I ever forgot You,
The easiest dhikr is that of my tongue.”
The Sufi remembers his Lord at every moment, finds happiness in his heart through this, his heart becomes tranquil, his spirit (ruh) ascends, for he takes his portion from the presence of his Lord.
Allah the Exalted has said in a hadith qudsi: “The people of My dhikr are the people of My assembly.”[1]
The gnostic (ʿārif) is the one who persists in dhikr and distances his heart from the fleeting goods of this world. Allah the Exalted turns him towards Himself in all his states. It is not surprising: whoever is patient succeeds. Whoever insists on knocking at the door, finds it opened for him.
A. Meanings of the Word Dhikr
Verses of the Qur’an and noble prophetic hadiths indicate that the word dhikr, in its absolute sense, has several meanings. In al-Ḥijr 15:9:
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the dhikr (the Qur’an), and indeed, We will be its guardian.” Here, “dhikr” refers to the Qur’an. In al-Jumuʿa 62:9:
“O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuʿah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade.” Here, dhikr refers to the Friday prayer. Elsewhere, in al-Anbiyāʾ 21:7:
“So ask the people of the dhikr (those who know) if you do not know.” Here, dhikr means knowledge. In many texts, the word dhikr refers to glorification (tasbīḥ), declaration of God’s oneness (tahlīl), magnification (takbīr), sending blessings upon the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and other formulas. In al-Nisāʾ 4:103:
“And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides.”
In another place, al-Anfāl 8:45:
“O you who have believed, when you meet a company [from the enemy forces], stand firm and remember Allah much that you may be successful.”
In al-Muzzammil 73:8:
“And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.”
Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reports from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who reports from Allah the Exalted: “When My servant remembers Me and moves his lips for Me, I am with him.”[2]
ʿAbdullah, son of Bisr (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates that a man said: “O Messenger of Allah! The commands of Islam are too many for me. Tell me something I can hold fast to.” He said: “Let your tongue remain moist with the remembrance of Allah.”[3]
As for those who say, “The purpose of dhikr is to know what is lawful and unlawful,” the response is: The word dhikr is used for knowledge, prayer, the Qur’an, and the remembrance of Allah the Exalted. However, what is important is the predominant usage in customary speech. The others are determined by context or proximity of wording. The predominant usage of the word dhikr is for the remembrance of Allah (dhikrullāh). Outside of this, dhikr may mean knowledge, as in Allah’s statement “ask the people of dhikr,” where the context of questioning indicates knowledge.
B. Evidences for Dhikr from the Book and the Sunnah
a. Evidences from the Book
1. Allah the Exalted says in al-Baqara 2:152:
“So remember Me; I will remember you.”
2. Allah the Exalted says in Āl ʿImrān 3:191:
“Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides.”
3. Allah the Exalted says in al-Aḥzāb 33:41–42:
“O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance and exalt Him morning and afternoon.”
4. Allah the Exalted says in al-Aḥzāb 33:35:
“The men who remember Allah often and the women who do so—for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.”
5. Allah the Exalted says in Āl ʿImrān 3:41:
“And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him] with praise in the evening and the morning.”
6. Allah the Exalted says in al-Raʿd 13:28:
“Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.”
7. Allah the Exalted says in al-Insān 76:25:
“And mention the name of your Lord morning and evening.”
8. Allah the Exalted says in al-Muzzammil 73:8:
“And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.”
9. Allah the Exalted says in al-ʿAnkabūt 29:45:
“And the remembrance of Allah is greater.”
10. Allah the Exalted says in al-Nisāʾ 4:103:
“And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides.”
11. Allah the Exalted says in al-Jumuʿa 62:10:
“And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed.”
12. Allah the Exalted says in al-Baqara 2:114:
“And who are more unjust than those who prevent the name of Allah from being mentioned in His mosques and strive toward their destruction?”
13. Allah the Exalted says in al-Nūr 24:36:
“Allah has permitted that [His name] be raised in [these houses] and that His name be mentioned therein.”
14. Allah the Exalted says in al-Nūr 24:37:
“Men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah.”
15. Allah the Exalted says in al-Munāfiqūn 63:9:
“O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your children divert you from remembrance of Allah.”
Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “What is meant by much dhikr is to remember Allah after the prayers, morning and evening, whenever one awakens from sleep, and whenever one enters or leaves home.”[4]
Mujāhid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “A person is not counted among those men and women who remember Allah much unless he remembers Allah standing, sitting, and lying down.”[5]
All acts of worship have conditions for their validity, except dhikrullāh. Dhikr is valid whether one is in a state of ritual purity or not, standing, sitting, or in any state.
For this reason, Imam Nawawī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The scholars have unanimously agreed that dhikr is permissible with the heart and tongue, even in a state of minor or major ritual impurity, menstruation, or postnatal bleeding.” This applies to glorification, praise, magnification, sending blessings upon the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), supplication, and similar matters.[6]
Dhikr is the polish of hearts, the key to the doors of spiritual breezes, and the means by which divine manifestations descend upon hearts. Good character and habits are acquired only through it. For this reason, the disciple’s (murīd’s) affliction with sorrow, anxiety, and worry is due to heedlessness of Allah’s dhikr. If the murīd were occupied with dhikrullāh, joy and the delight of his eyes would persist. Heedlessness is the key to sorrow and grief, just as dhikr is the key to joy and happiness.
b. Evidences from the Sunnah
1. From Abu Musa al-Ashʿarī (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the living and the dead.”[7]
2. From Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, Allah has angels who roam the roads seeking the people of dhikr. When they find a group remembering Allah, they call out to each other: ‘Come to what you need!’ and surround them with their wings up to the lowest heaven.”
Their Lord, though He knows best, asks the angels: “What are My servants saying?”
The angels reply: “They are glorifying You, declaring Your greatness, praising You, and exalting You.”
Allah (Exalted is He): “Have they seen Me?”
They say: “By Allah, they have not seen You.”
Allah: “How would it be if they saw Me?”
They say: “If they had seen You, their worship and exaltation would be even greater, and their glorification more frequent.”
Allah: “What do they ask of Me?”
They say: “They ask You for Paradise.”
Allah: “Have they seen it?”
They say: “No, by Allah, they have not seen it.”
Allah: “How would it be if they saw it?”
They say: “If they had seen it, they would be even more eager and desirous for it.”
Allah: “From what do they seek refuge?”
They say: “From the Fire.”
Allah: “Have they seen it?”
They say: “No, by Allah, they have not seen it.”
Allah: “How would it be if they saw it?”
They say: “If they had seen it, they would flee from it even more and fear it more intensely.”
Allah: “Bear witness that I have forgiven them.” The angels say: “Among them is so-and-so who is not of them but came for some need.”
Allah says: “They are the people whose companions will not be wretched.”[8]
This hadith demonstrates the virtue of gatherings of dhikr, those who remember, and those who assemble for dhikr. Even those who sit with them, though not participating, are included in the blessings and rewards by virtue of their company and intention.
3. From Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, benefit from them.”
(Here, the gathering for dhikr is likened to a lush meadow, indicating the great reward of dhikr.) The Companions asked: “O Messenger of Allah, what are the gardens of Paradise in this world?” He replied: “The circles of dhikr.”[9]
4. From Abu Dardāʾ (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There will be people, not prophets or martyrs, who will be raised on pulpits of pearls, their faces shining with light, and people will envy them.” A Bedouin knelt and said: “O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us so we may know them.” He replied: “They are people from different tribes who love each other for Allah’s sake and gather from distant lands to remember Allah together.”[10]
5. From Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), while traveling on the road to Mecca, passed by a mountain called Jumdān and said: “Keep walking, for the mufarridūn have gone ahead.” It was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, who are the mufarridūn?” He replied: “Those who are devoted to the remembrance of Allah. Dhikr removes their burdens (sins), and on the Day of Judgment, they come to Allah with light burdens.”[11]
6. From Abu Dardāʾ (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Shall I not inform you of the best of your deeds, the purest in the sight of your King, that which raises your ranks, is better for you than giving gold and silver in charity, and better than meeting your enemy and striking their necks or them striking yours?” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He said: “The remembrance of Allah.” Muʿādh b. Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Nothing saves a person from Allah’s punishment more than the remembrance of Allah.”[12]
7. From Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah the Exalted says: ‘I am as My servant thinks of Me. When he remembers Me, I am with him. If he remembers Me to himself, I remember him to Myself. If he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in a better assembly. If he draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by an arm’s length. If he draws near to Me by an arm’s length, I draw near to him by a fathom. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.’”[13]
8. From Abu Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “On the Day of Judgment, Allah (Exalted is He) will say: ‘The people of the assembly will know who the people of generosity are.’ The Companions asked: ‘Who are the people of generosity, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied: ‘The people of the assemblies of dhikr in the mosques.’”[14]
9. From Anas b. Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whenever a group gathers to remember Allah seeking His pleasure, a caller from the heavens announces: ‘Rise, you are forgiven. Your bad deeds have been turned into good deeds.’”[15]
10. From Abu Saʿīd al-Khudrī (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The Lord, Blessed and Exalted, says: ‘If someone’s recitation of the Qur’an and remembrance of Me prevents him from asking Me for something, I give him better than what I give to those who ask.’”[16]
The hadiths and consensus regarding the virtue of dhikr, whether aloud or silent, are proofs of its legitimacy.