We believe that dhikr is the
most beneficial form of practice a person can perform while still alive on
Earth. Even though dhikr is translated as "invoke" or "remembrance" of ALLAH,
this translation is extremely insufficient.
1. Dhikr increases the capacity of brain in the direction of the meaning of
words repeated in mind.
2. Dhikr transfers the wave energy generated by brain to the person's soul (ruh),
which is the hologram-like spiritual body of waves, thus, it provides the person
with a strong soul in the afterlife.
3. Dhikr develops brain faculties such as comprehension, understanding and
assimilation of the meanings of the repeated words.
4. Dhikr brings certainty (yaqeen) about ALLAH.
5. Dhikr results in realization with the divine meanings.
Due to its properties, some of which we pointed out above, dhikr is mentioned as
a highly regarded practice in the Qur'an ul-Kareem; and those who do not pay
enough attention to dhikr are urgently warned:
"And whoever turns himself away from the dhikr of the Rahman, We set a Satan on
him, then he becomes his associate.
And most surely they turn them away from the true path, but they still think
that they are guided aright. (43: 36/37)
Take a look at Hazrat RasulALLAH's (Peace be upon him) words pointing out how
very beneficial dhikr is for people:
His reply to the question "Which deeds are most favored by ALLAH?”-
"To pass away while your tongue is still moist with the dhikr of ALLAH!"- [Mu'az
ibn Jabal (rahmatullahi alaih) said that the last words I heard from the Rasul
of ALLAH Salla ALLAHu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam were, when I asked him: which
deeds are most favored by ALLAH, he said: "To die and your tongue is moist with
dhikr of ALLAH." [Tabarani and others], and El-Bazzar reported it, with good
chain, as follows: Tell me of the best deeds that are most favoured by ALLAH
(bring nearer to ALLAH)".
"Would you like me to inform you of which deed of yours is of the highest
benefit, which is the purest at the sight of ALLAH, and which will increase your
degrees the most, and which is more beneficial for you than giving away gold and
silver, and than encountering your enemies on battlefields and cutting off their
necks and they cut off yours in the name of ALLAH?
That is dhikr of ALLAH, the highest."- Abu Darda'a (rahmatullahi alaih) narrated
that RasulALLAH Salla ALLAHu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said, "May I tell you what
is the best of your deeds, which is the purest in the estimation of your King,
the deed which is the highest and noblest among your deeds, and is better for
you than spending the gold and silver, and is better for you than encountering
your enemies and cut off their necks and they cut off yours (i.e. you meet them
in jihad)". The Companions said: O Rasul of ALLAH do tell us. The RasulALLAH
Salla ALLAHu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam said, "It is the zhikr of ALLAH, the Most
High". (Reported by Tirmidhi and El-Hakim and said: authentic; and by Ahmed with
a good chain). And, Imam Malik added in his Muwata'a "Ziad ibn Abi Ziad, and Abu
Abdurrahman Mu'adh ibn Jabal, both narrated: "no deed is done by the son of Adam
more calculated to save him from punishment of ALLAH than dhikr of ALLAH".
"No deed can save you from the punishment of ALLAH more than dhikr of ALLAH."
When asked "Which servant's degree is of the highest merit at the sight of ALLAH
on the Day of Judgment?" he replied:
"The ones who do dhikr of ALLAH the most!"
When asked, "What about the degree of the veteran who fights in the Name of
ALLAH?"
He replied:
"Even if he fights with infidels and polytheists until his sword shatters and is
covered in blood, certainly the degree of the ones who practice dhikr of ALLAH
is of still higher merit".- Mu'adh bin Jabal (rahmatullahi alaih) narrated that,
the Rasul of ALLAH Salla ALLAHu 'alayhi wa Sallam said, "The son of Adam does
nothing more calculated to rescue (save) him from punishment of ALLAH than dhikr
of ALLAH." They said: "O Rasul of ALLAH is it greater than jihad in the cause of
ALLAH?" He replied: "It is indeed more than jihad in the cause of ALLAH, even if
you strike with your sword until it breaks, then you strike with it until it
breaks. He repeated it three times."
"Of all the things you possess, a tongue which practices dhikr of ALLAH, a heart
full of gratitude and a life partner who supports your faith are of the highest
merit."
"The example of people who do dhikr of ALLAH and who don't is like people who
are alive and dead!"- Abu Musa (rahmatullahi alaih) narrated that the RasulALLAH
Salla ALLAHu ta'ala 'alayhu wa Sallam said, "The example of the one who do zhikr
his Rabb (compared) to the one who does not zhikr his Rabb, is like that of a
living creature to a dead one".
"Practice dhikr of ALLAH so much so that people should start to question your
madness."-[Abu Saeed El-Khudari narrated that the Rasul of ALLAH Salla ALLAHu
ta'ala 'alayhu wa Sallam said, "indulge in (do as much of) zhikr of ALLAH until
they say (he is) mad." [Ahmed, Ibn Habban and El-Hakim who said: authentic
chain].
"Practice dhikr of ALLAH so much so that the hypocrites (munafiqun) should think
you are doing it to show off."
"The mufarridun have surpassed all." They asked, "Who are the mufarridun, Rasul
of ALLAH?" He replied, "Those men and women who are devoted to do dhikr of ALLAH
abundantly. Dhikr puts off their burdens, so that they will come light-footed
(agile) in the hereafter."-[Abu Hurayrah (rahmatullahi alaih) narrated that
Rasul of ALLAH Salla ALLAHu ta'ala 'alayhu wa Sallam on his way to Makkah,
passed by a mountain called Jamadan, so he (RasulALLAH) said, "Continue walking
(marching), this is Jamadan, the Mufarridun have taken lead (over the rest)".
The Companions asked: who are the Mufarridun? He answered, "The men who remember
ALLAH much and the women who do zhikr of ALLAH much". [Muslim].
And, Imam Ahmed reported the Hadith as follows: "… the Companions asked: who are
the Mufarridun? He said (RasulALLAH) those who debilitate (wear-out) in the
zhikr of ALLAH." And, Tirmidhi reported it as follows: "… who are the
Mufarridun? He said those who infatuate with the zhikr of ALLAH; as the zhikr
puts off their burdens, so that they will come light-footed (agile) in the
hereafter."
"Satan has his mouth on the hearts of the sons of Adam. When they do dhikr of
ALLAH, he moves away. When they stop the dhikr due to absence of mind, he
swallows their hearts!"
This hadith involves a simile meaning that as a person practices dhikr of ALLAH,
the jinn stay away from him and they cannot cloud his judgment by inducing
misgivings in his mind; but when he stops dhikr, the jinn can exert influence on
his mind very easily and control him as they like.
"If a group of people gathers for a meeting, and they leave this meeting without
ever doing dhikr of ALLAH, that meeting turns out to be a reason of
disappointment for them on the Doomsday."
Zikrs are of two kinds: zikr jali, that which is recited aloud, and zikr khafi,
that which is performed either with a low voice or mentally.
The Naqshbandiyah Order of Faqirs usually perform the latter, whilst the
Chishtiyah and Qadiriyah orders celebrate the former.
It is common knowledge among the faithful that the beloved Beloved Prophet
Muhammad Salla ALLAHu 'alayhi wa Sallam visits the majalis-u'z-zikr (assemblies
for the remembrance of ALLAH, the Glorified and the Exalted). He also attends
the Mawlid-un-Nabi (celebration of his birth).
ALLAHumma Salli wa Sallim 'alayh
May ALLAH's blessings and peace be upon him.
Sometimes, he comes together with the Ahl al Bayt (His Blessed Household) and
his Sahaba (Companions), Rady ALLAHu 'Anhum (may ALLAH be pleased with them).
Sometimes, he comes with houris (maidens from Paradise).
ALLAHumma Salli wa Sallim 'alayh
May ALLAH's blessings and peace be upon him.
Sometimes, he comes with the Awliya ALLAH (Friends of ALLAH) like Sayyidi wa
Imami Gawth u'l A'zam Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir Jilani, Sayyidi wa Imami al-Habib
'AbdALLAH ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad, Sayyidi wa Imami al-Habib Ahmad Mash-hur bin
Taha al-Haddad, and Pir Khidr Hayaat, Naf'anALLAHu bihim, may ALLAH make us
benefit from them, Aameen.
The mashayikh (spiritual masters) who are present at these majalis (spiritual
gatherings) have basira (inner sight). They can behold their presence as well as
the presence of other rijaal u'l ghayb (men of the unseen) and the malaika
(angels). When they behold the beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Salla ALLAHu
'alayhi wa Sallam, sometimes they go into wajd (spiritual ecstasy) as a result
of which they either automatically stand up in reverential awe or they start
shedding tears of joy on beholding him. Sometimes, they inform those who are
close to them of these haqaaiq (spiritual realities). Word soon passes around,
as a result of which the faithful are always hopeful that the beloved Prophet
Muhammad and the Awliya ALLAH will attend their majlis (spiritual gathering).
Hence, these majalis (spiritual gatherings) are held with great love and
devotion.
Some people who are new to this subject find it difficult to believe that the
beloved Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon
him, actually attends zikr sessions. The mashayikh put them at ease. They tell
them that this is a matter of spiritual realities, and that if they don't know
about it yet, if ALLAH wills, they might come to know about it later. But they
advise them not deny these spiritual realities because that only creates
confusion and discord. And they privately supplicate to ALLAH, the Glorified and
the Exalted, to bestow basira (inner sight) to those who question them so that
they also open up to the joys of these waking visions.
Since it is common knowledge among the mashaayikh (spiritual masters) that the
beloved Prophet Muhammad SallALLAHu 'alayhi wa Sallam attends these zikr
sessions, one of the Fatiha is:
Al-Fatiha ilaa Hadrat i'n Nabiyy SallALLAHu 'alayhi wa Sallam
Fatiha for the blessed presence of the Noble Prophet Muhammad,
Peace and blessings of ALLAH be upon him.
Al-Fatiha!
It is also well-known that the mashaayikh who are elsewhere or who have passed
away also attend the majalis-u'z-zikr. Hence there is a Fatiha for the presence
of one's own Shaykh as well. It is recited as follows:
Al-Fatiha ilaa Hadrat i'sh-Shaykh Naf'anALLAHu bihi.
Fatiha for the presence of the beloved Shaykh, may ALLAH make us benefit from
him, Aameen.
Al-Fatiha!
When Shaykh Abd 'al-Qadir al-Jilani (may ALLAH be well pleased with him) was
asked about the highest of all the degrees of Divine remembrance [dhikr], he
said:
"It is that which impresses the heart, by command of the Lord of Truth (Almighty
and Glorious is He) at the moment of His choice, with the perpetuity of
everlasting providence ['inaya]. This remembrance [dhikr] is permanent,
persistent and enduring. No trace of forgetfulness impairs it, and no
heedlessness disturbs it, for the feelings, instincts and thoughts are all
involved in the act of remembering. This is the frequent remembrance [dhikr
kathir] referred to by the Lord of Truth (Glory be to Him, and Exalted is He) in
His revelation.The best kind of remembrance is that which is prompted by the
signals received from the All-Compelling Sovereign [al-Malik al-Jabbar], in the
recesses of our innermost beings [asrar]."