بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Zikr: Remember me, I will remember you, be grateful to me and do not deny! (Qur’an 2:152)
In all its forms the root of the word ‘zikr’ has been mentioned 266 times in the Qur’an. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is mentioned as the Muzakkir, i.e. the Reminderer, the Qur’an itself is the Zikr. According to the Qur’an religious purpose is the establishment of prayer for ‘lizikree’ (my remembrance) Qur’an 20:14.
The antithesis of zikr is preoccupation with the world and the worldly concerns, the Prophet ﷺ has said: “Lo! Indeed the world is cursed. What is in it is cursed, except for remembrance of Allah, what is conducive to that, the knowledgeable person and the learning person.” —Jami Al-Tirmidhi 2322
The Qur’an says: “O ye who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah (zikri Allahi). If any act thus, the loss is their own” (Qur’an 63:9)
Satan the cursed one promised after being on the misguided path: “Then I will come upon them from the front and from the rear, and from their right and from their left. And You will not find most of them thankful” (Qur’an 7:17)
Zikr and shukr – forgetfulness and kufr! One is the path of religion of God and the other is the path of Satan! How strikingly different!
“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): “Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?”- They said: “Yea! We do testify!” (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: “Of this we were never mindful” (Qur’an 7:172)
Humanity has testified to His Lordship, ﷻ and cannot deny that they were unaware of God ﷻ.
“Beautified in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded (for blood and excellence); and (wealth of) cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world’s life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals” (Qur’an 3:14)
These are the distractions and diversions of this world from zikrullah. But “O ye who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah (Qur’an 63:9).
What is Zikr?
All that reminds to Allah ﷺ is zikr. It is the performance of salat (prayer), tilawat, tasbihat, fasting, and all other forms of worship which reminds of Allah ﷺ. “for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction” (Quran 13.28).
Types of Zikr
There are 3 types of zikr:
Zikr-e-faily – Practical Zikr: these consists in the performance of acts of worship and adherence to the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ
Zikr-e-Lisaani – the remembrance by the tongue or verbal remembrance. These consists of azaan, takbir, tasbihat, tilawat, making duas and group zikr in a circle.
Zikr-e-khafi – the hidden zikr. Imam Abu Yala narrates quoting Saaidah Aaishah Radiallahu Anha that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said: Zikr Qalbi, which cannot be discerned by the Kiram Kaatibeen, is seventy times superior to other types. On the Day of Judgement mankind will be called to reckoning by Him and the Kiram Kaatibeen will be directed to produce the register of conduct of everybody. The angels will be commanded to re-examine the records to see if any of their good deeds remained unrecorded. They would submit that everything within their reach had been duly put down. Allah will inform them that a good deed, which they could not discern and hence were unable to record, was Zikr Qalbi… (Tafsir Mazhari p.41 v.3)
“And do thou (O reader!) Bring thy Lord to remembrance in thy (very) soul, with humility and in reverence, without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings; and be not thou of those who are unheedful.” (Qur’an 7:205)
Benefits of Zikr (remembrance of Allah)
- Closer connection to Allah
- Induces love for Allah
- Medication for inner peace
- Relieves anxiety and worries
- Strengthens body and mind
Narrated by Abu Al-Darda may Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Shall I tell you about the best of deeds, the most pure in the Sight of your Lord, about the one that is of the highest order and is far better for you than spending gold and silver, even better for you than meeting your enemies in the battlefield where you strike at their necks and they at yours?” The companions replied, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He replied, ‘Remembrance of Allah.”
—Jami Al-Tirmidhi 3337
