Dalael-us-Suluk

CHAPTER 13

ZIKR

Absolute Zikr Enjoined

Zikr is enjoined by the categorical injunctions of the Qur-an in scores of verses with emphasis on its frequency. It is absolute as to the quantum and manner, i.e., neither any upper nor lower limit of its duration is laid, nor any restrictions on its method (individually, collectively, standing, sitting or reclining) are imposed. Therefore, this commandment covers every manner and number. To insist on any particular mode or to object to another as heresy is, therefore, improper. Such an attitude is tantamount to impeding zikr, an act denounced by the Qur-an in the following words:

Those who debar (man) from the path of ALLAH and would have it crooked. ( 7:45)

Ruh al-Ma‘ani elaborates this verse: “They are those who prevent the seekers from the Path leading to His communion and intend its diversion by misrepresenting it with a view to induce aversion in the heart of a seeker, to deviate him from the right path in the same manner as the heretics and dissimulators do.”

In light of the above, it will also be improper to confine zikr only to Salah, recitation of the Holy Qur-an, declaration of His Praise, Kalimah, Darud Sharif, etc., and to argue that the sufi methods of emphatic recitals, etc., are outside its pail. As zikr is absolute, all forms and types mentioned above, including sufi methods, will be included.

Zikr Besides Salah

It is proved beyond doubt from the following categorical injunctions of the Qur-an that besides Salah and Nawafil there is some other method of zikr also:

When you have performed Salah, remember ALLAH, standing, sitting and reclining. And when you are in safety observe proper worship: Salah at fixed hours has been enjoined on the believers. (4:103)

Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguiles from zikr and constancy in Salah. (24:37)

And when Salah is ended, then disperse in the land and seek of ALLAH’s bounty and remember ALLAH much. (62:10)

Thefirst verse enjoins that after the believers are free from Salah, they should engage themselves in their mundane business and remember ALLAH much; here Salah and zikr are separately mentioned. In the second verse Salah is mentioned after zikr, while in the third zikr is placed in the middle. In all these verses, zikr is enjoined besides Salah which is subject to fixed timings. On the other hand, the condition of frequent zikr defies the limitations of time. Therefore, it is established that there are other modes of zikr besides Salah.

Zikr Besides Recitation of the Qur-an

The Prophetsaid, “Be resolute in the recitation of the Qur-an and ALLAH’s zikr. In return you will be remembered in the heavens and it will be a source of light for you on earth.”

This Hadith is in the form of a wish which the Prophet expressed to one of his Companions, Abu Zar Ghaffari. It establishes:

Everyone does not remember the Qur-an by heart and to do so, or to read the entire text, is a collective obligation 10 as distinct from an individual obligation, whereas zikr is obligatory on all Muslims.

And do you (O Muhammad) remember your Rabb within yourself.

(7:205)

Here zikr means Zikr-e Qalbi and not the Qur-an, because reading of the Qur-anic commandments relates to oral recitation, whether within or outside the Salah, and it must be remembered that Salah is not performed if the recitation is done with the heart and not by word of mouth.

Question: It was stated earlier that zikr is absolute, but here it is restricted to Zikr-e Qalbi only.

Answer: This is just to restrain those who argue that increase in Nawafil and Salah fulfils the obligation of zikr, calling other forms a heresy, despite the fact that all forms are covered by the categorical Qur-anic injunctions. It has also been specifically proved from the Qur-an that zikr is not confined to Salah only, though it is also a superior and sublime form of zikr. Thus Zikr-e Qalbi has been proved from the Qur-an (as also the fact) that it is the only type which is possible under all circumstances and not Salah or the recitation of the Qur-an.

Frequent Zikr Enjoined

Wherever zikr is enjoined in the Qur-an, in most cases, the condition of frequency has been added, for example:

O you who believe! When you meet any army hold firm and remember ALLAH much so that you may be successful. ( 8:45)

…whoever looks towards ALLAH and the Last Day and remembers ALLAH much (33:21)

And men who remember ALLAH much… (33:35)

O you who believe! Remember ALLAH with much remembrance. (33:41)

Ibn-e Kathir while explaining the verse: uz-kur ALLAH-a zikran kathira (remember ALLAH much) writes:

Ibn-e ‘Abbas explains that ALLAH has not enjoined any worship on His bondsmen of which a limit has not been prescribed and the excuse of an handicapped not accepted. The only exception to the rule is where neither a limit is laid down, nor has the excuse of anyone been accepted save that of a lunatic. Rather zikr is enjoined under all circumstances, i.e., sitting, standing, reclining, day or night, by word of mouth or within the heart, on land or on the sea, static or in motion, in prosperity or adversity, in sickness or health, irrespective of the state (eating or drinking, chaste or polluted, selling or buying, asleep or awake).

Ibn-e Kathir vol: III, p: 495

Types of Zikr

There are three types of zikr:

  1. Oral, loudly;
  2. Oral, silently;
  3. Spiritual, within the heart, i.e. Zikr-e Qalbi

The first type, according to the consensus of the ‘Ulama, is an heresy except where absolutely necessary, for example, the Azan, the Takbir (pronouncement heralding the commencement of Salah), formal sermon as in Friday and Salat-Eid congregations, etc.

Tafsir-e Mazhari vol: III, p: 410

Zikr-e Qalbi’s Superiority

Thethird type is Zikr-e Qalbi. This is the type which has nothing to do with words by the mouth, and as such, cannot even be discerned by the Kiram an-Katibin. 11 Imam Abu Y‘ala narrates, quoting Hadhrat A‘ishah ( a scholar of deep understanding), that the Prophet once said:

Zikr-e Khaffi which cannot be discerned by the Kiram an-Katibin is seventy times superior to other types. On the Day of Judgement, mankind will be called to reckoning by Him and the Kiram an-Katibin 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 has been duly put down. ALLAH shall inform them that a good deed which they could not discern and hence were unable to record was Zikr-e Qalbi. I, the narrator, assert that Zikr-e Qalbi neither snaps, nor is liable to any interruption.

Tafsir-e Mazhari vol: III, p: 41

Superiority of Zikr-e Khaffi in the Qur-an

And do then (O Muhammad) remember your Rabb within yourself humbly and with awe… (7:205)

When he cried to his Rabb, a cry in secret. (19:3)

In this verse, ALLAH remembered one of His friends and appreciated his act of crying to Him in secret (Zikr-e Khaffi). Imam Razi writes in the explanation of this verse that ALLAH sent this command to Prophet, closely followed by the command to preach what was revealed to him: That you O Muhammad remember your Rabb within yourself…. The advantage is that one benefits fully only when zikr attains the state of secrecy, for Zikr-e Kaffi is closest to sincerity and humility.

Tafsir-e Kabir (Glossary) vol: IV, p: 504

Note: Zikr-e Khaffi guards a beginner against dissimulation and enables an accomplished seeker to attain complete freedom from non-Divine love and to eternalise in Him. This is supported by Hadith: Whoever knows ALLAH assumes silence.

According to Tafsir Abi S‘aud:

As sincerity is predominant in Zikr-e Khaffi, it is nearest to Divine acceptance

Tafsir-e Kabir vol: IV, p: 504

Notes:

In fine, a number of Qur-anic verses relate to zikr, some emphasising frequency, and others urging zikr of His personal name (ALLAH). Yet others imply Zikr-e Khaffi, the only form which ensures plenitude and perpetuity. The most comprehensive verse in this context is:

And do you (O Muhammad) remember your Rabb within yourself humbly and with awe, below your breath, at morn and evening. And do not be of the neglectful. (7:205)

Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Bannori explains this verse in his Nafkhat al-‘Amber min Hadi Ash-Shaikh-Anwar p: 135:

Shaikh Anwar Shah Kashmiri said, “We confine ourselves strictly to the meaning of this verse. It pertains to zikr and not to Salah, though the latter is also a form of zikr. It implies Zikr-e Qalbi whereas Salah is Zikr-e Lisani (lingual). That is why the condition of humility and awe has been added here, awe is the act of the human heart.” Another verse in the Qur-an clarifies this point thus:

They are (believer) whose hearts feel fear when ALLAH is mentioned… (8:2)

According to Hadith in at-Tirmizi, under the caption, ‘Features of the Gates of Hell,’ ALLAH shall command: “Take out of the Hell Fire even the one who remembered Mefor a day or who feared My reckoning.”

This discussion establishes the following points:

In our Order, the Naqshbandiah Owaisiah, sincere efforts are made to act upon this verse, in toto, and follow it in letter and spirit under all circumstances.

Superiority of Zikr-e Khaffi in Hadith

States Abu Sa‘eed Khudri, a renowned Companion, that he heard the Prophet saying,

“The best zikr is Zikr-e Khaffi.”

at-Targhib vol: IV, p: 160

States Sa‘ad bin Abi Waqqas, that he heard the Prophet saying,

“The best zikr is Zikr-e Khaffi.”

at-Targhib vol: II, p: 537

Though absolute zikr is enjoined yet we have drawn only on the one in vogue, inherited from the righteous of the past and the veteran sufis, the superiority of which is amply expounded by the Qur-an and Hadith. Fully conscious of the order of precedence, we consider all obligations (towards Him or His creation as enjoined by Him) as the capital, supplemental acts as the dividend, and Zikr-e Khaffi, as the most superior of all types of zikr. This is in conformity with the teachings of the Book and Hadith, the purification of the heart which guarantees real success is obtained through it.

Lo! those who ward off (evil), when glamour from the devil troubles them, they do but remember ALLAH and behold them seers! (7:201)

This means that when the pious are disturbed by the sneaking whispers of the devil, who tries to induce heedlessness into their hearts, they engage themselves immediately in zikr and remember ALLAH. He removes the devil’s influence from their hearts, which resume observation of the Reality.

Notes:

…surely the devil’s strategy is ever weak and insignificant. (4:76)

Surely, as for My slaves, you (devil) have no power over any of them… ( 15:42)

Yet, inversely, the devil does control the reins of his own friends:

His power is only over those who make a friend of him. (16:100)

The devil has engrossed them and so has caused them to forget zikr. They are indeed the devil’s party. Truly it is only the devil’s party who will be the losers… (58:19)

Notes

11 Generous and Recording. Know all that you do. (3: 11-12). The Kiram an-Katibin are the two recording Angels deputed to every human being, to record his deeds, good or bad, performed by each bodily organ. So exceedingly efficient is their perception that anything heard, observed, spoken or whispered, the slightest movement of any of the organs of the body at any time- asleep or awake- is instantly recorded, just as an efficient video recorder does not miss any sound, or movement. However, one thing which they are unable to discern as brought out in the above Hadith, is what goes on inside the human heart or his breath. Hence, their inability to record Zikr-e Qalbi, also called Zikr-e Kaffi.

-Translator