Surely in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find peace
The simplest English translation of the Arabic term ‘zikr’ is ‘remembrance’. It is a key term and concept in Islam, since it is mentioned in many places throughout the Holy Quran. Also there are frequent references to it in the compilations of the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Allah has explicitly said in the Quran that His remembrance is a practice we must undertake frequently and abundantly. The concept is very wide in scope, in that everything in nature is doing Zikr; in other words, everything in nature acknowledges and is aware of its Creator.
We humans can easily get distracted by our passions and selfishness, and become forgetful of God, which is why it is particularly important for us to remember Him regularly.
There are two chief benefits to the practice of Zikr. The first is defined by Allah in the Quran: “Indeed, by the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace.” (Chapter 13, verse 28 , Holy Quran). Those who dedicate themselves to regular remembrance of God find peace and tranquility in their hearts, and a wonderful release from the stresses of day-to-day life.
Since heart is the central organ of a human being, a peaceful heart has a profound effect on the body and mind of a human being. This leads to the second main benefit of the practice, that is it helps move away from bad habits and character traits.
Unlike salah (prayer) - the formal ritual prayer for which both patterns and times are fixed — Zikr represents individual attempts to draw near to God in a more personal relationship. Zikr (remembrance of God) is the other form of worship in Islam.
In contrast to salah, which is a required duty, Zikr (remembrance) is voluntary and complements ritual prayer. It provides an opportunity for contemplation within the heart, and a way of drawing closer to God.
The Quran states:”Surely in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find peace” (13:28).
Zikr is explained by Al-Ghazali in a passage that has been summarized by D. B. Macdonald and cited in ‘A Moslem Seeker After God’ as follows:
‘Let the worshipper reduce his heart to a state in which the existence of anything and its non-existence are the same to him. Then let him sit alone in some corner, limiting his religious duties to what is absolutely necessary, and not occupying himself either with reciting the Quran or considering its meaning or with books of religious traditions or with anything of the sort.
And let him see to it that nothing save God most High enters his mind. Then, as he sits in solitude, let him not cease saying continuously with his tongue, “Allah, Allah,” keeping his thought on it. At last he will reach a state when the motion of his tongue will cease, and it will seem as though the word flowed from it.
Let him persevere in this until all trace of motion is removed from his tongue, and he finds his heart persevering in the thought. Let him still persevere until the form of the word, its letters and shape, is removed from his heart, and there remains the idea alone, as though clinging to his heart, inseparable from it. If he follows the above course, he may be sure that the light will shine out in his heart.
(The writer is a former KT staffer)