ZIKR / DHIKR
Dhikr of Allah is the most excellent act of Allah's servants and is stressed over a hundred times in the Holy Qur'an. It is the most praiseworthy work to earn Allah's pleasure, the most effective weapon to overcome the enemy, and the most deserving of deeds in reward.
Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and the Qur'an. More generally, dhikr is any activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God. To engage in dhikr is to practice consciousness of the Divine Presence and love, or "to seek a state of godwariness". Some types of dhikr are prescribed for all Muslims, and do not require Sufi initiation or the prescription of a Sufi master because they are deemed to be good for every seeker under every circumstance.
Dhikr is usually done individually but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity.Some Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies that includes various forms of worship such as: recitation, singing, instrumental music, (most famously the Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi order), incense, meditation, ecstasy, and trance.
One practice of Dhikr is called Dhikr-e-Qulb (remembrance of Allah by Heartbeats). The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having been written on the disciple's heart. Another is dhikr bil Jahr. To create this love, the sufis of this Order advise 'loud or vociferous' remembrance of God (dhikr bil Jahr = vociferous, loud, remembrance). It increases the heat of the heart and in turn generates love for God.
Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and the Qur'an. More generally, dhikr is any activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God. To engage in dhikr is to practice consciousness of the Divine Presence and love, or "to seek a state of godwariness". Some types of dhikr are prescribed for all Muslims, and do not require Sufi initiation or the prescription of a Sufi master because they are deemed to be good for every seeker under every circumstance.
Dhikr is usually done individually but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity.Some Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies that includes various forms of worship such as: recitation, singing, instrumental music, (most famously the Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi order), incense, meditation, ecstasy, and trance.
One practice of Dhikr is called Dhikr-e-Qulb (remembrance of Allah by Heartbeats). The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having been written on the disciple's heart. Another is dhikr bil Jahr. To create this love, the sufis of this Order advise 'loud or vociferous' remembrance of God (dhikr bil Jahr = vociferous, loud, remembrance). It increases the heat of the heart and in turn generates love for God.