Characteristics of True Dhikr

Five States of a Person Engaged in Dhikr-e-Ilahi

Contrary to them, what is known from the Holy Quran about the condition of a person engaged in Dhikr-e-Ilahi, is that nowhere does the Holy Quran say that a swoon ensues or unconsciousness overtakes the person while doing Dhikr-e-Ilahi, or that the listeners sway their heads and start jumping. Quite contrary to this, Allah the Exalted says again about Dhikr-e-Ilahi:

—Surah al-Anfal, 8:31

Then He says:

—Surah az-Zumar, 39:242

Then He says:

—Surah Maryam, 19:593

The states of those who remember Allah are the following:

1. When the believers remember Allah, their hearts become afraid and the fear of Allah develops in them because they understand that their Lord possesses great glory and majesty.

2. Their skins creep; that is, their hair stands on end out of their state of fear.

3. Their bodies become relaxed, and their hearts become tender.

4. They fall down in prostration; that is, they become occupied in the worship of God.

5. They begin to weep.

These are the five states [of a person engaged in Dhikr-e-Ilahi] that God Almighty has mentioned. If dancing, jumping, falling unconscious, or shouting very loudly had been included, God Almighty would have spoken of them too. And He would have said that the believers are those who—when Allah is remembered in their presence—tear their clothes apart and throw them away and start jumping and making noise, or that they begin to hang upside down and wave their heads about and become thrown into ecstasy, but Allah the Exalted mentions none of these things. From this, we come to learn that such things have absolutely nothing to do with the remembrance of Allah.

True Dhikr Rules Out Dancing and Shouting

How filled with wisdom is the Word of God Almighty that it has rejected all these types of actions from the very beginning! Someone can say it does not matter if the Holy Quran has not mentioned these types of actions—these are apart from the ones that have been mentioned. Firstly, it is absurd to even say such a thing. But when we look at the verses of the Holy Quran in which the state of a person at the time of his being engaged in the remembrance of Allah is mentioned, we learn that God Almighty has placed such words therein that refute all such things that are declared these days to be permissible and customary.

Observe that the words used in these verses are: [wajlun, iqshi‘rarun, talinun, and juludun]. And looking at the lexicons it is learnt that one of the meanings of wajl is gentleness and being worn down and that manifests a state of rest, but the sufis of today initiate movement which is opposed to it. Similarly, iqshi‘rarun is said of hairs standing on end suddenly due to fear and this too requires a state of rest, because in a state of fear one is stunned and left suddenly standing motionless and not that one starts moving. Similarly, [talinu juludun] also attests to a state of rest.

The word in Arabic to indicate movement is [tarb] which is used for jumping and leaping because of happiness and this word has not been used anywhere in the Holy Quran for the remembrance of Allah. Further, the lexicons say that tarb is the opposite of humility and lowliness while the Holy Quran tells us that the result of engaging in the remembrance of Allah is humility and lowliness. Thus, it becomes clear that on such occasions there can be no tarb, because tarb is situated on the opposite side of humility and lowliness; therefore, dancing, leaping, and jumping which are tarb cannot develop from the remembrance of Allah at all. On the contrary, the result should be humility, weeping, worshipping, and fearing God, and this is indeed what should be the result, because Islam establishes reason and sanity and guides one to the Straight Path and does not render one unconscious and unintelligent. However, jumping about, leaping, and shouting is the result of losing awareness and lack of intelligence so it cannot be the teaching of Islam.

Unconsciousness Is Not a True Result of Dhikr

Similarly, fainting is nothing desirable and this is verily the reason that although Islam permits one to cry if a dear one passes away, it does not permit them to wail and weep and undergo fainting fits. Once the Holy Prophet (sas) passed by a woman who was exhibiting such lack of patience on the grave of her child. He advised her to be patient. She replied, ‘If your child had died, you would have realized how difficult it is to show patience.’4

She spoke out of ignorance. The truth is, the Holy Prophet (sas) had lost several of his children. In short, wailing and falling unconscious are caused by impatience and lack of hope, or are the result of a weak heart. And even if it is due to the weakness of heart it is still not a good thing.

It is stated about a revered person from the time of Hazrat Junaid (ra) that he would fall into an unconscious state upon hearing Allah being remembered. When his disciples asked him the reason he stated it happened because he had grown old and weak. Note that he did not say that he swooned because he had attained a loftier station and reached a higher rank; instead, he attributed it to his advanced age—that is, weakness.

As for falling unconscious due to despair or lack of hope, God Almighty says concerning this:

—Surah Yusuf, 12:885

Thus, if a person faints and becomes unconscious due to lack of hope he commits an act of disbelief and if he does so due to weakness of the heart, he is ill. There is no wisdom involved in imitating such a person.

This matter was discussed during the time of the companions of the Holy Prophet (sas). Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair (ra) asked Asma (ra) about fainting. She replied [‘I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed’]. Then it is narrated that the son of Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair (ra) said to his grandmother that I had gone to a place where some people would read the Holy Quran and have fainting fits. Upon hearing this his paternal aunt, [Hazrat] Asma (ra) who was the daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and a companion of the Holy Prophet (sas), responded, ‘If you saw this, you witnessed a satanic act.’

It is narrated concerning Ibn Sirin, author of the book on the interpretation of dreams, who was the son-in-law of Hazrat Abu Hurairah (ra) that he was once told about someone who would faint when he heard any verse of the Holy Quran. He replied that he would consider it to be true only if the individual was made to sit upon a high wall, and would then fall down not after just one verse being recited to him, but the entire Quran!

Even now, when those who feign unconsciousness and lose control of their senses in such gatherings, it is observed that they fall where they see lots of people sitting, so that they don’t get hurt. It never transpires that they fall off a roof or that they fall where they might suffer a serious injury, although it may sometimes occur by mistake.

Prohibitions Regarding Dhikr

In short, all these types [of dhikr] are forbidden and illegitimate. They deserve as much condemnation as can be heaped upon them because they destroy spirituality and degrade men to the status of monkeys and bears. Islam came to make men into angels but in these ways men become monkeys. Thus, these things are frivolous and vain and they have no merit.

Four Kinds of Dhikr Enjoined by the Holy Quran

And those that are actually remembrances of Allah and those that are emphatically ordained in the Holy Quran, are different and are of four kinds. To not attend to these is to become deprived of very great spiritual rewards so these should never be abandoned. 1) The first of these is Salat; 2) the recitation of the Holy Quran; 3) repeatedly making mention of the attributes of Allah, acknowledging their truthfulness and verbalizing their details; 4) to proclaim the attributes of Allah in public just as one does in private.

These are those four types of dhikr that are proven from the Holy Quran and the doing of which is not only highly essential but obligatory for spirituality.

Now I will provide proof of the statement that the Holy Quran has presented these types of dhikr. Concerning Salat God Almighty says:

—Surah Ta Ha, 20:15

O human being! Verily I am Allah; there is no God beside Me. So serve Me, and observe Prayer for My remembrance.

From this it is learnt that where God Almighty has said that, ‘O ye Believers! Remember Me’, the meaning of it is that, ‘O ye Believers! Offer the Salat.’

Then, Allah says:

—Surah al-Baqarah, 2:2406

After emphasizing the offering of Salat, Allah says that if you have any type of fear regarding the enemies, then—whether you are on foot or on horseback—you should offer your Salat in that very state and when you feel secure, then you should engage in the remembrance of Allah in the way that you have been taught by Him, which you did not know before. In this verse the observance of Salat has been called remembrance of Allah. There are many other verses concerning this, but here I will cease with the mention of these.

The second dhikr is the Holy Quran. The proof of this is that God Almighty says:

—Surah al-Hijr, 15:10

Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Dhikr, and We are, most surely, its Guardian.

The sending down of the Holy Quran has been called the descent of the Dhikr. From this we learn that where God Almighty has given this commandment [‘remember Allah’], one meaning of this is that you should recite the Holy Quran as well.

Then, God Almighty says:

—Surah al-Anbiya’, 21:517

In this verse also, after presenting the Holy Quran, it is stated that We have sent down this Dhikr for you; will you even then reject it?

The third form of dhikr consists of stating and repeating the attributes of Allah, and acknowledging their truthfulness. Some people think that it is sufficient just to recite the attributes of Allah mentioned during Salat, but this is wrong. There is remembrance of Allah in addition to Salat and we find evidence of this in the Holy Quran. God Almighty says:

—Surah an-Nisa’, 4:104

Meaning that when you have finished the Prayer, remember Allah even while you are standing and while you are sitting, and when you are lying on your sides as well.

From this it is clear that dhikr is in addition to Salat. Had the mention of Allah’s attributes in Salat been sufficient, then why would God Almighty have said that:

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‘When you are done offering the Salat you should remember Allah in the state of standing, sitting, or lying on your side’?

Then Allah says:

—Surah an-Nur, 24:38

In this verse God Almighty says that the people who are the companions of Muhammad (sas) are such that their buying and selling does not stop them from the remembrance of Allah or from offering their Salat or from the payment of their Zakat, because they fear the day when the eyes and the hearts will be overcome. Here a form of the remembrance of Allah is mentioned that is distinct from Salat.

The fourth kind of dhikr God informs us of is that the attributes of God Almighty should be proclaimed openly before the people. The proof of this is as follows:

—Surah al-Muddaththir, 74:2–89

In these verses, the Holy Prophet has been commanded to arise and warn all people and to express the grandeur of his Lord. In this we have been told to communicate the greatness of God Almighty before the people. So these are the forms of dhikr, the doing of which has been commanded by God Almighty.