Dhikr of the tongue is a doorway to dhikr of the heart

Constant remembrance of God’s name delivers us from the stresses and strife of ordinary life. The transformation is profound. When one is anchored in God’s love, one develops a compassionate heart and views all events with equanimity. Sufi saints have taught that the most natural and easy way to be anchored in God’s love is to engage in dhikr – lovingly recite his name in all actions and at all times.

Hazrat Al-Muḥāsibī (781–857 CE), the Sufi master considered to be the founder of the Baghdad School of Islamic philosophy which combined Kalam and Sufism, was a staunch supporter of dhikr, the practice of remembering God through the recitation of prayers and phrases glorifying Him. Hazrat Al-Muḥāsibī said this of dhikr, “The chief part of the recollection (dhikr) of God is keeping close to Him. He who is preoccupied with God, is separated from the creatures. Those who are detached from the creatures have escaped to the regions of solitude and are alone with the sweetness of the recollection of God. In proportion as the heart enters into communion with God, through recollection, it escapes from loneliness.” There is great wisdom in every part of this glorious teaching of Hazrat Al-Muḥāsibī.

Sufi masters said that when a person lovingly recites God’s name, his energy begins to transform. Slowly and surely, with the practice of dhikr, one realises the folly of staying tethered to nafs, the lower ego. Dhikr lifts the veils of darkness upon our mind. With the dedicated recitation of God’s name, the “sweetness of the recollection of God” permeates our consciousness. A man who is full of devotion towards God enters the sacred space of oneness with God. He feels protected at all times and never feels lonely or vulnerable.

Hazrat Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami (947-1034), a highly influential Persian Sufi master known for his deep spiritual insights and important works on Sufi history and practice, said this of dhikr, “Fast, for hunger is a protection against the Devil. Remembrance (Zikr) of God will affect both your interior and exterior life. The effect of dhikr in the interior is acceptance in the exterior; its effect is humility and piousness.”

Hazrat Umar Ibn al-Farid (1181–1235), a renowned Egyptian Sufi mystic, left worldly pursuits and chose ascetic retreat in the Muqaṭṭam hills near Cairo, and later for 15 years in Mecca. He was engrossed in loving pursuit of God, absorbed in constant dhikr, divine love, spiritual ecstasy, and union with the Almighty. From his love of the Divine Beloved sprang his transformative mystical awakening, and he composed much of his poetry in states of ecstatic inspiration. In his Khamriyya and other qasidahs, Hazrat Ibn al-Farid writes of dhikr, the perpetual remembrance of the Divine, as a “wine” where tongue, heart and body are all intoxicated with the Divine Name.

Loving and continuous remembrance of God’s name blesses us with a benevolent and empathetic perspective on life. When we stay in our isolated bubble separated from God, our inner energy stays nervous and fearful. It is only when we move into the hallowed, sacred space of God’s name that our spiritual growth begins. This has implications not only for our journey into God, but also for our journey in life. A kind and compassionate man with a devotional heart shall be blessed with the most beautiful treasure of life – happiness and contentment within.

An old Sufi story illustrates the importance of staying in continual remembrance of God. The story goes that when Junaid went to greet his new neighbour, the old man snarled and slammed the door in his face.

After enduring the man’s rude behaviour for several weeks, Junaid despaired. “Oh God,” he prayed, “please take this man’s life.”

That night, God came to Junaid in a dream. “This man has been your neighbour only a few weeks, but he has been my neighbour for sixty years. If I can abide with him, you can too.”

When he awoke, Junaid remembered God’s words. He told himself that instead of fretting about the man’s behaviour, he should immerse his mind and heart in dhikr, the loving recital of God’s name. “I shall engage in my prayers and let the man be as he is,” Junaid decided. “For who am I after all?” In this way, Junaid was able to get rid of his lower ego, his nafs. The rude old man who was his neighbour became the trigger for Junaid’s deeper journey into God and for always choosing the loving remembrance of the glory of the Divine Beloved.

The old man in the Sufi story is a metaphor for all the things around us which may not be of our liking. God teaches us to deal with all challenges in such a way that it shall enhance our spiritual growth and take us closer to Him.

Saint Rabia is reported to have said, “Abu Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, told us, “Verily, everything has a polish and the polish of the heart is the remembrance of Allah Almighty.”  This is how we must understand the role of the loving recitation of God’s name. Hazrat Ibn Al-Qayyim (1292–1350), also known as Hazrat Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said of the significance of dhikr, “The heart is tarnished by two matters: negligence and sin. And it is polished by two matters: seeking forgiveness and the remembrance of Allah.”

Sufi masters have often used the metaphor of the mirror of the heart, and the necessity of keeping it clean of all negative feelings. Hazrat Imam Al-Ghazali (1058–1111), an influential mystic, has described the heart as a mirror destined to reflect divine light. The mirror of the heart gets veiled by layers of dust – the negativity that we give space to in our mind. Dhikr polishes the mirror and keeps it clean so that God’s light may shine forth.

Dhikr of the tongue is a doorway to dhikr of the heart. The silent, inward remembrance cleanses us of negativity and despair. Dhikr keeps our faith in the Almighty strong.

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