dhikr

Although various orders have their own unique practices, cultures, and philosophical understandings, meditative dhikr is generally considered to be the sufi form of spiritual practice par excellence. Other forms of meditation (commonly falling under the category of fikr ) exist within some silsilas, but the practice of dhikr is commonplace within Sufism at large. During the practice of dhikr a name of Allah is repeated, vocally or silently, with the goal of opening the self to, or losing the self completely in, the direct presence of God. When performed communally/vocally, the name is often chanted rhythmically and may also be accompanied by repetitive body movements. During communal dhikr, participants may also be physically arranged in a pattern which has some spiritual significance to the order. In solitude, verbal repetition is often thought of as a precursor to silent practice. Dhikr can be performed individually at any time, with intense periods of individual practice often performed on secluded retreat, sometimes lasting up to 40 days. At its most basic level, dhikr is simply the meditative repetition of a divine name as understood from within the Islamic context. “Its beginning is only with the tongue, then comes invocation with the heart with effort; then comes invocation with the heart naturally; then comes possession of the heart by the Invoked and the effacement of the invoker.” “Invocation is an inner reality in which the Invoked takes possession of the heart while the invoker is effaced and vanishes. But it has three coverings, one closer to the kernel than the others. The kernel as such is beyond the three coverings, yet the virtue of the coverings lies in their being the way to the kernel.” “Know that there are four degrees of Remembrance (of God): The first is that it be with the tongue while the soul is inattentive. The effect of this is weak, but it is still not without some effect, for the tongue that is busy with service is better than the tongue that is busy with foolishness or left in idleness. The second is that it be in the soul, but not established firmly and dwelling (in it). It is as though the soul must be constrained to do it, so that if there were no (conscious) effort and constraint, the soul would, from inattention and the whisperings of the self, revert to its normal nature. The third is that in which the remembrance is resident, established, and dominant in the soul, so much so that there is no more need for importuning. This is tremendous! The fourth is that in which the Remembered – and that is God Most High – overwhelms the soul, not the remembrance. There is a difference between him whose entire soul loves the Remembered and him who loves the Remembrance. Rather, the perfection of that is that the remembrance and the awareness of the remembrance go from the soul, leaving the Remembered and nothing else… When one becomes immersed thus, one forgets oneself and all there is, save God Most High. One arrives at the beginning of the way of mysticism. This state is called by the Sufis ‘annihilation (of the self).’ It is also called ‘non-existence (of the self).’” “As human beings, we have the ability to reach the state of extinction and annihilation and yet have consciousness that we are nothing in ourselves and that all being belongs to God. We can reach a state of unitive consciousness prior to bifurcation into object and subject.” As with other elements of sufi practice and philosophy, understandings of fana may differ based on order, sheikh, or individual. The following are descriptions of dhikr and the sufi path from sufi texts, past and present. “Know that there are four degrees of Remembrance (of God): The first is that it be with the tongue while the soul is inattentive. The effect of this is weak, but it is still not without some effect, for the tongue that is busy with service is better than the tongue that is busy with foolishness or left in idleness. The second is that it be