The significance of Dhikr(Zikr)
( Part 1)
An Ismaili aspires to remember God in every moment, with each and every breath. This remembrance does not belong to the mind. It is not an act of mental recall, but is the remembrance of the heart, an awareness of our innermost state of Union with God. The Dhikr is the repetition of a Sacred Word (BOL) silently. Through repeating His name, we remember Him not just in the mind but in the heart, until finally, every cell of the body repeats the dhikr, repeat His name. (Romey romey maaro Shah wasey….Ginan). It is said that first you do the dhikr and then the dhikr does you (Ajampiya Jaanp). It then becomes a part of our unconscious and sings in our bloodstream. Working in the unconscious, the dhikr alters our mental, psychological and off course our physical bodies. On the mental level, this is easily apparent. In our daily life, the mind follows its automatic thinking process, over which we have a very little control. The mind thinks us rather than the other way round. Just catch your mind for a moment and observe its thought. Every thought creates a new thought. And because energy follows thought, our mental and psychological energy is scattered in many direction. Spiritual life means learning to become one-pointed to focus all of our energy in one direction, towards Him. There should be no thought either good or bad, just think of Him. (Khuda ni bandage kerti wakhtey duniya no koi parn khayak na hovo joiyey. Firman...) Through repeating His name, we alter the grooves of our mental conditioning, the grooves like those on a record, play the same tune over and over again repeats the same patterns which binds us in our mental habit. The dhikr gradually replaces these old grooves with single grooves of His name. Thus the automatic thinking process is redirected towards Him. Like a computer we are programmed for God. It is said that what you think, you become. If we think of Allah, we become one with Allah. One of the secrets of a dhikr is that it is a sacred word which conveys the essence of that which it names.( In the beginning was the word, and word was with God).
On a psychological level, the dhikr is a powerful agent of transformation. Every atom of a creation unknowingly sings His name and longs to be reunited (the cry of a flute mentioned in the Mathnavi of Mowlana Rumi). The dhikr infuses this unconsciousness, with the conscious desire of the lover to remember his Beloved. We consciousely desire to return Home, to make the journey from the ego to the Self
The Self, not the ego, is the prime agent of transformation. The ego takes us toward separation (duality) while Self pulls towards wholeness (Unity). Repeating His name, we align ourself with the call of Self, the call to return to the root of the root of your own self. His name and concentration (Dhiyana) should become merged in each other and only His name exists (Soorti Shabd ki Gaanthi gulai, jiyoo jel me jel diya milai…Braham Parkash, Pir Shams…). The dhikr charged with the energy of the Self, works in the unconscious, disentangling and freeing us from complexes and patterns of conditioning.
…….To be continued…in Part 2.
The significance of Dhikr(Zikr)
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alinizar_313
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Significance of Dhikr(Zikr) Part 2
The Significance of Dhikr (Zikr) Part 2
In the Dhikr, we give voice to the primal prayer of the soul, the remembrance, the remembrance of God (that is eternal remembrance of soul). The soul carries this remembrance hidden within the heart. When we consciously repeat His name, we reconnect ourselves with the eternal moment of the soul in which the soul acknowledges that He is Lord. It is said in Quran (Sura 7:171) when God addressed the “not yet created” humanity with the words “Am I not your Lord? And humanity responded “Yes, we witness it.” The soul’s response, “Yes we witness it” was the first dhikr imprinted in the heart. When we say His name, we bring the soul’s instinctual state of devotion and worship into the world of time and space (from unmanifest to manifest, or from Aroop to Roop in Gujrati). We repeat with each breath the soul’s prayer of praise, the affirmation that He is Lord. His name on the lips of His lover unites the two worlds, the eternal world of soul with the temporal world which we experience as separation. The dhikr is a practice that helps us to dissolve the illusion of separation. Through it, the lonliness of the path is replaced by the feeling of His companionship. (Pir Saderdin eklo jeto heto to parn samjto hato ke khuda maari saathey chhey..Firman of Sultan Mohammed Shah).
In saying the dhikr, we acknowledge the heart’s need to worship, the lover’s need to think only of the beloved. We actually step away from ego’s pattern of self-autonomy and align our whole being with the soul’s devotion. While the ego scatters our attention in too many directions, inwardly the heart always looks towards God. Repeating His name, we turn from the many towards the one. We turn from the creations’ multiplicity to the singleness of our own essence.
The secret of the dhikr is that the name we repeat is none other than that of our own innermost being ( je naam amey temney aapiyey chhiye te amaroo naanu sswaroop chhey. .firman ). In the depth of the heart, the lover and Beloved are one. I am He when I love; He when I love is I. We call upon our own state of union and evoke its dynamic wholeness. We bring our own divinity into consciousness. The divinity is both a state of union and a state of prayer and praise. But beneath our desire to remember Him is His grace which opens the gate of remembrance (Yadgiri..see firman# 125 Kalam-e Imam-e Mubin Part 1). It is only because he has given us the glimpse of oneness that we are driven to remember Him. We desire Him because He first desires us. Remembrance (Yaadgiri) is the gift given to those He calls back to Himself. For this reason, remembrance can never be forced that is why Mowla says that it is not compulsory to be a member of Baitul Khayal. It is a discipline born devotion and grace. If He did not awaken our love for Him, we would become bored with the constant repetition of a single word. Who would want to repeat one word with each moment of every day, if this word were not charged with the beauty of a lover’s remembrance? Only for a lover is the name of the Beloved always new. Love does not belong to time, but to the eternal moment of the soul. Each time, we repeat His name it is the first time. Each moment is an opportunity to say the name of our Beloved.
We gave us the grace to remember Him. Without this grace, the dhikr would just be without any meaning. But when the current of Love flows from the heart of the heart, His name leads us away from oneself back to Him (gadgad lehri prem ki chute….See Braham Parkash of Pir Shams).
When God wishes to befriend one of His servants, He opens for him the gate of His remembrance. When lover experiences the sweetness of remembrance, He opens for him the gate of nearness. Then he raises him into the gatherings of His intimacy (Ahle Bait). Then He settles him upon the throne of Unity. Then He lift the veil from him and leads him the abode of uni-city (lone city) and reveals for him the divine splendor and majesty ( jaao jaao gaventri doonger ne korey morey… See ginan Bindera re vun of pir Saderdin ). When his eyes fall upon the divine splendor and majesty, naught of himself remains, thereupon His servant is entirely extinguished for a time (Mansoor Anal Haq kehto heto… Pachhi tenesergavi deva ma aviyo… see kalam-e Imame-e- Mubin part 1). After that he becomes one with Him.
Nizar Ali
In the Dhikr, we give voice to the primal prayer of the soul, the remembrance, the remembrance of God (that is eternal remembrance of soul). The soul carries this remembrance hidden within the heart. When we consciously repeat His name, we reconnect ourselves with the eternal moment of the soul in which the soul acknowledges that He is Lord. It is said in Quran (Sura 7:171) when God addressed the “not yet created” humanity with the words “Am I not your Lord? And humanity responded “Yes, we witness it.” The soul’s response, “Yes we witness it” was the first dhikr imprinted in the heart. When we say His name, we bring the soul’s instinctual state of devotion and worship into the world of time and space (from unmanifest to manifest, or from Aroop to Roop in Gujrati). We repeat with each breath the soul’s prayer of praise, the affirmation that He is Lord. His name on the lips of His lover unites the two worlds, the eternal world of soul with the temporal world which we experience as separation. The dhikr is a practice that helps us to dissolve the illusion of separation. Through it, the lonliness of the path is replaced by the feeling of His companionship. (Pir Saderdin eklo jeto heto to parn samjto hato ke khuda maari saathey chhey..Firman of Sultan Mohammed Shah).
In saying the dhikr, we acknowledge the heart’s need to worship, the lover’s need to think only of the beloved. We actually step away from ego’s pattern of self-autonomy and align our whole being with the soul’s devotion. While the ego scatters our attention in too many directions, inwardly the heart always looks towards God. Repeating His name, we turn from the many towards the one. We turn from the creations’ multiplicity to the singleness of our own essence.
The secret of the dhikr is that the name we repeat is none other than that of our own innermost being ( je naam amey temney aapiyey chhiye te amaroo naanu sswaroop chhey. .firman ). In the depth of the heart, the lover and Beloved are one. I am He when I love; He when I love is I. We call upon our own state of union and evoke its dynamic wholeness. We bring our own divinity into consciousness. The divinity is both a state of union and a state of prayer and praise. But beneath our desire to remember Him is His grace which opens the gate of remembrance (Yadgiri..see firman# 125 Kalam-e Imam-e Mubin Part 1). It is only because he has given us the glimpse of oneness that we are driven to remember Him. We desire Him because He first desires us. Remembrance (Yaadgiri) is the gift given to those He calls back to Himself. For this reason, remembrance can never be forced that is why Mowla says that it is not compulsory to be a member of Baitul Khayal. It is a discipline born devotion and grace. If He did not awaken our love for Him, we would become bored with the constant repetition of a single word. Who would want to repeat one word with each moment of every day, if this word were not charged with the beauty of a lover’s remembrance? Only for a lover is the name of the Beloved always new. Love does not belong to time, but to the eternal moment of the soul. Each time, we repeat His name it is the first time. Each moment is an opportunity to say the name of our Beloved.
We gave us the grace to remember Him. Without this grace, the dhikr would just be without any meaning. But when the current of Love flows from the heart of the heart, His name leads us away from oneself back to Him (gadgad lehri prem ki chute….See Braham Parkash of Pir Shams).
When God wishes to befriend one of His servants, He opens for him the gate of His remembrance. When lover experiences the sweetness of remembrance, He opens for him the gate of nearness. Then he raises him into the gatherings of His intimacy (Ahle Bait). Then He settles him upon the throne of Unity. Then He lift the veil from him and leads him the abode of uni-city (lone city) and reveals for him the divine splendor and majesty ( jaao jaao gaventri doonger ne korey morey… See ginan Bindera re vun of pir Saderdin ). When his eyes fall upon the divine splendor and majesty, naught of himself remains, thereupon His servant is entirely extinguished for a time (Mansoor Anal Haq kehto heto… Pachhi tenesergavi deva ma aviyo… see kalam-e Imame-e- Mubin part 1). After that he becomes one with Him.
Nizar Ali
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hussainjamani
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arshad1988
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You hit the nail on the head with your explanation, great job! This is exactly what we should aspire towards through Dhikr. I have just created another thread on Bulleh Shah and how his poety so closely resembles our Ismaili philosophy, being a disciple of Peer Shams. Here's one of Bulleh Shah's famous works which resonates what you have stated (Several famous artists/bands such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Junoon, Rabbi Shergill have sung this beautifual poetry, "Bullah Ki Jaana Mein Kaun", in their own way)
"Not a believer inside the mosque, am I
Nor a pagan disciple of false rites
Not the pure amongst the impure
Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Not in the holy Vedas, am I
Nor in opium, neither in wine
Not in the drunkard`s craze
Neither awake, nor in a sleeping daze
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
In happiness nor in sorrow, am I
Neither clean, nor a filthy mire
Not from water, nor from earth
Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Not an Arab, nor Lahori
Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri
Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari
Nor do I live in Nadaun
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Secrets of religion, I have not known
From Adam and Eve, I am not born
I am not the name I assume
Not in stillness, nor on the move
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
I am the first, I am the last
None other, have I ever known
I am the wisest of them all
Bulleh! do I stand alone?
Bulleh! to me, I am not known"
"Not a believer inside the mosque, am I
Nor a pagan disciple of false rites
Not the pure amongst the impure
Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Not in the holy Vedas, am I
Nor in opium, neither in wine
Not in the drunkard`s craze
Neither awake, nor in a sleeping daze
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
In happiness nor in sorrow, am I
Neither clean, nor a filthy mire
Not from water, nor from earth
Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Not an Arab, nor Lahori
Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri
Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari
Nor do I live in Nadaun
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Secrets of religion, I have not known
From Adam and Eve, I am not born
I am not the name I assume
Not in stillness, nor on the move
Bulleh! to me, I am not known
I am the first, I am the last
None other, have I ever known
I am the wisest of them all
Bulleh! do I stand alone?
Bulleh! to me, I am not known"
Zikar Tasbih
JollyGul.com has now launched Zikar Tasbih Service on its platform. The service includes recitations with and without musical instruments.
Zikar are devotional acts in which short phrases or prayers (remembering and praising God) are repeatedly recited silently within the mind or aloud. It can be counted on a set of prayer beads (tasbih) or through fingers of the hand. Tasbih is a form of zikar that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences glorifying God.
Some of the zikar tasbihs recited by Ismailis are preluded by recitation of a couple of verses of ginans. And some tasbihs include elements of supplication (petitioning or humbly thanking) in addition to pure zikar (remembering and praising God).
Example of zikar is La ilaha illallah ("there is no God but God"), and example of supplicatory prayer (asking/thanking) is Al-hamdu lillah ("praise be to God").
Zikar Tasbihs are extensively recited in Jamat Khana (congregation) past midnight during the Laylat al-Qadr night. Zikar is seen as a way to gain spiritual enlightenment and achieve union with God. The goal is to obtain a feeling of peace, separation from worldly values (duniya) and strengthen Iman (faith).
You can access the Zikar Tasbih service by clicking on the link below.
https://www.jollygul.com/zikar-tasbih/
JollyGul.com has now launched Zikar Tasbih Service on its platform. The service includes recitations with and without musical instruments.
Zikar are devotional acts in which short phrases or prayers (remembering and praising God) are repeatedly recited silently within the mind or aloud. It can be counted on a set of prayer beads (tasbih) or through fingers of the hand. Tasbih is a form of zikar that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences glorifying God.
Some of the zikar tasbihs recited by Ismailis are preluded by recitation of a couple of verses of ginans. And some tasbihs include elements of supplication (petitioning or humbly thanking) in addition to pure zikar (remembering and praising God).
Example of zikar is La ilaha illallah ("there is no God but God"), and example of supplicatory prayer (asking/thanking) is Al-hamdu lillah ("praise be to God").
Zikar Tasbihs are extensively recited in Jamat Khana (congregation) past midnight during the Laylat al-Qadr night. Zikar is seen as a way to gain spiritual enlightenment and achieve union with God. The goal is to obtain a feeling of peace, separation from worldly values (duniya) and strengthen Iman (faith).
You can access the Zikar Tasbih service by clicking on the link below.
https://www.jollygul.com/zikar-tasbih/
FAZKURUNI AZKURKUM WASHKURU LI WA LA TAKFURUN. Al Baqarah 152
So remember me, I will remember you. And be grateful to me and do not disobey me.
There is a beautiful couplet said by a famous Sindhi poet named BEDIL.
FAZKURUNI AZKURKUM ZAKIR THI MAZKUR ME GUMM
WAHDAT ME DI JAAN VINJHAI BEDIL HUNN MANSURI DUM
Tran: You remember me and I shall remember you. O Zakir (reciter) dissolve your soul into supreme soul. Drown in the ocean of Wahdat and like Mansoor declare Anal Huqq.
So remember me, I will remember you. And be grateful to me and do not disobey me.
There is a beautiful couplet said by a famous Sindhi poet named BEDIL.
FAZKURUNI AZKURKUM ZAKIR THI MAZKUR ME GUMM
WAHDAT ME DI JAAN VINJHAI BEDIL HUNN MANSURI DUM
Tran: You remember me and I shall remember you. O Zakir (reciter) dissolve your soul into supreme soul. Drown in the ocean of Wahdat and like Mansoor declare Anal Huqq.