Dhikr

"Zekr" redirects here. For the Quranic software, see Zekr (software).

Dhikr (Arabic: ذِكْر, /ðɪkr/, also spelled Zikr, Thikr, Zekr,^[1] or Zikar,^[2][3] literally meaning "remembrance, reminder"^[4] or "mention")^[5] is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to remember God.^[4][6] It plays a central role in Sufi Islam,^[7] and each Sufi order has usually adopted a specific dhikr, typically accompanied by specific posture, breathing, and movement.^[8] In Sufi Islam, dhikr refers to both the act of this remembrance as well as the prayers used in these acts of remembrance.^[4] Dhikr can be performed in solitude or as a collective group.^[8] It can be counted on a set of prayer beads (Misbaha مِسْبَحَة)^[4] or through the fingers of the hand. A person who recites the Dhikr is called a Dhakir (ذَاكِر, [ðaːkɪr]), literally "he who remembers."^[5] The content of the prayers includes the names of God, or a dua (prayer of supplication) taken from the hadiths or the Quran.

Allah as having been written on the disciple's heart

Importance

There are several verses in the Quran that emphasize the importance of remembering the will of God by saying phrases such as "God willing" "God knows best," and "If it is your will.' This is the basis for dhikr. Surah al-Kahf (18), Ayah 24 states a person who forgets to say, "God willing", should immediately remember God by saying, "Maybe my Lord will guide me to [something] more akin to rectitude than this."^[9] Other verses include Surah al-Ahzab (33), Ayah 41, "O you who have faith! Remember Allah with frequent remembrance",^[10] and Surah ar-Ra'd (13), Ayah 28, "those who have faith, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah.' Look! The hearts find rest in Allah's remembrance!"^[11]

Muslims believe dhikr is one of the best ways to enter the higher level of Heaven and to glorify the Monotheistic Oneness of God.^[12]

To Sufis, dhikr is seen as a way to gain spiritual enlightenment and achieve union (visal) or annihilation (fana) in God. All Muslim sects endorse individual rosaries as a method of meditation, the goal of which is to obtain a feeling of peace, separation from worldly values (dunya), and, in general, strengthen Iman (faith).^{[citation needed]}

Common types

Arabic Qurʾanic spelling	Transliteration IPA	Phrase
بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ	bismi -llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm^i /bis.mi‿l.laː.hi‌‿r.raħ.maː.ni ‿r.ra.ħiː.mi/	In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Especially-Merciful.
أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّٰهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَانِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّٰهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ	ʾaʿūḏu bi-llāhi mina š-šayṭāni r-rajīm^i /ʔa.ʕuː.ðu bil.laː.hi mi.na‿ʃ.ʃaj.tˤaː.ni‿r.ra.d͡ʒiː.mi/	I seek refuge in God from the exiled Satan.
أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّٰهِ ٱلسَّمِيعِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَانِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّٰهِ ٱلسَّمِيعِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ	ʾaʿūḏu bi-llāhi s-samīʿi l-ʿalīmi mina š-šayṭāni r-rajīm^i /ʔa.ʕuː.ðu bil.laː.hi‿s.sa.miː.ʕi‿l.ʕa.liː.mi mi.na‿ʃ.ʃaj.tˤaː.ni‿r.ra.d͡ʒiː.mi/	I seek refuge in God, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the exiled Satan.
سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّٰهِ	subḥāna -llāh^i /sub.ħaː.na‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi/	Glorified is God.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ	ʾalḥamdu lillāh^i /ʔal.ħam.du lil.laː.hi/	All praise is due to God.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ	lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāh^u /laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.la‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu/	There is no deity but God.
ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ	ʾallāhu ʾakbar^u /ʔaɫ.ɫaː.hu ʔak.ba.ru/	God is greater [than everything].
أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰهَ	ʾastaḡfiru -llāh^a /ʔas.taɣ.fi.ru‿ɫ.ɫaː.ha/	I seek the forgiveness of God.
أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰهَ رَبِّي وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ	ʾastaḡfiru -llāha rabbī wa-ʾatūbu ʾilayh^i /ʔas.taɣ.fi.ru‿ɫ.ɫaː.ha rab.biː wa.ʔa.tuː.bu ʔi.laj.hi/	I seek the forgiveness of God, my Lord, and repent to Him.
سُبْحَانَكَ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ سُبْحَٰنَكَ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ	subḥānaka -llāhumm^a /sub.ħaː.na.ka‿ɫ.ɫaː.hum.ma/	Glorified are you, O God.
سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ	subḥāna -llāhi wa-bi-ḥamdih^ī /sub.ħaː.na‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi wa.bi.ħam.di.hiː/	Glorified is God and with His praise.
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ	subḥāna rabbiya l-ʿaẓīmi wa-bi-ḥamdih^ī /sub.ħaː.na rab.bi.ja‿l.ʕa.ðˤiː.mi wa.bi.ħam.di.hiː/	Glorified is my God, the Great, and with His praise.
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ وَبِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ وَبِحَمْدِهِ	subḥāna rabbiya l-ʾaʿlā wa-bi-ḥamdih^ī /sub.ħaː.na rab.bi.ja‿l.ʔaʕ.laː wa.bi.ħam.di.hiː/	Glorified is my God, the Most High, and with His praise.
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰهِ ٱلْعَلِيِّ ٱلْعَظِيمِ	lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata ʾillā bi-llāhi l-ʿalīyi l-ʿaẓīm^i /laː ħaw.la wa.laː quw.wa.ta ʔil.laː bil.laː.hi‿l.ʕa.liː.ji‿l.ʕa.ðˤiː.mi/	There is no power no strength except from God, the Exalted, the Great.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّالِمِينَ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ	lā ʾilāha ʾillā ʾanta subḥānaka ʾinnī kuntu mina ẓ-ẓālimīn^a /laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.laː ʔan.ta sub.ħaː.na.ka ʔin.niː kun.tu mi.na‿ðˤ.ðˤaː.li.miː.na/	There is no god except You, glorified are you! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers.
حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّٰهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ	ḥasbunā -llāhu wa-niʿma l-wakīl^u /ħas.bu.na‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu wa.niʕ.ma‿l.wa.kiː.lu/	God is sufficient for us, and He is an excellent Trustee.
إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ	ʾinnā lillāhi wa-ʾinnā ʾilayhi rājiʿūn^a /ʔin.naː lil.laː.hi wa.ʔin.naː ʔi.laj.hi raː.d͡ʒi.ʕuː.na/	Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return.
مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ كَانَ وَمَا لَمْ يَشَأْ لَمْ يَكُنْ	mā šāʾa -llāhu kāna wa-mā lam yašaʾ lam yakun /maː ʃaː.ʔa‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu kaː.na wa.maː lam ja.ʃaʔ lam ja.kun/	What God wills will be, and what God does not will, will not be.
إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ	ʾin šāʾa -llāh^u /ʔin ʃaː.ʔa‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu/	If God wills.
مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ	mā šāʾa -llāh^u /maː ʃaː.ʔa‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu/	What God wills.
بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّٰهِ	bi-ʾiḏni -llāh^i /bi.ʔið.ni‿l.laː.hi/	With the permission of God.
جَزَاكَ ٱللَّٰهُ خَيْرًا	jazāka -llāhu khayrā^n /d͡ʒa.zaː.ka‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu xaj.ran/	God reward you [with] goodness.
بَارَكَ ٱللَّٰهُ فِيكَ بَٰرَكَ ٱللَّٰهُ فِيكَ	bāraka -llāhu fīk^a /baː.ra.ka‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu fiː.ka/	God bless you.
فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّٰهِ	fī sabīli -llāh^i /fiː sa.biː.li‿l.laː.hi/	On the path of God.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ	lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāhu muḥammadun rasūlu -llāh^i /laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.la‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu mu.ħam.ma.dun ra.suː.lu‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi/	There is no deity but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلِيٌّ وَلِيُّ ٱللَّٰهِ	lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāhu muḥammadun rasūlu -llāhi ʿalīyun walīyu -llāh^i /laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.la‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu mu.ħam.ma.dun ra.suː.lu‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi ʕa.liː.jun wa.liː.ju‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi/	There is no deity but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God, Ali is the vicegerent of God. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ	ʾašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāhu wa-ʾašhadu ʾanna muḥammadan rasūlu -llāh^i /ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.la‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu wa.ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na mu.ħam.ma.dan ra.suː.lu‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi/	I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ ٱللَّٰهِ	ʾašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāhu wa-ʾašhadu ʾanna muḥammadan rasūlu -llāhi wa-ʾašhadu ʾanna ʿalīyan walīyu -llāh^i /ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan laː ʔi.laː.ha ʔil.la‿ɫ.ɫaː.hu wa.ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na mu.ħam.ma.dan ra.suː.lu‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi wa.ʔaʃ.ha.du ʔan.na ʕa.liː.jan wa.liː.ju‿ɫ.ɫaː.hi/	I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, and I bear witness that Ali is the vicegerent of God. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
ٱللَّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ	ʾallāhumma ṣalli ʿalā muḥammadin wa-ʾāli muḥammad^in /ʔaɫ.ɫaː.hum.ma sˤal.li ʕa.laː mu.ħam.ma.din wa.ʔaː.li mu.ħam.ma.din/	O God, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad.
ٱللَّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَجِّلْ فَرَجَهُمْ وَٱلْعَنْ أَعْدَاءَهُمْ	ʾallāhumma ṣalli ʿalā muḥammadin wa-ʾāli muḥammadin wa-ʿajjil farajahum wa-lʿan ʾaʿdāʾahum /ʔaɫ.ɫaː.hum.ma sˤal.li ʕa.laː mu.ħam.ma.din wa.ʔaː.li mu.ħam.ma.din wa.ʕad͡ʒ.d͡ʒil fa.ra.d͡ʒa.hum wal.ʕan ʔaʕ.daː.ʔa.hum/	O God, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad, and hasten their alleviation and curse their enemies. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)
ٱللَّٰهُمَّ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِيِّكَ ٱلْفَرَجَ وَٱلْعَافِيَةَ وَٱلنَّصْرَ	ʾallāhumma ʿajjil li-walīyika l-faraja wa-l-ʿāfiyata wa-n-naṣr^a /ʔaɫ.ɫaː.hum.ma ʕad͡ʒ.d͡ʒil li.wa.liː.ji.ka‿l.fa.ra.d͡ʒa wal.ʕaː.fi.ja.ta wan.nasˤ.ra/	O God, hasten the alleviation of your vicegerent (i.e. Imam Mahdi), and grant him vitality and victory. (Usually recited by Shia Muslims)

Phrases and expressions

There are numerous conventional phrases and expressions invoking God.

Name	Phrase	Citation (Quran or Sunnah)
Takbir تَكْبِير
	allāhu ʾakbar^u	9:72, 29:45, 40:10
	ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ
	God is greater [than all things]
Tasbih تَسْبِيح
	subḥāna llāh^i	23:91, 28:68, 37:159, 52:43, 59:23
	سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ
	Glory to God
Tahmid تَحْمِيد
	al-ḥamdu li-llāh^i	1:2, 6:1, 6:45, 7:43, 10:10, 14:39, 16:75, 17:111, 18:1, 23:28, 27:15, 27:59, 27:93, 29:63, 31:25, 34:1, 35:1, 35:34, 37:182, 39:29, 39:74, 39:75, 40:65
	ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ
	Praise be to God
Tahlil تَهْلِيل
	lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh^u	37:38, 47:19
	لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ
	[There is] no god but God
Shahadatayn شَهَادَتَيْن
	muḥammadun rasūlu llāh^i	48:29
	مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ
	Muhammad is the messenger of God
Tasmiyah تَسْمِيَّة
	bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm^i	1:1
	بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ^[13]
	In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Inshallah إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ
	ʾin shāʾa llāh^u	2:70, 12:99, 18:69, 28:27, 48:27
	إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ
	If God wills
Mashallah مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ
	mā shāʾa llāh^u	6:128, 7:188, 10:49, 18:39, 87:7
	مَا شَاءَ ٱللَّٰهُ
	What God wills
Alayhi as-Salam عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ
	salāmu -llāhi ʿalayh^ī
	سَلَامُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ ^[14]
	Blessing of God be upon him
Salawat صَلَوَات
	ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-ʾālihī wa-sallam^a
	صَلَّىٰ ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ^[14]
	God bless him and give him salvation
Rahimahullah رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ
	raḥimahu llāh^u / raḥimaka llāh^u
	رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ / رَحِمَكَ ٱللَّٰهُ
	God have mercy upon him / God have mercy upon you
Istighfar ٱسْتِغْفَار
	ʾastaġfiru llāh^i	12:98, 19:47
	أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰهَ
	I seek forgiveness from God
Hawqalah حَوْقَلَة
	ʾlā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata ʾillā bi-llāh^i	Riyad as-Salihin 16:36
	لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰهِ
	There is no might nor power except in God
Istirja ٱسْتِرْجَاع
	ʾinnā li-llāhi wa-ʾinnā ʾilayhi rājiʿūn^a	2:156, 2:46, 2:156
	إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
	Indeed, (we belong) to God and indeed to Him we shall return
Jazakallah جَزَاكَ ٱللَّٰهُ
	jazāka llāhu ḫayran	Riyad as-Salihin 17:32, Tirmidhi 27:141, Bukhari 7:3
	جَزَاكَ ٱللَّٰهُ خَيْرًا
	May God reward you well
Ta'awwudh تَعَوُّذ
	ʾaʿūḏu bi-llāhi mina š-šayṭāni r-rajīm^i	Riyad as-Salihin 1:46
	أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّٰهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَانِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
	I seek refuge with God from the pelted Satan
Fi sabilillah
	fī sabīli llāh^i	2:154, 2:190, 2:195, 2:218, 2:244, 2:246, etc.
	فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّٰهِ
	in the cause (way) of God
Yarhamuka-llah
	yarḥamuka llāh^u	Bukhari 78:248, Riyad as-Salihin 6:35
	يَرْحَمُكَ ٱللَّٰهُ
	May God have mercy on you
Honorifics often said or written alongside Allah
Subhanahu wa-Ta'ala
	subḥānahū wa-taʿālā^[15]	6:100, 10:18, 16:1, 17:43, 30:40, 39:67
	سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ
	Praised and exalted^[16]^[17]
Tabaraka wa-Ta'ala
	tabāraka wa-taʿālā
	تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَىٰ
	Blessed and exalted
Jalla Jalalah
	jalla jalālah^u
	جَلَّ جَلَالَهُ^[18]
	May His glory be glorified
Azza wa Jall
	ʿazza wa-jall^a
	عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
	Prestigious and Majestic

Quran as Dhikr

Reciting the Quran sincerely is also considered a kind of Dhikr. For example:

• Reciting Surah al-Ikhlas (112) is equal to one-third of the Quran.^[19]
• Reciting Surah al-Ikhlas (112) 10 times gives a palace in Heaven.^[20]
• Reciting Surah al-Kafirun (109) is equal to one-fourth of the Quran.^[21]
• Reciting Surah an-Nasr (110) is equal to one-fourth of the Quran.^[22]
• Reciting Surah az-Zalzalah (99) is equal to half of the Quran.^[22][23]

Hadiths mentioning virtues

See also: Dua

"Shall I tell you about the best of deeds, the most pure in the Sight of your Lord, about the one that is of the highest order and is far better for you than spending gold and silver, even better for you than meeting your enemies in the battlefield where you strike at their necks and they at yours?" The companions replied, "Yes, O Messenger ﷺ of Allah!" He replied, "Remembrance of Allah ﷻ".

— at-Tirmidhi

"People will not sit in an assembly in which they remember Allah ﷻ without the angels surrounding them, mercy covering them, and Allah ﷻ Mentioning them among those who are with Him"

— narrated by Abu Hurairah, Sahih Muslim

“There is nothing that is a greater cause of salvation from the punishment of Allah than the remembrance of Allah"

— Narrated by Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications

Hadhrat Mu`adh ibn Jabal said that the Prophet ﷺ also said: "The People of Paradise will not regret except one thing alone: the hour that passed them by and in which they made no remembrance of Allah ﷻ."

— Narrated by Bayhaqi, Shu`ab al-iman

It is mentioned in hadith that where people are oblivious to dhikir, remembrance of Allah is like being steadfast in jihad when others are running away (Targhib, p. 193, vol. 3 ref. Bazar and Tibrani).

The Islamic Prophet Muhammad is reported to have taught his daughter Fatimah bint Rasul Allah a special manner of Dhikr which is known as the "Tasbih of Fatimah". This consists of:

1. 33 repetitions of subḥāna -llahⁱ (سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ), meaning "Glorified is God". This saying is known as Tasbih (تَسْبِيح).
2. 33 repetitions of al-ḥamdu lillāhⁱ (ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ), meaning "All Praise belongs to God". This saying is known as Tahmid (تَحْمِيد).
3. 34 repetitions of ʾallāhu ʾakbar^u (ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ), meaning "God is Greater [than everything]". This saying is known as Takbir (تَكْبِير).

The Shia way of doing the Tasbih of Fatimah is:

1. 34 repetitions of ʾallāhu ʾakbar^u (ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ), meaning "God is Greater [than everything]". This saying is known as Takbir (تَكْبِير).
2. 33 repetitions of al-ḥamdu lillāhⁱ (ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ), meaning "All Praise belongs to God". This saying is known as Tahmid (تَحْمِيد).
3. 33 repetitions of subḥāna -llahⁱ (سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ), meaning "Glorified is God". This saying is known as Tasbih (تَسْبِيح).
4. Saying one time at the end: La ilaha il Allah (There is no god but Allah).

Prayer beads

Known also as Tasbih, these are usually Misbaha (prayer beads) upon a string, 33, 99, or 100 in number, which correspond to the names of God in Islam and other recitations. The beads are used to keep track of the number of recitations that make up the dhikr.^[4]

When the dhikr involves the repetition of particular phrases a specific number of times, the beads are used to keep track so that the person performing dhikr can turn all of their focus on what is actually being said - as it can become difficult to concentrate simultaneously on the number and phrasing when one is doing so a substantial number of times.

In the United States, Muslim inmates are allowed to utilize prayer beads for therapeutic effects.^[24] In Alameen v. Coughlin, 892 F. Supp. 440 (E.D.N.Y 1995), Imam Hamzah S. Alameen, a/k/a Gilbert Henry, and Robert Golden brought suit against Thomas A. Coughlin III, etc., et alia (Head of the Department of Corrections) in the State of New York pursuant to 42 USC Section 1983.^[25] The plaintiffs argued that prisoners have a First Amendment Constitutional right to pursue Islamic healing therapy called KASM (قاسَمَهُ | qaasama | taking an oath ) which uses prayer beads. The rosary of oaths, which Alameen developed, was used to successfully rehabilitate inmates suffering from co-occurring mental health challenges and substance abuse issues during the 1990s. All people, including Muslims and Catholics, were allowed to use prayer beads inside prisons, lest their freedom of religion be violated when the prison administration forbade their possession as contraband in the penal system. The practice of carrying prayer beads became controversial when gang-members began carrying specific colors of prayer beads to identify themselves.

Dhakir

 

A group of Iranian Maddahs/Dhakirs, in a gathering

A "dhakir" (ذَاكِر) or "Zaker" (literally "mentioner"' a speaker who refers to something briefly/incidentally),^[26][27] or reminder,^[28] is considered a maddah who reminds the remembering of Allah (and His Dhikr) for people, and he himself should also be reciter of dhikhr; namely, not only he ought to be a recital of Dhikr, but also he should put the audience in the situation of dhikr reminding (of Allah and likewise Ahl al-Bayt).^[29] Idiomatically the term means "praiser of God" or "professional narrator of the tragedies of Karbala (and Ahl al-Bayt)". To some extent, it can mean Maddah/panegyrist too.^[30][31]

The root of the word "Dhakir" (ذَاكِر) is "Dhikr" (ذِكْر) which means remembering/praising; and the word "Dhakiri" (ذَاكِرِيّ) is the act which is done by Dhakir, i.e. mentioning the Dhikr (of Allah, the Ahl al-Bayt, etc.) by observing its specific principles/manners.^[32][33][34]

Sufi view

Followers of Sufism often engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, the details of which vary between Sufi orders or tariqah.^[35] Each order, or lineage within an order, has one or more forms for group dhikr, the liturgy of which may include recitation, singing, music, dance, costumes, incense, muraqaba (meditation), ecstasy, and trance.^[36] Common terms for the forms of litany employed include "hizb" (pl. "ahzab"), "wird" (pl. "awrad") and durood. An example of a popular work of litany is Dala'il al-Khayrat. Another type of group dhikr ceremony that is most commonly performed in Arab countries is called the haḍra (lit. presence).^[37] A haḍra can draw upon secular Arab genres and typically last for hours.^[38] Finally, sama` (lit. audition) is a type of group ceremony that consist mostly of recited spiritual poetry and Quranic recitation.

See also

• Tasbih of Fatimah
• As-salamu alaykum
• Peace be upon him
• Salawat
• Durood
• Dua
• Salat
• Sabr
• Adhan
• Tashahhud
• Japa

References

Citations

1. Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi (26 March 2016). (PDF). Enlight Press. ISBN 978-0994240989. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
2. "Evening Azkar". Dua and Adhkar. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
3. "Mishkat al-Masabih 2264 - Supplications - كتاب الدعوات - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
4. The Oxford dictionary of Islam. John L. Esposito. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003. ISBN 0-19-512558-4. OCLC 50280143.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
5. Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī, Maulana (1983). The Sufi path of love : the spiritual teachings of Rumi. William C. Chittick. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-87395-723-7. OCLC 9196745.
6. Morris, Julia (2014-03-01). "Baay Fall Sufi Da'iras: Voicing Identity Through Acoustic Communities". African Arts. 47 (1): 42–53. doi:10.1162/AFAR_a_00121. ISSN 0001-9933. S2CID 57563314.
7. Le Gall, Dina (2005). A Culture of Sufism: Naqshbandis in the Ottoman World, 1450-1700. SUNY Press. p. 117. ISBN 9780791462454. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
8. The encyclopaedia of Islam. H. A. R. Gibb, P. J. Bearman. Leiden: Brill. 1960–2009. pp. 223–224. ISBN 90-04-16121-X. OCLC 399624.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
9. Quran 18:24
10. Quran 33:41
11. Quran 13:28
12. . sunnah.org. Archived from the original on 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
13. The phrase is encoded at Unicode code point U+FDFD ﷽
14. The phrase is encoded as a ligature at Unicode code point FDFA ﷺ
15. Often abbreviated "SWT" or "swt".
16. Grob, Eva Mira (2010). Documentary Arabic private and business letters on papyrus: form and function, content and context. New York, N.Y.: De Gruyter. p. 26. ISBN 978-3110247046.
17. Reynolds, Gabriel Said, ed. (2011). New perspectives on the Qur'an: The Qur'an in its historical context 2. London: Routledge. p. 259. ISBN 978-1136700781.
18. The phrase is encoded as a ligature at Unicode code point U+FDFB ﷻ
19. al-Bukhaari. p. 4628.
20. Saheeh al-Jaami' al-Sagheer. p. 6472.
21. Mu'jam Al-Kabeer. p. 13319.
22. Tafsir Ibn Kathir.
23. Jami at-Tirmidh, Hadith 2894.
24. . Archived from the original on March 11, 2007.
25. "Alameen v. Coughlin, 892 F. Supp. 440 (E.D.N.Y. 1995)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
26. Mentioner (in dictionary) vocabulary.com Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
27. Definitions for mentioner definitions.net Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
28. Dhakir vajehyab.com Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
29. The definition of Dhakiri maddahi.com Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
30. (The meaning of) Dhakir vajehyab.com
31. Dhakir (meaning of) dictionary.abadis.ir Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
32. Rules/principles of Dhakiri estejab.com Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
33. The rules and principles of Dhakiri 2019-04-09 at the Wayback Machine maddahi.com Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
34. Rules and principles of Dhakiri bayanbox.ir Retrieved 12 Jan 2019
35. Friedlander, p. 20.
36. Touma, p.162.
37. In earlier orders, the "presence" referred to was that of God, but since the 18th century it has been considered to be the spiritual presence of Muhammad (John L. Esposito, "Hadrah." The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Web. 3 Apr. 2010.) The shifting focus, however, is not shared by all and is a result of the Sufi reforms which sought to mitigate the heretical belief of theopanism committed by some Sufi claimants through a greater focus on the spirit and active life of Muhammad instead of a metaphorical union with God.(Ira Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, p. 210)
38. Touma, p.165.

Sources

• Friedlander, Ira (1975). The Whirling Dervishes. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 0-02-541540-9.
• Touma, Habib Hassan (1996). The Music of the Arabs, trans. Laurie Schwartz. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. ISBN 0-931340-88-8.

Further reading

• Al-Ameen, Hamzah.Dhikr (Islamic Mindfulness): Using Neuro-lingual Programming In Cognitive Spiritual Therapy.
• Brodersen, Angelika. Remembrance, in Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God (2 vols.), Edited by C. Fitzpatrick and A. Walker, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2014, Vol. II, pp. 520–523. ISBN 1610691776
• Algar, Hamid, trans. The Path of God's Bondsmen: From Origin to Return. North Haledon, NJ: Islamic Publication International, 1980.
• Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina P, 1975.
• Gardet, L. Dhikr. Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2009.
• Jawadi Amuli, Abdullah. Dhikr and the Wisdom Behind It.
• Privratsky, Bruce. Muslim Turkistan: Kazak Religion and Collective Memory., p. 104.