REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH
from
"Living Islam – East & West"
(Excerpts Only)

By: Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri

The basic principle of dhikr (remembrance or invocation of Allah) is to bring oneself into a state in which there are no thoughts, thereby becoming neutralized and cleansed. At first it is difficult. We are distracted by many thoughts and memories. Eventually, we should reach a point in which we are clear and without thoughts.

There are many techniques which may be used to achieve this state. One which I find very useful is thinking of the word 'Allah' in Arabic. As an aid you can picture yourself writing it. But remember, it is just a technique to exclude thoughts. ...

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The only way that the thoughts in one's mind can be controlled is through awareness.

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The reason for the circles in the recitation of dhikr (invocation, remembrance) is to help us to practice being in a state of full alertness and wakefulness, yet without thoughts. It is very refreshing and rejuvenating. It is energizing and it gives us a new state of elation. That is the purpose of dhikr. It is not a superstitious exercise, rather it has a direct effect, that of purifying our hearts, making them turn. The dhikr causes us to turn from a state of thought to one of non-thought and back again. By this we are neutralized, refreshed, and ready to accept anything again in life.

Remembrance is a technique for overcoming the self which is constantly under strain. As a matter of course, the self manifest a certain measure of doubt. Allah's statement:

Now surely by Allah's remembrance are the hearts set at rest (13:28)

addresses this propensity of the self. Thinking of Allah means not thinking of other than Allah. In a way, everything else we can think of can be considered other than Allah. This is not Allah, and yet it is created by the decree of Allah.

Through subtlety we find that we only see Allah. Even when hit upon the head we are wont to say, 'Praise be to Allah! Yes, I realize I should not be here. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.' To reach this state a neutralizing factor is needed. When people do dhikr – if they are the right people, performing it for the right purpose, in the right way – this is the result.

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