Precious Zikrs or Dhikrs

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Dhikr (or Zikr, “Remembrance [of God]”, “pronouncement”, “invocation”) Arabic: ذکر‎, plural اذكار adhakār), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur’an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity. At the same time, dhikr encompasses a broader meaning in the Islamic sources, including when God is the one who performs dhikr.

There are several verses in the Qur’an which emphasize the importance of remembering the Will of God by saying “God Willing,” “God Knows best,” “if it is Your Will,” and so on. This is the basis for dhikr. Sura 18 (Al-Kahf), ayah 24 states a person who forgets to say, “God Willing,” should immediately remember God by saying, “May my Lord guide me to do better next time.” Other verses include sura 33 (Al-Ahzab), ayah 41, “O ye who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often;”, and sura 13 (Ar-Ra’d), ayah 28, “They are the ones whose hearts rejoice in remembering God. Absolutely, by remembering God, the hearts rejoice.” There are also a number of hadiths that give emphasis to remembrance of God. Muhammad said that “the best [dhikr] is that of la elaha ella’llah, and the best supplicatory prayer is that of al-hamdo le’llah,” which translate to “there is no god but God” and “praise to God” respectively.

There are several phrases that are usually read when remembering God. Here are a few:

1. Allahu Akbar – الله أَكْبَر means “Allah is Great”
2. Subhan’Allah – سبحان الله means “Glory be to Allah”
3. Alhamdulillah – الحمد لله means “All praise is due to Allah”
4. La ilaha ilallah – لا إله إلا الله means “There is no god but Allah”
5. La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah – لا حول ولاقوة إلا بالله means “There is no power or strength except with Allah.”

Known also as Tasbih, these are usually Misbaha (prayer beads) upon a string, 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.

Source:Dhikr From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Tags: Allah, Dhikr, Islam, Qur'an, Religion and Spirituality, Tasbih