THE TRAINING FOR DHIKR

Hasan Kâmil Yılmaz

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    Some of the Muslims who had led a difficult life in Mecca have relaxed and became lax now that they were in Medina, hence the divine warning reached them to mend their ways through remembering Him and refreshing their faith and rigor in practicing Islam. The verse also implies that Muslims can gradually attain perfection through divine remembrance.
   In the early period of accepting Islam one has a strong love of faith. However, with the passage of time the feelings can be loosened, the heart hardens. The principle of tawhid (unity of God) in Islam brought a new feeling of meeting the Beloved. This feeling should not be replaced with lower ones, the early Muslims who are called Sabiqun al-awwalun who had this feeling did not give up their new faith in the face of the torture of the non-believers and they answered with the divine remembrance of "Ahad" "one". The economical, social, and political change in the life of Muslims has also changed their resilience in the practice of religion hence the Holy Quran described the Muslims: "They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when His revelations are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in their Lord;"(Anfal, 8:2)
   The previous verse "but time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened, and most of them are transgressors" refers to people who forgotten God and death due to following their worldly desires. Because of this forgetfulness, their hearts became hardened, and good advise could not enter their hearts nor the sings of God effect their behavior. Although this verse refers to a specific group in the time it was revealed, according to the principles of Quranic exegesis, it refers all groups in future which behave similarly. When man is left alone with his ego, the long tunnel of time will only increase his base desires and he will lose himself in a web of worldly desires. The modern man is unlucky since there are so many outward objects that all lead man to forgetfulness, but the reminders are very few.
   The above verse also adds the feeling of awe and God fearing to the remembrance of Allah. Awe is a volitional feeling and the two feelings of it and God fearing make the heart alive. Therefore Sufism gives a particular importance to the practice of divine remembrance in the training of the base soul. Performing divine remembrance in plenty causes one's salvation as informed in the following verse: O ye who believe! When ye meet an army, hold firm and think of Allah much, that ye may be successful. (Anfal, 8:45)
   The heart is the loci of God's manifestations so worldly things should not become the primary focus in it. The love of children, wealth and posts should not prevent us from the remembrance of Allah: "O you who believe! let not your wealth, or your children, divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers". (Munafiqun, 63:9)
   On the other hand Allah the Almighty praises the believers who has living hearts which is continuously in the remembrance of Allah: "Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate; they fear a day in which the hearts and eyes shall turn about;" (Nur, 24:37)
   Heedlessness of God is a strong inclination in the nature of man hence even after performing the ritual prayer, one needs to keep remembering God and mentioning His names. Then when you have finished the prayer, remember Allah standing and sitting and reclining; but when you are secure (from danger) keep up prayer; surely prayer is a timed ordinance for the believers. (Nisa, 4:103)
   The purpose of the ritual prayer is also to remember Allah, hence Allah the almighty commands: "Surely I am Allah, there is no god but I, therefore serve Me and keep up regular prayer for My remembrance." (Taha, 20:14)
   According to Holy Quran, the perfect believers who have wisdom keep remembering God when they stand, when they sit and lie down. (Al-i Imran, 3:191) Allah the almighty states that if a slave of God, forgets his Lord, He will also forget the servant, if the servant mentions the names of God He will personally mention the name of his servant. (Baqara, 2:252) Hence remembrance of Allah has two dimensions, one is from the servant to Allah and the other is from Allah to servant in proportion with the servant's remembrance.
   Those who have difficulty in performing the regular prayers and other kinds of worship can be eased; the concentration of divine remembrance can help the believer to perform other difficult deeds. Among the Sufis remembrance of Allah is the door to the friendship of Allah.
   The Holy Quran describes divine remembrance in general terms "And it means to maintain a remembrance of Him and to be contented with His remembrance. There are also hadiths which praises performing divine remembrance in congregation: "And those persons who assemble in order to remember God, there would descend upon them tranquility and mercy would cover them and the angels would surround them and Allah makes a mention of them in the presence of those near Him, and he who is slow-paced in doing good deeds, his (high) descent does not make him go ahead." (Muslim, The Chapter on Divine Remembrance)
   Hence every meeting and congregation organized for the remembrance of Allah is rewarded well by Allah, it is a vehicle for salvation. Congregating in mosques for prayer, congregations for knowledge, visiting other Muslims, if the name of God is mentioned they too will be rewarded.
   Lastly, remembrance of God and religious conversation cannot be regarded as alternatives to regular prayers and other obligatory acts of worship. These cannot remove one's responsibility to fulfilling them, they merely compliment them.

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