Dhikr
'remembrance, reminder,[4] mention[5]') is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God.
[5] The Quran frequently refers to itself and other scriptures and prophetic messages as "reminders" (dhikrah, tadhkīrah), which is understood as a call to "remember" (dhikr) an innate knowledge of God humans already possess.
By invoking these names, practitioners aim to internalize the qualities they represent, cultivate a state of spiritual purity, and draw closer to God.
The repetitive nature of dhikr helps to quiet the mind, focus the heart, and create a sense of inner peace and presence.
To Sufis, dhikr is seen as a way to gain spiritual enlightenment and achieve annihilation of self (fana) in order to seek permanence in God.
[13] All Muslim sects endorse individual rosaries as a method dhikr and meditation, the goal of which is to obtain a feeling of peace, separation from worldly values (dunya), and, in general, strengthen Iman (faith).
Always remember Allah often" — Surah Al- Ahzab, Ayah 41[29] "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the day and night there are signs for people of reason.
[They are] those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth [and pray], 'Our Lord!
Narrated by Abu Al-Darda that the Messenger of Allah said:"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?"
[37] Similarly, as dhikr involves the repetition of particular phrases a specific number of times, prayer beads are used to keep track of the count.
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.
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.
[40] 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.
[44] Idiomatically the term means "praiser of God" or "professional narrator of the tragedies of Karbala (and Ahl al-Bayt)".
Another type of group dhikr ceremony that is most commonly performed in Arab countries is called the haḍra (lit.
[citation needed] According to William Chittick, "The Koran commonly refers to the knowledge brought by the prophets as “remembrance” (dhikr) and “reminder” (dhikra, tadhkir), terms that derive from the root dh-k-r".
[60] The Quran justifies the sending of numerous prophets by God by stating that human beings, similar to their forefather Adam, have a propensity to forget and become heedless.
[61][62] [The message of Islam] is a call for recollection, for the remembrance of a knowledge kneaded into the very substance of our being even before our coming into this world.
In a famous verse that defines the relationship between human beings and God, the Quran, in referring to the precosmic existence of man, states, “‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes, we bear witness’” (7:172).
The “they” refers to all the children of Adam, male and female, and the “yes” confirms the affirmation of God’s Oneness by us in our pre-eternal ontological reality.
Men and women still bear the echo of this “yes” deep down within their souls, and the call of Islam is precisely to this primordial nature, which uttered the “yes” even before the creation of the heavens and the earth.
