Basic meaning of dhikr

William Chittick

The basic meaning of the term dhikr can be brought out by answering three questions – what, why, and how.
What is to be remembered?
Why should it be remembered?
How can it be remembered?
The object of remembrance is God, whose reality is designated briefly by the first Shahadah, “There is no god but God,” and in more detail by the whole range of names and attributes mentioned in the Koran.
This object should be remembered because He has commanded human beings to remember Him and because ultimate happiness depends upon remembrance.
The object can be remembered by imitating the Prophet, who provides the model for right activity and right remembrance.

The Prophet calls dhikr the best act of worship.
Every word a person utters in this life will be counted against him or her in the next life, except bidding to honor (amr bi’l-ma’ruf), forbidding dishonor (nahy an al-munkar), and remembering God.
When someone complained about Islam’s many commands and prohibitions and asked for a single practice to which he could cling, the Prophet replied,
“Let your tongue stay moist with the remembrance of God.”
He reported that God says,
“I am with My servant when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in an assembly better than his.”

The most hopeful ayah in the book of Allah

Tafsir al-Ayyashi, by Muhammad b. Mas’ud al-Ayyashi, from Abu Hamza Thumali, vol 2, p.161

Once, Amir al-Mu'mineen Imam Ali (a) was sitting with some people and he asked them, "Which verse from the book of Allah gives you the most hope?"

Some of the people quoted:
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاء وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
"Allah does not forgive shirk but he grants forgiveness for all but that (sin) to whomever he pleases" (Surat al-Nisa). He (a) said, "That is good but it is not the one." [4:48]

Then others among them quoted,
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
"Say, O' My servants who have committed excesses against themselves! Do not despair of the mercy of Allah! Surely Allah forgives all sins..." (Surat al-Zumur). He (a) said, "That is good but it is not the one." [39:53]

Then others said that it is the aya:
وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللّهَ يَجِدِ اللّهَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
"Whoever does an evil deed or is unjust to himself and then does istighfaar will find Allah to be Forgiving and Merciful" (Surat al-Nisa). He (a) said, "That is good but it is not the one." [4:110]

Others said it is the aya:
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُواْ اللّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
"(The pious are) those who, when they commit an evil act or are unjust to themselves, do dhikr of Allah and istighfaar for their sins. And who can forgive [literally: cover the stain of] sins except Allah?..." (Surat Aal-i-Imran) but the Imam (a) again said, "That is good but it is not the one." [3:135]

The people then fell silent and the Imam (a) asked them, "What else, O' assembly of Muslims?" They said, "Wallaah, we have nothing else to say."

He (a) said, I heard my beloved, the Messenger of Allah, say: The most hopeful ayat in the book of Allah is
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاَةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّـيِّئَاتِ ذَلِكَ ذِكْرَى لِلذَّاكِرِينَ
"And establish the prayers (wa aqim al-salaata) at two parts of the day and in the first part of the night. Indeed good acts wipe away evil deeds. This is but a reminder to those who are mindful" (Surat Hud, verse 114).

Supplication that moves the Arsh of Allah

(Bihar al-Anwar 92: 190)

"One of the supplications of Jesus with our chain of narrators to Sa'id ibn Hibatullah al- Rawandi, may Allah have mercy on him, from the book, Qasas al- Anbiya' (Stories of the Prophets), with a chain of narrators to Imam al-Sadiq ('a) from his forefathers, peace be with them, that the Prophet, may the blessings of Allah be with him, said,
"When the Jews gathered before Jesus ('a) to kill him, as they imagined, Gabriel ('a) came to him and covered him with his wing. Then Jesus looked at him carefully. There was writing within Gabriel and it was:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَدْعُوكَ بِاسْمِكَ الْوَاحِدِ الْأَعَزِّ وَ أَدْعُوكَ اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ الصَّمَدِ وَ أَدْعُوكَ اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ الْعَظِيمِ الْوَتْرِ وَ أَدْعُوكَ اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ الْكَبِيرِ الْمُتَعَالِ الَّذِي ثَبَّتَ أَرْكَانَكَ كُلَّهَا أَنْ تَكْشِفَ عَنِّي مَا أَصْبَحْتُ وَ أَمْسَيْتُ فِيه

'O Allah! I call You by Your most mighty name, al-Wahid (the One), and I call You, O Allah, by Your name, al Samad (the Everlasting Refuge), and I call You, O Allah, by Your single name, al-A dh im (the Majestic), and I call You, O Allah, by Your exalted name, al-Kabir (the Great), by which all Your pillars stand firm, remove the troubles I have morning and night.'

When Jesus ('a) called him by this, Allah revealed to Gabriel, 'Raise him to Me."' Then the Messenger of Allah, may the blessing of Allah be with him, said, "O children of 'Abd al-Mutallib! Beseech your Lord by these words. By Allah, in Whose hand is my soul! No servant has called upon Him with these words without the throne being moved, and without Allah saying to the angels, 'Bear witness that I, verily, answered him for these words and gave him what he asked in the transient world and in the term of the hereafter."' Then he said to his companions, "Beseech [Allah] by these words and do not delay [His] answer."

Imam Sadiq (a)'s advice to Jabir

[Amaali of Sh Tousi]


Abu Ali Hasan bin Mohamed bin Hasan al-Tousi narrates from a chain of narrators going up to Jabir bin Yazid Al-Jo'fi who said:
I served our master, Imam Abu Jaafar Muhammad Bin Ali (a) for 18 years. When I wanted to leave him, I asked him for some advice.
He (Imam Muhammad Bin Ali) said, 'Are you asking me for (more) advice after being with us for 18 years?'
I replied, 'Yes, you are the the sea of endless water whose depth cannot be measured.'
He said, 'O Jabir! Convey my Salaam to my Shia. Tell them that we are not Allah's relatives and that no one can attain nearness to Allah except through obedience.
O Jabir! Those who obey Allah and love us are considered our followers and those who disobey Allah will not find our love helpful.
O Jabir! Has there been anyone who has asked Allah and not found an answer, or has depended on Allah and has been disappointed, or has trusted Allah and has not been saved?
O Jabir! Think about this life as a short, temporary stop. This life is nothing but a horse on which you ride in a dream, and when you wake up you find yourself in your bed, not riding anything nor holding on to a bridle. This life is nothing but a dream in which you are wearing beautiful clothes or having intimate relations with a woman.
O Jabir! In the eyes of the intelligent, this world is a reward for those who have gone astray.
O Jabir!
The statement of 'Laa ilaha Ilallah' is the support for those who invite people towards Allah.
Salaat is the confirmation of (ones) loyalty and the reliever from arrogance.
Zakaat increases sustenance.
Siyaam and Hajj calm the hearts.
Qisaas (retribution) protects people's safety, and
believing in the rights of the family of the Prophet is the core root of the religion.
May Allah make us and you among, '21:49''

3 Reasons why Salman Al-Farsi was called Salman Al-Muhammadi

[Amaali of Sh Tousi 1:133]

Mohamed Bin Yusuf narrated from Mansour bin Borzaj who said:
I said to Abu Abdillah Jafar bin Muhammad, 'O my master, you mention Salman Al-Farsi frequently.'
Abu Abdillah said, 'Do not call him Salman Al-Farsi. Call him Salman Al-Muhammadi. Do you know why I mention him frequently?'
'No' I replied.
Abu Abdillah said, 'For three reasons:First, he always used to give preference to the desires of the Commander of the Believers (as) over his own desires;
Second, he used to love the needy and choose them as his friends instead of the wealthy and powerful ones;
Third, he used to love knowledge and the knowledgeable ones.
Verily Salman was a righteous slave. He was an upright Muslim and he was not among the polythiests.'

Martyrs of Karbala - a distinctive perspective

The Holy Quran says:
'We said: O fire! be a comfort and peace to Ibrahim!' (21:59)

Jabir narrates from Imam al-Baqir [a]:'Before his martyrdom, Imam al-Husayn bin Ali [a] said to his companions:
Indeed the Apostle of Allah [s] said [to me]:
O my dear young son, surely you will be led to ‘Iraq; it is a land where Prophets of Allah and Successors of the Prophets have met; It is a land called Amura.
And indeed you shall be martyred there together with a group among your companions who would not sense the pain of the touch of iron.
Then Imam al-Husayn [a] read the  verse: ‘O Fire, be cool and peaceful for Ibrahim’ (21:59). The war will be cool and peaceful on you and them.'
(Qutb al-Din al-Rawandi, al-Khara'ij wa al-Jarayih, v.2, p. 848)

Explaining this situation of the Imam, the grand Ayatullah Jawadi Àmuli says:
According to a tradition from Imam al-Baqir [a] the army of al-Husayn [a] did not feel the pain of the blows and wounds on ‘Ashura’ day save a pinch...why is that?
This is because the spirit is the origin of pain and happiness.
One of you may fast and feel the pangs of hunger and thirst...
whereas another would fast but we would find in him nothing but happiness and high-spiritedness...aren’t the physical conditions similar for both?
So why is the first in torment while the second does not feel anything?
This is because the spirit of the second is attached to a realm distant from the material conditions.
Indeed the gallant warriors of Karbala were among those great spirits overcome by the unseen plane of existence.
(Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli, Thawrat al-’Ishq al-Ilahi, p. 232)
Shaykh Muhammad Khalfan; The Sacred Effusion

Muhammad bin Marwan is reported to have said:

I heard him Imam al-Sadiq [a] say:
Visit al-Husayn [a], even if it is once a year, for whosoever comes to him, with knowledge of his station, and not a nonbeliever, would not be given other than Paradise, and he would bebestowed with extensive sustenance, and Allah would quickly relieve him (from his problems).
Indeed Allah entrusted four thousand angels on the grave of al-Husayn [a], all of who weep for him.
They accompany the visitor until he returns to his family, and if the visitor gets sick they visit him, and if he dies, they witness his bier and seek for his forgiveness and mercy.
Ibn Qulawayh, Kamil al-Ziyarat, pp. 175-176

Prophets [s] conversation with Fatima [a] regarding the lovers of Hussein [a]

Chief Scholar, Ibn Qulawayh al-Qummi, Kaamil al-Ziyarat

Abu Abdillah (Imam al-Sadiq [a]) said:
Fatima [a] was carrying Hussein [a] one day when the messenger of Allah [s] took him from her.
He said to Hussein [a], 'Allah's curse be upon those who will kill you. Allah's curse be upon those who will loot you. May Allah destroy those who will help one another against you. MayAllah judge between me and those who will support others against you.'
Fatima [a] asked, 'O Father! What are you saying?!'
The Prophet [s] replied:
O My Daughter! I remembered the tragedies that will befall him after me and you, and how he will be hurt, oppressed, betrayed and violated. When this happens, he will be accompanied by a group of people who are like stars of the sky, and they will be led towards death.'
The Prophet [s] continued:
'It is as if I can see their camp, the place where they will dismount from their sumpters, and their dust.' (referring to Karbala)
Fatima [a] asked, 'O Father! Where is this place you are describing?'

The Prophet [s] replied:
'It is a land called Karbala. It is a land of KARB (agony) and BALAA (affliction) for us and for the nation. The most wicked ones of my nation will rise against them (Hussein [a] and his companions). Even if all of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths intercede for one of those who rise against Hussein [a], their intercession will not be accepted, and they will abide in hell eternally.'
Fatima [a] asked, 'O Father! So he (Hussein [a]) will be killed?'

The Prophet replied:

'Yes O My Daughter! No one has ever been killed or will be killed other than Hussein [a] on whom the heavens, the earths, the mountains, the angels, the beasts and the whales in the oceans will cry. And if these created beings had been given permission to destroy everything to avenge Hussein [a], no living object would have survived after the killing of Hussein [a].
Verily a group of people who love us will go to him (his Ziyarah). Verily no one on earth knows Allah better than they do and no one is more committed to our rights than they are.
Verily no one on earth other than them will pay attention to Hussein [a].
Verily they are the lights in the darkness of oppression.
They are the intercessors and they are those who will join me by my pool tomorrow on the day of Judgment.
I will recognize them by their marks when I see them (on the day of Judgment).
On that day, the followers of every religion will look for their leaders and they (those who go to the Ziyarah of Hussein [a]) will look for no one other than us.
They are the pillars of the earth, and the rains shower down through them.'
This is an excerpt from a longer hadith. For more information, refer to Tafseer Furaat Ibn Ibrahim Al-Kufi.

Cure in the Ha'air of al-Husayn [a]

The Chief Scholar, Ibn Qulawayh al-Qummi, Kaamil al-Ziyarat, Addendum

My father and Muhammad ibn Hassan both narrates to me from Hasah ibn Mattil, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Abi Hashim al-Ja'fari (refers to Dawud ibn Qasim ibn Ishaq ibn Abdillah ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Talib [as] who was one of the high ranked and noble companions of the AhlulBayt [as] and the companion of Imam Rida, Imam Jawad, Imam Hadi and Imam al-Askari [as])

When Abul Hassan (Imam al-Haadi [as]) was ill, he sent for Muhammad ibn Hamzah and I.Muhammad ibn Hamzah arrived there before I did and told me that Imam [as] kept saying, 'Send some one (on my behalf) to the Haa'ir! Send some one (on my behalf) to the Haa'ir!'
I said to Muhammad ibn Hamzah, 'Why did you not say that you would go to the Haa'ir (on his behalf)?!'

Then I went to the Imam [as] and said, 'May I sacrifice myself for you! I will go the Haa'ir.'
Imam replied, 'Plan it carefully, for Muhammad cannot keep this matter hidden from Zayd ibn Ali and I do not want him to find out about this.'

I mentioned this to Ali ibn Bilal and he asked, 'Why does the Imam [as] want to send someone to the Haa'ir while he is (as sacred as) the Haa'ir?!'
I went back to Askar (Samarra) and went to visit the Imam [as]. When I was about to leave, the Imam [as] asked me to stay. Once I felt comfortable, I mentioned that which Ali ibn Bilal had said.
Therefore the Imam said:
'Why did you not reply to him saying that the Messenger of Allah [saw] used to circumambulate the Kaaba and kiss the Hajar al-Aswad even though the sanctity of theProphet [saw] and even a believer is greater than the sanctity of the House of Allah?!
(Moreover), Allah ordered him (the Prophet [saw]) to go to Arafah and stay in it (while he is more sacred than Arafah). This is because these are places in which Allah loves to be called upon.
And I love to have someone pray for me in a place where Allah loves to be called upon, and the Haa'ir is one of these places.'

 Similar narration 
Al-Amili, Wasail al-Shia, v.14, p. 537 (Extract from 'The Sacred Effusion', Sh Muhammad Khalfan)

It is narrated that Imam al-Sadiq (a) once got ill, and ordered someone who was near him to tell his people to hire someone, so that he may pray for him near the grave of al-Husayn (a). So they found a person, and told him to do what is required.
He said: I will go, but al-Husayn (a) is an Imam who must be compulsorily obeyed (muftarad al-ta'a) and he (i.e. Imam al-Sadiq [a]) [likewise] is an Imam who must be compulsorily obeyed.[Aren’t they equal in status?]
So they went to Imam al-Sadiq (a) and informed him what the person had said. The Imam (a) said: What he said is correct. However, is he not aware that Allah has places, wherein supplications are accepted. And that spot [i.e. near the grave of al-Husayn (a)] is among those places.

Extraordinary angels of the day of Ashura, alongside the Qaaim [af]

Ibn Qulawayh Al Qummi, Kaamil al-Ziyarat


Abaan Ibn Taghlib narrates from Abu Abdillah (Imam Sadiq [as]) who said,
It is as if I can see the Qaaim [af] in Najaf (next to) Kufah wearing an armour of the Messenger of Allah [saw].

He will shake the armour (first) and then it will wrap itself around him, after which he will cover it with a robe made of brocade.

He will be riding a pitch-black horse which has a raceme (a simple flower cluster having the flowers on short stalks along a stem) on its forehead. He will jump with the horse in such a way that people in every country will see him as if he is with them in their (own) country.
Then he will unfold the flag of the Messenger of Allah [saw]. The flag pole is from the pillars of the Throne while the rest of the flag is from Allah's victory! If he points this flag to anything, Allah will destroy it. When he shakes the flag, the heart of every believer will become like a strong piece of iron and each believer will be given the strength of forty men.

Every believer who has died will feel the happiness (of the rising of the Qaaim [af]) in his grave. They (the dead believers) will start visiting one another in their graves and will give glad tidings to one another about the rising of the Qaaim [af].

Then thirteen thousand three hundred and thirteen angels will join the Qaaim [af].
I (Abaan Ibn Taghlib) asked, 'This many angels will join him?'

Imam [as] replied:
 'Yes. (These are) the angels who were with Nuh in the ark [Quran 11:36-48], with Ibrahim when he was cast in the fire [Quran 21:51-70], with Musa when he split the sea for the Bani Israel[Quran 26:52-66], and who were with Isa when Allah ascended him to Himself [Quran 4:157-159].

Among these angels are also the four thousand '(fully equipped) distinguished angels' [Quran 3:125] and the one thousand 'angels who came in an unbroken succession' [Quran 8:9] who were with the Prophet [saw], the three hundred and thirteen angels who fought in the battle of Badr and the four thousand angels who descended to fight along with Husein [as] but who were not permitted to fight.
Four thousand angels descended on the day of Ashura to fight along with Husein [as] but they were not permitted to fight. Therefore they ascended back to the heavens to seek permissionfrom Allah. However, by the time they came back, Husein [as] had been killed. Therefore they remain next to his grave, disheveled and covered with dust, and they cry over him (and will continue to do so) until the day of Judgment. Their chief is an angel named Mansur.

These angels receive everyone who comes to the Ziyarah of Husein [as] and they accompanythem when they bid farewell to Husein [as]. They visit them if they become ill, establish prayerson them in their funerals when they die, and seek forgiveness for them after their death.
All of these angels are on earth waiting for the rising of the Qaa'im [af]'

Significance of the Ziyarah of Hussein ['aS]

Ibn Qulawayh Al Qummi, Kaamil al-Ziyarat

Hanan Ibn Sadiq from his father narrates through a chain of narrators:

Abu Abdillah (Imam Sadiq [as]) asked me, 'O Sadir! Do you perform the Ziyarah of the grave of Husein [as] once every day?'
I replied, 'May I sacrifice myself for you! No.'

Imam [as] said: 'How negligent you people are! Do you perform his Ziyarah once every month?'
I replied, 'No.'

Imam [as] asked, 'What about once every year?'
I replied, 'Sometimes.'

Imam said:
'O Sadir! How negligent you people are toward Husein [as]. Do you not know that Allah has onemillion angels who are disheveled and covered with dust, who cry over Husein [as], and who perform his Ziyarah (at all times) and they never pause?!

O Sadir! How difficult is it for you to perform the Ziyarah of the grave of Husein [as] five times every friday and once every day?'
I replied, 'May I sacrifice myself for you. There is a great distance between us and his [as] grave.'

Imam said:
'Go to the roof of your house, look to the right and left, raise your head towards the sky, and then try to face the direction of the grave of Husein [as] and say:
'Assalamu Alayka Ya Aba Abdillah. Assalamu Alayka wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh'
'Salam to you, O Aba Abdillah. Salam to you and may Allah's mercy and blessings be upon you'

By doing so, a Zawrah will be registered for you. And Zawrah is the performance of a hajj and anUmrah'

Sadir added, 'After hearing this, there were times when I would perform this Ziyarah twenty times during the day.'