Everywhere and at All Times

Allah the Most High says in the Holy Qur’an:

“Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or (lying) on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying), "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You (above such a thing); then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Ali Imran, 191).

Scholars of tafsir have studied this ayah and said, “Allah the Exalted introduces the people of real knowledge as follows: ‘Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or (lying) on their side’ – these are people who busy themselves with constant dhikr of Allah.”

Our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“ِAnd remember Allah (O Mother of Anas). For indeed, the most beloved of deeds is that you meet Him with it.” (Tabarani, al-Kabir, 20/157; Haythami, az-Zawaid, 10/75)

It is also stated in some interpretations that the situation described in the ayah refers to salah. The believer continues to pray standing, sitting, or lying on their side to the best of their abilities. This firmly establishes that salah can never be abandoned and must be performed without fail. Another hadith that underpins this view provides us with a vital point of reference through Rasulullah’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) instructions to Imran bin Husayn (radiyallahu anh), who was sick at the time:

“Pray standing, but if you are unable, (pray) sitting; and if you are unable to do that, (pray) lying on your side.” (Bukhari, Taqsir, 20; Muslim, Musafirin, nr. 730-734)

According to another interpretation, the ayah refers to the people of contemplation. It has been said, “they contemplate deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth.” That is, they contemplate the evidence for the existence of a power behind the creation of the heavens and earth in order to derive lessons for guidance. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Contemplating for an hour is better than the worship of one year.” (Bayhaki, Shuabu’l-Iman, nr. 4647)

One of the reasons for the creation and existence of everything in the universe is for our contemplation. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“While a man was lying on his bed, when he raised his head and looked at the stars and the sky, he said: I bear witness that you are a Lord and Creator, O Allah, forgive me. So Allah the Exalted looked at him and forgave him.” (Suyuti, ad-Durru’l-Mansur, 2/410; Ibn Hajar, al-Kafush-Shafi, nr. 303)

The mufassir Ibn Ajiba al-Hasani (rahmatullahi alayh) stated that there is a lot of wisdom in this ayah and explained some of them:

“The earth was created as a cause for the beginning of mankind’s existence and a place for humans to live. The earth and sky show the way of marifatullah to the servants, introduce their Creator to them, and encourage them to show Him obedience. All of these are for the servant to be in the presence of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and attain eternal life and endless bliss.”

Imam Ghazali (rahmatullahi alayh) once said: “Know that those who look with the light of basirah have understood salvation is attained only when a person reaches Allah the Exalted by surrendering their soul by loving and knowing Him. The love of and closeness to Allah can only be achieved by making continued dhikr (remembrance) of the Beloved Creator. Marifatullah, on the other hand, can only be realized through continued contemplation of His essential manifestations, attributes, and actions. There is nothing in the universe other than the manifestation of Allah’s power and actions. Constant dhikr and tafakkur (contemplation) are only possible by leaving the world and its allures behind and only taking what is necessary from it. And all of this is only possible by occupying all of one’s time, day and night, with dhikr and tafakkur alone.”

Junayd al-Baghdadi (quddisa sirruhu) said:

“The most precious and high-standing of the assemblies are those where people contemplate on tawhid (the oneness of Allah), be suffused with the ethereal scents of marifah, drink their fill from the sea of love, and watch all of existence and events in life through a hopeful lens, expecting nothing but absolute goodness from Allah the Most High.”

It is held as a matter of utmost significance that arif people learn contemplation and dhikr as a lesson. This is because contemplation is primarily about tawhid and belief. This lesson comes with limits and guidelines. As for dhikr, itis a remedy for the heart—a believer can benefit from this cure under the guidance of a rabbani scholar who knows the diseases of the heart.

Again Imam Ghazali (rahmatullahi alayh) said:

“Dhikr and tafakkur should occupy all or most of our time. This is because the nafs, by its nature, is inclined towards the pleasures of the world. For example, if a servant devotes some of his time to worldly affairs (i.e., to fulfill their desires in a halal manner) and the other half to worship only, their inclination towards the world will outweigh their inclination towards worship as the mercurial nature of the nafs would have it. When human nature tends towards one of these two factors (i.e., material world and worship), the two end up at uneven levels of strength, generating imbalance. This is because, in the time dedicated to the world, the external and internal elements of a human being will favor worldly affairs. Their heart will also strive in pursuit of the material world with all its effort. As a result, it is difficult to direct them to worship.”

The awliya have assigned dhikr as wird to their followers to diminish the heart’s inclination towards the world and to wipe it out completely over time. Wird is the daily repetition of certain dhikrs, ayahs, or prayers. Specific forms of dhikr, as wird in tasawwuf, are prescribed to accustom the heart to permanent dhikr. Certain dhikrs are given as wird lessons in all tariqahs and are considered one of the fundamentals of the tariqah of Naqshbandiyyah. 

The “eleven principles” or “kalimat-i qudsiyyah” in the noble tariqah of Naqshbandiyyah were codified with the sole purpose of imbuing life with contemplation and dhikr. Even when we look at the outward meanings of these principles, we understand they give the devotee the ability to engage in tafakkur and muraqabah and attain great virtues.

Let’s end our words with the following ayah from our infallible book, the Qur’an:

“And He is the One Who made the day and the night following each other, for the one who wishes to be mindful or wishes to show gratitude.” (Furqan, 62)

May Allah the Most High grant us sound iman, good deeds, and a heart that constantly remembers Him. May He not deprive His servants of the assemblies of dhikr.

With His tawfiq and inayah…

Sheikh Sayyid M. Mübarek Elhüseyni