Shaykh Mahi in Seattle Washington.

Ruhul Adab

Commentary

ZIKR: LA ILAHA ILLA-LLAH        The third article with which Shaykh Ahmad Tijânî uses in calling people to the path of Allah is Zikr. This means remembering Allah and His Absolute Existence, day and night by saying: “La ilaha illa Llah”. Allah says in the Qur’an 2:152 “Remember Me, I will remember you, be grateful to Me and don’t deny (faith)”. Zikr is the only form of worship that is not limited by amount, place or time. For example, fasting is forbidden on Eid days. Prayers are forbidden during sunrise and sunset and during menstrual periods. Recitations of Qur’an are not normally permitted in Salât during bowing and prostrations. Likewise, Zakat and Hajj are limited to a specific amount and specified time of the year respectively. As for Zikr, Allah says in the Qur’an 62:10 “…And remember Allah a lot so that you shall be prosperous”. In the above, Allah SWT ordained us to make a lot of Zikr. What a lot is in the eyes of the poor is certainly little for the rich. What then do we understand when Allah the Greatest and Self-Sufficient says a lot? Thus, the minimum we can do to, at least, come close to “a lot” in the sight of Allah SWT is to remember Him day and night, all day long and throughout our entire life. That is why Allah the Most High describes people of intellect in the Qur’an 3:191 as “…Those who constantly remember Allah (Zikr) in all their standing, sitting and laying positions…” The Best of All the Faithful and all mankind has exemplified this act, as was reported by his beloved wife in a Hadith: “Such was the Prophet SAW who used to remember Allah (Zikr) at all his entire time.” The Prophet SAW has declared in a good Hadith reported by Anas RA “For me to remember Allah by making Zikr with a group of people after the early morning prayer (Fajr) until the sunrise is more lovable to me than the whole world and its content. And for me to remember Allah by making Zikr with a group of people after the late- noon prayer (Asr) until sunset is more lovable to me than the whole world and what it contains.”

(To be continued…)