Light Up Your Life
with the
Zhikr of Allaah
Summary of Khutbah written by Sis. Karen Shah
Program Vice President of Broward Interfaith Council, Florida U.S.A
Do you want more spirituality in your daily life? Do you want to feel closer to Allah, feel more loved by Allah, and feel more love for all of Allah’s creation? Then read Chapter 33 Verses 41-46 of the Holy Qur’an to find the medicine and prescription. Allah commands, “O ye who believe! Remember Allah in great quantities, and extol His limitless glory at morning and evening.” Zhikr is like medicine, and the prescription is to perform zhikr at least every morning and evening. Some translators read this as “from morning to evening” which means we should be remembering Allah at all times. What is zhikr? Zhikr is the spiritual practice of remembering God by reading Qur’an, praying extra salat, listening to a khutbha, and repeating beautiful phrases from the Qur’an that glorify God. Try “SUBHAAN ALLAAH, AL-HAMDULILLAH, LA ILLAHA IL ALLAAH, and ALLAHU AKBAR.” Try repeating some or all of Allah’s 99 beautiful names. Zhikr can be vocal or silent, done alone or in a group. Zhikr is NOT our 5 obligatory prayers. And zhikr is definitely NOT “bida” (an innovation). What did the Prophet (SAW) prescribe for the poor who cannot get the blessings of giving charity? He told them to repeat 33 times “Subhaan Allah,” to repeat 33 times “Al-Hamdulillah,” and to repeat 33 times “Allahu Akbar” after every fard salat. What did the Prophet (SAW) prescribe for his daughter Fatima when she was having difficulty? To repeat these same phrases every night before sleep. One hadith reports you should keep your tongue wet (or busy) with the zhikr of Allah. Another hadith reports that zhikr is light on the tongue but heavy on the scale of Allah. In Verse 43, we learn the benefits of zhikr: “Allah bestows His blessings upon you, with His angels (echoing Him), so that He might take you out of the depths of darkness into the Nur. And Allah is full of mercy towards His believers!” Nur means light, mercy, success, guidance, an open path to the barakat of Allah. Zhikr removes darkness so we can see clearly and find our way out of difficulty, to find tranquility and peace. In Verse 44 we are told “On the Day when they meet Him, they will be welcomed with the greeting, Peace; and He will have readied for them a most excellent reward.” Zhikr gives us a different status. It raises us to higher levels in paradise. Zhikr is different from salat. Don’t follow a literal hardcore Islam that doesn’t offer zhikr as the prescription for peace. Reading Qur’an is zhikr! Recite the 99 names of Allah! Repeat the beautiful phrases! Zhikr softens the heart, removes the rust, and purifies the heart. Muslims must become examples of peace and beauty and gentleness. Not just on our tongue, but in our style, how we live and treat others. In Verses 45-46: “Truly We have sent you O Prophet as a witness and bearer of glad tidings and warnings. And it is by Allah’s permission that you are chosen as a lamp to spread the light of the Qur’an.” We should all try to develop that Light, and to be a reflection of the Light. Through the spiritual practice of zhikr we can be blessed with Allah’s Nur, begin to see the world properly and to act properly. We can be a reflection of Allah’s love and compassion to the world. Make time for zhikr: it is not just sunnah, it is a command from Allah. The Prophet showed us how to do it.
