LESSON 22
SÛFIC DHIKR AND SPIRITUAL POWER

The main Sûfî exercise is called dhikr, which means "keeping in mind". The Qur'ân exhorts Muslims to keep God in mind "often" (33;41) and "when standing, sitting or lying down" (4:103). This is understood basically as a verbal activity, keeping God in mind with the tongue by invoking him by any of his names or by praise formulas (compare Psalm 1:2). It also includes keeping God in mind with the heart, and thus can have various degrees of perfection. One Muslim author lists the following:

  1. dhikr with the tongue alone, while the heart is distracted. This is better than no dhikr at all.
  2. dhikr with the heart awake to the meaning of what is said,
  3. dhikr with God sensed as being present to the heart and mind, filling it with peace,
  4. dhikr where the presence of God is so strong as to immerse the heart with light and exclude any other thought, and the person seems lost in and identified with the presence of God: "The recaller becomes the recalled",
  5. dhikr in which the operation of the tongue is suspended and the heart is in the realm of paradise. This last state is a kind of ecstatic faint in which the greatness of God overwhelms the mind: When God wishes to purify someone for his presence and make his love known to him, he plants his love in the person's heart so that he will eagerly carry out the dhikr and tire his body in other service of God, and thirst for a deep knowledge of God. The person keeps growing closer to God by doing supererogatory practices until the True One manifests his love for the person. He does this by putting him in a state wherein he is conscious only of God and is alienated from his senses, including his hearing, his seeing, the use of his hands and of his whole body.
  6. When God returns the person to his senses he may then choose to give the person permanence in the deep knowledge of God and all things. A person in this state is aware of God in everything else, whereas in the former state he was only aware of God. A person in this state sees God's power and also his wisdom and his works, whereas in the former state he saw only God's power. A person in this state has arrived at his goal and has possession of it, whereas in the former state he was only travelling towards it.

Other authors mark each stage by describing a combination of virtues or the lack thereof. A Qâdiriyya manual distinguishes seven stages:

  1. the evil-prone person (an-nafs al-ammâra, Q. 12:53), noted for his unbelief, rebelliousness, doing what is forbidden, anger, ignorance, envy, covetousness, miserliness, hypocritical speech, slander, bitterness, secret sins of sensuality, doing what is disapproved or useless, and worldliness.
  2. the admonishing person (an-nafs al-lawwâma, Q. 75:2), noted for the faults of cunning, vanity, evil desire and dominativeness, and also for the virtues of doing what is permitted or beneficial to others, putting up with pain and not inflicting it on others, maturation in praiseworthy habits, correction and improvement of speech manners, and unperturbedness.
  3. the inspired person (an-nafs al-mulhama, Q. 91:7-8), noted for the faults of defective understanding, shortcomings in the practice of religion and the Sharî`a, rejecting what is right, disobedience to God's commands, avoiding to profess the faith, inattentiveness to the Sharî`a and to preaching about it, silence about what is right, talking about the faults of others to their face, negligence of the Sunna, excessive desires, negligence of worship, performing worship to gain the approval of men, doing what is forbidden, looking the other way when others do what is forbidden, lying, and hardness and wandering of heart, and also for the virtues of contentment, liberality, knowledge, humility, repentance and patience.
  4. the tranquil person (an-nafs al-muma'inna, Q 89:27-28), noted for his goodness, trustful dependence on God, patience, purity of heart, strong faith and submissiveness to God, contemplative rest in God, stability, concern for the worship of God, prudence in his own affairs, obedience to God's commands, cleanness of heart from deceit and backbiting, though at the same time he is subject to many Satanic suggestions.
  5. the contented person (an-nafs ar-râdiya, Q 89:27-28), noted for his magnanimity, asceticism, dhikr, strong desire for God, perfect understanding, closeness to God, and knowledge of the deep things about God.
  6. the approved person (an-nafs al-mardiyya, Q. 89:27-28), noted for his good personality, kindness, closeness to God, concern for the Sunna of Muhammad, looking towards God, being luminous in his spirit and heart, being lost in God and undistracted.
  7. the pure, genuine or perfect person (an-nafs a-sâfiya/ a-amîma/ al--kâmila), noted for his merciful kindness, solitude, silence, truthfulness, helpfulness, fulfilment of God's commands, and pure devotion to God with deep knowledge of him and assent to his truthfulness.

By way of criticism, not all Sûfic literature appears to describe genuine experience of spiritual growth. For instance, the foregoing description seems based more on theorization on actual cases. Besides, the author pretends that one can advance from one stage to the next simply by reciting one or several of the divine names 500,000 times. And when one finishes reciting all that is prescribed and reaches the last stage, he returns to the beginning and starts all over! Such theology represents the decadent phase of Sûfism matching the counterfeit experiences referred to above, and contrasts with the seemingly genuine experience of God described by early ûfîs such as al-Hallâj.

The Sûfic movement should not let us ignore the genuine religious experience and growth that can be observed among ordinary Muslims who do not belong to a ûfî order or practice its methods.

By promising access to God, Sûfism has always been associated with power. People came to Sûfîs for prayers in their needs, and even prayed at their tombs to receive their baraka. Like Simon Magus (Acts 8:9-24), many aspired to similar power by a short-cut, by discovering a magical formula which would harness divine power for human aims.

Magic was popular in Arabia before the coming of Islam. Muhammad rejected the charge that he was a magician (e.g. Q. 38:4; 74:24). Yet some passages of the Qur'ân contain mysterious oaths which are in the style of the soothsaying (kahâna) of traditional religion (e.g. 34:1-4; 51:1-6; 77:1-7; 79:1-14; 100:106). Furthermore, 29 different sûras begin with mysterious letters whose meaning or symbolism is not known, and which are sometimes given a magical meaning. The Tradition literature (e.g. the aî of Muslim, chapter Salâm, section on medicine) recommends not only prayer for healing while touching the affected part, but also the use of certain Qur'ân passages, such as the Fâtiha (sûra 1) and the Mu`awwidhatân (sûras 113 & 114), to heal physical ills and to protect from the evil eye and the influence of poison. Other Qur'ân passages which became prominent in magical use are the sûra Yâ Sîn (36) and the Throne verse (2:255). Some Muslims tried to command the service of the Jinn and other spirits after the manner of Solomon, as described in Qur'ân 21:79-82, 27:15-21, 34:12-14 & 38:36-40, even though another passage (2:102) cautions against the magic associated with Solomon.

A further form of magic developed around the 99 names of God, which were written in a variety of forms, especially in magic squares consisting of 9 or more numbers or letters with a numerical value which adds up to the numerical total of the name in question, when each of its letters is equivalent to a certain number. Along with the names of God, other symbolic or nonsense syllables are used in squares and other configurations. Even the theologian al-Ghazâlî believed in the efficacy of magic squares, and he tells how a woman had a safe delivery by looking on one.

For centuries Islamic medicinal rites have attracted West Africans, competing with the medicine of African traditional religion, and holding their own against Western medicine and Christian healing rites. They are popular not only for bodily health, but also for matters like gaining a spouse, friends or money, or protection against enemies and any harm.

QUESTIONS

  1. Explain the meaning and place of dhikr in Islamic spirituality; compare with Christian practices of rosary, speaking in tongues etc.
  2. Describe the process of spiritual growth, according to Sûfic interpretation of the Qur'ân; compare with Christian authors such as St. Teresa of Avila.
  3. Explain the place of charms and magic in popular Muslim practice; compare and explain reasons for Christian sacramentals.
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