I RECALL a young man sitting in a meditative trance at a Sufi shrine. He suddenly emitted a sharp cry, startling everyone around him and then began violently rolling his head while chanting. This was my first encounter with the Sufi ‘zikr’. While the scene lasted no more than a few minutes, it piqued my curiosity.

The term ‘zikr’ evokes certain images in our minds of perhaps saintly individuals meditatively rolling tasbih beads or devotees gathered in a circle ecstatically chanting certain verses or phrases. Surprisingly, the books by early Sufi masters (notably Kashf al-Mahjoob by Syed Ali Hujweri) are completely devoid of any such rituals. It was not until several centuries later that the current liturgical practice of zikr emerged among certain Sufi orders. It is worth noting that such practices are not just confined to Sufi mystics, but also include followers of other faiths like Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism, which have established similar meditative rituals.

‘Zikr’is a Quranic term which has been used in varying contexts, generally meaning a reminder or making a mention or giving a statement. For instance, in 18:57, the Quran states: “And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them… ?” And in 2:282, in the matter of women giving witness, it states that if one of the women errs, then the other should remind her. In both preceding verses, ‘zikr’ was used in the context of a reminder. Whereas in 19:54, Allah directs the Prophet (PBUH) to say: “And mention in the Book, Ismail.” Here, zikr has been used in the context of making a mention.

According to the Quran, zikr means divine guidance from Allah. In 15:9, it states: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.” Additionally, the Quran also calls the revelations that came to other messengers of Allah, for example, Musa and Harun, zikr.

As per the Quran, ‘zikr’means divine guidance from Allah.

The Quran has not only described the true meaning of zikr but also clarified the divine intent behind sending this guidance, which is: the seeker must reflect upon these revelations utilising the God-given gift of reason and intelligence. For instance, in 16:44, the Holy Book explains that this zikr has been sent so people may reflect upon it. Furthermore, in 47:24, it states: “Then do they not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?” These verses clearly speak against the ritualistic concept of zikr and describe it as a purely contemplative process. In fact, the Quran categorically speaks against such rituals.

The true zikr means remembering the commands of the Lord at every step of life. The Quran has arguably explained every possible scenario that we come across in life and cited examples from the lives of the prophets and other righteous people who went through similar trials before us. Those examples are the guidelines that we are expected to follow. A believer’s conduct in health or disease, wealth or poverty, gain or loss has been described through relevant scenarios in the Quran.

Just as a teacher would direct a student to a specific section of a book to find an answer, a true Sufi master would direct individuals to specific sections of the Quran to seek guidance from them. It was never meant to be ritualistic chanting of those verses, as it has now become. Instead, the purpose was to read those verses and follow the conduct of those righteous people described in the Quran. That is why in Surah Fatiha, which we repeat in every salat, we ask Allah to guide us on the path of those righteous people whom He has blessed.

The Quran has further described the procedure of zikr in 20:14, saying: “Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance.” This verse beautifully summarises the concept of salat and zikr. All believers are directed to pray the obligatory salat five times a day, in which the Quran is recited, and we are supposed to understand what is being recited. Through this, we learn the commands of our Lord several times a day and seek His guidance in following the path of those blessed individuals who received His favour. It is by learning their conduct that we gain the inner moral strength to go through similar trials of life and realise how a true believer must behave.

This moral strength brings inner tranquillity and that is why the Quran states in 13:28: “Those who have believed, and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.”

The writer is a freelance contributor.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2026