The science in Dhikr

This article will examine the scientific proofs supporting the effects that dhikr has on the human brain.

What is the brain itself? All the activity of the brain is nothing but bio-electrical activity in several distinct parts of it, amongst various sets of neurons (cellular groups) where each are assigned a specific duty, functioning as a whole. Each and everyday 14 million neurons that make up the brain, are in constant interaction with 16 billion neighbouring neurons. All our activities and our understanding, that is all the functioning of the brain is the result of countless bio-electrical flows, are brought to existence in these sets of neurons occurring as a result of these interactions.

Now, when dhikr is practised you continuously repeat a given name of Allah (subhanahu wa Ta'ala) a specific number of times and therefore reflecting a meaning that belongs to Allah (subhanahu wa Ta'ala) During the repetition of dhikr, certain regions of the brain are engaged and become active. There occurs a bio-electrical flow in those neural groups of the brain. After that task is performed repeatedly (as you repeat on the same name or a group of names) the neural activity increases, and so does the bioelectrical energy. In turn, this overflows and new sets of neurons are put to work and so, some other regions of the brain become active. Therefore the brain begins to expand. The brain starts to bring out new meanings, perspectives and commentaries which it had not previously used before the practice of dhikr. It is opening to receive the Truth. So just think what the effect that dhikr has on the heart to receive Truth!

Clearly the whole brain is a centre of interpretation. Clearly there exists no picture, no sound inside the brain. To achieve a state of consciousness (i.e. heedful to Allah's (subhanahu wa Ta'ala) commands) we must use our brains to enter reality and the more we become conscious, the more benefits we will attain, insha'Allah.


The findings of complementary laboratory tests may be found in the 'Scientific American', December 1993:

Complementary findings were described this year by investigators at Washington University and which have emerged through PET scans of humans. PET measures neural activity indirectly. In the experiments, volunteers were provided with a list of nouns. They were required to read the nouns one-by-one and to propose for each noun - a related verb. When the subjects first did this task, several distinct parts of the brain, including parts of the prefrontal and cinulate cortex, displayed increased neural activity. But if the volunteers repeated the task with the same list of words several times, the brain activity shifted to different regions. When a fresh list of nouns were given to them, the neural activity increased and shifted back to the first regions again.

PET Scans completed at Washington University show certain regions of the brain engaged as a subject reads a list of nouns and suggests related verbs. Different regions become active after the first task is performed repeatedly with the same list. The original areas of the brain re-engage when the subject is given another list.

Thus we see even Western science is waking up to the benefits of dhikr which was understood by Muslims many centuries ago without scientific evidence and research to provide proof.

Bismillah!

بِسمَ اللَّهِ الرَّحمَن الرَّحِيم

Every good action or deed should be started with reciting Bismillah

Below are quoted some Authentic Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)
regarding Bismillah - In the name of Allah:

Saying Bismillah Is Recommended Before Eating:

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Say Bismillah, eat with your right hand and eat what is in front of you."

[Bukhari 7/88, Muslim 2/207, Ahmad 17/92,
Muwatta Malik 10/32 and Ibn Majah 1/557]

When Drinking Water:

Ibn Abbas (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Do not drink in one gulp like a camel, but in two or three [Gulps]. Mention the Name of Allah when you start drinking and praise Him after you have finished [Drinking].''

[Fath al-Bari 12/197 and Al-Trimidhi]

At The Beginning Of Ablution:

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Make Wudu [Ablution] in the name of Allah"

[An-Nasai 1/11 and Ibn Khuzaimah 1/84]

Before Having S-xual Intercourse with one's wife:

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "If anyone of you, when having sexual intercourse with his wife, says: In the name of Allah. O Allah! Protect us from Satan and also protect what you grant us [i.e. Coming offspring] from Satan and if it is destined that they should have a child, then Satan willnever be able to harm him."

[Sahih Bukhari 7/94 and Sahih Muslim 2/1058]

When Entering The House:

Jabir (radiAllahu anhu) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) saying, "If a person mentions the Name of Allah upon entering his house or eating, Satan says, addressing his followers: `You will find
no where to spend the night and no dinner.' But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allah, Satan says [To his followers]; 'You have found [A place] to spend the night in, and if he does not mention the Name of Allah at the time of eating, Satan says: `You have found [A place] to spend the night in as well as food."

[Sahih Muslim 2/206]

When Leaving The House:

The Messenger Of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "If anyone of you when leaving the house says In the name of Allah, I trust in Allah, there is no power and might except from Allah. Your needs shall be fulfilled, you shall be saved from difficulties and hardships. Shaitaan hearing these words leaves him."

[Al-Trimidhi 2/493]

When Slaughtering An Animal:

Anas (radiAllahu anhu) reported that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) sacrificed two horned rams of white color with black markings over them. He also stated: I saw him sacrificing them with his own hand and saw him placing his foot on their sides, and recited in the name of Allah and Glorified Him [Bismillah Allahu Akbar]

[Sahih al-Bukhari 7/133, Muslim 2/181, Abu Dawud 3/230, An-Nasai 7/231, Al-Trimidhi 5/76, Ibn Majah 2120]

When Fighting For The Cause Of Allah:

The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah"

[Sahih Muslim 2/69]

Before Entering The Toilet:

The Prophet Of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said "When you enter the toilet you should say, In the Name of Allah, I seek protection in you from unclean spirits, male and female."
[Abu Dawud 4/264, Ahmad 2/389 and Fath Al-Bari 1/254]

Recommended Because It Causes Humiliation To The Shaitan:

Abul Malih (radiAllahu anhu) said: I was riding on a mount behind the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). It stumbled. Thereupon I said: May the devil perish! He said: Do not say: May the devil perish! For if you say that, he will swell so much so that he will be like a house, and say: By my power. But say Bismillah for when you say that, he will diminish so much so that he will be like a fly.
[An-Nasai 6/142, Ahmad 5/59 and Abu Dawud 4946]

Recommended When Night Falls:

Allah's Apostle (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "When night falls stop your children from going out, for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night has passed, release them and close the doors and mention Allah's Name, for Satan does not open a closed door.
Tie the mouth of your water-skin and mention Allah's Name; cover your containers and utensils and mention Allah's Name. Cover them even by placing something across it, and extinguish your lamps. "

[Sahih al-Bukhari 7/527 and Abu Dawud 3722]

When Placing The Body Of The Deceased In The Grave:

The Prophet of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "When you are lowering the deceased in the grave you should say In the name of Allah and in accordance to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah."

[Ahmad 8/58 and Al-Hakim 1/366]

The Virtues Of Saying Bismillah:

Uthman bin Abu al-As Al-Thaqafi (radiAllahu anhu) reported that he made a complaint of pain to Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) that he felt in his body at the time he had become Muslim.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: Place your hand at the place where you feel pain in your body and say in the name of Allah three times and seven times I seek refuge with Allah and with His Power from the evil that I find and that I fear.

[Muslim 2/280]

When Writing A Letter Bismillah Should Also Be Written:

Abu Sufyan (radiAllahu anhu) said that the contents of the letter were as follows: "In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, [This letter is] from Muhammad the slave of Allah and His Apostle to Heraclius the ruler of Byzantine. Peace be upon him, who follows the right path. Furthermore I invite you to Islam, and if you become a Muslim you will be safe, and Allah will double your reward, and if you reject this invitation of Islam you will be committing a sin by misguiding your peasants."

[Bukhari 4/191, Muslim 2/91, Al-Trimidhi 7/500]

[Queen Sheba] said O chief! Surely an honorable letter has been delivered to me Surely it is from Sulaiman, and surely it is in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

[Al-Quran, Surah Al-Naml, Ayahs 29-30]

The meaning of Dhikr

What is the precise meaning of 'dhikr'? What is its scope and what does it entail? Does it simply involve certain utterances of the tongue, like Subhanallah (I glorify Allah's absolute perfection), Alhamdu lillah (All praise be to Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah) and the recitation of some other selected verses of the Qur'an, or is there more to it?

Of course, such utterances of the tongue and recitation of verses of the Qur'an are important. In fact they are very important forms of dhikr for, indeed, the best forms of remembrance are those that involve both the heart and the tongue. You must understand, however, that the scope of dhikr is considerably wider.

Dhikr must not only be felt by the heart and uttered with the tongue, but must also affect and effect amal salih, or good deeds. Significantly, Ibn al-Qayyim suggests that dhikr encompasses 'any and every particular moment when you are thinking, saying or doing things which Allah likes: Hence, if your conversation is filled with the words of God, this is dhikr and if all your actions are in accordance with His will, this is dhikr. Indeed Allah commends that we remember Him while standing, sitting and even while reclining. This is only possible if dhikr embraces every single aspect of life. Consider for example the following verse of the Qur'an where dhikr is emphasised in both Prayer and business activity:

O Believers, when the call to Payer is sounded on the Day of Congregation, hasten to Allah's remembrance and leave all worldly commerce. This a for your own good, if you but knew . And when the Prayer it finished then disperse through the land, and seek of the bounty of Allah; and remember Allah frequently that you may prosper.
[Surah al-Jumuah 62:9-10]

Attending the Salat al-jumuah, listening to the khutbah or sermon and performing the congregational Prayer are all well known as forms of dhikr. But in our worldly pursuits as well we are urged to remember Allah even more often.

We may thus conclude, that attending to your personal needs, earning a livelihood and spending on your family are all forms of dhikr. But of course, they can only be dhikr if, alongside with the relevant adhkar or supplications in the heart and on the tongue, they are done in obedience to Allah, for His pleasure, to attain Jannah. Otherwise, as the Qur'an warns us, far from being dhikr, they may have the opposite effect:

Let not your worldly possessions and your children make you neglectful of Allah's remembrance. But spend in the way of Allah.
[Surah al-Munafiqun 63:9-10.]

A Great Dhikr

لا اِلهَ اِلَّا اللّهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَ هُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:

"Whoever says,
'La ilaha illa Allah, Wahdahu la shariika lah, lahul Mulku walahul Hamdu, wa Huwa ala kulli shay'in Qadiir

(None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Alone, no partner has He, All Sovereignty belongs to Him, All Praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things).

One hundred times, during the morning, gets the reward of freeing ten slaves, a hundred hasanat (i.e, good deeds) are written for him, one hundred misdeeds are erased from him, and it becomes his protection from Shaytan in his day until the evening, and on the Day of Judgment, no one will exceed him in merit except one who has recited more."
[sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim]



Abu Ayyub Al Ansari (radiAllahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Whoever recited,

'La ilaha illa Allah, Wahdahu la shariika lah, lahul Mulku walahul Hamdu, wa Huwa ala kulli shay'in Qadiir',

Ten times, it is like one who freed four persons from Bani Ismail (i.e, descendants of Ismail, alayhis salam)."
[sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim]



In a version related by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Ahmed: Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,
"Whoever recited ten times, or once to ward off laziness,

'La ilaha illa Allah, Wahdahu la shariika lah, lahul Mulku walahul Hamdu, wa Huwa ala kulli shay'in Qadiir',

will have the reward of freeing a slave from Bani Ismail, ten hasanat (i.e, good deeds) will be written for him, ten misdeeds are forgiven from him, he is raised up ten degrees, and he is protected from Shaytan until evening, whoever says it in the evening, will have the same reward until morning."



Ubadah ibn Samit (radiAllahu anhu) reported: Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,
"Whoever gets up at night and says,

'La ilaha illa Allah, Wahdahu la shariika lah, lahul Mulku walahul Hamdu, wa Huwa ala kulli shay'in Qadiir, Subhana Allah, wal Hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar, wala Hawla wala Quwwata illa billah, Al Aliyy Al Adhiim, Rabbi Ighfirli'

(None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Alone, no partner has He, All Sovereignty belongs to Him, All Praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things, Glory unto Allah how far is He from all imperfection, All Praise due to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Greatness is exclusively for Allah, there is no power nor might except by the permission of Allah, Most High, The Supreme, O Allah forgive me).

If he says this, he will be forgiven, if he makes Du'a (i.e, supplication) it will be accepted, and if he prays Salah, it also will be accepted." [sahih al-Bukhari]

Miftah al-Falah (The Key to Success) On Dhikr

Dhikr is a fire which does not stay or spread – so if it enters a house saying, "Me and nothing other than me," which is one of the meanings of "la ilaha illa'llah' (There is no god but Allah), and there is firewood in the house, it burns it up and it becomes fire. If there is darkness in the house, it becomes light. If there is light in the house, it becomes 'light upon light'.

Dhikr expels from the body impure substances produced by excess in eating or from the consumption of unlawful food. As for food which is lawful, it does not touch it. So the harmful components are burned up and the good components remain.

Dhikr is heard by every part as if it were blowing on a trumpet. When dhikr first occurs in the head, the sound of trumpets and cymbals is experienced there. Dhikr is a sultan – when it descends in a place, it descends with its trumpets and cymbals because dhikr is opposed to all that is other than the Truth. When it descends in a place, it occupies itself with negating what is contrary to the Truth, as we find in the union of water and fire. After these sounds, different sounds are heard: like the ripple of water, the sound of the wind, the sound of fire when it is kindled, the sounds of galloping of horses, and the sound of leaves of the trees rustling in the wind.

This is because man is a combination of every noble and low substance: dust, water, fire, air and earth, and heaven and earth and what is between them: these sounds issue from every source and element of these substances. Whoever has heard these sounds in dhikr praises Allah and glorifies Him with his entire tongue. This is the result of the dhikr with the tongue with the force of complete absorption. Perhaps the worshipper will reach the state where, if he falls silent from dhikr, the heart will stir in his breast, like the movement of the child in the womb, seeking dhikr.

Some say that he heart is like 'Isa, the son of Mary, peace be upon him, and dhikr is its milk. When it grows and becomes strong, longing for the Truth audibly springs from it and pangs of yearning craving for dhikr and the One invoked. The dhikr of the heart is like the sound of the bee, neither a confused high noise nor a very low hidden sound. When the One invoked takes possession of the heart and the dhikr is obliterated and vanishes, and the invoker does not pay attention to the dhikr nor to the heart. If during this, he notices the dhikr or the heart, that is a distracting veil.

This is state is annihilation (fana') – and it is that man is annihilated in respect to his self (nafs), and he feels nothing in his limbs nor things outside of him or things inside of him. If, during that, it occurs to him that he is totally annihilated in respect to himself, that then is a blemish and turbidity. Perfection is that he be annihilated to himself and to annihilation, and the annihilation of annihilation is the goal of annihilation. Annihilation is the earliest of the Path (Tariq) since it is travelling towards Allah Almighty, and then guidance follows. By guidance I mean the guidance of Allah as the Prophet Ibrahim said, "I am going to my Lord, and He will guide me." (37:99)

This absorption is seldom stable and rarely continues. If the invoker continues, it becomes a fixed habit and a permanent state by which he may ascend to the celestial world. Then the purest real Being emerges and he is imprinted with nature of the invisible world (malakut) and the holiness of Divinity (lahut) is manifested to him. The first thing manifested to him from that world are the essences of the angels and the spirits of the Prophets and saints in beautiful forms through which some of the realities overflow onto him. That is the beginning. This continues until his degree is higher than forms and he encounters the Truth in everything with clarity.

This is the fruit of the core of dhikr. Its beginning is only the dhikr of the tongue; and then the dhikr of the heart is stimulated. Then the dhikr becomes natural; and then the One invoked takes possession and the invoker is obliterated. This is the inner secret of the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Whoever wish to abide in the Garden of Paradise should invoke Allah much" and the secret of his words "Hidden dhikr is seventy times preferable to dhikr which is heard by listeners."

The sign of dhikr moving to the inner conscience (sirr) is the absence of the invoker from dhikr and the One invoked, and the dhikr of the inner conscience is frantic thirst and drowning in it.

Among its signs is that when you ceasing doing dhikr, it does not leave you, and the ascendancy of dhikr in you stirs you from absence to presence.

Among its signs is that dhikr presses against your heads and limbs so that they seem as if they were bound with shackles and chains.

Among its signs is that its fires do not abate and its light does not depart. Rather you always see its lights rising and descending while the fires around you are pure, aflame and brightly burning. When dhikr reaches the inner conscience when the invoker falls silent from dhikr, it is as if needles had been thrust through his tongue or as if his entire face were a tongue invoking, light pouring from it.

Subtle point: Know that every dhikr which you heart feels is heart by listeners, if their awareness match your awareness. There is a secret in it: when your dhikr vanishes from your awareness since you have departed to the One invoked, your dhikr vanishes altogether from the awareness of listeners.

Subtle point: The dhikr of the letters is without the presence of the dhikr of the tongue. The dhikr of the presence in the heart is the dhikr of the heart; and the dhikr of absence from presence with the One Invoked is the dhikr of the inner conscience (sirr), and it is hidden dhikr.