The Adab of Adzkar

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is the adab of adzkar as taught to us by Shaykh Zakariya ibn ‘Umar Bagharib (q.s.) and Shaykh Ahmad ‘Arif ibn Muhammad Rashid.  These are brief outlines only.  They are applicable to any congregational dzikr and any thariqa’. 

The etiquette before the dzikr includes making sure our food consumption is halal.  The impurities in your food affect the state of the ruh.  We must be in a state of wudhu.  We should put a good smell on ones clothes and the place of dzikr.  However, the perfume should not be too strong and overwhelming.  Then, we sit in a room with no or less unnatural lighting.  Additionally, we must sit in a clean place as done in swalah; this is a must.  We must make sure of total silence in surroundings and clear the mind. We put our hands on our thighs facing the qiblah.  Fans and air-conditioning units must be switched off. 

The etiquette during the dzikr begins with sincere repentance to Allah (s.w.t.).  We close our eyes to stop registering other pictures and give an opportunity for the heart to register.  We imagine that our shaykh is before us, watching us while we are engaged in the dzikr; this is known as taswswawur as-shaykh.  We start the dzikr and abide by the adab and believe that, insha’Allah, anwar and asrar will come.  We must realise that the anwar and asrar that Allah (s.w.t.) Gives us is through our shuyukh, through Rasulullah (s.a.w.) to the Divine Presence of Allah (s.w.t.).  We must maintain sincerity and concentration during the dzikr; what is said on the tongue must come from the heart.  We must make an effort to understand what is recited and learn the depths of it.  We should empty our hearts of everything but Allah (s.w.t.), obtaining the effects of the wird.  We must never imagine things and induce hal.  Such a hal is from the nafs.  We purify our hearts of everything, any hatred or problems, all the little things that will stand as a barrier.  A soul not at rest cannot reach the Divine Presence.  If possible, we follow the shaykh closely – we must not recite faster than he does and nor recite too slowly.  If he is soft, recite softly.  If he is loud, recite louder.  The circle of the dzikr or the swaff must be closed.  Unless ordered so by the shaykh, there should not be spaces in between.  It is like the swalah in that sense. 

There is an etiquette after the dzikr.  We must remain in total silence mentally and physically for several minutes after your dzikr.  This is so because we await results, one may experience different feelings.  It takes time to compose ourselves.  We must remain within our boundaries, and continue persistence.  We should not move unnecessarily or speak unnecessarily.  This is not the time to look around.  Only when the moment has passed, and we feel that veil of Presence Lifted, is the dzikr considered ended.  Wird without adab is ineffective.