In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. All praise is for Him who made pitch, harmony and discord, sound and silence, and peace and blessings be upon his messenger who taught us how to pray and to remember Allah.
This life is full of alarms and attractions which grab our attention, making us distracted, heedless and reactive and taking away our sense of perspective. When we are in a distracted state, we are likely to do something we regret.
When I learned how to drive, my instructor told me that my eyes should never focus on just one spot but always be moving and looking everywhere, as things are constantly changing. The driver should do all of this but never forget for a moment the direction she is driving in. It is a state of alertness and purpose. In the journey of life, this means to remember that, whatever happens to us, we belong to God, and we are returning to God (Qur’an 2:156).
According to traditional Muslim cosmology, there is a reason why we have two eyes. Science tells us that if we lose vision in one eye, we lose our sense of perspective and cannot judge distances properly. Metaphysics tells us that we must look with two eyes in order to see life in two dimensions. One eye sees the world as a thing in itself, and the second eye sees the world as filled with signs of the Creator. Materialism teaches us to be one-eyed. We make our purposes purely oriented towards achievement in this life – marrying that person, buying that house, and having that career, or even a noble aim like solving a humanitarian problem. However, according to Islam, the true purpose of life is to worship God. Worship here means not mere ritual but to devote and dedicate ones life towards acknowledging Him and obeying Him.
How can we do remember Allah in our busy lives filled with distractions? By attempting to do each one of our activities intentionally and with remembrance, whether it be our standing, our sitting, our lying down, our eating, or working, our conversations – all a moment of remembrance.
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ (190)الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are indeed signs for those with discernment. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and on their sides, and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth. “O Our Lord, You did not create all this in vain, glory be to you, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (3:190-91)
Allah tells us in the Qur’an that the same message has been sent with all the Prophets, and the Qur’an is a wise reminder (3:58). (ذكر) Allah tells us in the Qur’an that the remembrance of God is greatest (29:45) and to remember God a lot (33:41). Whoever turns away from the remembrance of Allah, will have a constricted life (20:124). Allah warns us not to be like those who forget Him and therefore forget themselves (59:19).
Formal practices (known as أذكار) which help the Muslim remember God at each moment of the day are many. Before beginning a thing, a Muslim will say, Bismillah – in the name of Allah. Upon ending a thing, a Muslim will say alHamdulillah, all praise is due to Allah. The repetition of phrases by the tongue is a way of attempting to get the heart to remember.
This has led to the development of a musical culture based upon remembrance in gatherings. The following is a link to and my attempt at a translation of a nasheed (song) from Syria in praise of one of the most famous, the first part of the Shahada or declaration of faith – La illaha ill-Allah – there is no God but God.
قد أتانا في الأخبار
لا إله إلا الله لا إله إلا الله … محمد رسول الله … عليه صلاة الله
قد أتانا في الأخبار عن النبي المختار … أن أفضل الأذكار … لا إله إلا الله
بها يثبت الإيمان … بها يحصل الأمان … كرر أيها الإنسان … لا إله إلا الله
تكرارها ما أحلاه … ما أبهاه ما أعلاه … تدني العبد من مولاه … لا إله إلا الله
جمعت معنى التوحيد … ودلت بلا مزيد … فأذكر أيها المريد … لا إله إلا الله
هي حصنك الحصين … هي درعك المتين … ذكر رب العالمين … لا إله إلا الله
بها الفوز والنجاة … فيها كل البركات … تنجي من كل الآفات … لا إله إلا الله
فيها للسقم دواء … فيها للضعف قوة … هي كلمة التقوى … لا إله إلا الله
هي شفاء الصدور … هي نور على نور … ذكر ربك الغفور … لا إله إلا الله
هي النعمة العظمى … هي المقام الأسمى … ليس تبقى ألما … لا إله إلا الله
هي شفاء العلل … فيها إصلاح الخلل … في الذكر لا تخش الملل … لا إله إلا الله
لازموها يا إخوان نوروا بها الجنان إن مفتاح الجنان … لا إله إلا الله
لازموها بالأسحار … والعشى والإبكار … تستمدوا من أنوار … لا إله إلا الله
نوروا بها القلوب … محصوا بها الذنوب … إن أعظم المطلوب … لا إله إلا الله
يقارنها الإقرار … برسالة المختار … من حبانا من أنوار … لا إله إلا الله
خير الخلق عند الله … صاحب العز والجاه … خاتم رسل الإله … محمد رسول الله
It has come to us…. La Illaha Ill Allah
It has come to me through a saying of the chosen Prophet, that the best of dhikrs is La Illaha ill Allah,
Through it faith is strengthened and safety is achieved, so repeat it, O Mankind, La Illaha ill Allah,
How sweet is it’s repetition and how shining, how sweet, drawing the slave close to his Maulay – La Illaha ill Allah,
It gathers the meanings of tawheed (oneness of Allah) and declares it simply and clearly, so repeat it o you Seeker – La Illaha ill Allah,
It is your defensive fortress and your strong armour that mentions the Lord of all the Worlds – La Illaha ill Allah,
Success and salvation is through it, along with all blessings, and it saves from all harms – La Illaha ill Allah,
In it is found medicine for sickness and strength for weakness, words of taqwa (reverence) – La Illaha ill Allah,
It is healing for the breasts and light upon light, the mention of your Lord, the Most Forgiving – La Illaha ill Allah,
It is the greatest blessing and the heavenly station, (with it) no pain can remain – La Illaha ill Allah,
It is healing for faults and a cure for defects so do this dhikr not fearing to get tired of it – La Illaha ill Allah,
So stick to it O Brothers (Sisters) and illuminate the hearts through it, for the key to the hearts is – La Illaha ill Allah,
So stick to it at dawn and and at evening and early mornings and seek help from its lights – La Illaha ill Allah,
Illuminate your hearts with it and discover your sins, the most important thing is – La Illaha ill Allah,
Saying it entails belief in the message of the Chosen One, who gave us lights – La Illaha ill Allah,
The Best of Creation with Allah is the highly-respected and honoured one, the Seal of the Prophets,
Muhammad, Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, Messenger of Allah – La Illaha ill Allah
This is a version from Said al Hashimi, performed in Damascus, may Allah have mercy on them all.
Part 1
Part 2
