Tasbih

Tasbih (تسبيح) is a form of dhikr that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences glorifying God, in Islam. To keep track of counting either the phalanges of the right hand or a misbaha is used. The tasbih is similar to the komboskini of the Orthodox Church and the rosary in the Roman Catholic religion.

Etymology

A misbaha, a device used for counting tasbih

The term tasbih is an irregular derivation from subhan, which is the first word of the constitutive sentence of the first third of the canonical form (see below) of tasbih. The word literally means, as a verb, "to travel swiftly" and as a noun, "duties" or "occupation." However, in the devotional context tasbih means to say, Subhana Allah, which is often used in the Qur'an with the preposition 'an (عن) with the meaning, God is devoid of what they (polytheists) attribute to Him, for example (Al-Tawba: 31, Al-Zumar 67, et. al). Without this preposition it means something like "Glory be to God."

Canonical form "Tasbih of Fatima"

In order:

   1. Subhan'Allah (سبحان الله) (Glory be to God) – repeated 33 times.
   2. Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله) (Praise be to God) – repeated 33 times.
   3. Allahu akbar (الله أكبر) (God is the Greatest) – repeated 34 times.

Made of

"Tasbih" are most commonly made of various stones or wooden bead, but also of olive seeds, ivory, amber, pearls or plastic. Stone beads (mineral and animal based) are made of; carnelian, amber, tortoiseshell, glass, meerschaum, ivory, pearl, coral, coconut, pebble, mother of-pearl, jade, rhino horn, etc. whereas wooden beads are made of; ebony, agalloch, rosewood, olive wood, etc. Besides 99 beads, tasbih also consists of: the "nisane", a disc which separates each 33 beads, the "pul", a small bead that marks the seventh position, the "tassel", which is a long piece marking the beginning of the string, and the "tepelik" at the top of the tassel. In 33 bead tasbih, "nisane" separates 11 beads and there is no "pul".

Dhikr or  Zekr

Dhikr (or Zikr, "Remembrance [of God]", "pronouncement", "invocation") Arabic: ذکر‎, plural اذكار adhakār), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity. At the same time, dhikr encompasses a broader meaning in the Islamic sources, including when God is the one who performs dhikr.

Broad meaning

The word dhikr is commonly translated as "remembrance" or "invocation". In reality, it has taken a wide range and various layers of meaning. For instance, while dhikr is commonly understood as the practice of remembering God, it has also been used in the Islamic sources to indicate God as the subject and the servant as the object of dhikr, and also been directly applied to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, as embodiment of dhikr of God.

Essentially, the practice of dhikr is a form of prayer in which the Muslim will express his or her remembrance of God either within or overtly; this may come in the form of recitation, lyrical chanting, or simply always remembering God in one’s heart. In tasawwuf (Islamic mysticism) dhikr is most likely the most frequent form of prayer. Among the orders of Muslims that practice dhikr, there are some who advocate silent, individual prayer, while others join together in an outward, group expression of their love for God.

 

 

Origins

There are several verses in the Qur'an which emphasize the importance of remembering the Will of God by saying "God Willing," "God Knows best," "if it is Your Will," and so on. This is the basis for dhikr. Sura 18 (Al-Kahf), ayah 24 states a person who forgets to say, "God Willing," should immediately remember God by saying, "May my Lord guide me to do better next time." Other verses include sura 33 (Al-Ahzab), ayah 41, "O ye who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often;", and sura 13 (Ar-Ra'd), ayah 28, "They are the ones whose hearts rejoice in remembering God. Absolutely, by remembering God, the hearts rejoice." There are also a number of hadiths that give emphasis to remembrance of God. Muhammad said that "the best [dhikr] is that of la elaha ella’llah, and the best supplicatory prayer is that of al-hamdo le’llah," which translate to "there is no god but God" and "praise to God" respectively.

Phrases read during Dhikr

There are several phrases that are usually read when remembering God. Here are a few:

   1. Allahu Akbar - الله أَكْبَر means "GOD is Great"
   2. Subhan'Allah - سبحان الله means "Glory be to GOD"
   3. Alhamdulillah - الحمد لله means "All praise is due to GOD"
   4. La ilaha ilallah - لا إله إلا الله means "There is no god but GOD"
   5. La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah - لا حول ولاقوة إلا بالله means "There is no power or strength except with GOD."

Importance

Dhikr is given great importance by some Sufi writers, among them is Najm-al-Din Razi who wrote about dhikr in the context of what it combats. In contrast to the virtues of remembrance, Razi uses the perils of forgetfulness to show the importance of dhikr. The soul and the world are veils that make people forget God. The Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order of America says this about dhikr; Dhikr is the means by which Stations yield their fruit, until the seeker reaches the Divine Presence. On the journey to the Divine Presence the seed of remembrance is planted in the heart and nourished with the water of praise and the food of glorification, until the tree of dhikr becomes deeply rooted and bears its fruit. It is the power of all journeying and the foundation of all success. It is the reviver from the sleep of heedlessness, the bridge to the One remembered.

Methods

There is some debate with regards to the method in which dhikr is performed. Many Muslims practice a private and silent worship. There are some Sufi orders, however, that perform dhikr in groups at a Haḍra (or presence). Haḍra is a communal gathering for dhikr and its associated liturgical rituals, prayers, and song recitals, whether private or public; in earlier orders, the "presence" referred to was that of God, but since the 18th century it has been considered the spiritual presence of Muhammad.

Dhikr beads

Known also as Tasbih, these are usually Misbaha (prayer beads) upon a string, 99 or 100 in number, which correspond to the names of God in Islam and other recitations. The beads are used to keep track of the number of recitations that make up the dhikr.

 

 

Muslim inmates in the United States are allowed to utilize dhikr beads for therapeutic effects. This was a result of a successful action brought pursuant to 28 USC @ 1983 (by Imam Hamzah S. Alameen in the State of New York against Thomas A. Coughlin III, the Department of Corrections) arguing that prisoners have a First Amendment Constitutional right to pursue Islamic healing therapies using Dhikr. Imam Alameen, is a student of the late Shaykh Ismail Abdur Rahim, who was the Islamic Supervisor at Arthur-kill C.F., and was finally promoted to M.C.P for NYSDOC. The Dhikr was used to rehabilitate inmates suffering from co-occurring mental health challenges, and substance abuse issues. The dhikr Alameen developed was used to assist the successful recovery of hundreds if not thousands of inmates in the 90's.

Some Islamic scholars argue that using the beads are forbidden, however. Many claim that the usage of the fingers to count is better as that is what was practiced by Muhammad.
Some Sufi orders stress and place extensive reliance upon Dhikr, and likewise in Qadri Al-Muntahi Sufi tariqa, which was originated by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi. This practice of Dhikr is called Zikar-e-Qalbi (remembrance of Allah by Heartbeats). The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having been written on the disciple's heart.

Sufi view

Followers of Sufism engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, the details of which are the primary difference between Sufi orders or tariqah. Each order or lineage within an order has one or more forms for group dhikr, the liturgy of which may include recitation, singing, music, dance, costumes, incense, Muraqaba (meditation), ecstasy, and trance. Dhikr in a group is not limited to these rules but most often done on Thursday and/or Sunday nights as part of the institutional practice of most orders.

A group dhikr ceremony in Arabic countries is usually called the Haḍra. In Turkey the group ceremony is called Zikr-i Kiyam. The Haḍra marks the climax of the Sufi's gathering regardless of any teaching or formal structure. Musically this structure includes several secular Arab genres and can last for hours.

The Haḍra section consists of the ostinato-like repetition of the name of God over which the soloist performs a richly ornamented song. Often the climax is reached through cries of "Allah! Allah!" or "hu hu", with the participants bending forward while exhaling and stand straight while inhaling.

The hadrah is directed by a Sheikh of the tariqa or one of his representatives; monitoring the intensity, depth and duration of the phases of the Haḍra, the shaykh aims to draw the circle into deep awareness of God. Dhikr ceremonies may have a ritually determined length or may last as long as the Sheikh deems his murids require.

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