Zikr e lisani to zikr-e-zaat, the seeker and his journey

Time of India

21-05-2025

Affan Yesvi is a Sufi scholar, columnist, and entrepreneur. As a descendant of the 11th-century Sufi saint, Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi - a mystic, poet, and founder of the Yasaviyya Sufi order in Central Asia - Affan carries a rich spiritual legacy. LESS ... MORE
How beautiful and blessed it is when the heart is immersed in the remembrance of the Divine. There is an old English saying – a man is known by the company he keeps. How amazing and divine it is when the company that you seek is the company of God. When the remembrance of the Almighty and his zikr (dhikr) fill the essence of your being. The journey starts from the spark that lights up in your heart to seek the Almighty. That spark becomes a rush, the rush becomes a flame, and this coveted and precious flame ultimately consumes the seeker.
Sufi mystics say that the journey within is the most beautiful journey of all. The voyage of the seeker from verbal remembrance of the Almighty to the penultimate goal of total annihilation (fana) in Divine Love makes this voyage most cherished and most elevating. Khwaja Najmuddin Kubra, a 13th-century Sufi saint and the founder of the Kubrawiya Sufi order, said, 'The heart possesses subtle organs of perception, which are progressively purified by the performance of zikr, together with other spiritual discipline and exercises.'
As one seeks out to search for the Divine, one goes through seven levels of Sufi Zikr (Dhikr). Each of these levels is joyful and abundant. Rejoicing the search for Divine Love, the seeker goes from one level to the next filled with humility and a prayerful heart. Each level witnesses profound and even more profound absorption in the search of the seeker. Hazrat Rumi (1207-1273), the greatly loved Sufi mystic, has valuable advice for the seeker. He says, 'Remember God so much that you are forgotten. Let the caller and the call disappear; be lost in the Call.'
The journey starts with Zikr e Lisani – the zikr of the tongue. This act is essentially physical, where the seeker learns to engage his mind with the Divine by constantly chanting his name. While this is only the foundational level, it holds deep meaning. The mind can be anchored easily in a familiar space. If the mind does not find the space familiar, it shall find ways to escape that space, to flee. With Zikr e Lisani, as the tongue practices chanting the holy and beautiful names of the divine, the mind slowly becomes accustomed to staying in this divine presence.
The second level for the seeker is Zikr e Qalbi – the zikr of the heart. Herein, the seeker stays immersed in his journey without saying aloud the beloved name of God. Now he starts going into his being, his focus sharpens, and consciousness of the divine starts taking root in him. Sultan Bahu, the 17th century Sufi mystic, said of the seeker's search for the Divine: 'The religion of the gnostic is gnosis (marifat) of Allah and love of Him. A moment spent in forgetfulness i,e., without Zikr is equivalent to infidelity.'
The third level for the seeker is Zikr-e Ruhi (Remembrance of the Soul). The seeker becomes more and more anchored in his silent remembrance of the Divine. The practice of contemplating on the Almighty and securing oneself in the glory of his presence can come only with constant practice of remembrance of the soul.
Zikr e Sirri (zikr of the secret) is the fourth level for the seeker. No sound or mental speech is required at this level. The seeker moves into a mystical space where he constantly contemplates upon the Divine and always feels a direct bond with the Divine. Examine the profound beauty of these words: Zikr-e-Sirri tujh me hai, tu kuch na kar, khamosh baith, chashm-o-lab ko band karle, sun, Zikr maujood hai. (The seeker is told: Zikr-e-Sirri is within you. Do nothing, sit in silence, close your eyes and lips. Listen and listen deeply: the remembrance is present.) Herein the inner illumination and a deep spiritual awareness start flowering in the seeker.
The next level is Zikr-e-Khafi, which may be regarded as intense hidden remembrance, which resonates in the heart as the essence of being. The seeker has reached a level of awareness which may seem veiled from the outside world, because this is the 'secret within the secret.' The veil between the seeker and the creator is removed and this is the real achievement of the one who is committed to the path.
Hazrat Ghous Pak Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, the 12th century Sufi saint who was the eponym of the Qadiriyya Sufi order, stated, ''Your tongue is better than seventy times dhikr, your heart should mention it once.'
Sufi saints have emphasised that while Zikr-e-Khafi is a highly cherished practice, it is not meant to replace or substitute the recitations during salah (prayer).
The sixth level is Zikr-e-Akhfa (zikr of the spirit of the secret). The seeker evolves to a stage of near-complete detachment from the ego and gets steadily anchored in the loving grace of the Almighty.
There is an old Sufi tale about the time when bandits attacked Abu Said and his disciples on the road, and they stole Abu Said's horse. When the bandit chief found out who the horse belonged to, he brought the horse back and apologized. 'You are a good man, Abu Said,' he said. 'My men acted in ignorance; they did not know you.'
But Abu Said told him to keep his horse. 'It is good to let go, and when we let go of something, we do not seize it again.' These words of calm detachment and of complete faith in the Almighty enlightened the bandit chief, and he quit his life of crime and became a man of peace.
The penultimate level is Zikr-e-Zaat (Zikr of the Essence). The pivot of this level is complete remembrance of the Almighty. The seeker is focused on the essence of the Almighty rather than his names or attributes. The seeker reaches the most exalted state of fana (complete annihilation of the self) and only the Almighty remains. The seeker reaches his destination. The journey is complete.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.