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Chapter IX: Zikr and Invocations

man except Zikr of God which can give him salvation. They asked him : O Prophet of God, not even jihad in the way of God?
He said : Not even jihad in the way of God, except that it will give salvation only when it is cut to pieces owing to your strike by your sword and then it is again cut to pieces owing to your strike by your sword. The Prophet said : If anybody wishes to enter the garden of paradise, let him remember God much. He was asked :
Which action is best ? He said : Your meeting with death in the condition of your tongue being saturated with Zikr of God. The Prophet said : Saturate your tongue with the Zikr of God morning and evening, you will have no sin morning and evening. He said : God's Zikr morning and evening is better than attack with sword in the way of God and giving wealth in charity. The Prophet said : God says : When My servant remembers Me silently, I remember Him silently. When he remembers Me among the people, I remember him among a party better than them. When he comes to Me half a cubit, I advaA«ceto him a cubit. When he comes to Me a cubit, I go to him two cubits. When he comes to Me on foot, I go to him hastily. The Prophet said : On the day when there will be no shade except the shade of God, God will give shade under His shade seven persons-one who remembers God sincerely and shed tears for fear of God etc. The Prophet said : Shall I not inform you of an action dearest to God, greatest to your Lord, highest in rank, better fruitful than charity of your gold and silver and your striking with sword the necks of the enemies of God and the strike on you necks ? They said : O Messenger of God, what is it?
He said : Constant remembrance of God. The Prophet said : God says : If a man refrains from invoking Me because of his remaining busy with my remembrance I give him better than those who invoke Me.

Wise sayings. The sage Fuzail said : We have been informed that if a man makes God's Zikr one hour after the morning prayer and one hour after the Asr prayer, it expiates all his sins. A wise man said : God says : If I see My Zikr prevailing in the mind of a man, I take the administration of his affairs and I become his companion, adviser and friend. Hasan Basari said : Zikr is of two kinds — (1) God's Zikr in your mind and (2) better than this is to remember God at the time of commission of an unlawful action.
Some said that every soul will come out of the world thirsty except one which remembers God. Muaz-b-Jabal said : The

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Vol-I ZIKR AND INVOCATION 231

inmates of Paradise will not grieve for anything except for the time which passed without remembrance of God.

EXCELLENCE OF THE ASSEMBLY OF ZIKR

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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