3.1
قال الله تعالى {فَٱذْكُرُونِيۤ أَذْكُرْكُمْ}.
God the Exalted has said, «Therefore, remember Me, and I will remember you.»99
3.2
قال القشيريّ رضي الله عنه:
طريق أهل العبارة {فَٱذْكُرُونِي} بالموافقات{أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالكرامات وطريق أهل الإشارة {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بترك كلّ حظّ {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بأنْ أقيمكم بحقّي بعد فنائكم عنكم ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} اكتفاءً بي عن عطائي وإفضالي {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} راضيًا بكم دون أفعالكم ويقال {فَٱذْكُرُونِي} بذكري لكم ما تذكرون ولو لا سابق ذكري لما كان لاحق ذكركم. ويقال {فَٱذْكُرُونِي} بقطع العلائق {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بنعت الحقائق ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} لمن لَقيتَه {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} لمن خاطبتُه ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالتذلّل {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالتفضّل ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالانكسار {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالمَبارِّ ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} باللسان {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالجنان و يقال{فَٱذْكُرُونِي} بقلوبكم {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بتحقيق مطلوبكم ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} على الباب من حيث الخدمة {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالإيجاب على بساط القربة بإكمال النعمة ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بتصفية السِرِّ {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بتوفية البِرِّ ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} في حال سروركم {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} في حال قبوركم ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} وأَنتم بوصف السلامة {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} يوم القيامة حين لا تغني الندامة ويقال {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالرغبة {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالرهبة.
Al-Qushayrī, may God be pleased with him, writes:
The way for the literalists is: «Therefore remember Me» with proper conduct, «and I will remember you» with miracles. But for the folk seeking mystical allusions, the way is: «So remember Me» by leaving everything else, «and I will remember you» by resurrecting you in My reality after your annihilation from yourselves. It is said, «Therefore remember Me,» content with Me without need of My grace and favors, «and I will remember you,» satisfied with you, without your actions. It is said, «Therefore remember Me» recalling My remembrance on your behalf. For were it not for My prior remembrance of you, you would have no subsequent remembrance.100 It is said, «Remember Me» by severing attachments, «and I will remember you» with the attribute of realities, and it is said, «Remember Me» to whomever you meet, «and I will remember you» to whomever I address. It is said, «Remember Me» with self-abasement, «and I will remember you» with favor, and it is said, «Remember Me» with humility, «and I will remember you» with beneficence. It is said, «Remember Me» with the tongue, «and I will remember you» in the heart, and it is said, «Remember Me» in your hearts, «and I will remember you» with the realization of your desires. It is said, «Remember Me» at the door of service, «and I will remember you» with affirmation and sublime blessings on the carpet of proximity. It is said, «Remember Me» with a pure heart, «and I will remember you» with total kindness. It is said, «Remember Me» when you are happy, «and I will remember you» when you are in your graves, and it is said, «Remember Me» when you are in a state of well-being, «and I will remember you» on the Day of Resurrection when regret will be of no use. It is said, «Remember Me» with longing, «and I will remember you» with wonder.101
3.3
ذكره في لطائف الإشارات وقال في الآية أي كونوا مستهلَكين في وجودنا بذكركم بعد فنائكم عنكم.
Al-Qushayrī mentions this in his Subtleties of Mystical Allusions (Laṭāʾif al-ishārāt). He also says concerning this verse, “Be consumed in Our existence through your remembrance after your annihilation from yourselves.”102
3.4
وقال السُلَميّ: أي {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بجهدكم وطاقتكم لأقرن ذكرَكم بذكري فيتحقّق لكم الذكرُ.
Al-Sulamī says, that is «Remember Me» with your utmost ability, and I will join your remembrance with My remembrance so that your remembrance will be realized.103
3.5
ومن فتحِه علينا في الآية:
{أذْكُرُونِي} بالإخلاص {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بِالاختصاص {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالمجاهدة {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالمشاهدة {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالصدق {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالرفق {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالتعظيم {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالتكريم {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالخشية {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالوصلة {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالالتجاء {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بتحقيق الرجاء {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بفنائكم فيّ {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} ببقائكم بي {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالهيبة {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالقربة. {ٱذْكُرُونِي} في العباد {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالوداد {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالتوجّه الكلّي {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بشرف التجلّي {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالقلب {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالقرب {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالروح {أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بالفتوح {ٱذْكُرُونِي} بالأسرار{أَذْكُرْكُمْ} بمدد الأنوار{أشْكُرُونِي} أي على منّتي عليكم بقولي {فَٱذْكُرونِيۤ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ} بترك الذكر.
God inspired me with the following regarding this verse:
«Remember Me» with sincerity, «and I will remember you» with favor. «Remember Me» fervently, «and I will remember you» with mystical vision. «Remember Me» truly, «and I will remember you» with kindness. «Remember Me» with exaltation, «and I will remember you» with honor. «Remember Me» in fear, «and I will remember you» with union. «Remember Me» by seeking refuge with Me, «and I will remember you» by fulfilling your hope. «Remember Me» through your annihilation in Me, «and I will remember you» by causing you to abide in Me. «Remember Me» with reverence, «and I will remember you» with proximity. «Remember Me» among humanity, «and I will remember you» with amity. «Remember Me» with total attention, «and I will remember you» with a glorious epiphany. «Remember Me» in the heart, «and I will remember you» with nearness. «Remember Me» in the spirit, «and I will remember you» with spiritual inspirations. «Remember Me» in your inner hearts, «and I will remember you» with refulgent lights. «Give thanks to Me,»104 for My benevolence to you when I say, «Remember Me, and I will remember you . . . and do not be ungrateful to me»105 by forsaking remembrance.
3.6
وقال تعالى {يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ٱذْكُرُواْ ٱللهَ ذِكْراً كَثِيراً}.
The Exalted has said, «O you who believe, remember God often!»106
3.7
قال القشيريّ:
الإشارة فيه أَحِبُّوا الله لأنَّ النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم قال: من أحبّ شيئًا أكثر من ذكره. فيحبّ أنْ يقول الله ولا ينسى الله بعد ذكر الله ويقال معناه اُذكُرُوا الله بقلوبكم. فإنَّ الذكر الذي تُمكن استدامتُه ذكر القلب فأمّا ذكر اللسان فإدامته سرمدًا متعذّرٌ.
Al-Qushayrī writes,
The mystical allusion is “Love God” because, the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “Someone who loves something, remembers it often.” Therefore, he loves to say “God,” and does not forget God after recollecting God. It is said that this means that you remember God in your hearts. The only remembrance that is possible to sustain permanently is the remembrance with the heart, for permanent remembrance with the tongue is impossible.107
3.8
وقال تعالى {ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ ٱللهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ ٱللهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ}.
The Exalted has said, «Those who believe and whose hearts are at peace with remembrance of God—truly, it is with remembrance of God that hearts are at peace!»108
3.9
قال القشيريّ رضي الله عنه:
قومٌ اطمأنّت قلوبهم بذكر الله وفي الذكر وجدوا سلوتهم وبالذكر وصلوا إلى صفوتهم. وقومٌ اطمأنّت قلوبُهم بذكر الله لهم فذَكَرَهُم الله بلطفه وأَثْبَتَ الطمأنينة في قلوبهم على وجه التخصيص لهم ويقال إذا ذكروا أنّ الله ذكرهم استروحت قلوبهم واستبشرت أرواحهم واستأنست أسرارهم. قال الله تعالى {أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ ٱللهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ} تقريرًا لها على ما نالت بالله من الحياة.
Al-Qushayrī, may God be pleased with him, writes,
Some people have hearts that are at peace with remembrance of God, and they find their comfort in remembrance and attain their perfection by remembrance. The hearts of other folk are at peace through God’s remembrance of them; He remembers them with His grace and establishes peace within their hearts in a manner specific to them. Someone said that when they remember that God has remembered them, their hearts become serene, their spirits rejoice, and their inner hearts find comfort. God the Exalted has said, «Truly, it is with remembrance of God that hearts are at peace!»109 to underscore what kind of life is bestowed by God.110
3.10
وقال السلميّ رضي الله عنه:
القلوب أربعةٌ: قلوب العامّة اطمأنّت بذكر الله بتسبيحه وتحميده والثناء عليه لروية النعمة والعافية. وقلوب العلماء اطمأنّت بالصفات والأسماء والنعوت فهم يلاحظون ما يظهر منها على الدهور. وقلوب الخاصّة اطمأنّت بذكر الله في إخلاصهم وتوكّلهم وشكرهم وصبرهم فسكنوا إليه. وأمّا الموحّدون فكالعَرَض لا تطمئنّ قلوبهم بحالٍ.
Al-Sulamī, may God be pleased with him, writes,
There are four types of hearts. The hearts of the common people find peace in remembrance of God by glorifying Him, praising Him, and lauding Him in consideration of the grace and well-being that He has bestowed. The hearts of the religious scholars find peace with the divine attributes, names, and qualities, so they ponder those manifestations over the ages. The hearts of the spiritual elite find peace in remembrance of God through their sincerity, their total dependence on Him, their gratitude, and fortitude, and so they rest in Him. As for those truly professing God’s oneness, this is all incidental, for their hearts are not at peace in any mystical state!111
3.11
وقال إبراهيم الخوّاص رضي الله عنه:
تفرّق الناس في حالتَين فمن دامت حركته وسعيه كان موصوفًا بنفسه لغلبات شواهد نفسه لقوله تعالى {وَكَانَ ٱلإِنْسَانُ عَجُولاً}. ومن دام سكونه كان موصوفًا بالحقّ لغلبات شواهد الحقّ في تسكينه. قال الله تعالى {أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ ٱللهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ}.
Ibrāhīm al-Khawwāṣ, may God be pleased with him, has said,
People are divided into two states. One type is always moving and running around and can be described as selfish, since his selfishness clearly dominates. As the Exalted has said, «The human being is hasty.»112 The other type remains tranquil and can be described as being with the True Reality, since the True Reality clearly dominates his tranquility. God the Exalted has said, «Truly it is with remembrance of God that hearts are at peace!»113
3.12
وقال الحسين: من ذَكَرَه الحقُّ بخير في أزله اطمأنّ إليه في أبده. وقال النَهرَجُوريّ: قلوب الأولياء مواضع المطالع فهي لا تتحرّك ولاتنزعج بل تطمئنّ خوفًا من أن يَرُدَّ عليها مفاجأةً مطالعَه فيجده متوسّمًا بسوء الأدب.
Al-Ḥusayn said,114 “One who, in his pre-eternal state, is remembered favorably by the True Reality is at peace with Him for eternity.” Al-Nahrajūrī said, “The hearts of the saints are loci for spiritual insights, so the saints are never agitated or disquieted. Rather, the saints are tranquil out of fear that He might suddenly bring spiritual insights to the heart while they are in an unseemly state.”115
3.13
وقال تعالى {وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ}. قال القُشَيريّ:
{ذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ} من ذكر المخلوقين لأنّ ذكره قديمٌ وذكر المخلوق مُحْدَثٌ. ويقال ذكر العبد أكبر من ذكر الأشياء لأنّ ذكره طاعة وذكر غيره لا يكون طاعة. ويقال {ذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ} إذا تجرّد عن طلب الأعواض من ذكر لغرض إمّا لخوف عقوبة أو نيل مثوبة. ويقال {وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ} من ذكرك لك ويقال ذكره لك بالسعادة أكبر من ذكرك له بالعبادة ويقال {وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ} من أنْ يعرف قدرَه أحدٌ أو أكبر من أنْ يعارضه ذكر. ويقال {وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ} من أنْ يُبقي معه وحشةً ويقال {وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ} من أنْ يُبْقي معه للعبد معلومًا أو مرسومًا. و يقال {ذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ} من أنْ يعيش أحدٌ من المحبّين بغيره. انتهى.
The Exalted has said, «Indeed, the remembrance of God is greater!»116 Al-Qushayrī writes,
«God’s remembrance is greater» than the remembrance by created things because His remembrance is eternal, whereas the remembrance by created things is temporal. It is said that the worshipper’s remembrance of God is greater than the worshipper’s remembrance of other things because the remembrance of Him is an act of obedience, whereas remembrance of any other thing is not.117 It is said that «the remembrance of God is greater» when it is free of seeking any benefit in exchange, whether out of fear of punishment or in hope of reward. It is said that «God’s remembrance is greater» than your remembrance of yourselves.118 It is said that His remembrance of you with good fortune is better than your remembrance of Him in worship. «Remembrance of God is so great» that no one knows its power, and so great that no other remembrance can compare. Some say that «remembrance of God is so great» that it allows no melancholy to abide with it and that «remembrance of God is so great» that it leaves no sign or trace of the worshipper to abide with it.119 It is said that «remembrance of God is so great» that lovers cannot live without it.120
3.14
إلى غير ذلك من الآيات فى الذكر ولولا خوف الإطالة لأوردتُ غالبها. وفي ذلك كفاية لمن وفّقه الله.
There are other verses on remembrance, and were it not for fear of being long-winded, I would have cited most of them. But this should suffice one whom God has blessed with success.
3.15
أمّا الأحاديث النبويّة في الذكر فتكاد لا تنحصر فمنها ما روي عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: سَبَقَ المفرِّدون. قالوا: وما المفرّدون يا رسول الله؟ قال: المستهترون بذكر الله. يضع الذكرُ عنهم أثقالهم فيأتون يوم القيامة خفافًا. رواه الترمذيّ و قال حديث حسن غريب. رواه مسلم بنحوه إلّا أنّه قال عوض المستهترون الذاكرون الله كثيرًا.
As for prophetic traditions on remembrance, they are nearly countless, including one related by Abū Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him, as follows: “The Emissary of God, God bless and cherish him, said, ‘Those devoted to religion alone lead the way.’ They asked, ‘Who are these devoted ones, O Emissary of God?’ He said, ‘Those devoted to the remembrance of God. Remembrance removes the burdens of their sin, so on the Day of Resurrection they will come forward unladen.’” This is reported by al-Tirmidhī, who says it is a good hadith, though with only a single chain of transmission. Muslim reports something similar, though he exchanged “those who remember God often” for “those devoted.”
3.16
وعن عبد الله بن بُسْرٍ رضي الله عنه أنّ رجلًا قال: يا رسول الله إنّ شرائع الإسلام قد كثرتْ عليّ فعلِّمْني فخبِّرْني بشيء أتشبّثُ به. قال: لا يزال لسانُك رَطْبًا من ذكر الله تعالى. رواه الترمذيّ وفيه عن أبي سعيد الخُدريّ رضي الله عنه أنّ النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم سئل: أيّ العباد١ أفضل درجة عند الله يوم القيامة؟ قال: الذاكرون الله كثيرًا. قلتُ: يا رسول الله ومِن الغازي في سبيل الله عزّ وجلّ؟ قال: لو ضرب بسيفه في الكفّار والمشركين حتّى ينكسر ويختضب دمًا لكان الذاكرون الله أفضل منه. وعن أبي الدَرْداء رضي الله عنه عن النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم قال: ألا أُنَبِّئُكم بخير أعمالكم وأزكاها عند مليككم وأرفعها في درجاتكم وخير لكم من إنفاق الذَهَب والورق وخير لكم من أنْ تَلْقَوا عدُوَّكم فتضربوا أعناقَهم ويضربوا أعناقكم؟ قالوا: بَلى يا رسول الله. قال: ذكرُ الله تعالى. رواه الترمذيّ والبيهقيّ.
١ في الأصل :العبادة.
ʿAbd Allāh ibn Busr, may God be pleased with him, related as follows: “A man said, ‘O Emissary of God, the different paths of Islam are many. Teach me something to cling to,’ and the Prophet replied, ‘Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of God the Exalted!’” This is reported by al-Tirmidhī, who also relates from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, may God be satisfied with him, as follows: “The Prophet, God bless and cherish him, was asked, ‘Which type of worshipper is preferred by God on the Day of Resurrection?’ He replied, ‘Those who remember God often.’ ‘O Emissary of God,’ I said, ‘more than being a holy warrior fighting in the path of God?’ and he said, ‘Were one to wield his sword among the infidels and polytheists until his sword was broken and he was dyed with blood, those who remember God would still be preferable to him!’” Abū l-Dardāʾ, may God be pleased with him, related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “Shall I tell you what is your best and purest act before your Lord, the deed that raises you highest, one greater than spending gold and silver in charity and better than meeting and fighting your enemies?” “Yes, of course, O Emissary of God!” everyone replied, and he said, “Remembrance of God the Exalted!” Al-Tirmidhī and al-Bayhaqī report this.
3.17
وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما عنه صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: لاتُكثِروا الكلام بغير ذكر الله تعالى وإنّ كثرة الكلام بغير ذكر الله تُوَرِّثُ قَسوَةَ القلب وإنّ أبعد الناس من الله تعالى القلبُ القاسي. رواه الترمذيّ. وعنه صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: مَثَلُ الذي يذكر الله والذي لا يذكر الله كمثل الحيّ والميّت. رواه البخاريّ عن أبي موسى الأشْعَريّ.
Ibn ʿUmar, may God be pleased with both him and his father, related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “Speak little, except in remembering God the Exalted. Indeed, excessive talk without the remembrance of God leads to a hardening of the heart. Surely, those farthest from God are the hard-hearted.” Al-Tirmidhī reports this. The Prophet, God bless and cherish him, is also reported to have said, “Comparing one who remembers God to one who does not remember God is like comparing the living to the dead.” Al-Bukhārī relates this from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī.
3.18
وعن معاذ بن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: قال الله جلّ ذكره: لا يذكرني عبدٌ في نفسه إلّا ذكرتُه في ملأ من ملائكتي ولايذكرني في ملأ إلّا ذكرتُه في الرفيق الأعلى. رواه الطبرانيّ. وعن ابن عبّاس رضي الله عنهما عن النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: قال الله تبارك وتعالى: يا ابن آدم إذا ذكرتَني خاليًا ذكرتُك خاليًا وإذا ذكرتَني في ملأ ذكرتُك في ملأ خير من الذين يذكروني فيهم. رواه البزّار. وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم قال: إنّ الله عزّ وجلّ يقول: أنا عند ظنّ عبدي بي وأنا معه إذا هو ذكرني وتحرّكتْ بي شَفَتاه. رواه ابن ماجة واللفظ له وابن حبّان في صحيحه.
Muʿādh ibn Anas, may God be pleased with him, related that the Emissary of God, God bless and cherish him, said, “God, may His remembrance be glorified, has said, ‘A worshipper never remembers Me in his heart without Me remembering him within an assembly of My angels, and he never remembers Me in an assembly without Me remembering him in the Highest Gathering.’” Al-Ṭabarānī reports this. Ibn ʿAbbās, may God be pleased with both him and his father, related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “God, the Glorious and Exalted, has said, ‘O son of Adam, if you remember Me when alone, I will remember you likewise, and if you remember Me in an assembly, I will remember you in an assembly better than the one where I am remembered.’” Al-Bazzār reports this. Abū Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him, related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “Truly God, the Glorious and Exalted, has said, ‘I am with My servant when he thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me, and when I am on his lips.’” This is reported by Ibn Mājah, as quoted here, and by Ibn Ḥibbān in his Sound Traditions.
3.19
وعن أبي سعيد الخُدريّ رضي الله عنه، عنه صلّى الله عليه وسلّم قال: أَكثِروا ذكر الله حتّى يقولوا مجنونٌ. رواه الإمام أحمد وأبو يَعلى وابن حبّان في صحيحه والحاكم وقال صحيح الإسناد. وفي حديث آخر رواه الطبرانيّ: اذكُروا الله ذكرًا يقول المنافقون أنّكم مراؤون. وعن أَنس رضي الله عنه، عنه صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: إنّ الشيطان واضع خَطمَه على قلب ابن آدم فإنْ ذكر الله خنس وإنْ نسي التقم قلبه. رواه ابن أبي الدنيا و أبو يعلى والبيهقيّ. والخَطْمُ الفم.
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, may God be pleased with him, related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “Constantly mention God such that people will say, ‘You’re possessed!’” This was related by Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Abū Yaʿlā, Ibn Ḥibbān in his Sound Traditions, and al-Ḥākim, who said that the chain of authorities was sound. In another tradition reported by al-Ṭabarānī, the Prophet said, “Remember to mention God so often that the hypocrites will say that you are being ostentatious.” Anas, may God be pleased with him, related from the Prophet, may God bless and cherish him, as follows: “Satan has placed his snout on the heart of every person; if one remembers God, Satan withdraws, but if one forgets God, Satan devours his heart!” Ibn Abī l-Dunyā reports this, as do Abū Yaʿlā, and al-Bayhaqī. (The “snout” is a muzzle.)
3.20
وعن أبي المُخارِق رضي الله عنه، عنه صلّى الله عليه وسلّم قال: مررتُ ليلة أسري بي برجل مغيَّب في نور العرش. قلتُ من هذا؟ ملَك؟ قيل لا. قلتُ نبيّ؟ قيل لا. قلتُ من؟ قيل رجلٌ كان في الدنيا لسانُه رطبٌ من ذكر الله وقلبه معلّق بالمساجد ولم يستسبّ لوالِدَيه قطّ. رواه ابن أبي الدنيا.
Abū l-Mukhāriq, may God be pleased with him, related that the Prophet, may God bless and cherish him, said, “When God took me on the Night Journey, I passed a man hidden in the light of God’s throne. I asked if he was an angel, and was told no. I asked if he was a prophet, and was told no. So I asked who he was, and was told that he was a man whose tongue was always moist with the remembrance of God when he lived in this world below, whose heart was always attached to mosques, and who had never said an unkind word to his parents.” Ibn Abī l-Dunyā reports this.
3.21
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: من لم يكثر ذكر الله فقد برئ من الإيمان. رواه الطبرانيّ في الصغير والأوسط. وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم قال إنّ الله تعالى يقول: يا ابن آدم إذا ذكرتَني شكرتَني وإذا نسيتَني كفرتَني. رواه الطبرانيّ في الأوسط. وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: إذا شَغَلَ عبدًا ذكري عن مسألتي أعطيتُه أفضل ما أُعطي السائلين. رواه الطبرانيّ في كتاب الدُعاء.
Abū Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him, related that the Emissary of God, God bless and cherish him, said, “The one who does not remember God often is devoid of faith.” This is reported by al-Ṭabarānī in his Shorter Work (al-Ṣaghīr) and in his Middle Work (al-Awsaṭ). Abū Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him, also relates that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said that God the Exalted will say, “O son of Adam, when you remember Me, you thank Me, but when you forget Me, you are ungrateful to Me!” Al-Ṭabarānī reports this in his Middle Work. Ibn ʿUmar, may God be pleased with both him and his father, related that the Emissary of God, God bless and cherish him, said, “When remembrance of Me distracts a worshipper from making a request of Me, I give him something better than I give to those who petition Me.” Al-Ṭabarānī reports this in his Book of Prayer (Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ).
3.22
وعن أنس رضي الله عنه، عن النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم أنّه قال: إذا مررتم برياض الجنّة فارْتَعُوا. قالوا وما رياض الجنّة يا رسول الله؟ قال حلق الذكر. رواه الترمذيّ. وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما: قلتُ يا رسول الله ما غنيمة مجالس الذكر؟ قال غنيمة مجالس الذكر الجنّة. رواه الإمام أحمد بإسناد حسن.
Anas, may God be pleased with him, related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “If you pass by the meadows of the Garden, graze there.” “What are the meadows of the Garden, O Apostle of God?” they asked, and he replied, “The chanting circles of recollection.” This is reported by al-Tirmidhī. Ibn ʿUmar, may God be pleased with both him and his father, reports as follows, “I said, ‘O, Apostle of God, what is the prize to be gained from recollection sessions?’ and he replied, ‘The prize to be gained from recollection sessions is the Garden.’” Imām Aḥmad reports this with a good chain of authorities.
3.23
وعن مُعاوِيَة رضي الله عنه قال: خرج النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم على حلقة من أصحابه فقال: ما أجلسكم؟ قالوا: جَلَسْنا نَذكُرُ الله ونَحمَدُه على ما هدانا للإسلام ومَنَّ به علينا. قال: والله ما أجلسكم إلّا ذلك؟ قالوا: والله ما أجلَسَنا إلّا ذلك. قال: أما أنّي أستحلفكم تهمة لكم لكنّه أتاني جبريل عليه السلام فأخبرني أنّ الله عزّ وجلّ يباهي بكم الملائكة. رواه مسلم.
Muʿāwiyah, may God be pleased with him, related as follows:
The Prophet, God bless and cherish him, confronted a circle of his companions and said, “What brought you together?” They replied, “We sat together to remember God and to praise Him for His guidance and blessings upon us with Islam.” The Prophet said, “By God, did nothing bring you together but that?” “By God, nothing brought us together but that!” they answered. “I was about to make you swear an oath,” he replied, “as I was suspicious of you, but Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to me and informed me that God, mighty and glorious, boasts about you among His angels!”
Muslim reports this and the following.
3.24
وفيه أيضًا عن أبي سعيد الخدريّ وأبي هريرة رضي الله عنهما أنّهما شهدا على رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم أنّه قال: لا يقعد قومٌ يذكرون الله تعالى إلّا حفَّتهم الملائكةُ ونزلت عليهم السكينةُ وغشِيَتهم الرحمةُ وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده. وعن أنس رضي الله عنه: ما من قوم أجمعوا يذكرون الله عزّ وجلّ لايريدون بذلك إلّا وجهه إلّا ناداهم منادٍ من السماء: قُوموا مغفورًا لكم قد بدلت سيّئاتُكم حسنات. رواه الإمام أحمد. وعنه أيضًا عن النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: إنَّ لله سَيّارةً من الملائكة يطلبون حلق الذكر فإذا أتوا عليهم حفّوا بهم ثمّ بعثوا رائِدَهم إلى السماء إلى ربّ العزّة تبارك وتعالى فيقولون ربَّنا أتينا على عباد من عبادك يعظّمون آلاءك ويتلون كتابك ويصلّون على نبيّهم محمّد صلّى الله عليه وسلّم ويسألونك لآخرتهم فيقول الله تبارك وتعالى: غَشّوهم رحمتي فهم الجلساء لا يشقى بهم جليسُهم. رواه البزّار.
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī and Abū Hurayrah, may God be pleased with both of them, also related that they heard the Emissary of God, God bless and cherish him, say, “No people sit down to remember God the Exalted without the angels enfolding them; peace of mind descends upon them, mercy enwraps them, and God mentions them to those who are with Him.” Anas, may God be pleased with him, also related, “No folk gather to recollect God for His sake alone, without a herald calling out to them from heaven, saying: ‘Arise, you have been forgiven! Your sins have been exchanged for good deeds!’” Imām Aḥmad reports this. Anas also related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “Indeed, God has wandering hosts of angels who seek out circles of recollection, and enfold them when they come upon them. Then the angels send forth their advance guard to the Lord of Power, blessed and exalted, in heaven above, saying: ‘Our Lord! We came upon a group of Your worshippers glorifying Your favors, reciting from Your book, praying for their prophet Muḥammad, God bless and cherish him, and beseeching You for their reward in the Hereafter.’ Then God, blessed and exalted, says: ‘Wrap them in My mercy, for they are the close companions in whose company no companion is unhappy!’” Al-Bazzār reports this.
3.25
وعن النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم قال: عن يمين العرش — وكلتا يدَيه يمينٌ — رجالٌ ليسوا بأنبياء ولا شهداء يغشى بياضَ وجوههم نظرُ الناظرين. يغبطهم النبيّون والشهداء بمقعدهم وقربهم من الله عزّ وجلّ. قيل يا رسول الله من هم؟ قال هم جُمّاعٌ من نوازع القبائل يجتمعون على ذكر الله فينتقون أطايب الكلام كما ينتقي آكلُ التمر أطايبه. رواه الطبرانيّ. معناه أنّهم لم يجتمعوا لقرابة بينهم ولا نسب ولا معرفة وإنّما اجتمعوا على ذكر الله تعالى لا غير.
It is related that the Prophet, God bless and cherish him, said, “To the right of the Throne—and both of its sides are the right side—are men, neither prophets nor martyrs, whose bright faces are blessed with the vision of those who gaze upon God. The prophets and the martyrs envy them for their place and proximity with God, mighty and glorious.” The Prophet was asked, “O Emissary of God, who are they?” and he replied, “They are the cream of the crop from all the tribes, who gather together to remember God. They select the sweetest speech just as someone eating dates will select the sweetest ones!” Al-Ṭabarānī reports this. It means that they did not gather together due to kinship or lineage or acquaintance; rather, they gathered together to remember God the Exalted, and nothing else.
3.26
واعلمْ رحمك الله أنّ الأحاديث النبويّة في فضل الذكر لا تُحصَر وفيما أوردْناه كفاية لمن وفّقه الله.
Know, may God show you mercy, that the hadiths on the benefit of remembrance are innumerable, but what I have related here suffices those granted success by God.
3.27
أمّا كلام السلف الصالحين من الصحابة والتابعين والأولياء المقرّبين في ذلك فكثير. منه قال معاذ بن جبل رضي الله عنه: ما عملٌ أنجى من عذاب الله من ذكره. قيل ولا الجهاد في سبيل الله؟ قال ولا الجهاد إنّ الله يقول {وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللهِ أَكْبَرُ}. وقال الحسن رضي الله عنه: لو أنّ الله كَلَّفَنا أنْ نذكره في أرض كذا وكذا لِيذكرنا لَحَقَّ علينا أنْ نأتي تلك الأرض فنذكره ليذكرنا. فكيف ونحن في بيوتنا ومجالسنا وطرقنا نذكره فيذكرنا. قال {فَٱذْكُرُونِيۤ أَذْكُرْكُمْ} وقال الفضيل بن عياض رضي الله عنه: ذِكرُ الناس داء وذكر الله شفاء.
There are numerous statements on this topic by the pious forebears among the companions, their followers, and the favored saints. These include the statement by Muʿādh ibn Jabal, may God be pleased with him, who said, “No deed is more efficacious in saving one from God’s punishment than the remembrance of God.” When he was asked, “Not even jihad in the way of God?” he replied, “Not even jihad. For God has said, «Indeed, remembrance of God is greater!»”121 Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, “Were God to impose upon us the remembrance of Him in such and such a land, so that He might remember us, then it would be incumbent on us to go to that land and remember Him, as a way for Him to remember us. So just imagine, we are at home or attending a gathering or on the road, and we remember Him, then He remembers us. It is just as He has said: «Remember Me, and I will remember you!»”122 Al-Fuḍayl ibn ʿIyāḍ, may God be pleased with him, said, “Remembering people is a disease; remembering God is a cure.”
3.28
ورأى إبراهيم بن أَدهم رضي الله عنه رجلًا يحدّث من كلام الدنيا فوقف عليه فقال: كلامٌ ترجو فيه الثواب؟ قال لا. قال فتأمن عليه العقاب؟ قال لا. قال: فما تصنع بكلام لا ترجو عليه ثوابًا ولا تأمن عقابًا. عليك بذكر الله. وقال بعضهم: بلغني أنّ كلّ نفس تخرج من الدنيا عطشى إلّا ذاكر الله. وقال آخر: ما من يوم أنا فيه أشدّ فرحًا من يوم أخرج فيه لحاجة فيعرض لي ذكر الله. وقال مالك بن دينار: ما تلذّذ المتلذّذون بمثل ذكر الله. وقال فضيل: الذاكر ناعم غانم سالم ناعم بالذكر غانم بالأجر سالم من الوِزر.
Ibrāhīm ibn Adham, may God be pleased with him, once saw a man speaking about worldly things, so he went up to him and said, “Are you hoping your words will bring you heavenly reward?” “No,” he replied, and Ibrāhīm said, “Will they protect you from divine punishment?” “No,” he replied, and Ibrāhīm said, “Then don’t use affected language with no hope of reward or means of protection against punishment. Instead, you should remember God.” Another said as follows: “I have heard that every person will leave this world parched with thirst, except those who remember God.” Another said, “There is no happier day in my life than when I go out for some reason, and the remembrance of God occurs to me!” Mālik ibn Dīnār said, “Nothing delights those who savor spiritual delights like the remembrance of God.” Fuḍayl once said, “One who remembers God is happy, rich, and safe; he is happy with remembrance, rich in heavenly reward, and safe from sin.”
3.29
وقال وُهَيب بن الوَرد: ما اجتمع قوم في مجلس إلّا كان أولاهم بالله الذي يفتتح بذكر الله وأبعدهم من الله الذي يفتتح بذكر الناس. وقال ثابت البُنانيّ: إنّي لأعلَمُ حين يذكرني ربّي ففزعوا منه وقالوا تعلم ذلك؟ قال نعم قالوا وكيف؟ قال إذا ذكرتُه ذكرني. وقال معاذ بن جبل: ليس يتحسّر أهل الجنّة على شيء إلّا على ساعة مرّت لهم لم يذكروا الله تعالى فيها. وقال أنس رضي الله عنه: ما من صباح ولا رواح إلّا تنادي بقاعُ الأرض بعضها بعضًا: يا جاراه هل مرّ بك اليوم ذاكرٌ لله استبشارًا به؟ وقال الحسن: حادِثوا هذه القلوب بذكر الله فإنّها سريعة الذنوب. انتهى.
Wuhayb ibn al-Ward said, “Whenever people gather together as a group, the one closest to God is the one who begins by remembering God, while the one farthest from God begins by remembering other people.” Thābit al-Bunānī said, “I certainly know when my Lord remembers me.” Some people were taken aback by this and said, “You know that?” “Yes,” he replied, and they asked, “How?” So he said, “When I remember Him, He remembers me!” Muʿādh ibn Jabal said, “The people of Paradise are never distressed about anything except for the time they are not spending in the remembrance of God the Exalted.” Anas ibn Mālik, may God be pleased with him, said, “Every morning and evening the valleys of the earth shout to one another, ‘O neighbor, has anyone passed you today remembering God and rejoicing in Him?’” Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said, “Burnish these hearts with the remembrance of God, for they are quick to sin!”
3.30
واعلمْ رحمك الله أنّ لأهل التحقيق في حقيقة الذكر كلام لدنّيّ كثير. منه قال الكَلاباذيّ رحمه الله: حقيقة الذكر أن تنسى ما سوى المذكور في الذكر لقوله تعالى {وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ} يعني إذا نسيتَ ما دون الله فقد ذكرتَ الله. انتهى. فَانْظُرْ رحمك الله إلى جلال هذا الكلام و تحقّق به فإنّه حقيقة التحقّق في حقيقة الذكر.
Know, may God show you mercy, that the enlightened ones have many mystical sayings about true remembrance. Al-Kalābādhī, may God show him mercy, said, “True remembrance is that you forget everything save the One remembered in the remembrance, in accordance with the statement of God the Exalted, «Remember your Lord when you forget.»123 This means that when you forget everything but God, you have then remembered God.”124 May God show you mercy as you reflect on the awesomeness of this statement and how true it is, for it is indeed the true certainty regarding the true remembrance.
3.31
وأجلّ منه قول ذي النون المصريّ رضي الله عنه: مَن ذكر الله ذكرًا على الحقيقة نسي في جنب ذكره كلّ شيء وحفظ الله عليه كلّ شيء وكان له عِوَضًا من كلّ شيء. وسُئِلَ عن الذكر فقال: غيبة الذاكر عن الذكر ثمّ أنشأ يقول [الخفيف]:
|
لاَ لِأَنِّي أَنْساكَ أُكْثِرُ ذِكْراكَ |
وَلٰكِن بِٱلذِكْرِ يَجْرِي لِسانِي |
Even more awesome is the following statement by Dhū l-Nūn al-Miṣrī, may God be pleased with him: “One who truly remembers God, forgets everything in the midst of his remembrance. God protects him from everything and is his compensation for everything.” When he was asked about remembrance, he replied, “It is the absence of the one who remembers in the remembrance.” Then, he recited,
I remember You again and again, not because I forgot You,
but because recollection flows from my tongue!125
3.32
وقال بعض العارفين: الذكر طرد الغفلة فإذا ارتفعَتْ الغفلةُ فأنت ذاكر وإنْ سكتَّ. وأعلى من هذا القول قول بعض المحقّقين: الذاكر بسرِّه ربّما يشوّش عليه الذكر باللسان لاستغراقه في المشاهدة والحضور وغيبته عن سوى المذكور. وأنشدوا للجنيد [الطويل]
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ذَكَرْتُكَ لا أَنّي نَسِيتُكَ لَمْحَةً |
وَأَيْسَرُ ما في ٱلذِّكْرِ ذِكْرُ لِساني |
One of the gnostics said, “Remembrance drives away heedlessness. So if heedlessness disappears, you are remembering, even if you are silent.” Even loftier than this statement is the following by one of the realized masters: “When a person remembers within his inner heart, the tongue’s recollection may disturb him, for he is immersed in contemplation and in the presence, absent from all but the One remembered.” The following is ascribed to al-Junayd:
I remembered You without forgetting you for a moment,
and the easiest recollection is with the tongue.126
3.33
وقال القشيريّ: الذكر استغراق الذاكر في شهود المذكور ثمّ استهلاكه في شهود المذكور حتّى لم يبقَ فيك أثرٌ يذكر. فيقال: مرّةً قد كان فلان. وقال سُمْنُون: حقيقة الذكر أنْ ينسى كلّ شيء سوى مذكوره لاستغراقه فيه فيكون أوقاته كلّها ذكرًا. و أنشد [الخفيف]
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لاَ لِأَنِّي أَنْساكَ أُكْثِرُ ذِكْرَاكَ |
وَلٰكِن بِٱلذِكْرِ يَجْرِي لِسانِي |
Al-Qushayrī said, “Remembrance is the immersion of the one remembering in contemplation of the One remembered, followed by his annihilation in the contemplation of the One remembered such that no trace is left in you to remember. Then people will say, ‘Once, so-and-so used to exist!’”127 Sumnūn said, “True remembrance is to forget everything except the One being remembered due to one’s immersion in Him, so one is remembering Him all the time.” Then he recited,
I remember You again and again, not because I forgot You,
but because recollection flows from my tongue!
3.34
وقال بعضهم: كيف يذكر الحقّ بعقول مصنوعة وأوهام مطبوعة؟ وكيف يذكر بالزمان من كان قبل الزمان على ما هو به إذ الحقّ سَبَقَ كلّ مذكور سواه؟ انتهى. وقال آخر: أتمّ الذكر أنْ تشهد ذكر المذكور لك بدوام ذكرك له. وقال الواسطيّ: حقيقة الذكر الإعراض عن الذكر ونسيانه والقيام بالمذكور.
One of the Sufis said, “How can one remember the True Reality with mere created intellects and natural imaginations? How can one remember in time the One who was before time by His very nature, since the True Reality preceded everything remembered except Himself?” Another said, “The perfect remembrance is that you constantly contemplate in your remembrance of Him, the remembrance of you by the One remembered.” Al-Wāsiṭī said, “True remembrance is the abandonment of remembrance and forgetting it while standing with the One remembered.”
3.35
وقال بعضهم:
للذكر بداية وهي توجّه صادق وله توسّط وهو نور طارق وله نهاية وهو حال خارق وله أصل وهو الصفاء وله فرع وهو الوفاء وشرط وهو الحضور وبساط وهو العمل الصالح وخاصّيّة وهي الفتح المبين.
One of the Sufis said,
Remembrance has a beginning, which is true attention. It has a middle, which is a guiding light. It has an end, which is a transcendent state. It has a root, which is purity; a branch, which is fidelity; a condition, which is presence; a field, which is righteous deeds; and a special feature, which is clear victory.
3.36
وقال أبو سعيد الخرّاز:
إذا أراد الله تعالى أنْ يوالي عبدًا فتح له باب الذكر. وإذا استلذّ الذكر فتح له باب القرب ثمّ رفعه إلى مجالس الأنس وأجلسه على كرسيّ التوحيد. ثمّ رفع عنه الحجب وأدخله دار الفردانيّة وكشف له عن الجلال والعظمة فإذا نظر الجلال والعظمة بَقِيَ بلا هو فيصير فانيًا عن نفسه باقيًا بربّه.
Abū Saʿīd al-Kharrāz said,
When God the Exalted wants to befriend a worshipper, He opens the door of remembrance for him, and if the worshipper finds remembrance pleasant, God then opens the door of nearness for him. Then He raises him up to the intimate gatherings and seats him on the throne of oneness. There, God raises the veils from him and brings him into the incomparable abode, and reveals to him His glory and splendor. When the worshipper beholds the glory and splendor, he abides without individual being, for he will be annihilated from himself, abiding with his Lord.128
3.37
وقال غيره: الذكر ترياق المذنبين وأنس المنقطعين وكنز المتوكّلين وغذاء المُوقنين وحلية القاصدين وميدان العارفين. سئل الواسطيّ عن الذكر فقال: الخروج من ميدان الغفلة إلى فضاء المشاهدة على غلبة الشوق وشدّة الحبّ. وقال أبو بكر الكَتّانيّ: لولا أنّ ذكره عليّ فرضٌ لَما ذكرتُه إجلالًا له فمن مثلي حتّى يذكره ولم يغسل فاه ألف توبة متقبّلة عزّ ذكره وجلّ اسمه.
Another Sufi said, “Remembrance is the sinners’ antidote and the exile’s intimacy. It is a treasure for those who depend on God alone, nourishment for those with certainty, adornment for the seekers, and the public square of the gnostics.” When al-Wāsiṭī was asked about remembrance, he replied, “It is leaving the public square of heedlessness, and entering the vast space of contemplation due to desire’s dominance and love’s intensity!”129 Abū Bakr al-Kattānī said, “Were it not that recollection of Him was required of me as a religious duty, I could not mention Him out of awe for Him. How can one like me recollect Him without washing out his mouth a thousand times as a required penance, so great is His recollection and so awesome His name!”130
3.38
وسئل أبو يزيد البسطاميّ: ما معنى الذكر؟ فقال: أنْ لا يتغيّر الذاكر عن المشاهدة ولايغفل في طاعته عن مراقبة الحضرة. وقال بعضهم: من لم يذق حلاوة الوحشة من الناس لم يجد طعم أنس الذكر. وقال أبو عثمان: اذكُروا الله ذكرًا تطابق ألسنتُكم قلوبكم فقيل له: نحن نذكر الله ولا نجد في قلوبنا حلاوة الذكر. قال: احمدوا الله تعالى على أنّه زيّن جارحة من جوارحكم بطاعة وسَلُوه توفيق القلوب. وقال أبو الحسين الدينوريّ: أدنى الذكر أنْ تنسى ما دونه ونهاية الذكر أنْ يغيب الذاكر في الذكر عن الذكر ويستغرق بمذكوره عن الرجوع إلى مقام الذكر وهذا حال فناء الفناء.
Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī was asked, “What is the meaning of remembrance?” and he replied, “That the one remembering does not waver in contemplation and does not neglect his duty to remain focused on the Presence.” One of the Sufis said, “One who does not taste the sweetness of being away from people, will never savor the intimacy of remembrance.” Abū ʿUthmān al-Ḥīrī said, “Remember God with a recollection in which your tongues and hearts unite.” He was told, “We remember God, but we do not find sweetness in our hearts,” and he replied, “Then praise God the Exalted for adorning your tongue with obedience, and seek from Him the same good fortune for your hearts.”131 Abū l-Ḥusayn al-Dīnawarī said, “The most suitable remembrance is to forget all but Him. The end of remembrance is when the one remembering disappears in the remembrance from the remembrance and is immersed in the One remembered without returning to the stage of remembrance. This state is the annihilation of annihilation.”
3.39
وأنشد بعضهم [الطويل]:
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أَلا إنَّ ذِكْرَ ٱلرَّبِّ قَدْ أَخَذَ ٱلقَلْبَا |
وَإنِّي مِن شَوقي جُذِبْتُ لَهُ جذْبَا |
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عَسَى نَظْرَةٌ فيها صَلاحٌ لِحالَتي |
فَإنِّي مِن ذُلّي لَصِقْتُ بِهِ ٱلتُّرْبَا |
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إذا سَمِعَتْ أُذْنِي حَدِيثًا بِذِكْرِكُمْ |
يُدَاخِلُني شَوقًا يُمَزِّقُ لي قَلْبَا |
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يَمُوتُ بِذِكْراكُمْ ويَحْيَى بِلُطْفِكُمْ |
وَيَزْدادُ مِن شَوقٍ عَلَى حُبِّهِ حُبَّا |
One of the Sufis recited the following:
Remembrance of the Lord seized my heart,
and from my desire, I was drawn to Him.
Perhaps a glance to the heart will cure my state,
for, wretched and in shame, I cling to Him.
When my ear hears mention of You,
I am gripped with a passion, rending my heart.
It dies at Your mention, but lives by Your grace,
while it grows in love from desire.
3.40
واعلمْ أنّ أفضل الذكر كلمة التوحيد وهي قول {لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللهُ} لِما رواه الترمذيّ وابن ماجة عن جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما قال: سمعتُ رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم يقول: أفضل الذكر لا إلٰه إلّا الله. فإذا تقرّر عندك ذلك فاعلم أنّ الأحاديث في شرفها وفضلها لا تحصر. ولولا الخوف عن الخروج عن مقصود الكتاب أوردْنا طرفًا منها وبالله التوفيق.
Know that the best recollection is the profession of oneness, which is to say, «There is no deity but God!»132 Al-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah report this on the authority of Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may God be pleased with both him and his father, who said, “The Emissary of God, God bless and cherish him, said, ‘The best recollection is: There is no deity but God!’” If you wish to be certain of this, know that the hadiths on the nobility and excellence of this profession of faith are innumerable. Were it not for fear of deviating from the purpose of this book, I would cite some of them. Success comes from God alone!
3.41
قال القشيريّ رضي الله عنه:
مَن تحقّق بهذه الكلمة — يعني قول لا إلٰه إلّا الله — لا يرفع إلى غيره حاجةً ولا يشهد من غيره ذرةً فيصدق إليه انقطاعه ويدوم بوجوده انفراده فلا يسمع إلّا من الله بالله ولا يشهد إلّا بالله ولا يُقْبِل إلّا على الله ولا يشتغل إلّا بالله فهو محوٌ عمّا سوى الله فما له شكوى ولا دعوى ولا يتحرّك لغيره منه عِرْقٌ. فإذا استوفى الحقّ عبدًا لم يبق فيه للحظوظ مساغ البَتَّةَ. ثمّ إنّ هذه الكلمة يقتضي التحقّق بها الفناء عن المرسومات بجملتها.
Al-Qushayrī, may God be pleased with him, writes:
The person who is truly certain regarding this statement—that is: «There is no deity but God»133—needs nothing from anyone but Him, and sees nothing but Him. He holds true to Him with exclusive devotion, perpetually alone in His existence. Thus, he hears only God through God, and he bears witness only to God; he does not draw near anything but God, and he is not occupied with anything but God. He is effaced from everything but God, and so has no complaint or claim, and places no stock in anything else. For when the True Reality takes full control of a servant, then absolutely no portion of him can remain. In fact, the true realization of «There is no deity but God» requires the complete annihilation of all traces of him!134
3.42
وقال أيضًا في قوله تعالى {الۤمّۤ ٱللهُ لاۤ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ}:
هو الذي لا يشتغل عنك ولا يسهو فتفنى عنه فهو على عموم أحوالك رقيب سرّك. إن خلوْتَ فهو رقيبك وإن توسّطْتَ الخَلْقَ فهو رقيبك وبالجملة فكيفما دارَتْ بك الأحوالُ فهو حبيبك.
Al-Qushayrī also writes regarding the exalted saying «Alif lam mīm. God, there is no deity but Him!»135 as follows:
God is never distracted from you, never forgetful, so you are never apart from Him. He keeps watch over your inner heart in all of your states; if you are in seclusion, He is watching you, and if you are among people, He is watching you. Whatever your state, He is your love!136
3.43
وقال في قوله تعالى {شَهِدَ ٱللهُ}:
أي علم الله وأخبر الله و حكم الله بأنّه {لاۤ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ}. فهو شهادة الحقّ للحقّ بأنّه الحقّ١ وأوّل من شهد بأنّه الله الله. فشهد في آزاله بقوله وكلامه وخطابه الأزليّ وأخبر عن وجوده الأحديّ وكونه الصمديّ وعينه القيّوميّ وذاته الديموميّ وجلاله السرمديّ وجماله الأبديّ. شهد سبحانه بكمال قدره وجلال عزّه حين لا جَحْد ولا جهل ولا عرفان لمخلوق ولا عقل ولا وفاق ولا كفر ولا حَدَثان ولا غير ولا إلحاد٢ ولا شرك ولا فهم ولا إفْك ولا سماء ولا فضاء ولا ظلام ولا ضياء ولا أصول المزدوجات ولا فصول باختلاف الأوقات.
١ كذا في لطائف الإشارات للقشيريّ وفي الأصل: بالحق.
٢ كذا في لطائف الإشارات للقشيريّ وفي الأصل: اتحاد.
Regarding the exalted saying «God bears witness,»137 al-Qushayrī writes as follows:
That is, God knows, God informs, and God decrees that «there is no deity but Him.»138 This is the testimony of the True Reality to the True Reality that He is the True Reality and, so, the first to bear witness to God was God. For He bore witness in His eternity with His words, statement, and eternal address, and He made known His unique existence, His eternal being, His true self, His everlasting essence, His endless awe, and His eternal beauty. He, may He be glorified, bore witness to the perfection of His power and the awesomeness of His might when there was no unbelief or ignorance, when no creature had intellect or gnosis, when there was no covenant or infidelity, no temporality or difference, no atheism or polytheism, no understanding or falsehood, no sky or space, no light or darkness, no opposite principles, and no divisions of time.139
3.44
وقال في قوله تعالى {فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لاۤ إِلٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللهُ}:
[كان يأمره]١ بالانقطاع إليه من الخَلق ثمّ بالانقطاع منه إليه. فإذا قال العبد هذه الكلمة على العادة والغفلة عن الحقيقة وهو بصفة النسيان فليس لهذا القول كبير قيمة. وهكذا إذا تعجّب من شيء فذكر هذه اللفظة ليس له قدر. وإذا قالها مخلصًا فيها ذاكرًا معناها متحقّقًا بحقيقتها فهو مخلص. وإن قالها بنفسه فهو في وطن التفرقة وعندهم هذا من الشرك الخفيّ. وإن قالها بحقّ فهو إخلاص. والعبد يعلم أوّلا ربَّه بدليل وحجّة فعلمُه بنفسه كسبيّ٢ وهو أصل الأصول وعليه يُبْنَى كلّ علم استدلاليّ ثمّ تزداد قوّة علمه بزيادة البيان وزيادة الحجج ويتناقص علمُه بنفسه لغلبات ذكر الله عليه. وإذا انتهى إلى حال المشاهدة واستيلاء سلطان الحقيقة عليه صار علمه في تلك الحالة ضروريًّا. ويقلّ إحساسه بنفسه كالاستدلال وكأنّه غافل عن نفسه ناسٍ لنفسه. يقال الذي رأى البحر غلب عليه ما يأخذه في الرؤية للبحر عن ذكر نفسه فإذا غرق في البحر فلا إحساسَ له بشيء سوى ما هو مستغرق فيه مستهلك.
١ كذا في لطائف الإشارات للقشيريّ وفي الأصل: الانقطاع.
٢ كذا في لطائف الإشارات للقشيريّ وفيّ الأصل: ضروريّ.
Regarding the exalted saying «Know, there is no deity but God,»140 al-Qushayrī writes as follows:
God ordered exclusive devotion to Him by blocking out all thought of creation, followed by blocking out all thought of oneself in exclusive devotion to Him. Therefore, if the worshipper utters this phrase out of habit, heedless of its truth, then he is oblivious, and the saying will be of little worth. Similarly, if the worshipper is amazed by something and utters this phrase, it will have no value. But if the worshipper says it with sincerity, remembering its meaning and realizing its truth, then he is sincere. However, if the worshipper says it while thinking of himself, then he is in exile, for the Sufis regard this as hidden polytheism. Yet, if the worshipper says it correctly, then that is true sincerity. The worshipper first learns of his Lord through evidence and proof, and so his self-awareness is acquired; this is a fundamental principle upon which all deductive knowledge is based. Then, his capacity for knowledge increases through further demonstrations and proofs. However, his self-awareness will decline when the remembrance of God overwhelms Him. If this ultimately leads to the mystical state of contemplation, and the power of truth seizes him, then his knowledge in that state will be immediate. His perception of himself will lessen as will discursive reason, and he will become unaware, forgetful of himself. Some say that staring at the ocean may overwhelm a person from thinking of himself, and if he then falls into the ocean, he will have no sensation other than of drowning in it.141
3.45
قال ابن منصور: لا إلٰه إلّا الله يقتضي شيئين: إزالة العلّة عن الربوبيّة وتنزيه الحقّ عن الدرك. وقال بعضهم: يحتاج قائل لا إلٰه إلّا الله إلى أربع خصال: تصديق وتعظيم وحلاوة و حرمة. ومن لم يكن له تصديق فهو منافق ومن لم يكن له تعظيم فهو مبتدع ومن لم يكن له حلاوة فهو مراء ومن لم يكن له حرمة فهو فاسق. وقال بعضهم: يحتاج قائلها أنْ يترك الشكوى في وقت المحنة ويترك المعصية في وقت النعمة ويترك الغفلة عند الفكرة. وقيل للشبليّ: قُلْ: لا إلٰه إلّا الله. قال: أقول الله ولا أبغي به ضدًّا. وقال بعضهم: من قالها وفي قلبه رغبة أو رهبة أو طمع أو سؤال فهو مشرك.
Ibn Manṣūr said, “Saying ‘There is no deity but God’ necessitates two things: dissociating God’s lordship from any cause, and declaring the True Reality to be beyond comprehension.” One of the Sufis said, “Saying ‘There is no deity but God,’ necessitates four qualities in one who says it: faith, glorification of God, pleasantness, and reverence. He who lacks faith is a hypocrite, and he who fails to praise is a fake. He who is not pleasant is a show-off, and he who lacks reverence is a profligate.” Another said, “The one who says it must quit complaining in times of trouble, stop being disobedient in good times, and not be heedless in thought.” Al-Shiblī was told, “Say, ‘There is no god but God,’” and he replied, “I will say ‘God,’ but I won’t offend Him with a denial of Him!” Another said, “One who says it with desire, fear, craving, or a demand in his heart is a polytheist.”
3.46
ولابأس بحكاية جليلة في المعنى نختم بها هذا الأصل. سئل الشبليّ فقال: لِمَ تقول الله ولا تقول لا إلٰه إلّا الله؟ فقال: لأنّ الصدّيق أعطى ماله كلّه فلم يبق منه شيئًا فتخلّل بكِساء بين يدي رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم فقال له النبيّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: ما خلّفتَ لِعيالك؟ قال: الله تعالى فكذا أنا أقول الله. فقال السائل: أريد أعلى من ذلك فقال الشبليّ: أَستحيي من ذكر كلمة النفي في حضرته. فقال السائل: أريد أعلى من هذا فقال الشبليّ: أخشى أنْ أموت عند الإنكار فلا أصل إلى الإقرار. فقال السائل: أريد أعلى منه. قال: قال الله تعالى لرسوله {قُلِ ٱللهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ}. فقام الشابّ فزعق زعقة فقال الشبليّ: الله! فزعق ثانيًا فقال الشبليّ: الله! فزعق ثالثًا ومات. فاجتمع أقارب الفتى وتعلّقوا بالشبليّ وادّعوا عليه الدم وجاءوا إلى الخليفة وادّعوا. فقال الخليفة إلى الشبليّ: ما جوابك؟ فقال: روحٌ حنّتْ فرنّتْ فشمّتْ فصاحتْ فدُعِيَت فسمعتْ فعلمتْ فأجابتْ فما ذنبي؟ فصاح الخليفة وقال: خلّوا سبيله. انتهى.
I will conclude discussion of this principle with a sublime account of its meaning:
Al-Shiblī was asked, “Why do you say ‘God’ but not ‘There is no deity’?” and he replied, “Because Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq gave away all his wealth, leaving nothing behind. In a simple garment, he came before the Emissary of God, God bless and cherish him, who said to him, ‘What have you left for your family?’ He replied, ‘God the Exalted! That is why I say “God”!’” The questioner then said to al-Shiblī, “Tell me something better,” and al-Shiblī said, “I am ashamed to say a negative word in His presence!” The questioner said, “Tell me something better,” so al-Shiblī said, “I am afraid that I will die while saying the denial ‘There is no deity’ without arriving at the affirmation ‘but God’!” The questioner insisted, “Tell me something better,” to which al-Shiblī replied, “God the Exalted said to His Emissary, «Say ‘God,’ then leave them to go round and round in their speculation!»”142 At that point, the young man stood up and let out a scream, and al-Shiblī exclaimed, “God!” The youth screamed again, and al-Shiblī exclaimed, “God!” Then he screamed a third time and died. The youth’s relatives grabbed al-Shiblī and accused him of murder, and they went to the caliph and pressed their charge. The caliph said to al-Shiblī, “What is your plea?” and al-Shiblī answered, “He was a spirit who loved and longed, who sensed and shouted, who was called and heard, who knew and responded. What is my sin in this?” So the caliph proclaimed, “Release him!”
3.47
اعلمْ رحمك الله أنّ الذكر من علامات المحبّة. قال الحبيب الأعظم صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: من أحبّ شيئًا أكثر من ذكره وحَسبُ الذاكر منحةً وشرفًا أنّه مذكور الحقّ بوعده الذي لا يُخْلِفُه {فَٱذْكُرُونِيۤ أَذْكُرْكُمْ}.
Know, may God show you mercy, that remembrance is one of the signs of love. The greatest beloved, the prophet Muḥammad, may God bless and cherish him, said, “The one who loves something, remembers it often.” So what a privilege and honor for the one who remembers, that he is remembered by the True Reality, who has made a promise that He will never break: «Remember Me, and I will remember you!»143
3.48
فالذكر إذًا وصلة الوصول إلى المأمول فإذا أراد الله تعالى موالاة عبد من عبيده وفّقه لاستدامة ذكره حتّى يستغرق فيه فإذا استغرق انتشرت أَلويَةُ الولاية وأتى تشريف العناية وقُدِّمَت نجائب القبول وانتصب معراج الوصول وفُتِحَ باب القرب وأُدخِلَ إلى حضرة العيان وأُجلِسَ على بساط الأنس وكُسِيَ خلع الرضاء وتُوِّجَ بتاج الاصطفاء وأُتحِفَ بمنائح الاختصاص وخُوطِبَ بملاطفات الحضرة١ وأُدِيرَ عليه شراب الوفاء بكؤوس الصفاء فشرب وتَروّى وشاهد وتملّى لَمّا تجلّى الساقي عليه بلطف الجمال وجمال الكمال فأنشد بعضهم٢ [البسيط]:
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فَكَانَ مَا كَانَ مِمَّا لَسْتُ أَذْكُرُهُ |
فَظُنَّ خَيْرًا وَلا تَسْأَلْ عَنِ ٱلخَبَرِ |
فمحا ظِلَّ الغَير استواءُ شمس الحقّ فتلا لسان العزّ بإشارة العظمة إلى حقيقة التوحيد {قُلْ هُوَ ٱللهُ أَحَدٌ}. {هُنَالِكَ ٱلْوَلاَيَةُ ِللهِ ٱلْحَقِّ هُوَ خَيْرٌ ثَوَاباً وَخَيْرٌ عُقْباً}.
١ فى الأصل: الحضوة.
٢ فى الأصل: الصون هون.
Remembrance, then, is the means to attain what is hoped for. When God the Exalted wants to befriend one of His worshippers, He helps him to remember Him constantly until he is submerged in Him. When he is submerged in Him, the banners of sainthood are unfurled, the honor of grace arrives, and the most excellent of receptions is made ready. The ascension to union will occur, the door of nearness will be opened, and he will be ushered into the presence of vision, and seated on the carpet of intimacy. He will be attired in the robe of approval, crowned with the crown of election, presented with the gifts of distinction, and addressed with the kind words of the divine presence. The drink of fealty will come round in the cup of sincerity, and he will drink and be quenched. He will behold and be delighted when the Cupbearer appears to him with the grace of beauty and the beauty of perfection. As someone has said,
What happened, happened, but I will never tell,
so assume the best, and do not ask!144
Thus, the ascending sun of the True Reality erases the shadow of difference, as the voice of glory chants the majestic declaration of true divine oneness: «Say, “He is God, one!”»145 «Thus, protection belongs to God, the True Reality, and He is the best reward, and the best of ends!»146
3.49
وفي منظوم قد فتح الله بما ترى [الطويل]:
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ذَكَرْتُكَ ذِكْرًا كَانَ مِنْكَ ٱبتِدَاؤهُ |
فَغِبْتُ بِالاسْتِغْرَاقِ فيكَ عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ |
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وَعَنِّي فَلَمْ يَبْقَى١ سِوَاكَ مُخَبِّرٌ |
يُخَبِّرُ عَنِّي في السَّريرَةِ وَٱلجَهْرِ |
١ يجب الفتحة الطويلة حتى يستقيم الوزن.
God inspired me with the following verses:
I recalled You with a recollection that began from You,
so I disappeared from memory, immersed in You.
For nothing remained to speak for me save You,
to speak for me from within and without!
3.50
هذا حقيقة الذكر الموصل إلى المرام بعد أنْ تتحقّق بالفقر وتتلذّذ بالذلّ وتعانق الخضوع وتلازم السكينة وتذري الدموع وتُخلِص التوبة وتصدق في الإخلاص وتُنيب بالكلّ وتزهد فى السوى وتتبرّأ من الدعوى وتتوجّه بالكلّيّة إلى المذكور سبحانه توجّهًا له وبه مستمدًّا منه حقيقة الذكر. فيكون حينئذ ذكرك به وله حتّى تغيب بالمذكور عن الذكر ثمّ عن المذكور غيبة محو وفناء توصلك إلى حضرة البقاء بمذكورك بقاءً لا يكدره زوال في عَدْن عنده ونعيم قربه متنعّمًا بما شئتَ من شهود ووصال وملاطفة وخطاب {لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌ}.
That is true remembrance, leading to the goal after you have experienced poverty, tasted humility, embraced submission, and achieved constant tranquility; you must scatter tears, be sincere in repentance and true in sincerity. In everything, you must turn to God and abstain from all else, ridding yourself of any claims, continuously turning toward the One recalled, may He be glorified, turning to Him, facing Him, and seeking His help for the true remembrance of Him. Then your remembrance will be by Him and to Him, such that you will disappear from the remembrance into the One recalled, then from the One recalled, into the disappearance of obliteration and annihilation. This will lead you to abide in the presence of the One you remembered, in an everlasting life in Eden with Him and with the comfort of His nearness, in a life of felicity with whatever you desire of vision, union, and benevolence, and with the invitation «They will have whatever they desire there, and We have still more!».147
3.51
وفي معناها قد فتح الله من النظم بما ترى [البسيط]:
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القَلْبُ رَوْضٌ وَماءُ ٱلذِّكْرِ يُحييهِ |
ويَنْتَشِي فيهِ لَمَّا أَنْ يُرَوِّيهِ |
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أَشْجَارُ فَتْحٍ بِفَيْضِ المَدِّ مُزْهِرَةٌ |
زَهْرًا يُفِيدُ ثِمَارًا مِنْ تَجَلِّيهِ |
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فَٱذْكُرْهُ ذِكْرًا بِلا حَظٍّ وَلا لِهَوًى |
وَٱخْلُصْ وَلازِمْ خُضُوعًا في مَبَادِيهِ |
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وَٱلْزَمْهُ حَتَّى تَغِبْ في الله عَنْكَ بِهِ |
غَيْبًا يُفِيدُكَ مَحْوًا في تَناهِيهِ |
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في ذَلِكَ ٱلمَحْوِ يَأتِيكَ ٱلبَقَاءُ بِمَنْ |
بِهِ فَنِيْتَ فَعِشْ مِنْهُ بِهِ فِيهِ |
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عَيشًا رَغِيدًا بِجَنَّاتِ ٱلوَفَا أَبَدًا |
تُسقَى بِكَأْسٍ حَبِيبُ ٱلقَلْبِ سَاقِيهِ |
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هَذَا هُوَ ٱلعَيشُ يَا سَعْدُ ٱلّذِي ظَفِرَتْ |
بِهِ يَدَاهُ وَمَهْمَا يَشْتَهِي فيهِ |
God inspired me with the following poem on remembrance:
The heart is a meadow revived by the water of remembrance,
and the heart is drunk there when He quenches it.
The trees of inspiration blossom from the emanation of grace,
with a bloom yielding fruit when He reveals Himself.
So remember Him without wants or desires;
be sincere and humbly hold to recollection’s rules,
And persist in remembrance till you disappear from you in God,
leading you, in the end, to obliteration in Him.
In that loss, immortality will come to you with Him
in whom you passed away, so live with Him, by Him, in Him
In a pleasant life, forever, in the gardens of fulfillment,
quenched by a cup whose Bearer is the heart’s love.
This is the life, Saʿd, which only the heart holds
with all that it desires!148
3.52
وفي آداب الذكر قد فتح الله بيتين وهما [البسيط]:
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لِلذِّكْرِ جُمْلَةُ آدابٍ تَضَمَّنَهَا |
ما قُلْتُهُ فَاسْتَمِعْ وَٱحْفَظْ تَخِرْ شَرَفا |
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إِنابَةٌ ذِلَّةٌ وَجْدٌ وَلا وَحَيا |
صِدْقٌ حُضُورٌ صَفاءٌ مُدْمِعٌ وَوَفا |
Regarding the proper conduct for remembrance, God inspired the following couplet:149
All of recollection’s rules, I will tell you,
so listen, remember, and choose success:
repentance, humility, ecstasy, friendship, and fear,
truth, presence, purity, fidelity, and flowing tears.
3.53
وبها نجز الأصل الثالث وبالله التوفيق.
With this, the third principle is completed. Success comes from God alone!