worship of God. Essentially, dhikr is a form of
remembrance of God. “Remembrance of
God is divided into two branches: recollection
with the tongue (dhikr jali) and recollection in
the heart (dhikr kafi)” (Geels 1996:229).
Recollection with the tongue entails that the
worshipper uses repetitive chants in God’s
name out loud. These can include phrases
such as “All Praise be to God” and “Allah is
the Most Merciful.” Recollection of the heart
is the most superior of the branches (Geels
1996:230). This form of remembrance is
usually done in solitude and is known to have
the highest quality of worship because it is
done in the heart alone. “In a more general
way, it [Remembrance of God] means for the
dervish to be more attentive to God,
independent of what he is doing … To forget
God puts man on a lower level than animals,
for even the animals remember their creator.”
(Geels 1996:232). Since the individual is a
creation of God, he or she can only attain
peace and understanding through the
remembrance of their Creator. In order to
know where you must go, you must
remember where you have come from, and
for all Sufis and dervishes, that is attained
through remembrance of God.
In addition to the two distinct
branches of dhikr, there are known to be
seven stages to the act of remembering God.
“According to Ozak (1981), there are seven
stages: public (audible) dhikr, private (secret)
dhikr, dhikr of the heart, dhikr of the spirit,
dhikr of the mystery of the spirit, dhikr of the
mystery of the innermost heart, and dhikr of
the mystery of the mystery” (Geels 1996:234).
The worship and remembrance of God
exceeds all forms of analysis due to its
incredible depth and immersion into the
world of the unknown. Only the worshiper
that has experienced all of these stages and
has achieved ecstatic enlightenment can
understand the true meaning behind the
unknown. The unfathomable experiences of
ritual go beyond the physical realm and into
the abyss of the unseen. Each trance and
ritual is unique to the individual and can only
be attained with devotion in the name of
God.
An important obligation in Sufism is
to seek purification of the mind, heart and
soul and there are two ways of achieving this.
In all aspects of Islam, a spiritual guide such
as Shaykhs, are necessary for the individual to
achieve enlightenment. “According to Shaykh
Imran ibn Adam, the person who needs
purification in heart needs a “spiritual
doctor,” just as one would seek a medical
doctor to find a cure for illness or disease.
Shaykhs are like spiritual doctors who guide
the mureed (seeker) in his/her Sufi journey of
enlightenment” (Akman 2010:4). This spiritual
doctor gives guidance to the devotee and
helps him on the righteous path. In essence,
the shaykh turns the Sufi away from the
darkness and into the light. He plays an
important role in the life of the Sufi because
without a guide, the worshipper may
experience trauma and turmoil as he travels
along the spiritual path. Due to such an
isolated state of being, the Sufi can fall into
chaos in his secluded life and the shaykh is the
one able enough to pull him out of the
darkness. The second way of purification is
“To develop an ability to control oneself
through the guides teachings” (Akman
2010:4). Control of bodily needs is to first
control the mind. The shaykh gives focus and
guidance to allow the Sufi and reminds him of
his duty to God and to his soul. Discipline is
required and paves the way for spiritual
enlightenment. In these ways, purification can
be achieved.
Sufism is in itself a philosophy,
religion, escapism, and a way of life. Sufis are
born with the Divine Love in their hearts and
they seek out this love as they progress in
their lives. The world of the Sufis is one filled
with mysticism and illumination that brings
light to the heart and gives meaning to the
physical realm. Sufism nourishes the hearts of
those whom seek meaning in the ordinary and
strive to achieve a greater spiritual existence.
The concept of Sufism has opened many
doors to the realm of mysticism for the
34