Dhikr (the remembrance of God in the rulings of fiqh)

الذِّكر (في الفقه)

In the rulings dhikr is the servant's remembrance of his Lord by statement, recitation, supplication or praise. It is recommended at all times, except in certain places and conditions such as relieving oneself, intercourse and the Friday sermon. ¹ ² ³ It is by tongue and heart together; by the majority, the tongue's dhikr counts only when the speaker says it and hears himself. ⁴ ⁵ The Qur'an is the best dhikr for one who acts on it, and then the four words: glory be to God, praise be to God, there is no god but God, and God is greatest. ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ The forms include the tahlil, tasbih, tahmid, takbir, hawqala, istirja', basmala and blessing on the Prophet ﷺ; forms that imply shirk or deficiency are forbidden. ¹⁰ ¹¹ ¹² ¹³ ¹⁴ Chanting in unison is disputed: some allow it when it does not disturb and is not thought obligatory, while al-Shatibi calls the unison of a fixed form an innovation. ¹⁵ ¹⁶

Summary

In the rulings, dhikr is the servant's remembrance of his Lord by statement, recitation, supplication or praise. ¹ It is recommended at all times, except in certain places and conditions, such as relieving oneself, intercourse and the Friday sermon. ³ ¹⁷

Heart and tongue

Dhikr is by tongue and heart together, and the fullest form joins them. ⁴ By the majority, the tongue's dhikr counts only when the speaker says it and hears himself. ⁵

The best dhikr

The Qur'an is the best dhikr for one who acts on it, and then come the four words: glory be to God, praise be to God, there is no god but God, and God is greatest. ⁶ ⁷ A dhikr prescribed for a time or a cause is best kept to that time or cause, and following the prescribed dhikr is better than inventing one. ¹⁸

Forms

The forms include the tahlil, the tasbih, the tahmid, the takbir, the hawqala, the istirja', the basmala and blessing on the Prophet. ¹⁰ ¹¹ ¹² ¹³ Dhikr that implies shirk, or deficiency towards God, is forbidden. ¹⁴ In general dhikr a correct form not implying deficiency may be used even if not transmitted. ¹⁸

Counting and beads

Counting by the fingers, by pebbles or by stones is allowed, and some scholars allowed the string of beads as well. ¹⁹ ²⁰

Gathering for dhikr

Some scholars allow gathering for dhikr in unison, if it does not disturb and no one holds it obligatory; al-Shatibi calls a fixed unison of a form an innovation. ¹⁵ ¹⁶

Sources

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8427

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8428

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8430

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8434

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8458

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8443

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8444

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8447

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8448

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8435

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8436

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8440

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8441

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8455

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8460

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8461

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8431

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8446

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8466

al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8467

Niyya (intention in deeds)

The purpose and will behind an act; Ibn Rajab notes that intention has two senses in scholars' usage: distinguishing acts of worship from one another and from habits — the sense dominant in the jurists' books — and distinguishing the aim intended by the act, whether for God alone or for other than Him — the sense dominant among the early generations and companion to sincerity; al-Shafi'i is reported to have called the hadith 'actions are but by intentions' a third of knowledge entering seventy chapters of jurisprudence, and al-Bukhari opened his Sahih with it.