Many people do salat and zikr but do not benefit because what they say is not felt inside. Some of the reasons are:
- You don’t know the meaning of the words.
- You know the meaning, but you have not spent time to figure out how they are related to your life. Remember, Prophet Muhammad said: “an hour of reflection is better for you than praying for seven years.”
- You know the meaning but are bored by repetition and lose track of the words.
- You know the meaning but go fast and miss the meaning.
It is therefore essential to express the phrases in zikr and in salat in simple language, and spend time to think about their purpose to make them your own.
A man came to see the Prophet and asked him, “O Messenger of God, the injunctions of Islam are too many for me, so tell me something I can hold onto.” The Messenger of God, (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Keep your tongue wet with the remembrance of God.”
Let us consider the tremendously deep practical wisdom in this advice of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
- We are thinking constantly, and our thoughts are expressed in what we speak. A person’s life is shaped by what she or he speaks habitually. (For elaboration of this insight from the Quran, please see chapter 25 in ‘The Quran and the Life of Excellence: ‘Words Have Creative Power’ ).
b) Some people are in the habit of speaking about their frustrations, disappointments, failures, anxiety about their health or finances, or other fears. This reinforces their negative emotions and the circumstances they complain about.
c) In their free time, people engage in gossip, backbiting, social media or watching miscellaneous movies and TV programs including many commercials. These become a large part of the messages their minds receive every day and influence the direction of their lives.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advises us to protect ourselves from such negative programming and its consequences. Instead use your free time to strengthen your relationship with God by acknowledging His might, expressing gratitude, seeking His help in your life issues, and remembering His compassion and His mercy. This is called zikr or remembrance of God.
The selection below of what the Prophet said in zikr is from the Hadith collection Mishkat al-Masabih (A Niche for Lights) by Muḥammad Al-Tabrizi, (died 741 AH;1340 CE).
When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came out of his home
With the name of God, on whom I place my trust.
O God! I seek your protection lest I slip,
or lose my way,
or do wrong,
or be wronged,
or act foolishly,
or anyone should act foolishly towards me.
When he entered his home
O God! I beseech you for the good in coming in,
and the good in going out.
With the name of God, I enter,
and in God our Lord I place my trust.
Zikr in the Morning
- O God! I beseech you that I gain knowledge that is useful,
that my conduct be exemplary,
and my nourishment be wholesome.
We enter upon this morning with all the creation of God, the Lord of the worlds.
O God! I ask you the good of this day,
your help,
your guidance,
your light,
your blessing this day
and grant me success.
And I seek your protection from the harm that is in this day and after this day.
- O God! I beseech you for peace in this life and in the hereafter.
O God! I ask you for forgiveness of my sins,
and safety of my faith,
safety of the world,
safety of my household and of my belongings.
O God! cover my faults, and free me from anxiety.
O God! protect me from dangers from all sides, from the front and back, from the right and the left from above me and from below me.
Zikr in the Evening
- O God! I beseech you that I gain knowledge that is useful,
that my conduct be exemplary,
and my nourishment be wholesome.
We enter upon this evening with all the creation of God, the Lord of the worlds.
O God! I ask you the good of this night,
your help,
your guidance,
your light,
your blessing this night
and grant me success.
And I seek your protection from the harm that is in this night and after this night.
- O God! I beseech you for peace in this life and in the hereafter.
O God! I ask you for forgiveness of my sins,
and safety of my faith,
safety of the world,
safety of my household and of my belongings.
O God! cover my faults, and free me from anxiety.
O God! protect me from dangers from all sides, from the front and back, from the right and the left from above me and from below me.
In Sajda
O God! Before You I prostrate myself.
I have faith in You and I surrender myself to You.
My face prostrates itself before the One who has created and fashioned it and has made openings in it so I can see and hear.
Blessed is God, the best of all creators!
In Jalsa (Between the Sajdas)
O God! Have mercy on me,
forgive my sins,
guide me
and protect me from harm,
and nurture me with your sustenance.
When he looked into a mirror
O God, you have made my person beautiful,
so make my character beautiful also.
Asking for freedom from fear and debt.
- O God! I seek your protection from anxiety and grief.
I seek your protection from incapacity and laziness.
I seek your protection from miserliness and faint-heartedness.
I seek your protection from indebtedness
and from oppression by men.
- O God! What you provide for me lawfully be sufficient for me; protect me from unlawful earnings,
and make me, by Your grace, dependent on no one except Yourself.
Asking for God’s favors
- O God! Profit me by what You have taught me,
and teach me that which will profit me,
and increase me in knowledge.
I praise and thank God in every situation.
- O God! I seek from You Your love,
and the love of those who love You,
and a conduct that will enable me to attain Your love.
Let Your love be dearer to me than myself and everything I own.
- God is sufficient for me,
there is no god other than the one God.
I place my trust in Him, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
- Lord of us! Grant us good in the present life and grant us good in the future life
and protect us from your punishment.
How to benefit from this teaching.
Pick one of these zikr statements of the Prophet (pbuh) that appeals to you. Read it and think about it for several days. If needed, write it in your own language. Then say it as often as you can every day.
Many people find it very difficult because their habitual way of speaking takes over again and again.
But if you persist, gradually you will experience an infusion of positive energy within you. You will feel happier as good changes begin to appear in your life.
Then pick another zikr phrase and repeat the process.
Nothing is more satisfying than experiencing that what you asked God in your remembrance has appeared in your reality.