Sunday Majlis of Dhikr & Tazkiyah

Tasawwuf relates to the inner dimension of Islam: purification of the soul and cultivating a constant, conscious relationship with Allah. It is rooted in the ḥadīth of Jibrīl where the Prophet ﷺ defined iḥsān as: “That you worship Allah as though you see Him; and if you do not see Him, then He sees you.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

This ḥadīth points to four inseparable dimensions of the religion:

• Īmān → beliefs (systematised as ʿAqīdah)
• Islām → outward actions (systematised as Fiqh)
• Iḥsān → inner states and sincerity (systematised as Tasawwuf)
• The Hour → preparation and foresight (systematised in ʿIlm Ashrāṭ al-Sāʿah)

The Qur’an emphasises purification:

• “Successful indeed is the one who purifies the soul, and ruined is the one who corrupts it.” (91:9–10)
• “He recites His verses to them, purifies them (وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ), and teaches them the Book and wisdom.” (62:2)

Scholars recognised two complementary forms of knowledge: ʿilm al-qawl (outward rulings) and ʿilm al-ḥāl (inner states such as sincerity and humility). Sharīʿah provides the path, and Tasawwuf provides the inner drive to walk it sincerely.

Analogy: Sharīʿah is the road and Tasawwuf is the fuel. Without a road the journey has no direction, and without fuel it cannot proceed.

Yes. Leading scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah combined Sharīʿah scholarship with structured spiritual discipline, often under specific shuyūkh.

• Sufyān al-Thawrī (d. 161 AH): “If it were not for Abū Hāshim al-Ṣūfī, I would not have known the subtle forms of ostentation.” — al-Lumaʿ (al-Sarrāj)
• Abū Ḥanīfah (d. 150 AH) & Mālik (d. 179 AH) benefited from Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (d. 148 AH). Abū Ḥanīfah said: “If it were not for those two years, Nuʿmān would have been ruined.”
• al-Shāfiʿī (d. 204 AH) benefited from Wakīʿ ibn al-Jarrāḥ (d. 197 AH) in spiritual refinement.
• Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH) benefited from Bishr al-Ḥāfī (d. 227 AH) and Maʿrūf al-Karkhī (d. 200 AH).
• al-Ghazālī (d. 505 AH) pledged to Abū ʿAlī al-Farmadhī (d. 477 AH), completing structured sulūk.
• ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (d. 561 AH) studied Tasawwuf under Ḥammād al-Dabbās.
• Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) affirmed authentic Tasawwuf and was linked to Qādirī transmission.
• Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) wrote deeply on sulūk and tazkiyah (e.g., Madarij al-Sālikīn).
• Shāh Walī Allāh (d. 1176 AH) took bayʿah with his father Shāh ʿAbd al-Raḥīm.
• Qāḍī Thanāʾullāh Pānīpatī (d. 1225 AH) took bayʿah with Mīrzā Maẓhar Jān-e-Jānān (d. 1195 AH).

The Qur’an and Sunnah are complete guidance, but access to guidance does not automatically produce purification. Even the Companions—who witnessed revelation and lived with the Prophet ﷺ—were purified by him. Allah says: “He recites His verses to them, purifies them (وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ), and teaches them the Book and wisdom.” (62:2)

This indicates that tazkiyah requires a muzakkī (one who performs purification). A person is often blind to inner faults; a Shaykh helps diagnose and apply a practical treatment plan—like a physician treating illness—without replacing Qur’an and Sunnah.

Yes, when kept within Sharīʿah limits and without harm or disturbance.

• Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما): “Raising the voice with dhikr after the obligatory prayers was practiced at the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” — Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Adhān
• The Prophet ﷺ: “No people sit together remembering Allah except that the angels surround them…” — Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Dhikr

Murāqabah comes from Raqīb (الرقيب) and refers to conscious inner awareness of Allah—focusing the heart while withdrawing from distractions. It is also called fikr/tafakkur.

• “Remember Allah… and reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth.” (3:191)
• “Remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him completely.” (73:8)
• “Remember your Lord within yourself… without raising the voice.” (7:205)

The Prophet ﷺ also secluded himself in Ḥirāʾ before revelation, in reflection and devotion (as mentioned at the beginning of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī).

They originate from the Prophetic transmission of tazkiyah through companionship and training. Allah says: “He recites His verses to them, purifies them, and teaches them the Book and wisdom.” (62:2)

Over time, methods of training were preserved through chains (silsilah). Later, lineages were named after prominent teachers for identification—not to introduce new beliefs or practices.

They refer to spiritual lineages (silsilah) named after recognised teachers, not sects.

• Qādirī → attributed to ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī
• Naqshbandī → attributed to Bahāʾ al-Dīn Naqshband

They function like identifiers—similar to naming fiqh schools—indicating a method of training and a chain of transmission within Qur’an, Sunnah, and Sharīʿah.

Bidʿah is introducing into the religion something that has no basis in Qur’an, Sunnah, or established practice, and that contradicts or alters the religion.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it is rejected.” — Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

Imām al-Shāfiʿī and Imām al-Nawawī explained that matters are judged by their conformity to Sharīʿah, and that organisation and means are not automatically bidʿah if they serve a valid purpose.

No—so long as it remains within Qur’an, Sunnah, and Sharīʿah. Organising dhikr is a means to perform established worship; what contradicts Sharīʿah is rejected, and what remains within it is permissible.

No. Authentic Tasawwuf rejects exaggeration and deification. “Do not exaggerate in your religion…” (4:171) Saints are servants of Allah, bound by Sharīʿah and accountable like all believers.

The core practices—dhikr, tazkiyah, murāqabah, and companionship—are grounded in Qur’an and Sunnah. Culture may affect language or style, but it does not define the practice.

No. A silsilah is a means of structured training, not a condition for benefiting from dhikr or tazkiyah.

Yes. The path is accessible and gradual, beginning with simple dhikr and basic spiritual discipline. Spiritual growth is taught progressively.

• Qur’an recitation
• Simple, guided dhikr
• Short reminders grounded in Sharīʿah
• A calm, respectful environment

There are no pledges, initiations, or pressure—only remembrance of Allah.