15 - The specification of remembering God (Ikhtiṣāṣal-Dhikr)
Summary
In the Name of Allāh, the Compassionate, theMerciful.
All Praise belongs to Allāh, the Victor, theall-Knowing, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Thechoicest Salutations and Blessings be upon Muhammad,his family and his companions.
Those who love divine remembrance know that remembranceis of three types. The first is “Lā ilā ha illalaāh” (Thereis no god but Allāh), the second “Allāh Allāh” and the third“Hu Hu (Huwa Huwa)”(He, He).
The dhikr Lā ilā haillallāh is called “Kalimah tawḥīd” - the litany of divineOneness. The dhikr, “AllāhAllāh” has been named mujarrad [lit. “denuded” tobe defined below]. The dhikr“Hu Hu” is remembrance by allusion(ishārah).
The litany of divine Oneness is a statement ofUniqueness (Infirād).The meaning of mujarrad is the type of remembrance thatrepudiates nothingness and solely asserts the beingof Allāh as the reality of existence. The definitionof allusion is that type of remembrance whereby anyspecification or type of dhikr alludes to the Remembered.
There are three organs for remembrance:
1. the tongue with the heart (qalb);
2. the fu’ād (theinner heart); and
3. the sarīr(innermost essence)
I will explain its orbits, if Allāh wills, and if youare prepared to believe. But do not be dogmaticabout what I have mentioned concerning these orbits(dā‘irah). I havewritten about these orbits in response to a request;and to make it easy for the seeker in theirunderstanding of this concept. In respect of what isto be written, the heart is of two types. Firstly,the form of this heart is a pine-shaped flesh whichhas three sheets with three openings which Allāh hasplaced on the chest which is on the left sideparallel to the end of the breastbone. The seconddefinition is that the heart is a favour granted byAllāh, the Exalted, which pours through the openingsof these three sheets by the power of sirrīyah (innermost essence)because this cannot be visualised by a person whoseheart is dead.
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- Information
- Spiritual Path, Spiritual RealitySelected Writings of Shaykh Yusuf ofMacassar, pp. 144 - 146Publisher: University of South AfricaPrint publication year: 2020