(Part 1) Session 6 – The Heart’s Polish, a Form of Supplication, & Effortless Worship

Interacting with the world inevitably darkens the heart. Spending a dedicated amount of time daily remembering Allah ﷻ in general—and making tawbah and istighfar in particular—removes this tarnish. In addition to cleansing the heart of heedlessness, dhikr is an independent good deed that repels and replaces evils deeds, according to the principle Allah ﷻ has laid out in Qur’an.

Dhikr removes estrangement between the servant and his Lord. It is a means of dispelling awkwardness and fostering comfort in his communication with Allah ﷻ. Abundant dhikr in times of ease familiarizes one’s voice to the angels, who are then quick to respond when the servant calls out to Allah ﷻ in times of need.

Every form of speech that is uttered or typed will, by default, be used against its speaker on the Day of Judgment—unless it falls under the category of enjoining good, discouraging evil, or remembering Allah ﷻ. Keeping the tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah ﷻ is a way to prevent it from being occupied in harmful speech.

Becoming so lost in the remembrance of Allah ﷻ such that the servant forgets to even supplicate is very beloved in the eyes of Allah ﷻ. Because Allah ﷻ is so delighted with the praise of His servant, He takes it upon Himself to take care of his needs—and in a better fashion than He would for those who ask directly. And subsequent to His love, Allah ﷻ then compels the rest of creation to also fall in love with him.

Dhikr is easy for the servant; regardless of his physical position or state of purity, he is free to remember Allah ﷻ. In any situation, he is focused on his heart and recognizes that Allah ﷻ is watching at every moment. In the Qur’an, Allah ﷻ characterizes the people of the “core”–the people of success–as those who remember Him while standing, sitting, or lying down. Indeed, even the presumable void of sleep can be transformed into an active process of dhikr—potentially superseding the reward of a night prayer that lacks sincerity and focus.