The Remembrance of God

by Jalal Al-Din Al-Suyuti, Maryam Poswal (Translation)

Written by a celebrated and prolific 16th-century Islamic scholar, this treatise is a response to a questioner who asks about the rules for remembering God aloud and in a group. In his answer, Imam al-Suyyuti cites 25 prophetic traditions that justify and highly recommend collective prayer and remembrance. Never before available in English, this is an essential addition to the literature on Sufism and Islam's spiritual tradition. Thorough annotations and three appendices make the book accessible to both general readers and specialists.

Genres: Spirituality, Islam

102 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Francesca Bocca-Aldaqre]

This short book is the translation of a fatwa of as-Suyuti concerning the permissibly of loud dhikr (remembrance of Allah) in Islam. The fatwa spans about ten pages, reviewing the ahadith in favour of reciting dhikr aloud, and refuting the positions of those that forbid it. The translation limits the Arabic words to a minimum, resulting in a very pleasurable reading experience.

What makes this book very valuable is the depth of context it is able to provide to the reader. A short biography of as-Suyuti opens the book, followed by an introduction to the theme of dhikr, and its evolution over time. The reader gets the impression of a very clear shift from the early generation of Muslims - more concerned with circles of dhikr - to nowadays, when loud dhikr is confined to Sufi circles, and is an abandoned practice among the masses.

After the translation of the fatwa, the book has three appendices; the first is a list of the published works of as-Suyuti, the second a collection of Hanafi fatawa on loud dhikr, and the third a discussion on what constitutes dhikr - although I found this section to be less well motivated in the Quran and Sunnah than the previous ones.

I would strongly advice this book to anybody interested in the topic of spirituality in medieval Islam, and the fiqh of loud dhikr.

[مجيدة]

Succinct.

[Naushad]

The fatwa of Suyuti in the permissibility of dhikr in congregation and dhikr chanted aloud. A small important book that clarifies misconceptions that are still prevalent among contemporary Muslims.

[Abidah]

"The main purpose of tariqas is to train people to make dhikr, so that they take support and power from it."