There are levels in spirituality as well. When one comes into Islam, either as a revert or when a born Muslim recognizes Islam for himself, spirituality is usually at the elementary school level and the exoteric aspects of Islam are being practiced. These are well named by Ata’allah Iskandari in his book The Key to Salvation, as ritual purity, prayer, fasting, zakat, hajj and jihad.

Spiritual ascent is very much like a game of Snakes and Ladders wherein we negotiate life and plod along as the dice is thrown; we can land at the foot of the ladder of spiritual ascent and find that our labor in spirituality has borne fruit. At other times we are gulped by the snake of worldly distraction and land up worse than we started.

“I have only created jinn and men that they may serve me,” (51:56) says the Qur’an, and fortunate is the person who realizes that life’s purpose is creating and refining a relationship with God. And just as a doctorate does not happen without grade school, this focus can only be found with the esoteric manifestations of faith, much after the exoteric have become part and parcel of one’s daily life. The esoteric manifestations of faith defined by Iskandari are trust in God, committing things to Him, patience, contentment, asceticism and repentance.

As one practices the esoteric manifestations of faith one is placed on a self-advancing path toward God. The two workhorses toward the practice of the esoteric obligations are zikr or remembrance and muraqiba or reflection.

Junaid Ghaznavi’s lectures on zikr sum it up in the most user-friendly format possible. He deems zikr as food for the soul and just as there is medication for bodily ailments, zikr in particular is the cure for all ills of the spirit. He speaks of the dichotomy between the heart that says that Allah’s love should be primary and one’s organs, for they deflect us toward worldly distraction.

There is frequently a disconnect between belief and practice, as well as the two elements that man is made of, kheyr (good) and shar (evil). Elimination of this dichotomy and getting good to supercede evil puts us squarely on the route toward perfecting our relationship with God. The two inhibitors of this progress are the devil himself and our nafs or base desires. In multiple places in the Qur’an, Allah warns us of the devil being for us an avowed enemy, with Baqarah verse 208 being a sample.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a particularly illustrative Hadith states that the devil runs within our bodies much like the circulation of our blood and in another that he sits atop our hearts as it were. When a person indulges in zikr the devil is forced out of the body and when a person neglects remembrance, the devil starts the surreptitious whispering that he is masterful at. So the antidote to all things devilish appears to be zikr.

“If anyone withdraws himself from the remembrance of Allah Most Gracious We appoint for him an evil one to be an intimate companion to him. (Zukhruf: 36)” says the Qu’ran and the Hadith elaborates that there is a cure for everything and the polish as it were for a heart is remembrance. The repetition of a few words has the ability to penetrate the various crevices of the persona and unify belief and practice.

In another picturesque Hadith he says that when a group of people are engaged in zikr, angels encircle them, blessings envelop them and contentment pervades. And just like the taste of an orange cannot be explained and has to be experienced, only the practitioner can know the flavor of the blessings and contentment that descend upon them.

So what is this remembrance made of? “We have without doubt sent down the Message and without doubt we will guard it,” (Hijr: 9) says the Qur’an and it is acknowledged that the best form of remembrance is reading the Qur’an. Followed by prayer: “O you who believe when the call for prayer is proclaimed on Friday, hasten early to the remembrance of Allah” (Jumuah: 9)

After the reading of the Qur’an and the prescribed prayers the Hadith mentions four types of zikr. Tahleel or la illah illal la, Takbeer or Allaho Akbar, Tahmeed or alhamdolillah and Tasbeeh that is subhanallah. There is remembrance of the tongue and then zikr of the heart. The latter is also known as silent zikr and this is ever more virtuous than zikr of the tongue. And not only is it promised that with zikr hearts find contentment (Ra’ad: 28) God promises that when we walk towards Him, He runs towards us and when we mention Him, He talks about us in an audience of angels.

So the gradation of zikr should probably start with tasbeeh, tahmeed and takbeer each counted 33 times after each prayer. This is also known as Tasbeeh of Fatima, named after the daughter of the Prophet (pbuh). Thereafter in free moments one can remember to remember. As this is perfected one is able to do zikr even when one is occupied with the mundane. This readies a person to reach the highest spiritual station wherein the heart remembers the Divine regardless of the mind’s preoccupation.

To continue spiritual ascent in consonance with zikr, muraqaba or reflection can be quite the catalyst. It is akin to the meditation that is practiced by many of varying hues of belief. Sheikh Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi of the Naqshbandi tariqa in his book Wisdom for the Seeker recommends muraqaba at a time when one is free from worldly duties. Ablution ought to be performed and sitting on a prayer rug, close your eyes, bow your head, open the window into your heart and look at your true self. He says that muraqabah entails waiting patiently for the mercy of Allah to descend into your heart. It should be performed for ten to fifteen minutes daily and one should remain still, without movement of tongue or limbs and empty one’s mind of all thoughts. Focus on the mercy of Allah descending into your heart and purifying it from the corrupt. Sit quietly and listen as your heart calls “Allah, Allah, Allah” in gratitude for His mercy. Muraqaba he reminds us is the essential key to attaining stillness of the mind and soul.

Malevolent and distracting thoughts will enter your mind when you first begin muraqaba, but do not let these deter you. These thoughts of a lifetime as it were will resurface and be cleansed through remembrance. Most importantly as you further immerse yourself your inner self will become purified and you will connect with Allah. If you lack the spare time, you can perform muraqaba for a few minutes on your bed before going to sleep. Soon it will become a habit and the following will come true for you:

I can see the portrait of my Friend in my heart

Whenever I lower my head

At the elementary stages of spirituality prayer is still a pain, especially the longer ones of the afternoon and the late night. As spirituality is refined prayer becomes a gift that you look forward to, and mundane daily activities are filled in between the five-pegged prayer times. In the journey of spiritual ascent there is a graduation from prayer, zikr and muraqaba being a challenge, then becoming a chore and finally there is the acceptance that they are the sole carriers toward that inimitable state called contentment.

(Mahjabeen Islam is a physician practicing in Toledo Ohio; her email address is mahjabeenislam@hotmail.com)