One of the commandments of the Quran is given in these words: “Believers, remember God with much remembrance.” (33: 41) According to this Quranic verse believers must remember God very much, every day and every moment. This is the greatest teaching of the Quran, and it is the highest form of worship. One who does this will be blessed with the greatest reward from God Almighty. What is meant by ‘much remembrance’ of God? Remembrance does not refer to the repetition of some words, but it is in the sense of thinking. Much remembrance, or zikr-e-kathir, is not a kind of lip service. It is rather a high kind of intellectual activity and a sign of God realization. Remembering God much, is a result of a chain reaction in the thinking process; that is, a series of thoughts in which each thought causes the next one. Zikr-e-kathir, or much remembrance, is a result of creative thinking. It is a product of a prepared mind. If you possess a prepared mind, then your mind is bound to get activated at every experience or observation. You will start discovering one aspect of God-realization after another. In this way a chain reaction will be initiated in your mind.
What is the meaning of zikr, or remembrance?
This doesn’t mean to count beads of rosary. This is to underestimate zikr. This is a reduced form of zikr. Zikr is not counting words on beads of rosary nor repeating memorized words. If you memorize some words and keep repeating them, that isn't zikr. Zikr means to remember.
What is remembrance?
When you spend the day from morning to evening, you have several kinds of experiences. Every moment you face an experience. Remembering God in those experiences is zikr. Suppose that you are in your business centre. You are sitting at your shop. A customer comes to you and speaks to you wrongly. Often customers speak in a way that makes the shopkeeper angry. This is the moment to remember God. How?
The Quran says: Copy Arabic text (3:134) True believers restrain their anger and are forgiving.
This is zikr. At that moment, you remember a Quranic verse. You realize that it is not a moment to express your anger. It is a moment to control your anger, because this is what God has enjoined: control your anger and forgive people. This leads to the emergence of a new personality within you. That is a positive personality.
What is a positive personality?
A positive personality is to give a positive response even in a negative situation. Giving a positive response while being in a negative situation. This is a spiritual dose.
A customer provoked you, but you remembered God. How does this help?
It provides you with a spiritual dose. This is a spiritual personality. Whatever people do, you should lead life without reaction. You should have your own life, your own way of thinking and well considered behaviour. This is principled behaviour. Leading a principled life is zikr.
