Heart’s Serenity
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ
“Surely, it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find comfort.”
Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:28
We often feel lost and unfulfilled, chasing cravings to satisfy a void within us. Yet, once we fuel our heart with the ultimate holy medicine, our Beloved, peace showers our entire being. The Arabic word ‘tatma’inn’ in this verse is derived from a term that means ‘to feel safe’, a comforting feeling of safety that wraps our life once we connect to our Source.
As ‘thikr’ means remembrance, imagine your heart as a jug. Each time you fill it with the remembrance of God, His love, peace, and power, the jug does not only fill up, it overflows throughout your whole body and outwards to your surroundings. This will make you feel safe, held, and will charge every part of you and enable you to give more generously to others.
Kabir Helmenski, in The Knowing Heart, mentions: “The remembrance in the tongue can guide us to remembrance in the heart. Perhaps it is evidence of Divine generosity that what begins with the simple repetition of a word could lead to the Secret of secrets, the innermost core of the heart.” He gives the example of this word being Allah.
Remembrance can start with repetition through the tongue, a breath, or a moment of reflection. In whatever way it begins, the heart gradually fills with God’s light, giving you a sense of peace and ease. This is the essence of ‘sakīnah’ in Arabic, meaning deep tranquility.
“‘Ahh’ Is the sound to create something from nothing”
Dr. Wayne Dyer
Today, direct your focus to your heart. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and gently repeat: “Ya Allah, Ya Allah, Ya Allah.”
Set aside a 10-minute interval (or any duration you prefer), free from distractions, and able to delve deeply within yourself.
Visualize a soft light in your heart. With each “Ya Allah,” imagine the light growing brighter and warmer, spreading through your entire being.
Use other thikr phrases if you wish:
As you align your breath with your heartbeat and allow yourself to enter a state of heart coherence, inviting deeper peace and flow into your life.
“The repetition of the word Allah focuses our thought on God. The rhythm of remembrance inevitably affects brainwaves, and the superficial layers of the mind are calmed. In this transparent stillness of the superficial mind, a deeper level of mind becomes revealed. It is that deeper level of mind, called heart, which is capable of perceiving “something” that is apparent neither to the intellect nor to the senses. It seems as it becoming aware of this “something” has the effect of clarifying the mind, harmonizing the emotions, enhancing the senses, and bringing peace to the heart.”
The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path of Transformation – Kabir Helminski
“The heart work begins with the development of presence and remembrance of God (zikr). Remembrance draws the light of Spirit into the heart, from where it is distributed to the psyche as a whole. With light and presence in the heart, the compulsions of the commanding self can be witnessed and transformed.”
The Knowing Heart: A Sufi Path of Transformation – Kabir Helminski
