Fuel For The Heart
“O you who believe, remember God with frequent remembrance.”
Surah Al-Ahzab 33:41
Mentioning God at any time and in any situation brings forth a river of blessings. The Divine is present in all that we do, see, and experience. Time with God is not limited to moments of prayer; rather we can witness His eternal blessings in everyday life, seeing beyond what is visible, and remembering the Creator behind it all.
In Islamic teachings, dedicating sacred time for ‘remembrance’ or ‘thikr’ through repeating spiritual words fills the heart with love. This practice recharges the heart with the essence of the Divine, refreshing the soul in a way nothing else can. In the midst of this busy world, it is easy to forget; yet remembrance allows you to immerse yourself in what your soul truly yearns for.
Through the simple act of remembrance, the heart is softened and peace begins to flow into the soul. Modern science observes that repetition and rhythmic breathing calm the nervous system, slowing the heart rate, reducing stress, and allowing the body and mind to settle into balance. In this way, remembrance nourishes not only the soul, but the body itself.
Every word, each emotion, and moment of mindfulness, draws us closer to the Divine with every part of us, reminding us of our origin, our ultimate return.
“In the remembrance of God, the soul is found, and in the silence of the heart, peace is restored.”
Rumi
If you are able to be in a quiet, sacred space, do the below:
Take a few deep breaths and gently close your eyes
Start repeating a spiritual word or phrase such as “Subḥān Allah,” “Allāhu Akbar,” or any phrase of your choice.
Feel your level of stress diminish and imagine a protection of light surrounding you.
If you are on the go, you can repeat words of dhikr as you drive, while you walk or even as you run errands
“Truly speaking, recollection of self would be dhikr (zikr) or remembrance of God. Because in its essence the soul is an activity of God, the soul would then have the remembrance of God activated within it. But the grosser ego level doesn’t have access to this kind of remembrance because at that level of isolation in which you have self-identified, you have lost your connection with the source.
There is a mystery about remembrance, about that dhikr which is the recollection of self. You are reconnecting with a whole process of continuously becoming. There is a famous tradition where Allah says, “I was a hidden treasure; I wished to be known.” Allah’s great loving wish to be known brings forth something new. It is the manifest reality. The perfection that manifests in the individual soul was always there. It was pure potential energy, so to speak.”
Physicians of the Heart: A Sufi View of the 99 Names of Allah – Wali Ali Meyer, Bilal Hyde, Faisal Muqaddam, Shabda Kahn
“The repetition of the word Allāh focuses our thoughts 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 if 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 Alchemy of Happiness – Al Ghazzali
