What did al-Ghazali say about dhikr?
Remembrance is not one practice among many for al-Ghazali — it is the thread that holds every other practice together. The Iḥyāʾ treats dhikr as the proof that the heart is awake.
10 passages from 7 books in the library
For al-Ghazali, dhikr (remembrance of Allah) is the thread that binds the spiritual life together. In his Iḥyāʾ he teaches that "there is no constant remembrance without continuous remembrance of God, and there is no love without" it, linking remembrance to love and divine intimacy. He ranks its forms, prioritizing "standing in remembrance, followed by sitting, then remembrance while lying," and describes remembrance as "the gateway to unveiling." He cites that "the remembrance of Allah is greater than every" other act, including the remembrance of death.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 7 books by Ibn Battuta and Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
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"The people ate and then performed the Isha prayer, followed by a session of Dhikr, remembrance of God."
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"They recite the Quran, engage in dhikr, remembrance of Allah, and pray for the visitor at Shaykh"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
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"There is no constant remembrance without continuous remembrance of God, and there is no love without"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"them all but prioritize standing in remembrance, followed by sitting, then remembrance while lying"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Furthermore, he says, When you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your remembrance"
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"than your remembrance of him, and two, that the remembrance of Allah is greater than every"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"without a foot and remembrance without remembrance, since he is the initiator of blessings and"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The remembrance of Allah prevents him from settling in the heart. However, true remembrance"
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"God-consciousness is the gateway to remembrance. Remembrance is the gateway to unveiling,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The remembrance of death, and elaborated that it was the remembrance of the grave and the"
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