The Most Beautiful Names of God: Divine Remembrance and The Sufi Tradition

By Juliet Gentile-Koren

“Remember Me so that I will remember you…”
--Quran

In the center of the semalik, or octagonal room of worship, an oversize crystal chandelier looms overhead of an assembly of men of all ages- some wearing long, white tunics, traditional white kufi caps and black cloaks, others wearing western suits, and still others in jeans and t-shirts press their bodies together in a congruent wave of exaltation, their breath pulsating with the sound of Hayy!, Hayy!, Hayy!(1) These are the dervishes of the Halveti-Jerrahi Sufi order of Istanbul, Turkey. Like many traditional Sufi orders, or turuq, it has been the practice of the Halveti-Jerrahi lineage since the 17th century to meet in community to perform the public dhikr, or ceremony of divine remembrance. Despite the official closings of the Sufi tekkes in Turkey in 1925, the practice of the public dhikr continues.

Forming a central nexus of spiritual energy within the mystic body of the Sufi tariqat or community, the public dhikr ceremony is a carefully crafted ritual format. During this prayer, whose origin dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, participants repeat various asmas or divine names at the command of the Sheikh, accompanied by qasida(2) or ney (reed flute) and punctuated with daf or dumbek.

Orchestrated with the purpose of producing an ecstatic state known as wajd khayri, or beneficent ecstasy, capable of conveying intimate knowledge of Divine Reality, the practice of public dhikr is as much an ancient as it is a disputed category of religious expression. One tradition holds that the Prophet Muhammad advised, “Perform remembrance of Allah until they say, ‘He is mad',(3)” pointing to an early misunderstanding of the role of public dhikr in Islamic spiritual life. Despite the nervousness of some, public dhikr has historically been an integral part of Islamic prayer.

Being one of the five pillars of Islam, the pronouncement of the Shahadah or la ilaha illa lah, ‘There is no god but God,’ is well known. The practice of dhikr is an extension of this principle of tawhid, or the recognition of the oneness of Divine Reality. In fact, its practice alone is credited with producing states of gnostic understanding in the spiritual adept. Moreover, it is widely held that dhikr is the most pleasing form of worship, after the salat or ritual prayer.(4) Accordingly, the Prophet Muhammad stated: “When a creature begins proclaiming the Divine Unity, the Throne of the All-Merciful starts trembling and it continues to tremble until God, Lord of Majesty and Perfection, pardons that creature.”(5)

Sufi oral tradition holds that there are seven categories of dhikr; public or audible Dhikr, private Dhikr, Dhikr of the heart, Dhikr of the spirit, Dhikr of the mystery of the spirit, Dhikr of the mystery of the inmost heart, and Dhikr of the mystery of the mystery.(6)

The outward practice of Sufism is associated with the first two categories of dhikr, audible remembrance or dhikr jali, which is most often performed in public gatherings and private remembrance or dhikr kafi. The practice of these forms of dhikr serve the purpose of outwardly narrating, in ritual movements, the stages of psychological and spiritual transformation which make up the path of tasawwuf or Sufism. These are stages of realization through which the Sufi adept progresses, eventually reaching a state of spiritual maturity known as insan kamil or perfect humanity.

In recent decades there has been increased access to the public rituals of Sufism; whether Mevlevi sema ceremonies or public dhikrs, or even western style Sufi music ‘concerts,’ bringing greater attention to this communal ritual event. This attention has increased awareness of dhikr ceremonies, both within and outside the Islamic world, at the same time clarifying and perhaps obscuring the mission and purpose of Sufism. In some instances, public dhikr ceremonies have been misunderstood to be forms of artistic expression, sparking some critics within the Islamic community to condemn the practice. However, most of the time when guided by a true sheikh and experienced by a sincere seeker, or even observed by a newcomer, these ritual events are understood to be powerful and galvanizing ritual events based upon centuries of spiritual technology. Technologies which subtly communicate through non-verbal signs the essence of the Sufi message: the oneness of Divine Reality and our personal connectedness within this oneness. Thus, in Qu’ran one is reminded that through the practice of remembrance of God, or dhikr, we are in fact remembered:

"O son of Adam, the one who wishes to perceive Me, seeks Me; the one who seeks Me, finds Me; the one who finds Me, serves Me. Only the one who serves Me, truly remembers Me and praises Me. Then I remember him too and I become his Beloved."

(1)Ya Hayy: one of the 99 names of God, meaning the living one.
(2) Qasida: a type of poetry sung in the dhikr ceremonies.
(3) Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported this hadith. (See: Ahmad, Abu Ya’la and Ibn Hibban)
(4)Ozak, Sheikh Muzaffer. The Unveiling of Love: Sufism and the Remembrance of God. Pir Press: New York, 2001. p, 53.
(5)Ibid: p., 110.
(6)Ibid; p., 77.

Juliet Gentile-Koren has an MA in Women's History from Sarah Lawrence College. She is currently writing a book-length work on the role of Gender in the historical development of the Halveti-Jerrahi Lineage of Sufism in the last fifty years. She is also an initiate of the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order She lives in New York City with her husband.