Divine Remembrance - Chapter V: Special Conditions of dhikr
Chapter V: Special Conditions of dhikr
Tags: Dhikr, Remembrance, Idhn, Permission, Najwa, Giryah-u Zari, Prayer, Du`a, Hazrat Nuh, Diet, Sleep, Certainty, Knowledge, Carnal soul
Among the matters of religion, Divine remembrance is one matter that is common among the ordinary people and special among the selected people. It is for this reason that in the preceding chapter the general conditions of dhikr were discussed. Now in this chapter we are going to deal with the special conditions of dhikr, so that every believer may have a sound knowledge of the subtleties and intricacies of this magnificent work, and work only in the light of knowledge to attain its goal.
Remembrance and Permission (dhikr awr idhn)
Mu'mins should be fully assured of certainty in the established fact that the secret of progress and success in Divine remembrance is hidden in permission and consent and without which the door of real spirituality does not open. This purport is evident from the wisdom-filled teachings of the holy Qur'an that permission is among the special principles of Islam, as God says in verse (24:62): “Only those are believers, who believe in God and His messenger: when they are with him on the occasion of a gathering, they do not depart until they have asked his permission; those who ask for your permission are those who believe in God and His messenger; so when they ask for permission for some business of theirs, give it to those of them whom you will, and ask God for their forgiveness”.
This blessed verse clearly demonstrates that to take permission from the centre of guidance is not only among the characteristics of true believers, but it is a special command to the Prophet to grant permission to those of the believers from whom he wishes special kinds of religious works. Further, he should also ask God for the forgiveness of their sins, so that God may grant them success and blessing in these deeds.
It is obvious that this permission pertains to those words and deeds which are within the circle of the true religion, and in accomplishing them there is God's pleasure and the Prophet's. This also establishes the specification that it is not available to all, but is specified only for those mu'mins who have believed in the true sense and who obey the Prophet with heart and soul. Thus there should not be any surprise if this is also an allusion to such a magnificent and lofty matter as Divine remembrance (dhikr-i Ilahi). Certainly it is. This is because only that dhikr can be the means of the heart's satisfaction in which there is the permission of God's messenger and his prayer.
Further, the brief purport of what God says in the verses of najwa (seeking secret counsel) (58:12-13) in the Qur'an, is that during the Prophet's time, mu'mins used to ask the Prophet about secret things in private or in whispers. This sheds light on many facts. One of these is that from here are established the teachings of tariqat, haqiqat and ma`rifat in addition to shari`at. Had this not been the case, it would have been unnecessary for the Prophet to take the trouble [to convey] those general teachings and guidances which had already once been publicly placed before all Muslims as the religious law. However, the Prophet in addition to collective teaching, used to impart to all mu'mins the teachings of tariqat, haqiqat and ma`rifat according to the status of their knowledge, work and search. Had this special and individual teaching and guidance not been given to these mu'mins in private, not only would the spiritual and educational upbringing of some of the intelligent and prepared mu'mins remain incomplete and imperfect, but also a precious part of the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny)'s knowledge and wisdom would have disappeared.
Thus it is narrated in reliable exegeses that quite often Imam `Ali used to receive instructions pertaining to special religious sciences from the Prophet through this way of seeking secrets. It is crystal clear from this that those realities and recognitions which Imam `Ali (May peace be through him) received from the Prophet have continued to be transferred in the holy chain of Imams from the progeny of Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) from one chest to another and are still present to-day in this world. The special guidance and consent for Divine remembrance has been among these secrets.
Regarding the contents of the abovementioned verses pertaining to seeking secret counsel (najwa), one may think that the secrets which the companions used to ask the Prophet in private, pertained to worldly welfare and betterment, for the Prophet was not only the guide to salvation in the hereafter, but he had to also guide the Muslims in their worldly welfare and success. The answer to such a notion is that the worldly welfare and success of Muslims cannot be separated from the external and general guidance of religion, because it was a collective and communal problem. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that in this secrecy there might have been a few secrets of the worldly kind. However, apart from the wisdom of the subject-matter of the verse of najwa itself, its exegesis also shows that it is mostly related to religious matters, and particularly it alludes to the secrets of the sciences (`ulum) and stages of spirituality.
In this connection we should also reflect upon the wisdom-filled verse (88:21): “O Messenger! Continue to remind them. Indeed, you are but a reminder” (mudhakkir). Thus, according to this command it became necessary for the Prophet, in his blessed time, to grant some selected mu'mins permission of Divine remembrance (dhikr-i Ilahi) and to duly remind them practically of those realities and recognitions which were meant to be remembered. “Remind” in Arabic dhakkir means 'to remind', 'to make them remember' and 'to provide the means of the permission of remembrance'. Further, Divine justice necessitates that this grace of the Prophet must continue from his own time till the time of qiyamat (Resurrection). This could be possible only if he had entrusted the guidance and permission of Divine remembrance to his successor, so that it could not be argued against God and the Prophet that their favours were bestowed upon only the people of the period of prophethood.
Further, God says in the surah of Ibrahim (14:24-25): “See you not how Allah coins a similitude: a pure Word like a pure Tree, its root set firm, its branch reaching to heaven. It brings forth (gives) its fruit at all times, by the permission of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for people, in order that they may receive admonition.”
The key to the numerous great wisdoms hidden in this blessed verse is hidden in the word “permission” (in Arabic idhn). It is in the sense that this absolutely pure tree, despite the fact that its fruit is ready in every season and at all times, can only give it to someone when its Lord permits it to do so. Otherwise, it does not give its fruit to anyone. This shows that either this pure Tree has already been given the knowledge of permission and leave by God, or it constantly continues to receive the luminous favour of and guidance from God, in the light of which it understands well to whom God wishes to give this fruit and to whom He does not wish to do so.
It is mentioned in the Imami Shi`i exegeses that Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (May peace be through him) was asked about the meaning of the “pure Tree” in the abovementioned verse. He said: Here the tree means the one whose root is the Prophet, the trunk `Ali (May peace be through him), the Commander of the faithful, the branches the Imams from their progeny, the fruit is the knowledge of the Imams and its leaves are their faithful followers.
Gift of Ism-i a`zam
It is a generally accepted fact that if God is called upon by any of His names, He hears, and there is a kind of remembrance by every name, which earns reward. Indeed, all of God's names are beautiful and great, yet despite this fact the concept of ism-i a`zam or the Supreme Name is absolutely correct. The reason for this is that a name is considered an ism-i a`zam which [is granted] according to the requirement of the time and place and the stages of spirituality.
Thus when Hazrat-i Adam (May peace be through him), according to God's command, came out of Paradise it was not the case that he had forgotten all the names of God. Rather, he did not know with certainty which one of God's names should be remembered with respect to the occasion and need. Therefore God assigned the Name and perfect Words for Hazrat-i Adam (May peace be through him) which were exactly in accordance with his condition, and through which his repentance (tawbah) was accepted, i.e., his spiritual and original status was restored.
If the Prophets' states are duly pondered upon in the light of the Qur'an, certainly it will come to light that on God's behalf they were assigned ism-i a`zam in accordance with their different situations. Therefore, it is best known to God, the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr (holder of Divine command) i.e., the Imam of the time, which name should be assigned for a specific time and what should be given to a mu'min. A vivid example of this is that if a non-Muslim continues to remember all the names of God for forty years without accepting the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny), it is obvious that he will not receive that light which is in the religion of Islam merely through the [verbal] names of God. From this again the fact becomes clear that ism-i a`zam is assigned for every needy person separately. Thus had that non-Muslim, who remembered all the names of God but received nothing, acted fully upon the principle in God's final religion that the first ism-i a`zam which he should adopt is none other than the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) himself, he would have received everything.
Dhikr and Intention
In the religion of Islam no word or deed is valid without the sincerity of intention. Therefore one of the special conditions of Divine remembrance (dhikr-i Ilahi) is the purity of intention, which is to remember God with the intention of spiritual elevation, God's nearness and particularly of obtaining His pleasure. Contrary to this, if one remembers and worships Him for any worldly purpose he will have no success in it; and even if he does have some success, he will have no benefit from it, in religion or in the next world.
Dhikr and Belief (`aqidah)
Belief (`aqidah) is the basis and foundation of faith and certainty and the initial form, and in some senses is also itself faith (iman). Therefore, it is extremely necessary and essential that the dhakir must have firm belief [in religion], for the one whose belief is weak cannot be successful in dhikr. The one who does not believe becomes a kind of atheist, and only those who have firm belief achieve every kind of progress in religion.
Dhikr and Purity (tahārat)
The holy Qur'an has emphasized external and internal cleanliness and purity in numerous verses. In verse (2:222) it is said: “Truly Allah loves those who repent and loves those who cleanse themselves”. In this verse repentance comes first and then purity. The wisdom of this is that as long as someone does not decisively repent for their sins, neither can the heart be cleansed, nor can [mere] external purity prove to be of use. Therefore, it is obligatory upon mu'mins to always adopt the habit of clean living both externally and internally.
Dhikr and Vigil of the Night
The wise Qur'an praises the vigil of the night highly, that is, remembering and worshipping God at night, particularly in chapter 73 Muzzammil (the Enshrouded). The wisdom-filled and understandable way it is praised, implies clearly that by forming a habit of remembering and worshipping [God] at night, the carnal soul is subdued and trampled, which results not only in the constancy of the chain of Divine remembrance, but also in the firmness and stability of the human intellect, knowledge and the way of expression.
Dhikr and Giryah-u zari (weeping and crying)
Technically giryah-u zari means weeping and groaning, demonstrating weakness and humility with remorse for one's venial and mortal sins by a faithful servant in the Divine court; and seeking pardon and forgiveness and guidance and mercy from it. This mode of giryah-u zari is not only the correct practical form of repenting from all kinds of sin, but also the basis and foundation of righteousness (taqwa) and humility and the best control of pride and arrogance.
If one is not able to observe immediately the moral and religious values of giryah-u zari in the light of Qur'anic and spiritual wisdoms, they should assess its reformative efficacy in the light of serious philosophical and psychological literature, or at least they should practice this wisdom-filled deed as an experiment and see its results.
It is a different matter if mu'mins, despite struggling in giryah-u zari, cannot do it when it is needed. In such a case they should vehemently feel that they are suffering from the spiritual disease of “callousness”, which is the disease of undue hard heartedness and absence of God's fear. The one who is suffering from callousness cannot ever progress in spirituality nor can they be called darwish.
The absence of tenderness and softness and burning and melting of the mu'mins' heart whilst listening to religious knowledge, during Divine remembrance and hidden and open dhikr, is never due to bad luck, rather it is a result of their own sins. Therefore, it becomes necessary for them to check minutely all their words and deeds, habits and manners, repent for all venial and mortal sins and correct and reform every bad habit.
Now let us reflect on the practical state and reality of giryah-u zari – how it resurrects a great reformative revolution in the human heart and mind and how by its influence every intention, word and deed is rectified. Thus, for example when a human being is born and as long as they are an innocent infant their heart and mind remain intact in their original and natural state as the Prophet has said: “Every child is born according to the religion of nature, namely Islam”. However, as they grow up gradually, partly because of the wrong impressions of others and partly because of the desires of the carnal soul, their natural heart becomes covered. As a result, their original state is gradually concealed and ultimately their heart and mind are concealed under numerous covers of rust and turbidity. Now there is no remedy for this except that they should continue to do giryah-u zari as repentance, as well as yearning for the Divine vision so that all these covers may be removed gradually and the original and natural purity, splendour and brilliance of the heart's mirror appear [once again].
When mu'min servants do giryah-u zari in God's presence repenting or yearning for the luminous vision with absorption and eagerness, and pray imploringly, Divine mercy embraces them, and by practising this every day their heart and soul become purified, and they succeed in spiritual progress. It is worth reflecting and understanding that were the human soul not dirty, rusty and filthy, the Qur'an would have never said: “Truly he succeeds that purifies it (the soul) and he fails that corrupts it” (91:9-10). The wisdom of this blessed verse through its profound example awakens mu'mins' zeal for their faith that their soul is buried under a heap of sins, which should be uncovered and cleansed as soon as possible. This most difficult task can be accomplished only through giryah-u zari, repentance, humility, Divine remembrance and worship.
Any intelligent person who understands that, in reality, they have not become strong and sturdy in the path of spirituality but are as yet only suckling babes, should continue to do giryah-u zari for their spiritual upbringing and inner growth, so that the nurse of Divine light may take them and start miraculously upbringing and fostering them.
Those true mu'mins who are progressing spiritually when they engage themselves in the luminous `ibadat late at night after profound giryah-u zari and praying in the form of supplication and reciting manqabats and ginans, their sacred remembrance becomes luminous and miraculous and the ocean of true love surges in their hearts and by adopting this successful principle, every day a new magnificent spring manifests itself in their garden of spirituality.
There is no doubt that in giryah-u zari are hidden not only the meanings of repenting for mistakes and sins and seeking forgiveness, but also the ardent and acceptable prayer for the progress and firmness of faith and certainty and protection from future dangers and calamities.
The wise Qur'an has prohibited weeping even on the occasions of the greatest losses and severest afflictions and calamities, and commanded to bear every difficulty and calamity with patience and stability. On the contrary, the giryah-u zari of the Prophets, Imams and the first-grade mu'mins, which they used to do for the sake of spiritual progress and Divine vision, has been exceedingly praised.
Another special characteristic of true mu'mins mentioned in the Qur'an is that when they used to weep for the zeal of faith they used to fall in prostration on their chins (17:109). Certainly this is the extreme limit of humility according to God and consequently, the Lord of the worlds showers His infinite mercies and blessings upon them.
Another wisdom of giryah-u zari is that when a human being is yet a suckling babe, they cannot utter anything. That is, they are apparently mute and speechless. But in fact, this is not so. For, human beings, despite being babes (infants) are indeed the cream of creation (ashrafu'l-makhluqat). Therefore the Lord of the world endows the child with the faculty and capacity of weeping if it needs anything. This weeping of the child implies every kind of seeking help, which the kind mother understands easily, continues looking after it in every respect in bringing it up.
In short, by doing giryah-u zari in the Divine presence, the carnal desires and false notions of mu'mins are utterly obliterated for the time being; the essence of Divine remembrance and worship flourishes; and practising this repeatedly a wise mu'min benefits satisfactorily.
Dhikr and Prayer (Du`a)
In connection with the subject of dhikr it is very appropriate to mention some basic and essential points about prayer, such as:
- What is the importance and benefit of prayer?
- Which times and occasions are appropriate for it?
- What should be its procedure? etc., etc.
It should be understood that prayer is mu'mins' valuable capacity and their best strength. It is not common to all human beings; it is special only to mu'mins. By studying the Qur'anic verses related to the subject of 'Prayer', it becomes clear that it is extremely necessary for the people of faith and they should benefit from it every time and on every occasion, particularly, when they are confronted with arduous deeds and difficult tasks. Also at the start of all work one should pray in the presence of God with giryah-u zari, humility and indigence, for true mu'mins' prayer is not in vain. It is in the sense that, first of all the purpose for which they were praying will be fulfilled immediately or after some delay. If God does not consider attaining this purpose in favour of the mu'min, the benefit and fruit of the prayer is received in other forms, such as forgiveness of sins, release from carnal desires, liberation from bad habits, good grace, eagerness for worship (`ibadat), cleanliness of heart, sharpness in understanding and comprehension, forbearance and humility, seriousness in conversation, patience and peace, zeal for knowledge, interest in religion, salvation in the hereafter, etc., etc.
Thus, very fortunate are those mu'mins who are used to praying for the spiritual and unseen help of God in all their good deeds. For instance, when they lay themselves down at night after being free from their business and worship and servitude, they pray that may God protect and guard them from every evil and calamity during their sleep, and may He awaken them on time to achieve the felicity of the luminous worship (`ibadat). When they wake up on time, they thank God with extreme pleasure and happiness and pray that may their entire day pass in Divine remembrance and good deeds. When they prepare for dhikr, they engage in supplication slowly in their own tongue and in their own language and then they engage in giryah-u zari, conceiving on one side the immense mercy and grace of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, and on the other side their extreme spiritual indigence, poverty, backwardness, sinfulness, negligence, laziness, ignorance, and in the state of giryah-u zari and contrition and in the state of burning and melting they place the forehead in supplication before God and implore that may He, the Omnipotent, help and support them miraculously.
It should be borne in mind that mu'mins can, apart from their personal prayer, expect benefit from the prayers of others too, such as the prayer of the Prophet, the prayer of the ulu'l-amr, i.e., the Imam and from the individual and collective prayers of other mu'mins. However, it is impossible for a mu'min to benefit from prayer without fulfilling its conditions, which are the attributes of righteousness and faithfulness. In other words, only a person who is a practical mu'min can benefit from all aspects of prayer. Or, in short, in order to benefit from all kinds of prayer there is one condition, and that is obedience [to God, the Prophet and the Imam of the time], whereas in the case of disobedience no prayer can be beneficial.
Regarding the consequences of disobedience, we must duly ponder on the story of Prophet Nuh (May peace be through him) in the Qur'an. With what desire had he interceded with God for the salvation of his disobedient son! Was not the spirit of prayer (du`a) hidden in such a desire, while prayer implies a desire? But despite the fact that Hazrat-i Nuh (May peace be through him) was a great prophet, his intercession and prayer was not accepted, for prayer is acceptable only if its conditions are fulfilled. On the other hand, Hazrat-i Nuh (May peace be through him) cursed the unbelievers of his time and they drowned and perished, because the conditions for his curse against them had been fulfilled, and thus his curse was effective.
To sum up, a prayer, our own or others can be beneficial only if its conditions are fulfilled. In short, not to use all those numerous capacities and faculties which God has endowed a mu'min with in the most comprehensive way; and to consider others responsible for one's own duty, to form a habit of indolence and slothfulness and laziness and idleness, and to escape from one's entrusted duties is indicative of great ingratitude, and is a great sin.
Dhikr and Diet
Mu'mins who wish to reach the spiritual treasures of Divine remembrance have to be very careful about the manners related to it. Among these manners is that they have to ensure with great care that the things which they eat and drink are lawful and permissible in accordance with the Muhammadan law. Mu'mins never eat unlawful things. They always eat and drink only lawful things, and even in lawful things they are very careful. That is, they do not fill their stomach with food, lest laziness, inattentiveness and sleep gain the upper hand during dhikr and worship (`ibadat). They particularly keep this in mind in the evening, so that they may rise on time in the night for Divine remembrance and are able to continue the chain of dhikr with all their heart. Otherwise, numerous obstacles and obstructions continue to be faced during the dhikr.
Dhikr and Sleep
As it is utterly necessary for mu'mins engaging in dhikr to be cautious and moderate in their eating and drinking habits, so too they have to be careful with regard to sleeping, because the spirit of faith becomes very weak due to lying down for a long time in the state of sleep. It is because sleep is a kind of death, in which neither the angelic faculties nor the spirit of faith can remain. This is why in the Qur'an, praising the pious it is said: “They are in the habit of sleeping but little of the night” (51:17). There is a great Divine wisdom even in this short sleep, for to a great extent the heart and the mind of a human being becomes estranged from worldly ideas and thoughts of the whole day; at the same time fatigue is removed and the temperament becomes fresh. Therefore, one should lie down for a while and sleep peacefully. If there is no compulsion to engage in any special work, one should sleep on time at night and should wake up at the fixed time without any delay. However, it is a different matter if occasionally the assembly of Divine remembrance continues from evening until morning, which is alluded to in the Qur'an in verse (76:26).
If it is asked: “Is it not better that a mu'min, instead of getting up in the night, very early [before dawn] to do `ibadat, should perform the same amount of it or more before going to bed, and wake up late in the morning?” The answer is that such a practice is not correct for several reasons. First, God does not command so. Secondly, as mentioned above, by sleeping all night long, the mu'min's spirit becomes weak. Thirdly, the `ibadat which is performed after sleeping for a while is exceedingly better than that which is performed in the evening, because in doing so a great part of the worldly notions and thoughts vanish from the human heart and mind. It is for this reason that in the chapter Muzzammil (73) it is commanded to sleep for a while and then to get up for `ibadat. This is why seeking forgiveness in the early hours of dawn, is regarded as the sign of righteousness (51:18).
Dhikr and Knowledge
Dhikr is like travelling and knowledge and guidance are like light and sight. Thus if in accordance with the command of “Travel in it” (34:18), one wants to travel in the spiritual world within oneself, walking through it with dhikr, then one needs not only the eye of religious guidance but also the light of knowledge of certainty (`ilmu'l-yaqin). This is because when a person wants to travel through a country from one destination to another, they can travel easily and pleasantly only if there is light. Without light they cannot walk in the darkness of night, and even if they walk in the darkness to some extent like people who are blind, they can neither enjoy the natural scenes on the way nor can they derive as much happiness from such a journey as they would in the light, nor can they become aware of the signs of their destination, nor can they acquire any experiences and information from such a journey.
Further, it is necessary to know the reality that the perfect certainty which is the highest recognition (ma`rifat) is in three stages: The first is the stage of the knowledge of certainty (`ilmu'l-yaqin), the second that of the eye of certainty (`aynu'l-yaqin), and the highest is the stage of the truth of certainty (haqqu'l-yaqin). This proves that it is not possible to reach the eye of certainty which is the place of spiritual observations, without the knowledge of certainty. Again it is impossible to reach the truth of certainty without reaching the stage of the eye of certainty. Thus it is evident that without special guidance and religious knowledge there is no progress in dhikr.
Dhikr and Time
It has been commanded in various verses in the holy Qur'an to remember God abundantly. That is, God should be remembered and worshipped as much as possible at all times of the day and night. On the other hand night-time is considered more appropriate and more suitable for dhikr (73:6), and the reason for this has also been explained that during the daytime one remains greatly occupied in [worldly] work (73:7). By pondering on both holy verses, we come to the conclusion that when God says to remember Him abundantly day and night, it implies the abundant remembrance (dhikr-i kathir) which is easy and general; and that when He emphatically commands to remember (Him) in the early hours of the morning, it implies the hidden remembrance (dhikr-i khafi) and the remembrance of heart (dhikr-i qalbi), which is difficult and special. However, when it is said addressing the Prophet: “Lo! You have by day a chain of business” (73:7), this never means that the Prophet had no time during the day for Divine remembrance and worship (dhikr-u `ibadat), while he himself was the embodiment of dhikr i.e., the luminous remembrance used to automatically continue in his forehead. Rather, this verse by this allusion, means that the dhikr conducted during the day is considered as the general remembrance (dhikr-i `am) and dhikr at night as the special remembrance (dhikr-i khas) so that during the daytime, mu'mins who belong to different walks of life, easily remember God as much as possible according to their capacity and simultaneously perform their duties. At the special time of the night they should engage in the special dhikr with complete confidence and full attention, so that the special `ibadat at night may draw support and strength from the general `ibadat of the day, so that a special centre of Divine remembrance and worship may be established and the mu'mins may continue to look at it for spiritual and luminous results.
[For example] A very noble and righteous merchant is engrossed in his business. His business is flourishing. There is a big crowd of customers in his shop and a respected friend is sitting beside him. The merchant is conversing peacefully and gently sometimes with his friend and sometimes with the customers. When he turns his attention to a customer or to something else, his friend never feels that he discontinued the conversation with him and distracted his attention from him. For they have a mutually deep friendship and profound confidence in each other. Therefore, the respected friend is happy that the entire work of his friend is perfect and his shop is thriving with business. This is an example of the fact that true mu'mins along with their worldly business can remember God with any name and if such a general remembrance discontinues, it does not matter.
Dhikr and Occasion
A true mu'min should also know that in addition to fixed special and general times there are sometimes special occasions in which it is important to increase the dhikr more and more. Thus when God wants to try mu'min servants by afflicting them with a calamity, the wise mu'mins are availed a special opportunity which they should not lose. For, according to Qur'anic guidance there are three things hidden in every calamity, which are: blessing, mercy and guidance from God and which are available to those patient ones who say: “Verily! We belong to God and to Him we are returning” (2:155-157) and then continue His remembrance.
It is known to everyone that the most powerful and cunning enemy of religion is our own carnal soul, which continues to create numerous obstacles in every good deed, particularly in Divine remembrance and worship, and which never tires from hostility, enmity and evil attempts at which it mostly succeeds. However, there are certain special occasions, during which mu'mins may easily subdue their carnal soul. These occasions are the times of calamities and afflictions, in which the carnal soul is left despondent and helpless in the state of affliction. Thus on such occasions, Divine remembrance and worship can subjugate and trample the carnal soul and can reach a further stage.
Another golden occasion to subdue the carnal soul is to listen to conversation of true knowledge and Divine love, in which the mu'min's spirit of faith and intellect become happy, delighted, and powerful. At such a time, the carnal soul's control loosens and becomes weak. On such an occasion success is achieved by continuing dhikr for some time.
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