What is Zakooriyat?
Throughout the Elementary Sufi Course, you should become familiar with Sufism
and, at the same time, obtain the spiritual grace of it too.
So make sure it is clear in your mind
that the first phase in Sufism,
the first phase,
P-H-A-S-E - not the word 'Faiz' from Urdu
the first phase in Sufism is Zakooriyat
Knowledge of Commemorating God’s Names
Zakooriyat
with the different souls and spirits.
In this famous Quranic clause,
God states,
in Surah 2:152
2:152
Here God states,
'If you want to befriend me, commemorate me and I shall commemorate you.'
'If you want to befriend me, commemorate me
and I shall commemorate you.'
'And do not reject this truth.'
This Quranic clause is commonly mistranslated and the word washkuruli is said
to be derived from the word ‘shukr’ (gratitude).
This is incorrect; commemoration of God and gratitude are two different things.
And if this were the case, then why is the next word immediately after it 'kufr' (rejection)?
So,
it doesn't make sense [in this context]
HDE Imam Mehdi Gohar Shahi has given us the hidden explanation of the Quran.
HDE Gohar Shahi elaborates that the word used here, washkuruli,
the word that has been used here,
has not been derived from shukr.
It has not been derived from shukr
rather it is from Suryani (the language God speaks), not Arabic.
In Suryani, the word mashkoor means friend,
Otherwise, what is meant by mashkoor-e-Ilahi (friend of God)?
So, mashkoor means friend.
therefore, the correct meaning of this Quranic clause is that,
'if you want to befriend me, commemorate me and I will commemorate you so that you become my friend.'
'And do not reject this truth, this secret, by dismissing it as a simple act of remembering God.’
'And do not reject this truth,'
"Such a small act for friendship with God?"
"All I have to do is remember him and he will remember me, then I will befriend God?"
God knows human nature, so he is saying this line with a great deal of emphasis
'Do not reject this truth.'
Like - "With this small act of remembrance, I can befriend God?"
‘Fazkuruni azkurukum washkuruli'
'if you want to befriend me, commemorate me and I will commemorate you so that you become my friend.'
'And do not reject this truth.'
This is why every religion -
whether it is Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism,
or even Buddhism. You'll find that Buddhists also do the rosary -
emphasises the importance of the commemoration and remembrance of God’s name.
All the religions know the importance and remembering and making mention of God
Hindus refer to commemorating God as Simran
while Sikhs refer to it as Jaap.
There is verbal commemoration with the tongue/breath and commemoration through the various souls/subtleties.
Hindus also practise the Zikar of the Breath (Synchronising God's Name with the Breath), as in the famous song 'Saanson ki Mala'.
So there is also Zikar of the Breath.
There is also Zikar of the heart,
other than the heart, there is also Zikar of the other subtleties.
So, Zakooriyat is not only to be done verbally.
Zakooriyat itself begins with the Activation of the Heart.
Zakooriat...
Audience: begins with the heart
begins with the Activation of the heart.
'Fazkuruni' means commemorate me, understood?
Some think, 'Ya Allah, Ya Allah, Ya Allah,' is all the Zikar they need,
but God has placed so many subtleties in you and they are only using their tongue
He hasn't placed this many subtleties for you to sit and make a cup of tea!
Commemorate God with all of them!
The requirements of this Quranic clause, 2:152, will only be fulfilled when all of the souls and their sub-spirits,
including the Nafs (Lower Self) and Ana (Higher Self), must engage in God’s commemoration, and reach their respective realms.
The tongue, the senses and all of the souls and their sub-spirits -
including the Nafs (Lower Self), the Main Soul, the Spiritual Heart, the Sirri, Ikhfah and Ana (Higher Self) -
must engage in God’s commemoration, and reach their respective realms.
That is one level [of Zakooriyat] completed.
Now, If God wants to grant you an even higher rank in Zakooriyat,
he will grant you Zikar e Sultani.