See the http://www.marifah.net articles on raqs/hadra too.

Also, isn’t it interested how all of the dhikr/du’a we get from the Qur’an and Sunnah are full sentences…

Allahu-Akbar – Allah is The Greatest
Subhan-Allah – Glory be to Allah
Alhamdu-Lillah – All thanks/praise be to Allah
Astaghfir-Allah – I seek forgiveness from Allah

…yet they’re chanting just the word “Allah” for a good minute or so at a time?

Just my thoughts.

I mean, Allahu Alam. Someone might have read the statement, misconstrued it, then did something that you would have been held accountable for.

In any case, my comment was more of a general nature, and I honestly don’t know enough about the practice of dhikr (as dipicted in the hadra videos) to comment on it. Although I will say that, as Muslims, we should always put some effort into confirming that the acts of ibadah that we engage in are Islamically sound.

InshAllah I’ll leave it at that.

Walsalamualaikum

YoussefAlMasry on May 15, 2007 at 10:57 am said:

Br. Amir,

You were a little neglegant in your statement. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you didn’t actually mean to say “Whatever brings you closer to Allah, do it.”

OBVIOUSLY, that is NOT the case in Islam. I am sure you agree with me that any form of ibadah should have a sound grounding in the Quran and/or Sunnah. Otherwise, there would be no such thing called “Islam,” only each individual’s whims.

I realize this was likely an unintentional slip up; but you should acknowledge this error, nonetheless, in light of your large reader base.

Ma’Salama

You are correct. What I meant when I said that was. If praying tahajud brings you closer to Allah. Then do it. If reading Qur’an brings you closer to Allah, then do it. If listening to lectures by scholars brings you closer to Allah, then do it. Whatever brings you closer to Allah, just do it. Just as long as it does not contradict the qur’an, the sunnah, the shariah and what the scholars of ahlus sunna wal jammah have said in Islam’s 1,427-year history.

The dhikr in the audio of the file I posted brings me personally closer to Islam and Allah.

Mujahideen Ryder on May 15, 2007 at 8:45 am said:

It’s not for everyone. If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, you don’t. It’s very easy, really.

Whatever brings you closer to Allah, do it.

Do you.

Br. Amir,

You were a little neglegant in your statement. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you didn’t actually mean to say “Whatever brings you closer to Allah, do it.”

OBVIOUSLY, that is NOT the case in Islam. I am sure you agree with me that any form of ibadah should have a sound grounding in the Quran and/or Sunnah. Otherwise, there would be no such thing called “Islam,” only each individual’s whims.

I realize this was likely an unintentional slip up; but you should acknowledge this error, nonetheless, in light of your large reader base.

Ma’Salama

burgundy on May 15, 2007 at 8:18 am said:

Sorry, I felt like that just gave me a big headache.

How is that supposed to draw me closer to Allah? Something like prayer, or dhikr or reading Quran is so peaceful and spiritual. This is just weird. Drumming and loud singing, i can’t imagine or know that the sahabah did that?

Next thing you know, we wana dance around and say Allah Allah :0)? Wait..christians do that and they claim it gets them closer to Allah.

It’s not for everyone. If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, you don’t. It’s very easy, really.

Whatever brings you closer to Allah, do it.

Do you.