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times, and Allahuakbar 34 times, and, at the end of it, the following Kalimah,

“La ilaha illahu wahadahu la sharikalahu lahulmulku walahul hamdu wahuwa ala kulli shayin qadeer”

(There is no god but Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa). He is alone. No partner hath He. Unto Him belongs sovereignty and unto Him belongs Praise and He is all-Powerful)

All his sins will be forgiven even if they be as profuse as the foam of the sea.”

Subhan Allah wa Behamdhi

It is related by Hazrat Abu Huraira that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “He who will recite a hundred times morning and evening regularly no one shall take with him a greater provision of virtue to the Hereafter than him save the person who recited it even more.”

Another Tradition related again by Hazrat Abu Huraira says: “Two phrases sit very lightly on the tongue but are very heavy in the Balance of Deeds and Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) loves them very much.

These are Subhan Allah wa Behamdhi and Subhan Allahil Azim.

There are many other Zikr-formulas commended by the Prophet (Peace be upon him). But the few we have given here are quite sufficient for anyone to adopt for regular recitation.

As regards the reward and recompense in the hereafter promised in the Traditions it needs be noted that there is not fixed measure or a standard yardstick for it. Whoever will recite a Kalima of Zikr sincerely and with no other object than the propitiation of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) will, Insha Allah, merit the full reward no matter how many times and at what hour he does so. But when a spiritual guide prescribes a Zikr for anyone for a particular purpose like the kindling of Divine love or the awakening of the heart and the creation of a permanent consciousness of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) or for the eradication of a moral or spiritual ailment it is necessary to follow the routine he lays down and to do the Zikr as many times as he tells. Without this the desired results cannot be obtained by the devotee. For example, if a person recites the Surah of Al-Hamd-o-Sharif or any other Surah of the Quran as an act of religious merit there is no harm if he does so once in the morning, once at noon, once in the afternoon, once in the evening and couple of times in the night, but if he wants to learn the Surah by heart, also, he will have to recite it scores of times during one sitting. Otherwise he will not be able to memorize it. This is exactly the difference between an ordinary Zikr aimed only at Divine reward and the special Zikr which spiritual mentors prescribe to disciples for the cure of a spiritual morbidity or as a means for the attainment of any other objective of a similar category.

Many people get caught in confusion because of not knowing this difference. This is why these few lines have been added here.

The reading of the Quran

The reading of the Quran is also a very good Zikr. A Tradition says:

“The superiority of the Word of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) over any other word is the same as the superiority of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) over any of His creature.”

And Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood relates from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that: