Dhikr (or Zikr, "Remembrance ", "pronouncement", "invocation") ', plural '; ), is an Islamicdevotional act, typically involving the repetition (mostly refer to reciting or chanting) of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity. At the same time, dhikr encompasses a broader meaning in the Islamic sources, including when God is the one who performs dhikr.

Broad meaning

The word dhikr is commonly translated as "remembrance" or "invocation". In reality, it has taken a wide range and various layers of meaning. For instance, while dhikr is commonly understood as the practice of remembering God, it has also been used in the Islamic sources to indicate God as the subject and the servant as the object of dhikr, and also been directly applied to the Islamic prophet,Muhammad, as embodiment of dhikr of God.

Essentially, the practice of dhikr is a form of prayer in which the Muslim will express his or her remembrance of God either within or overtly; this may come in the form of recitation, lyrical chanting, or simply always remembering God in one’s heart. In tasawwuf (Islamic mysticism orSufism) dhikr is most likely the most frequent form of prayer. Among the orders of Muslims that practice dhikr, there are some who advocate silent, individual prayer, while others join together in an outward, group expression of their love for God.