Ettiquetes of Zikr

As for its ettiquettes [ādābiha], there are twenty-two. Among them are five which precede the utterance of the remembrance: (1) Repentance [at-tawbah]. That is the slave's abandoning whatever is not meant for him, in word, deed and desire. (2) Complete cleanliness from ritual impurity and filth. (3) Silence and stillness. (4) Seeking the spiritual assistance, from the spiritual will [himma] of the Shaykh, in the heart- when initiating and all the while during it. That is because he is the escort, and the best of escorts in the journey to Allah. And this is one of the most important etiquettes. Even if he calls upon his Shaykh for help with his tongue when he has a need, it is permissible. (5) Knowing that seeking assistance of the Shaykh is in reality seeking the assistance of the Prophet (SWS), since the Presence is One. Among them are twelve while performing remembrance [fī ḥāl adh-Dhikr]: (1) Sitting in a pure place with one's legs folded, or like the sitting in prayer- he latter being preferred. Facing the Qiblah if he is alone, in a circle if not- with them alternating stances, the one who begins sitting like the sitting in prayer and the last with his legs folded. (2) Placing one's hands on one's knees. (3) Perfuming the place of remembrance, the body and the mouth and doing away with bad odors, since the place of remembrance is not free of angels and believing jinn. And they do not approach bad odors.So when they depart from the place of remembrance, the spiritual assistance departs- as is witnessed by spiritual experience. (4) Donning a clean, lawful, perfumed robe. (5) That the place be dark. Even if there is a lamp in it, it should be put out, even if its the only one and being used. This is on the condition that one can. (6) Closing ones eyes, since this assists in illuminating the heart. For by that, one cut off the avenues of the physical senses. And by their being cut off, it opens for him the spiritual senses. (7) Keeping the image of his Shaykh before his eyes, in whatever way he can. And that is the most confirmed of etiquettes. (8) Sincerity. This is equal for the inner and outer (9) Pure devotion. That is that the action should be purified from every blemish. So one should not seek the world, nor the hereafter, reward, nor high status. One should only remember Allah out of love for Allah. (10) That one practice remembrance with a perfect concentration. (11) That the meaning of the remembrance be present in the heart with every utterance. And that one listen, during the remembrance, to his heart, keeping the meaning present, until it is as if one's heart is the rememberer and he is the one listening. (12) Expelling everything from the heart other than Allah, the Exalted, by "Lā ilāha illā Allah," enabling "Lā ilāha illā Allah" to impact the heart and flow to the limbs. And among them are five after finishing the remembrance: (1) Silence and sitting still, keeping the remembrance present by keeping up with it in his heart, taking advantage of what proceeds from the remembrance. For maybe it will furnish him with a profit in the blinking of an eye and he will be provided in a moment what thirty years of struggle would not have provided him with. And this profit could be abstinence, piety, bearing patiently with injury, unveiling, love or more than that. Then, if one is quite and still, the profits will encompass all of his affairs. So it is incumbent upon him to wait as much as is possible. If not, he should leave. (2) Vigilance with respect to Allāh, the Exalted, until it is as if he is directly in front of Him. (3) That he gather all of his senses so that not even a hair on him should move, like the state of the cat when it hunts a mouse. (4) That he restrain himself repeatedly until the benefits encompass all of his affairs. That is because that is the easiest way to illuminate his insight, remove the veils, and to cut off the insinuations of the nafs and Shaytan- since when he restrains himself and hinders his senses, he becomes like the dead person. And Shaytan does not seek out the dead person. (5) Never drinking water following the remembrance, nor during it. That is because remembrance is a fire which brings lights, manifestations,profits, and the longing on account of the instigation of the One remembered. And drinking water puts out every fire. At the very least he should be patient for half an hour. And whoever can wait longer is better, to the point that the sincere one almost does not drink, except under extreme circumstances. - Sīdī Muḥammad Naẓīfī: Foundations of Illumination and Gratification in What Remembrances and Litanies Pertain to the Tijani [Mabādi al-Ishrāq wa al-Isʼād fī mā li at-Tijānī min al-Idhkār wa al-Awrād] translated from the Arabic by Sidi Talut Dawood