Meaning of Dhikr ذكر - Remembrance of ALLAH

What is the meaning of ذكر Dhikr? How can we do Remembrance of ALLAH? What guidance can we get from The Quran? A concise post.

2/16/2026

Written by: Aware Ascent

Quran based self development

What is the Meaning of Dhikr ذِكۡر

An act or state or conduct of remembering, recalling and/or bringing to mind, attention, awareness and/or mention and/or keeping, retaining in mind, attention, awareness, mention and/or utterance. OR A book, set of words, message, communication as reminder, mention, or something to remember or keep in mind.

Below is preformatted definition for a more accurate understanding and ease of conceptualizing and learning. The ”/” means “and” or “or” depending on context.

An : Act / state / conduct : of :
remembering / recalling / bringing to : mind / attention / awareness / consciousness / mention:
and/or :
keeping / retaining : in : mind / attention / awareness / consciousness / mention / utterance  
OR
A : book / set of words / message / communication :  
as : 
reminder / mention / something to remember or keep in mind.

Conceptual Dimensions of Zikr / Dhikr ذِكۡر

Internal: Remembering, recalling, consciousness, awareness, attention. (Self, heart, mind)
External: Reminding, mentioning, uttering. (Tongue)

Remembrance of ALLĀH (Dhikr / Zikr of ALLĀH) ذِكۡرُ اللّٰهِ

May include one or more of the following depending on the context.

Remembering ALLĀH.
Being attentive of, mindful of, aware and conscious of ALLĀH.
Remembering, recalling or bringing the Name and/or awareness and consciousness of ALLĀH, to heart, mind, attention, and/or Name of ALLĀH to utterance, mention.
Keeping and retaining the Name and/or awareness and consciousness of ALLĀH in heart, mind, attention, awareness and/or Name of ALLĀH to utterance, mention.
Publicly making mention of ALLĀH.

A Necessary Feature of Qurʾān Based Meditation - The Remembrance of ALLĀH ذِكۡرُ اللّٰهِ

The remembrance of ALLĀH is a necessary and important part of any meditation to be considered compatible with The Qurʾān. There is no concept of complete emptiness of mind; the remembrance, thought, consciousness, awareness of ALLĀH should remain.
No formal sitting posture is required for the Remembrance of ALLĀH. Remembrance of ALLĀH can be done much and during a wide range of postures and even activities, e.g. standing, sitting, lying on the sides and routine activities.

Some Possible Depths and Shades of this Remembrance of ALLĀH ذِكۡرُ اللّٰهِ

Making mention of ALLĀH openly and publicly.
Remembering ALLĀH verbally and audibly.
Remembering ALLĀH silently or by whispering.
Remembering ALLĀH mentally and in the heart.
Remembering ALLĀH with an awareness and consciousness of ALLĀH.

Trying to Get Guidance from The Qurʾān on Remembrance of ALLĀH ذِكۡرُ اللّٰهِ

Sets of Words from Qurʾānic Aayaat are pasted below with the translation attempts.

Abundance or Muchness of Remembrance of ALLĀH ذِكۡرُ اللّٰهِ

یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذۡكُرُوا۟ اللّٰهَ ذِكۡرࣰا كَثِیرࣰا ۝٤١

O! behold / take notice! the ones who have believed: remember ALLĀH an abundant remembrance. (Translation attempt for The Qurʾān 33:41)

Integrating Dhikr of ALLĀH ذِكۡرُ اللّٰهِ in parallel with daily life and its routine activities

ٱلَّذِینَ یَذۡكُرُونَ اللّٰهَ قِیَـٰمࣰا وَقُعُودࣰا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ

The ones who remember ALLĀH, standing, and sitting, and upon their sides … (Translation attempt for Words from The Qurʾān 3:191)

یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُلۡهِكُمۡ أَمۡوَٰلَكُمۡ وَلَاۤ أَوۡلَـٰدُكُمۡ عَن ذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِ

O! behold / take notice! the ones who have believed: do not let your material assets nor your children distract you away from remembrance of ALLĀH … (Translation attempt for Words from The Qurʾān 63:9)

رِجَالࣱ لَّا تُلۡهِیهِمۡ تِجَـٰرَةࣱ وَلَا بَیۡعٌ عَن ذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِ

Men, trade does not distract them nor sale away from remembrance of ALLĀH … (Translation attempt for Words from The Qurʾān 24:37)

ٱذۡهَبۡ أَنتَ وَأَخُوكَ بِـَٔایَـٰتِی وَلَا تَنِیَا فِی ذِكۡرِی ۝٤٢

Go, you and your brother, with My signs and do not slacken in My remembrance. (Translation attempt for The Qurʾān 20:42)

Zikr of ALLĀH ذِكۡرُ اللّٰهِ with the heart and in the self

وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ فِی نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعࣰا وَخِیفَةࣰ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡـَٔاصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَـٰفِلِینَ ۝٢٠٥

And remember your Maintainer Lord in yourself, in pleading humility and in a fearful manner, and other than being overt in speech, in the morning and the late afternoons, and do not happen to be of the heedless. (Translation attempt for The Qurʾān 7:205)

وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُۥ فُرُطࣰا

… and do not obey one who We made heedless his heart regarding Our remembrance, and who followed his : hollow / substance-less : falling inclinations, and his affair happened to be an abandonment of what is due. (Translation attempt for The Qurʾān 18:28)

ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطۡمَىِٕنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِۖ أَلَا بِذِكۡرِ اللّٰهِ تَطۡمَىِٕنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ

The ones who have believed and their hearts tranquilly settle¹ with the remembrance of ALLĀH. Unquestionably, with the remembrance of ALLĀH, the hearts tranquilly settle. (13:28)

¹: in a : settled / stable / (enduring) / established : state of : calm / tranquility / (stillness) : free from : agitation / disturbance / turmoil / unrest / anxiety / worry / tension / discomfort / uneasiness / being upset / fear : etc.

Remembering the Name of ALLĀH

وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَیۡهِ تَبۡتِیلࣰا ۝٨

And remember the name of your Maintainer Lord and fully detach yourself to Him, a complete detachment. (73:8)

وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ بُكۡرَةࣰ وَأَصِیلࣰا ۝٢٥

And remember the name of your Maintainer Lord, morning and evening. (76:25)

Important Clarification

If there is anything correct and useful in this post, it is only due to ALLĀH’s Guidance, and if there is any kind of mistake or shortcoming, it is due to me, an ordinary slave of ALLĀH. Exact translation is not possible for ordinary texts, and this is The Word of ALLĀH’s, on which more caution is required, and writing translation alone is inaccurate and wrong. That is why I write translation attempt and not translation, no matter how hard I try to translate as accurately, literally and faithfully as I can.

Post last edited: 16th February 2026

Transliteration Table

Arabic	Transliteration	Explanation
ء	ʾ	Glottal stop (Hamza). Often omitted at the start of a word.
أ إ ؤ ئ	ʾ	Hamza on a seat. Transliterated as ʾ regardless of the carrier.
ا	ā Ā	Long vowel 'a'. Functions as a vowel lengthener.
ب	b B	Standard English 'b'.
ت	t T	Standard English 't'.
ث	th Th	Voiceless dental fricative (as in "think").
ج	j J	As in the word "jump".
ح	ḥ Ḥ	Deep throat 'h'. Dot indicates pharyngeal sound.
خ	kh Kh	Like the Scottish "loch" or Spanish 'j'.
د	d D	Standard English 'd'.
ذ	dh Dh	As in the word "this".
ر	r R	A rolled or tapped 'r'.
ز	z Z	Standard English 'z'.
س	s S	Standard English 's'.
ش	sh Sh	As in the word "shoe".
ص	ṣ Ṣ	Emphatic 's'. Deep, heavy 's' sound.
ض	ḍ Ḍ	Emphatic 'd'. Deep, heavy 'd' sound.
ط	ṭ Ṭ	Emphatic 't'. Deep, heavy 't' sound.
ظ	ẓ Ẓ	Emphatic 'z/dh'. Deep, heavy 'z' sound.
ع	ʿ	ʿAyn. Deep throat sound (voiced pharyngeal).
غ	gh Gh	Gargling sound like the French 'r'.
ف	f F	Standard English 'f'.
ق	q Q	A 'k' sound from the very back of the throat.
ك	k K	Standard English 'k'.
ل	l L	Standard English 'l'.
م	m M	Standard English 'm'.
ن	n N	Standard English 'n'.
ه	h H	Standard English 'h'.
و	w/ū W/Ū	Consonant 'w' or long vowel 'u'.
ي	y/ī Y/Ī	Consonant 'y' or long vowel 'i'.
ة	ah/at	Tāʾ marbūṭah. Pause on 'ah', link with 'at'.
ى	ā/á	Alif maqṣūrah. Final long 'a'.