ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Self Building The Effects and Indications of Invocation (Dhikr) As it was explained earlier that invocation ( dhikr ), witnessing ( shahood ), and countenance ( laqa ), are esoteric positions; and are genuine spiritual perfections, whereby a wayfarer really attains an exalted rank of existence which was not accomplished by him earlier.

If it is said: the position of witnessing is real and similarly, if it is said: the position of love, the position of compliance, the position of desire, the position of union, and the positions of countenance are not metaphorical, rather are real positions; it means that the relevant position represents a rank and degree of a real existence, which naturally should be accompanied with new effects and indications, so that the existence of that perfection could be identified through them.

Here, we would describe the details of the following effects: Commitment for God's Obedience When some one attains a position whereby in his esoteric essence witnesses God's Beauty and sees himself in His presence, without any doubt will obey His commands absolutely. Whatever, he has been commanded to do will be performed by him and will refrain himself from things made forbidden for him.

If, a human being wants to know whether he has attained that position or not, he must evaluate his commitments towards Divine positive and negative commands and in accordance to his performance may determine his relative rank. It is not possible that a human being would have attained the exalted position of love and witnessing and would not have a total commitment towards Divine commands.

Imam al-Sadiq has defined the invocation ( dhikr ) as follows: قال ابو عبدالله عليه السلام: (فى حديث الى ان قال) ولكن اذ اورد عليك شئ امر الله به اخذت به واذا ورد عليك شئ نهى عنه تركته.

“Invocation is meant that when some one encounters an act which has been made mandatory by God-Almighty he performs it and if it is forbidden, he refrains from it.” [^1] Imam al Husayn (a.s.) in his prayer of Arafah said: يا من اذاق احبائه حلاوة المؤانسة فقاموا بين يديه متملقين و يا من البس اوليائه ملابس هيبته فقاموا بين يديه مستغفرين. “Oh God-Almighty!

Thou are the One Who has poured the sweetness of Your love inside your friend's mouths so that they should stand in prayer in front of You and must adore You with humility.