*OFFICE OF SHOOBA TA’LIM, MKAGH* *Remembrance of Allah* *========================== *Misunderstandings about Dhikr* *========================= *Dhikr Versus Mesmerism* *========================== The reality is that what people refer to as Dhikr these days is actually a discipline that is called the science of al-Tarab and in English it is known as Mesmerism. And there is another science that is called Hypnotism which a doctor in France has invented. It has nothing to do with spirituality; rather, it is related to thought and God Almighty has placed such capability in thought that when it is especially drawn towards a particular direction, there develops in it a particular effect and through it, pleasure and exhilaration can be developed in the heart. However, this pleasure is just like the type attained by consuming opium, cocaine, or marijuana. In reality, however, that is not pleasure but a state of unconsciousness that is damaging for one’s health. In the same way when an effect is impressed on the nerves by focused attention, a state of drowsiness is induced which makes one feel pleasure, and these people think that this pleasure is due to saying ‘Allah, Allah’, whereas if they had been saying ‘Ram, Ram’ at the time, they would have experienced the same sort of pleasure. It is narrated that a revered Muslim was traveling in a boat when he started doing dhikr and did so with such power that the other people who were mainly Hindus also started saying, ‘Allah, Allah.’ However, there was a Hindu ascetic present who did not recite, ‘Allah, Allah.’ Thereupon the Muslim started especially focusing his thoughts upon the Hindu ascetic, but while he was still doing this, he himself started saying ‘Ram, Ram’ uncontrollably. This was because the Hindu ascetic had started focusing his attention on him to have ‘Ram, Ram’ issue forth from his lips. *=========================* *( *Remembrance of Allah—22*)* *=========================*