So many of you have expressed the longing for something to return to when the world becomes too much. Something that does not require effort or explanation or understanding even, but only requires a sense of delicate presence. And so I wanted to offer you a small prayer to remind you of the power of returning to your breath, aligning your heart to Allah, and finding the peace that can only come from the remembrance of the Divine.
“Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.”
—Qur’an 13:28
In this dhikr practice, the breath becomes a quiet doorway to our Creator. With every inhale and exhale, you will be invited to remember what your body, spirit, and deep heart already intimately knows: It is through the light of Allah’s generous love that we are sustained, seen, and embraced in His all encompassing Mercy.
There is nothing you need to fix, nothing you need to become, nothing you need to achieve. I am inviting you to enter into this space not to do, but to be held. When we recite the name of Allah, something mysterious happens, something that the heart feels even if the mind cannot understand. Let yourself feel this remembrance, this soft returning, slowly letting the heart loosen its grip and the nervous system learn a kinder rhythm, a rhythm that awakens us to ourselves.
You can come to this practice whenever you need it. You can come at night before you sleep or in the middle of your day when everything feels loud inside. You can come when you feel anxious, when your breaths feel shallow, or when your heart deeply longs for Allah.
As Rumi says, “Come as you are.” Come tired, full, unsure, open, broken, longing, numb, grieving…whatever you feel is welcome here.
After all, the wonderful thing about remembering is that it does not begin when the words start, but it begins the moment the heart becomes aware and turns. So in a way it has already begun, even before you hit play!
To drop into the guided prayer press the play button at the top of the post to experience a 10 minute guided, audio dhikr session.
I pray that this practice serves you and becomes a companion on the path of greater awareness of yourself and your most loving Lord.
In prayers of light upon light,
A. Helwa
