Dr. Ali Gomaa, a member of Al-Azhar’s Senior Scholars, emphasized that dhikr is the essential worship of the heart—the act through which the soul finds peace and spiritual stability. Citing the Qur’anic verse “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest”, he explained that the heart is the center of righteousness and corruption, referencing the hadith: “In the body is a morsel of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound…”, showing that dhikr is the pillar upon which the heart stands.

He added that a believer’s heart lives through remembrance, for the one who remembers Allah is like the living, while the one who neglects it resembles the dead, as described in the Prophet’s ﷺ saying. He compared the connection between dhikr and other acts of worship to the bond between a tree and the soil—it cannot stand without it.

Gomaa noted that dhikr surrounds all acts of worship, from the opening takbeer of prayer to the basmala that Allah boasts of before His angels, saying: “My servant has remembered Me.” Scholars have also stated that dhikr is a sign of divine love, for no true lover forgets the One they love.

He cited Imam Al-Shaarani, who described dhikr as the key to divine secrets, the comfort of the lonely, and the banner of spiritual closeness, explaining that it unifies the heart and elevates the soul, whether standing, sitting, or lying down.

He concluded that the path to God begins with dhikr and ends with it, shaping the journey of seekers until the remembrance overwhelms the heart and leads them to a state of perpetual presence with their Lord.