Aug 2010

This issue of The Sound Journal is about Remembrance—translation of a Sufi word “zikr” (or dhikr or zhikr). This practice is as basic to the Sufis as food. And anyone can have it, not just the Sufis! In countries all over the world, zikr goes on. At any given moment, two or more are repeating words of Remembrance in a rhythmical way. lā ilaha il allāh; there is no reality but The Reality. Allah Allah!  Some Sufi families adhere to a silent zikr; others are energetic and very active.

I wanted to invite friends of The Sound Journal to share their experiences about zikr. We are fortunate to have word-gifts from Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi, Llewellyen Vaughan-Lee, Zuleikha, Kabir Helminski, Rahim St John and Jonathan Iqbal Lewis.

Warmly,
Tamam Kahn, Editor-in-Chief

Contents

The Harmony of the Zikr, by Murshid Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
The Dhikr As An Archetype of Transformation, by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
Remembrance Alive! by Zuleikha
Radical Remembrance, by Kabir Helminski
A Poem and Some Words about Zikr, by Tamam Kahn
Two Phrases: Light on the Tongue, Heavy in the Balance, Loved by the Merciful, by Rahim St John
Erasing, a poem by Jonathan Iqbal Lewis

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