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[Special Feature: The Dynamics of Islamic Knowledge and Practice: Across Texts, Rituals, and Societies] Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzīya's Traditionalist Ways of Dhikr

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzīya's (d. 751/1350) conception of dhikr (remembrance of God) as a central element of his traditionalist thought within the Ḥanbalī school. Although commonly portrayed as a disciple of Ibn Taymīya (d. 728/1328) and critic of philosophical Sufism, Ibn al-Qayyim's writings reveal a positive and practical engagement with dhikr. Through an analysis of al-Wābil al-ṣayyib, Madārij al-sālikīn, and Ṭarīq al-hijratayn, the paper elucidates his systematization of dhikr as a spiritual discipline. Rejecting innovations (bid‘a) such as dhikr performed solely with the Divine single name (“Allah”) or the personal pronoun (“huwa”), Ibn al-Qayyim argued that these practices lack Qur'ānic foundation and stem from a misinterpretation of Qur'ān 6:91. Instead, he emphasized grammatical and rhetorical accuracy in maintaining devotional and ethical integrity. By prioritizing baqā' (subsistence in God) over fanā' (annihilation in God), Ibn al-Qayyim articulated a “sober” spirituality grounded in transmitted knowledge and faithful contextual exegesis. His theory of dhikr thus reflects distinctive characteristics as a Ḥanbalī traditionalist in dealing with Sufis' spiritual journey.
DOI: 10.17983/kbias_19_6
Author: Rikuo HARA
Institution: Kyoto University
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7157558912
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