Some teachers tell their disciples that the heart has two doors, that which is fleshly, and that which is spiritual; and that the zikr jali has been established for the opening of the former, and zikr khafi for the latter, in order that they may both be enlightened.

To the uninitiated, such a ceremony appears but a meaningless rite, but to the Sufi, it is one calculated to convey great benefit to his inner man, as will appear from the following instructions which are given by a member of the Order respecting the zikr, which he says is a union of the heart and the tongue in calling upon God's name. "In the first place, the Shaikh, or teacher, must with his heart recite, 'There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah,' whilst the Murid [disciple] keeps his attention fixed by placing his heart opposite that of the Shaikh; he must close his eyes, keep his mouth firmly shut, and his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth; his teeth tight against each other, and hold his breath; then, with great force, accompany the Shaikh in the zikr, which he must recite with his heart, and not with his tongue. He must retain his breath patiently, so that within one respiration, he shall say the zikr three times, and by this means, allow his heart to be impressed with the meditative zikr."

"The heart," the same writer continues, "in this manner is kept constantly occupied with the idea of the Most High God: it will be filled with awe, love, and respect for Him; and, if the practiser arrives at the power of continuing to effect this when in the company of a crowd, the zikr is perfect. If he cannot do this, it is clear that he must continue his efforts. The heart is a subtle part of the human frame, and is apt to wander away after worldly concerns, so that the easier mode of arriving at the proceeding is to compress the breath, and keep the mouth firmly closed with the tongue forced against the lips. The heart is shaped like the cone of a fir-tree; your meditations should be forced upon it, whilst you mentally recite the zikr. 'Let the "La" be upward, the "ilaha" to the right, and the whole phrase "La ilaha illa 'llahu" (There is no God but Allah) be formed upon the fir-cone, and through it pass to all the members of the whole frame, and they feel its warmth. By this means, the world and all its attractions disappear from your vision, and you are enabled to behold the excellence of the Most High. Nothing must be allowed to distract your attention from the zikr, and ultimately, you retain by its medium, a proper conception of the Tawhid, or Unity of God.

"The cone-shaped heart rests in the left breast and contains the whole truth of man. Indeed, it signifies, the 'whole truth'; it comprises the whole of man's existence within itself and is a compendium of man; mankind, great and small, are but an extension of it, and it is to humanity what the seed is to the whole tree which it contains within itself: in fine, the essence of the whole of God's book and of all His secrets is the heart of man. Whoever finds a way to the heart, obtains his desire. To find a way to the heart is needed by a heartfelt service, and the heart accepts of the services of the heart. It is only through the fatigues of water and ashes that the Murid reaches the conversation of the heart and the soul; he will be then so drawn towards God, that afterwards without any difficulty, he may without trouble, in case of need, turn his face from all others towards the Tark (the abandonment of the world), the Haqiqat (the truth), the Hurriyat (the freedom), and the Zikr the recital of God's names and praises)."

As a curious instance of the superstitious character (sic) of this devotional exercise, the Chishtiyah order believe that if a man sits cross-legged and seizes the vein called kaimas, which is under the leg, with his toes, that it will give peace to his heart, when accompanied by zikr of the "nafi wa isbat, which is a term used for the Kalima, namely:-- La 'ilaha illa 'llahu, "There is no deity but God."

The most common form of zikr is a recital of the ninety-nine names of God, for Muhammad promised those of his followers who recited them, a sure entrance to Paradise (Mishkat, book cxi); and to facilitate the recital of these names, the zakir (or reciter) uses a tasbih (or rosary).