Murshid Hidayat Inayat-Khan now offers his recollection of the Singing Zikar as taught by his Father. The previous post in the series is here.

The Zikar Meditation in the early days

Hazrat Inayat Khan explained so often that the object intended by holding a rhythmic pattern, when done collectively, is to obtain a perfectly harmonized coordination of the rotation movement, while chanting on the sacred words of the Zikar: “La El La Ha El Allah Hu.”

The rhythm was guided accurately by a mechanical Maelzel metronome. Some mureeds could not always understand the mystical values of adopting a rhythmic pattern throughout an esoteric practice, although so many indications regarding the importance of that particular subject are available in the various Gitas, Sangathas, and Sangitas.

In the early years, a tampura and an Indian sitar were utilized during the collective chanting of the “Gentle Singing Zikar”, ensuring thereby that all the voices were constantly harmonized to a given pitch throughout the entire practice.

After the Zikar meditation, all went home silently. Several mureeds took the firm resolution not to speak until the next morning.

To be continued…