This is the ‘Dhikr of the seven souls’. Each dhikr corresponds to one of the seven souls as follows:
La ilaha ill’Allah 70,000 times which allows you to overcome al-nafs al-ammārah (the imperious soul)
Allah Allah 60,000 times which allows you to attain al-nafs al-lawwāmah (the reproachful soul)
Hu Hu (Him) 50,000 times which allows you to attain al-nafs al-mulhamah (the inspired soul)
Yā Ḥaqq (the Absolute) 40,000 times which allows you to attain al-nafs al-muṭma’inah (the tranquil soul)
Yā Ḥayy (the Living) 30,000 times which allows you to attain al-nafs al-rāḍiyah (the contented soul)
Yā Qayyūm (the Self-Sufficient) 20,000 times which allows you to attain al-nafs al-marḍiyyah (the soul which is pleasing to God)
Yā Qahhār (the Subduer) 10,000 times which allows you to attain al-nafs al-kāmilah (the perfected soul)
The time period should not exceed 40 days in total. If that is not possible, it should not exceed 40 days for each of the seven adhkar individually.
- What should we be focusing on when reciting these adhkar?
When reciting Lā ilāha ill’Allāh, the heart should witness that:
There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah
Nothing is sought other than Allah
Nothing is truly existent except Allah
Nothing should be witnessed other than Allah
لا معبود إلا الله
لا مقصود إلا الله
لا موجود إلا الله
لا مشهود إلا الله
When reciting Allah, Allah the heart should be focused on freeing itself from witnessing other than Allah
When reciting Hu, Hu the heart should be focused on witnessing Allah’s majesty, beauty, and perfection as they relate to His names, attributes, and His essence
When reciting Ya Ḥaqq the heart should be focused on negating all that is false – which is everything other than Allah – and affirming the existence of the Real (al-Ḥaqq) through the Real.
When reciting Ya Ḥayy the heart should be focused on the fact that Allah is the possessor of true life and that He gives life and death. You should ask that Allah gives the most perfect life to your heart, soul and inner secret.
When reciting Ya Qayyūm the heart should be focused on the fact that everything in creation exists by Allah’s name and is encompassed by Allah’s knowledge. You then are ready to witness the entire creation as acts of the Creator and thus never be heedless of Him.
When reciting Ya Qahhār the heart should witness that everything is in Allah’s control and that everything is subservient to Him.