# لا تنسى (تنسَ) ذكر الله



## Ali Smith

مرحبًا

What does لا تنسى ذكر الله mean? If it means "Don't forget to remember God." shouldn't it have been لا تنسَ ذكر الله?

شكراً


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## elroy

“Don’t forget to mention God.” 
And yes, it should be تنسَ.
The way it’s written, it technically means “You don’t forget” or “She doesn’t forget.”


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## djara

elroy said:


> “Don’t forget to mention God.”


Indeed. That is the literal meaning. However ذكر also means prayer. You read the following in Kitab al 'ayn:
والِّذكْرُ: الصلاة، والدعاء، والثناء. والأنبياء إذا حزبهم أمر فزعوا إلى ذكر الله، أي: الصلاة.


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## Abbe

I think that the intended meaning of ذكر in this context is "remembrance", i.e. don't forget the remembrance of God (by actually mentioning Gods name or by remembering God in your thoughts)


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## djara

Abbe said:


> don't forget the remembrance


How can we ask someone not to forget what he already remembers (the remembrance)?
In the Islamic tradition الذكر الحكيم is the Koran, not the wise remembrance and لا تنس ذكر الله means don't forget your prayers to Allah


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## Abbe

I don't understand your objection. If you walk around thinking about worldly things and someone tells you don't forget to remember your Lord (with words or in your thoughts), how is that a problem?


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## djara

Abbe said:


> how is that a problem?


I have no problem with "don't forget to remember your Lord" (although I'd much prefer "don't forget your Lord), but I do have a problem with your original wording "don't forget the remembrance of God".


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## Abbe

I see. I don't know if native English speakers have the same objection, but the word dhikr has been translated as remembrance in many books, but maybe it doesn't fit in this context.

*The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife*
The Remembrance of God


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## elroy

“Don’t forget the remembrance of God” does not sound idiomatic to me.

I’m not sure ذَكَرَ/يَذْكُرُ can mean “remember,” but even assuming it can, I find djara’s reading more convincing. If “remember” were intended, I would expect “Don’t forget God” or “Remember God” — not “Don’t forget to remember God.”


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## djara

The etymological meaning of root ذكر is obviously to mention and to remember. What I'm saying is that it also has the meaning of prayer and I quoted a very early classical Arabic dictionary saying that  فزعوا إلى ذكر الله meant  الصلاة
When a Muslim organizes a ذكر in his home, it's not a ceremony to literaly remember God, but one of ritual group prayers.


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## elroy

I’m not talking about the root — I’m talking about the specific form: ذَكَرَ/يَذْكُرُ/ذِكْرًا as opposed to تَذَكَّرَ/يَتَذَكَّرُ/تَذَكُّرًا.


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## djara

elroy said:


> I’m not talking about the root


Sorry. My previous post (#10) was a reaction to post #8 by Abbe


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## Abbe

djara said:


> When a Muslim organizes a ذكر in his home, it's not a ceremony to literaly remember God, but one of ritual group prayers.


I don't know how it is used in Tunisia but I know for sure that if someone says that they will gather people for dhikr in their house the ritual prayer is not intended.


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## Ali Smith

elroy said:


> “Don’t forget to mention God.”
> And yes, it should be تنسَ.
> The way it’s written, it technically means “You don’t forget” or “She doesn’t forget.”


Thanks! Could لا تنسَ ذكر الله also mean "She should not forget to mention God."?


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## djara

Abbe said:


> I don't know how it is used in Tunisia but I know for sure that if someone says that they will gather people for dhikr in their house the ritual prayer is not intended.


That's the meaning I know for ذكرin Tunisia. And by prayers, I don't mean the five Salat, I mean du'a and ibtihalat. I'd love to know what it means in other parts of the world.


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## Abbe

If by prayer you mean supplication then I agree. Living in the West I meet Muslims from all over the world. When you are invited by any of the to dhikr it usually means reading a litany (wird) or/and reading qasaid. It may involve reading the Quran but that is not the main purpose of the majlis.


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## cherine

I agree with Djara’s posts. Dhikr is not remembering, but mentioning or talking about, and more accurately it’s the meaning given in post 3:


djara said:


> والِّذكْرُ: الصلاة، والدعاء، والثناء. والأنبياء إذا حزبهم أمر فزعوا إلى ذكر الله، أي: الصلاة.


Just saying  سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر is dhikr. It’s like glorifying or praising God or God’s name.


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## Samer11

I agree with Cherine, dhikr (or zikr) is a collective name for set phrases and prayers that may be said at any time with the intention of seeking spiritual improvement. أستغفر الله، باسم الله...
Gathering people for dhikr is not familiar to me at all.


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## cherine

Samer11 said:


> Gathering people for dhikr is not familiar to me at all.


It's more of a Sufi thing, so it makes sense that you don't know about it if you're from Saudi Arabia. In Egypt, such gathering is called حَلقة ذِكر.


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