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for remembrance, it is proximity to Allah and communion with Him. If its purpose
is not conversation and dialogue, it must be a verbal and vocal exercise, set to
test the tongue in the same way as the belly and the genitals are tested by


abstinence during the fast, as the body is tested by the ordeals of Pilgrimage, or
as one is tested by having to part with beloved money on paying the Alms.

Without a doubt, this latter supposition must be wrong, for nothing comes more
easily to the heedless than idle tongue wagging. It cannot, therefore, be a simple
physical exercise. The sounds produced are significant only when they form
articulate speech. Articulate speech must be expressive of what is in the heart
and mind, and this is not possible without conscious awareness.

What is the point of praying: “Guide us to the Straight Path,” if one is in a state of
absentmindedness? If it is not intended as a humble entreaty and supplication,
why bother with the idle mouthing of the words, especially if it has become a
habit?