What is Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)?

2022

Finding: This review of trauma-healing approaches used after natural disasters listed dhikr among the practices that helped adult survivors ease post-traumatic stress, and noted it as a good fit for adults also managing physical conditions like high blood pressure. For someone drawn to dhikr, that points to its potential as a comforting part of recovery from a distressing event. Keep in mind this was a descriptive review that gathered together findings from other studies rather than measuring dhikr directly, so it reported no numbers on how large the benefit was; treat it as an encouraging early signal, not proof that dhikr treats PTSD.

2017

Finding: This review of prayer in Islam describes dhikr and prayer as central spiritual practices people use to ease stress and anxiety and to build a sense of calm, well-being, and self-control. Because it draws on descriptions of religious practice rather than a controlled trial of dhikr itself, it points to how the practice is used and experienced rather than measuring an effect, so treat it as supportive background rather than proof. The same review also flags a practical caution: leaning on prayer during serious or terminal illness can lead some people to delay or skip proven medical treatment, so dhikr is best used alongside, not instead of, medical or psychiatric care.

2015

Finding: This is a conceptual article rather than a clinical trial, and it puts forward an idea rather than a result: that the rhythmic, side-to-side ritual movements of Sufi dhikr may work in a way similar to the bilateral stimulation used in EMDR, a therapy for trauma and stress. If that connection holds, it could help explain why the practice feels steadying for some people, but the authors are clear this is a proposed pathway they hope future studies will test, not something that has been measured or demonstrated. For anyone drawn to dhikr, it is a reasonable reason for curiosity, though not yet evidence that the practice relieves trauma through this specific mechanism.

n = 22

Finding: In a small experiment with 22 Muslim postgraduate students listening to Qur'an recitations, heart rate stayed unchanged across every recitation style and overall mood did not shift. One melodic style (the Rast maqam) did measurably calm skin conductance and left listeners feeling more at peace, while reciting without melody nudged tension slightly upward, so the sound and cadence of what you hear may matter more than the words alone. Keep in mind this looked at passively listening to recitation rather than actively practising dhikr, and with so few participants and no control group, it is an early signal rather than firm proof.

2024

Finding: Reviewing how Muslim survivors coped after the 2023 southeast Turkey earthquakes, this paper points to spiritual practices like reliance on God, patience, prayer, and remembrance (dhikr) as parts of how people processed trauma and rebuilt a sense of meaning, and it argues these practices belong inside culturally adapted, faith-sensitive trauma therapy. For someone drawn to dhikr, this suggests it can sit comfortably alongside professional trauma care rather than instead of it. Keep in mind this is a conceptual review of existing writing, not a clinical trial: it describes and proposes rather than measures, so it does not on its own prove that dhikr improves recovery.

2025

Finding: This narrative review gathered existing studies on how religion and spirituality shape recovery from psychological trauma, and found that faith-based practices can support healing while also, in some cases, adding distress or guilt. For someone drawn to dhikr as part of trauma recovery, it points to a plausible but not guaranteed benefit, and a reminder that a spiritual practice can cut both ways depending on how it is held. The review does not test dhikr on its own, and it draws on descriptive accounts rather than controlled trials, so it cannot tell us how much dhikr specifically helps. Treat it as a thoughtful map of the territory, not proof that the practice reliably eases trauma.

n = 129

Finding: This study developed and tested a questionnaire for measuring Muslim religious coping, surveying 129 Pakistani university students at a single point in time and comparing their answers with ratings of anxiety, depression, and hostility under stress. Because it was designed to build a measurement tool rather than to test dhikr as a practice, it does not show that dhikr itself causes any change, and no effect sizes for dhikr were reported. For someone considering the practice, it is a reminder that the research here maps how religious coping relates to stress reactions in one student group, not a controlled trial; the current support for dhikr is largely descriptive rather than proof of a specific benefit.

n = 327

Finding: In a study of 327 Christian trauma survivors, people who prayed as a way to find calm and focus reported greater growth in the aftermath of trauma, such as a renewed sense of meaning or strength. That connection did not hold for those whose main trauma was interpersonal, like abuse or betrayal, suggesting devotional calming may help recovery after some hardships but not all. Because everyone was surveyed at a single point in time, we can't say the praying caused the growth, and since the participants were Christians rather than dhikr practitioners, the findings point in a promising direction for prayer-based calming rather than confirming it for this specific practice.

2017

Finding: This review of Islamic spiritual practice describes prayer and dhikr, the rhythmic remembrance and chanting of God's names, as core practices people use to ease stress and anxiety and to cultivate calm, well-being, and self-control. For someone drawn to dhikr, it points to a long tradition of using this practice as a way to settle the mind and steady the emotions during difficult times. That said, the picture here is drawn qualitatively from religious and spiritual practice in general rather than from controlled trials of dhikr on its own, so it describes how the practice is used and valued rather than measuring exactly how much it helps.