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The Power of Dhikr Walks: Mind, Body, Wealth, and Soul
Saufiyah Ali
June 29, 2024
Length: 2,437 words
Read time: 9m 45s
I used to take a car to park.
I used to take a car to workout.
I used to take a car to grocery shop.
I used to take a car to go down the block.
I used to do everything in my power not to walk.
I hated walking.
It felt like a waste of time especially when I could go faster in a car.
It hurt me more than it saved me 10-15 minutes.
If there's one thing that changed my life, it's walking.
And not just any walk.
A dhikr walk.
Let me explain how it can change your life too.
The Secret to Mind, Body, Wealth, and Soul
I've heard of power walks, brisk walks, city walks, mindful walks, fitness walks...
But never dhikr walks.
How did I come up with this?
I always saw people talking about the power of walks, but it seemed pointless to me.
No wonder I hated walking.
But when I started studying the Qur'an, the Seerah, the stories of the Prophets — I started to notice something,
Walking is an islamic ritual.
During Umrah & Hajj, one of the main rituals is "Sa'i," a brisk walk or jog between the hills of Safa and Marwa.
This practice commemorates Hajar’s desperate search for water for her son Ismail, showing how walking itself becomes an act of devotion.
Imagine Hajar.
All alone in the middle of the desert with no civilization in sight.
With a newborn.
How desperate was this mother to find sustenance for her baby?
How determined was she to find a way out for her baby?
How hopeful was she to find relief for her baby?
How in despair was she but full of faith with Allah to find sustenance for her baby?
She went back and forth between the hills seven times.
This act in itself became a ritual. A part of our worship.
An intentional walk.
A walk where you remember Allah.
In other words, a dhikr walk.
One of the Prophet's name is مذكّر Mudhakkir, when means "the one who reminds".
This is connected to "dhikr" — or remembrance of God.
Remembrance is about bringing something back to mind.
It's about mindfulness.
The Modern Epidemic of Laziness
COVID has made us the laziest society of humans ever.
The necessity to move has gone down to zero.
We have Amazon, Instacart, Ubers, cars, trains, buses… pretty much everything to reduce our need to walk.
This convenience (while helpful) has led to a sedentary lifestyle that impacts our health negatively.
Remote work became the norm.
The daily commute turned into a walk from the bedroom to the home office.
Sometimes it's a walk from the bed to 6 feet away at the bedroom desk.
Sometimes there's no walk at all.
Physical activity plummeted as outdoor activities were restricted.
Post-COVID many of us have held on to these habits.
We order groceries online, have food delivered, and binge-watch media on streaming platforms. The ease and convenience of modern technology have led to a decline in physical activity, making us more sedentary than ever before.
We are in an epidemic of laziness.
A sedentary lifestyle leads to:
weight gain
depression and anxiety
diseases and heart issues
fewer mood boosting chemicals (like endorphin)
Basically, you deteriorate in every aspect possible the less you move.
Dhikr Walk For Health
Allāh has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies, and of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allāh creates what He wills. Indeed, Allāh is over all things competent. [24:45]
There are many different types of animals and creatures with legs. But most of them don't walk like we do. We are bipeds: an animal or machine that moves by means of its two rear (or lower) limbs and legs.
We are quite literally made to walk.
If you don't walk, what happens?
Your mind gets dull, your body gets fat, your heart gets sick.
1) Walking burns fat
If you're fat, you need to take a walk.
When you walk, you lose calories.
When you lose calories, you lose weight.
When you lose weight, you are healthier.
When you are healthier, you are happier.
When you are happier, everything falls into place.
When I was in Madinah, it was rare to see a fat local.
In fact, I don't think I saw any.
Anyone who's walking to the mosque to pray is taking at least 10k steps daily.
My average daily steps in Madinah.
The Prophet ﷺ and the Sahāba were not obese.
Being overweight makes you lazy.
Lazy in health.
Lazy in mind.
Lazy in worship.
Need I say more?
It's not just about weight though.
2) Walking gets you more exposure to sunlight.
Boost vitamin D levels (bone health and immune function)
Regulate your circadian rhythm (Improve sleep quality and mood)
Without proper sleep, your brain will not be at peak performance.
3) Walking aids you with digestion.
Good digestion = good gut health.
Walking creates movement that reduces issues like bloating and constipation.
Have you ever heard of why your guts are the second brain? The gut feeling?
Watch the documentary “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut”.
4) Walking gets you drinking water.
When you walk, you sweat.
Especially if it's warmer for you now as it is here in New York.
You naturally feel the need to drink more water.
Proper hydration is key to every bodily function — from regulating body temperature to keeping your joints lubricated.
So next time you walk, remember it’s not just about weight.
It’s everything from your bones to your gut.
Dhikr Walk For Mindfulness
The Prophet ﷺ was a walker.
Walking isn't just exercise.
It's a practice of mindfulness.
For my speech class I did a project The Benefits of Walking during my freshman year in college.
The difference in brain activity levels was incredible.
I used to think mindfulness meant sitting pretzel-legged on the floor, putting my thumb and index finger together, and chanting "ohmnn."
This gave me weird idol-worshiping vibes and I let go of it quick.
Little did I know mindfulness isn't confined to a single posture or ritual.
Mindfulness is bringing awareness to the present.
Mindfulness is observing thoughts without attachment.
Mindfulness is engaging with the current moment, not future worries or past events. (Have you ever noticed how many times Allah tells us not to grieve or worry?)
In Islam, mindfulness (al-muraqabah) is a spiritual state in which a believer is aware of Allah's presence over his inward and outward actions.
This religion is full of mindfulness.
Wake up? Say the du'a for waking up.
Go to bathroom? Say the du'a before entering the bathroom.
Go outside? Say the du'a for going outside.
Pray? Be present and attentive in prayers.
Eat? Say Bismillah before eating.
Marital relations? Say the du'a before intercourse.
Du'a is a powerful way to be mindful.
Mindfulness has been shown to activate certain brain regions involved in direct sensory experience, such as the insula and somatosensory areas.
This practice helps individuals become more attuned to their current bodily sensations and surroundings, reducing the dominance of narrative thinking, which is often linked to stress and anxiety
Walking is a powerful way to practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the key to leading a happy life.
We will talk about how to walk for mindfulness later.
Dhikr Walk For Soul
When a man goes out of his house to his Masjid, one foot records a good deed and the other erases a bad deed. [Sunan an-Nasa'i]
Walking is very much a spiritual thing just as much as it is health.
Each step taken towards the mosque erases a sin and earns a good deeds.
In this simple act of walking, one can gain both spiritual and physical benefits.
What if I’m not walking to the mosque?
The Qur'an gives us guidance on walking:
"And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace." [25:63]
Isn't it interesting that the Qur'an links walking with peace? Studies from Stanford and Harvard show that walking, especially in nature, reduces anger and increases calmness by lowering activity in brain regions associated with negative emotions and stress.
Remember we are not just doing any kind of walk. As you walk:
Reflect on your state
Recite verses from the Qur'an
Repeat short phrases like:
"Alhamdulillāh" (Praise be to Allāh) (bonus tip: be specific and Allah will bless you with more)
“SubhanAllāh" (Glory be to Allāh)
“Astagfirullāh” (I seek forgiveness from Allah) (bonus tip: think of a sin and Allāh will erase it and turn it into a good deed)
This practice not only enhances your spiritual state but also keeps your mind focused and your heart sound.
So next time you walk, make it a dhikr walk.
Dhikr Walk For Wealth
Some of my best ideas for business came during a walk.
Researchers studied the effects of a walk on the cognitive performance of a group of children. Reading comprehension performance was significantly better after exercise.
During my walks I:
These walks not only give me energy but also provide a steady stream of creative ideas.
It’s these very ideas that generate me a creative income.
People tell you to be productive but they don’t tell you you also need to be creative.
Creativity doesn’t just happen, you need to allocate time to get those connections flowing.
Walking helps you break free from mental blocks, find new perspectives, and appreciate the beauty around you.
This connection with nature and movement of your body can stimulate your brain and lead to creative breakthroughs.
P.S. I have a free + paid system coming out on how I do all this stuff next month.
Putting that out there on your conscious radar in case you were interested.
Make Walking A Forever Habit: Turn It Into A Game
When I first started walking it wasn’t easy.
I did everything in my willpower to not walk.
I've been documenting my life since I was 14 (I suggest you start recording what goes on in your life too)
Reading my journals, I realized I gamified everything in my life.
My chores. My friendships. My tests. My money. My grades. My food. My goals.
So why not walking?
I used to be addicted to a MMORPG game called Runescape.
MMORPG means a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
It's a story-driven online game where players assume characters in a virtual world and interact with many others, combining quests, strategy, and social interaction in expansive environments.
Aka dunya life to me.
I wrote about how this life reminds me a video game before:
My next letter will go even deeper on this.
People get addicted to video games. You probably know a gamer in your life.
But what makes them so addicting?
It’s the reward system.
Many video games are built on the classic psychological principle of a reward system.
This is what you need to leverage to get you to walk.
Step 1) Know Your Why
“Indeed actions are but by intention.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Everything we do starts with an intention.
Why are you walking?
Are you a chronic procrastinator and can’t get things done? Walk to break the negative cycle.
Having trouble coming up with original ideas? Walk and use it as a catalyst.
Are you overweight? Walk to lose pounds.
Feeling depressed? Walk for mood-boosting chemicals.
Are you bored? Walk to entertain yourself.
Struggling with your faith? Walk and contemplate creation.
List your problems and connect how a walk can solve them.
Step 2) Set Daily Goals
If you average 200 steps a day, don’t aim for 10,000 tomorrow.
Start small.
Although 10,000 steps a day is doable, remember it’s about staying consistent and making movement a daily habit.
Small efforts add up to big gains.
Start with 1,000 steps.
Next week bump it to 2,000 steps.
The week after bump it to 4,000 steps.
And so forth.
You want this to be a lasting habit.
See how far you can level up.
Step 3) Make it Fun
Plan out what you want to get from the walk.
If you don’t, you won’t feel the satisfaction that will fuel your motivation for the next walk.
Here are some rules I give myself before the walk (play around with these ideas and modify to your own):
Do istighfar 100x, alhamdulillah 100x, salawat 100x
Or you can set a timer for each
Read a chapter of a book
Listen to one chapter of the Qur’an
Write down 5 ideas that come from my consumption
Step on 10 crunchy leaves (my ASMR weakness)
Expand on one of those ideas for a newsletter
Step 4) Get Yourself To Walk
Go to the closet. Get dressed. Go to your entryway. Put on your socks. Put on your shoes. Open the door. Step out with your right foot.
Believe it or not, it’s these 6 steps that are the hardest part of the walk.
(I am assuming you have feet. If you don’t have feet, replace the steps with your wheelchair. For the rest of you lots, take a moment to say Alhamdulillah for your limbs.)
You need a trigger to want to go on a walk.
You can't find a trigger?
Fine, let me hold your hand.
Can you go to the closet and put on your shoes?
No? Ask yourself why you can’t control your body to take this small step to improve your life.
Can you at least walk down the hall? No?
Can you stand up? Still no?
Can you move your foot? Still can’t?
You got more issues than just getting outside.
I can’t help you anymore.
Just go on a walk.
Yallah!
Until next time.
مع حبي (with love),
— Saufiyah ♡