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Zikr / Tasbeeh of Ayat-e-Karima?

I have developed a routine of reading Tasbeeh of Ayat-e-Kareema 100 times after each prayer. I also read it in school whenever I had free time, so at times I end up doing Tasbeeh of Ayat-e-Kareema about 1000 times. When someone at school asked me what I was reading I told them and they advised me against reading Ayat-e-Kareema so many times. They in fact told me I needed to get permission from some religious elder (bazorgh) to actually read it at all. They gave me the reason that Ayat-e-Kareema was “heavy”.
I was not doing a Wazifa or anything. Actually I am not someone who really relies much on Wazifas or even knows much about them. My sole purpose in all this was to do Zikr-e-Ilahi. And I have to be honest I was offended by the fact that someone would tell me that I don’t have the right to say the name of Allah unless I have permission. At the same time I may be wrong so I was hoping maybe you can tell me if what those people said holds any ground? Should I stop saying the Tasbeeh?
I am fairly confused and also concerned about the facts in this situation. So please reply soon. Thank you for your time.

Answer

What authority does an individual have, except for a messenger of God, to give permission to a fellow human to allow or stop someone from doing a certain kind of zikr (words for remembrance of God)? Who has appointed such a person for doing that? Where is the evidence of that permission?
I find such claims utterly rubbish and am appalled at the gullibility of people who believe in them. Such blind confidence of people in mortals leads them to end up ascribing supernatural abilities in them which can ultimately lead to shirk.

Having said that, I would like to clarify that people can convince you to do or refrain from doing a certain zikr on the basis of arguments, which you may or may not accept. For instance, someone might tell you that experiences of many people suggest that if we read ayat-e-kareema (a certain verse of Quran) many times it can cause you to be depressed etc. Despite allowing such line of argument to be at least worthy of being heard, I still don’t buy it.

I would suggest to you, not because of the heaviness of the ayat (verse), but because there are other azkar (words of remembrance of God) which are also equally effective, that you diversify the scope of azkar in your routine. In fact, the best zikr is to recite Quran with the understanding of its meanings. Never forget that zikr is remembrance and remembrance only comes through understanding.

And Allah knows the best.