Question:
Earlier it was mentioned that when reciting Qur’an in prayer the lips must move. But what about dhikr and dua outside the prayer? Must the lips move then as well?
Answer:
The Qur’an itself provides the answer. In Surah Al-A‘raf, Allahﷻ instructs the believers to remember their Lord within themselves, humbly and with fear, without loudness in speech. This verse shows that remembrance of Allahﷻ can occur in more than one way.
One way is silent remembrance within the heart. A person may internally reflect upon Allahﷻ , contemplate His greatness, or repeat words like “La ilaha illa Allahﷻ ” within his heart. Another way is gentle verbal remembrance, where the lips move softly but the voice is not raised loudly. It is quiet enough that only the person himself hears it.
The Qur’an also instructs believers regarding supplication. Allahﷻ says to call upon Him humbly and privately. This means dua is generally meant to be a personal, intimate conversation between a servant and his Lord. It is not something meant to be loudly broadcast. For this reason, some scholars discourage loud collective supplications where one person raises his voice and the entire gathering responds. Dua is meant to carry humility, privacy, and sincerity.
So, we learn that dhikr may occur silently within the heart or softly on the lips. Dua, meanwhile, should be humble and private, directed sincerely to Allahﷻ rather than publicly displayed.