A sheikh's advice regarding thikr is as follows: " When you make thikr, there must be an outcome of thikr.

Answer

The respected sheikh has erred – erred egregiously. His deprecation of the Thaakir with the derogatory epithet 'wazeefjee'; his fobbing off the 'pulling of the tasbeeh'; his attributing of the thikr of the masses to mere 'counting tasbeeh', and that 'you are wasting your time' because your thikr does not conform to the method he has explained, are all baseless comments which makes Istikhfaaf of Thikrullaah. Istikfaaf is to view with an attitude of disdain and to fob off an act as being insignificant or of no significance. This is an attitude of kufr.

The sheikh has failed to understand that there is considerable thawaab for just 'pulling the tasbeeh', and for Tasbeeh Faatimi after the five Salaat regardless of the lataaif dimension he has mentioned. While the Lataa-if method is valid and important, it is the innovation – a valid, permissible and very beneficial innovation – but it has no basis in the Sunnah. The athkaar stated and commanded in the Qur'aan and Hadith are unrelated to the Lataa-if methodology.

Whether there is concentration or not, the Thikr is NEVER without benefit and reward. In fact, it is a great and a wonderful bounty of Allah Ta'ala for the person who engages his tongue in Thikrullaah regardless of any perceived 'effect'. Make shukr for the bounty of the tongue being in the state of Thikr. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Your tongue should remain ever fresh with the Thikr of Allah."

Thus, regardless of concentration and regardless of the Lataa-if method, Thikr-e-Lisaani (Thikr with the Tongue) is not useless and futile as implied by the shaikh. The Lataa-if method is not for the masses.

The 'outcome of thikr' is always acquired regardless of the thikr not being according to the shaikh's advised method. The 'outcome' is the Pleasure of Allah Ta'ala and the acquisition of Thawaab, and this outcome is not reliant of the Lataa-if method.