بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Allāh says:
وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُۗ
And the remembering of Allāh is greater (Al-Ankabūt : 45)
Allāh says:
وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرٗا وَسَبِّحۡ بِٱلۡعَشِيِّ وَٱلۡإِبۡكَٰرِ
And remember your Lord much, and glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the morning. (Ali ‘Imrān: 41)
Mujāhid said: A servant is not one of those who remember Allāh much until he remembers Allāh while standing and lying down (Ibn Abī Hātim 2/646)
The one who doesn’t remember Allāh is as if he’s dead
The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ وَالَّذِي لاَ يَذْكُرُ مَثَلُ الْحَىِّ وَالْمَيِّتِ
The example of the one who remembers Allāh in comparison to the one who does not remember Allāh, is that of a living creature compared to a dead one. (Sahīh Bukhārī 6407)
Remembering Allāh is a protection
The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
وَآمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ مَثَلَ ذَلِكَ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ خَرَجَ الْعَدُوُّ فِي أَثَرِهِ سِرَاعًا حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَى عَلَى حِصْنٍ حَصِينٍ فَأَحْرَزَ نَفْسَهُ مِنْهُمْ كَذَلِكَ الْعَبْدُ لاَ يُحْرِزُ نَفْسَهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ إِلاَّ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
And He (Allāh) commands you to remember Allāh abundantly. The example of this deed is that of a man who the enemy is tirelessly pursuing. He takes refuge in a fortified fort. Likewise, a slave does not protect himself from shaytān except by the remembrance of Allāh. (Imām Ahmad 17170. Sunan al-Kubra of Nasāi 11349. Sharh as-Sunnah of Baghawī 2410. Declared Sahīh by Shu’ayb Arnaūt)
Allāh remembers the one who remembers Him
Allāh says in the Qur’ān:
فَٱذۡكُرُونِيٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ
Therefore remember Me, I will remember you (Al-Baqarah:152)
The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Allāh The Most High said:
يقولُ اللهُ تعالَى من ذكَرَني في نفسِهِ ذكرتُهُ في نفسي ومن ذكَرَني في ملإٍ ذكرتُهُ في ملإٍ خيرٍ منه
Whoever remembers Me within himself, I remember him Myself. And whoever remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better gathering (Umdatul-Tafsīr of Ahmad Shākir, 1/197. Bukhārī 7405)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Allāh said:
قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِذَا ذَكَرْتَنِي خَالِيًا ذَكَرْتُكَ خَالِيًا وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَنِي فِي مَلإٍ ذَكَرْتُكَ فِي مَلإٍ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الَّذِينِ تَذْكُرُنِي فِيهِمْ
O son of Adam, if you remember Me in solitude, I will remember you in solitude. If you remember Me in a gathering, I will remember you in a gathering better than the one in which you remembered Me. (Musnad al-Bazzār 5138, Al-Bayhaqī in Shu’ab 547. Sahīh At-Targhīb wa At-Tarhīb of Al-Albānī 1489)
Allāh is with (ma’a) the one who remembers him
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Allāh said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ أَنَا مَعَ عَبْدِي إِذَا هُوَ ذَكَرَنِي وَتَحَرَّكَتْ بِي شَفَتَاهُ
I am with My slave when he remembers Me and his lips move saying My Name. (Ibn Mājah 3792. Declared Sahīh by Al-Albānī)
Something easy that anyone can hold onto
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُسْرٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الْإِسْلَامِ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِشَيْءٍ أَتَشَبَّثُ بِهِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
‘Abdullāh ibn Busr reported: A man said, O Messenger of Allāh, the laws of Islām are too many for me, so tell me something I can hold onto. The Messenger of Allāh, صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allāh. (Sahīh At-Targhīb wa At-Tarhīb of Al-Albānī 1491)
Dhikr is one of the most beloved and closest deeds to Allāh
Narrated by Mu’ādh ibn Jabal:
قُلْتُ أيُّ الأعمالِ أحبُّ إلى اللهِ قال : أنْ تَمُوتَ ولسانُكَ رَطْبٌ من ذكرِ اللهِ
I said to the messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم : Which deed is most beloved to Allāh? He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: To die whilst your tongue is moist with the remembrance of Allāh. (Sahīh At-Targhīb wa At-Tarhīb of Al-Albānī 1492)
In a variant wording (Musnad al-Bazzār):
أخبرني بأفضل الأعمال وأقربها إلى الله
Tell me the best of deeds and closest to Allāh.
Dhikr is one of the best of deeds
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ ” أَلاَ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ وَأَرْضَاهَا عِنْدَ مَلِيكِكُمْ وَأَرْفَعِهَا فِي دَرَجَاتِكُمْ وَخَيْرٍ لَكُمْ مِنْ إِعْطَاءِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْوَرِقِ وَمِنْ أَنْ تَلْقَوْا عَدُوَّكُمْ فَتَضْرِبُوا أَعْنَاقَهُمْ وَيَضْرِبُوا أَعْنَاقَكُمْ ” . قَالُوا وَمَا ذَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ” ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ ” . وَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ مَا عَمِلَ امْرُؤٌ بِعَمَلٍ أَنْجَى لَهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
Shall I not tell you of the best of your deeds, the most pleasing to your (Malīk) Sovereign, those that raise you most in status, that are better than your gold and silver, or meeting you enemy (in battle) and you strike their necks and they strike your necks? They said: What is that, O Messenger of Allāh? He said: Remembering Allāh. (Ibn Mājah 3790. Declared Sahīh by Al-Albānī)
Dhikr saves one from the punishment of Allāh
(Narrated from Mu’ādh ibn Jabal) The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا عَمِلَ آدَمِيٌّ عَمَلًا, أَنْجَى لَهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
The son of Ādam does not act with a deed better to save him from the punishment of Allāh than with the remembrance of Allāh. (Sahīh al-Jāmi’ of Al-Albānī 5644. Sahīh At-Targhīb wa At-Tarhīb 1494.)
In a similar narration, from ‘Abdullāh ibn’ Amr, The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
وما من شيءٍ أنجى من عذابِ اللهِ من ذِكرِ اللهِ . قالوا : ولا الجهادُ في سبيل اللهِ ؟ قال : ولو أن يضربَ بسَيْفِه حتى ينقطعَ
There is nothing (stronger) that saves one from the punishment of Allāh than dhikr. They said: Not even jihād for the sake of Allāh? He said: Not even if he were to strike his sword until it breaks. (Sahīh At-Targhīb wa At-Tarhīb of Al-Albānī 1495)
(Narrated from Jābir) The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
ما عمِل آدَميٌّ عمَلًا أنجى له مِن العذابِ مِن ذِكْرِ اللهِ قيل ولا الجهادُ في سبيلِ اللهِ قال ولا الجهادُ إلَّا أنْ تضرِبَ بسيفِكَ حتَّى ينقطِعَ
The son of Ādam does not act with a better deed to save him from the punishment (of Allāh) than the remembrance of Allāh. It was said: Not even Jihād for the sake of Allāh? He said: Not even jihād, unless you strike with your sword until it breaks. (Jāmi’ as-Saghīr of Imām Tabarānī 209. Sahīh At-Targhīb wa At-Tarhīb of Al-Albānī 1497)
The best remembrance is tahlīl
The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
أفضل الذكر: لا إله إلا الله. وأفضل الشكر: الحمدلله
The best dhikr is lā ilāha illAllāh (None has the right to be worshipped but Allāh). And the best shukr (thankfulness) is Alhamdulillāh (All Praise is to Allāh). (As-Sahīhah of Al-Albānī 1497)
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