– The Arabic word dhikr means to remember Allah.
– There are many Quranic Verse and Ahadith that mention the many virtues of dhikr.
– In surah 33:41 we were commanded by Allah to remember Him abundantly.
“O you who believe! Remember Allāh with much remembrance.”
(Al-Ahzab 33:41)
“Those who remember Allāh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.”
(Al Imran 3:191)
– In this ayah, Allah is speaking well of the people who make dhikr of Allah in various positions.
– There is a hadith that says do dhikr until the people think that you are majnoon.
– Majnoon means somebody who is crazy.
The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said:
‘udhkur Allaha hatta yaqulu majnun’
“Remember / mention Allah as much as you want, until people say that you are crazy and foolish”
[Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and al-Hakim who declared it sahih]
– Allah told you in surah 13:28 it is with the dhikr of Allah the hearts find tranquillity and peace.
“Verily, in the remembrance of Allāh do hearts find rest.”
(Ra’d 13:28)
– These people live their lives on Prozac, antidepressant tablets.
– These antidepressant tablets are nothing but a gimmick; they don’t work.
– They make you suicidal instead
– What is the point of having 10 billion in your account if you need to take tablets to go to sleep?
– Why is it that it is kaafir countries that you see among the top 10 countries for suicide?
– The Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said the rich man is the man with self-contentment.
The Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
“Being rich does not mean having a great amount of property, but [it] is being content [with what one has].”
[Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith 453]
– If you think that a pill can bring you comfort, you are delusional.
– Kaafirs say: “In pills we trust”.
– Muslims say: “In Allah we trust”.
– Even though you put your trust in Allah you have to tie your camel like the Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, instructed us in the following hadith.
Anas ibn Malik, RadhiAllahu Anhu, reported that someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, shall I tether it and trust in Allah or untie it and place trust in Allah”? He said, “Tie it and trust in Allah.”
[Sunan Tirmidhi (4/668) No. 2517, Sahih Ibn Hibban (2/510) No. 731, Shu’ab al-Iman al-Bayhaqi (2/428) No. 1161]
– If you don’t do dhikr of Allah, Allah appoints for you a shaitaan to be your intimate companion.
“And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allāh) (i.e. this Qur’ān and worship of Allāh), We appoint for him Shaitān (Satan devil) to be a Qarīn (an intimate companion) to him.”
(Az-Zukhruf 43:36)
– If that shaitaan likes wine, you are going to drink wine; if the shaitaan likes zina you are going to commit zina.
– You will do whatever that shaitaan likes.
– The shaitaan only has power over weak Muslims.
– When the shaitaan would see Umar, RadhiAllahu Anhu, walking, the shaitaan would walk on the opposite side of the road.
…Allah’s Messenger (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said:
“By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if Satan would encounter you (Umar) on way he would certainly take a different way from that of yours.”
[Sahih Muslim, Book 31, Hadith 5899]
– Allah said dhikr is the greatest ibadah in surah 29:45.
“Recite (O Muhammad SAW) what has been revealed to you of the Book (the Qur’ān), and perform As-Salāt (IqamātasSalāt). Verily, As-Salāt (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahshā’ (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allāh (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allāh in prayers, etc.]. And Allāh knows what you do.”
(Al-‘Ankabut 29:45)
– and the remembering of Allāh is greater means when Allah mentions your name in the gathering of the angels it is greater than you praying to Allah in the dunya.
– Allah said one of the characteristics of a real man is that he doesn’t allow the pomp and glitter of the dunya to divert him away from the dhikr of Allah.
“In houses (mosques), which Allāh has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is glorified in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings,”
(An-Nur 24:36)
“Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them from the Remembrance of Allāh (with heart and tongue), nor from performing As Salāt (Iqāmat-as-Salāt), nor from giving the Zakāt. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (from the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection).”
(An-Nur 24:37)
– Why did Allah mention dhikrullah (the remembrance of Allah) and tijaarah (business) in the same ayah?
– Many Muslims allow their shops and businesses to divert them from their salah.
DHIKR IN JAMAA’AH:
Abu Saeed Khudri (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrates that Muawiyah (رضی اللہ عنہ) came to a group of people in the mosque and said,
“… The Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) came to a group of his Companions in the mosque and said, “Why are you sitting?”
They said, ‘We are sitting remembering Allah and paying our thanks to Him for His favour of guiding us to Islam.’
The Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said,
“Do you say that on oath that is what has made you sit here?”
They submitted, ‘By Allah we are sitting here only for this purpose.’
The Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said,
“I have not made you take oath for any doubt but the truth is that Gabriel came and told me that Allah is expressing His pride on you in front of angels.’”
[Muslim, as-Sahih (4:2075#2701) Tirmidhi, as-Sunan (5:460#3379) Nasai, as-Sunan (8:249#5426)Ahmad bin Hambal, al-Musnad (4:92)Ibn Hibban, as-Sahih (3:95#813)Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Musannaf (6:59#29469)Tabarani, al-Mujam-ul-kabir (19:311#701)Mindhiri, at-Targhib wat-tarhib (2:259#2317)]
Abu Huraira (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrates that the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said,” Surely there are some angels of Allah (SWT) who conduct patrolling in search of remembrance assemblies. When they find such an assembly, they join and sit with them…”
[Muslim, as-Sahih (4:2069#2689) Ahmad bin Hambal, al-Musnad (2:25#7420) Ahmad bin Hambal, al-Musnad (2:382#8960) Mundhiri, at-Targhib wat-tarhib (2:259#2316) Mundhiri, at-Targhib wat-tarhib (4:244#5523)]
Abu Huraira (رضی اللہ عنہ) and Abu Saeed Khudri (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrate that they visited the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) and he said, “Whenever people sit to remember Allah (SWT), angels cover them (spreading their wings over them) and divine mercy envelops them; inner peace descends on them and Allah (SWT) mentions them to those who are with Him.”
[Muslim, as-Sahih (4:2074#2700) Tirmidhi, al-Jami-us-sahih (5:459#3378) Ibn Majah, as-Sunan (2:1245#3791) Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Musannaf (6:60#29475) Tabarani, al-Mujam-ul-awsat (2:137#1500) Ahmad bin Hambal, al-Musnad (3:92#11893) Tayalisi, al-Musnad (1:296#2233) Tayalisi, al-Musnad (1:314#2386) Abu Yala, al-Musnad (2:444#1252) Abu Yala, al-Musnad (11:20#6159)]
According to Abu Huraira the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said, “There are many angels of Allah (SWT), besides those assigned with normal tasks, who travel around looking for remembrance sessions. When they find such a session where remembrance of Allah is in progress, they sit with them and some angels cover the others with their wings ascending one above another until the space between the earth and the lowest heaven gets filled….”
[Muslim, as-Sahih (4:2069#2689) Ahmad bin Hambal, al-Musnad (2:252#7420) Ahmad bin Hambal, al-Musnad (2:382#8960) Mundhiri, at-Targhib wat-tarhib (2:259#2316) Mundhiri, at-Targhib wat-tarhib (4:244#5523)]
Abu Huraira or Abu Saeed Khudri (رضی اللہ عنھما) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said,
“There are many angels of Allah (SWT), other than the ones who record deeds, who wander around on earth. When they find some people performing remembrance of Allah (SWT), they call other angels, saying, ‘Come to what you are looking for.’ So they come and cover those people up to the lowest heaven. Then Allah (SWT) says, ‘What were My servants doing when you left them?’ The angels say, ‘O Lord, we left them praising You, magnifying You and remembering You.’ Allah (SWT) says, ‘Have they seen Me?’ They reply, ‘No.’” The Messenger of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) said, “Allah (SWT) says, ‘What would have been their condition if they had seen Me?’ They say, ‘If they had seen You, they would have praised You, magnified You and remembered You far more.’ Allah (SWT) says, ‘What are they asking for?’ They reply, ‘They are asking You for Paradise.’
[Tirmidhi, al-Jami-us-sahih (5:579#3600)]
Prophet, SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, said everything in the world is cursed except 3 things:
Abu Huraira (RadhiAllahu Anhu) reported that Allah’s Messenger (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said,
“The world, with all that it contains, is accursed except for dhikr (the remembrance of Allah) that which pleases Allah; and the religious scholars and seekers of knowledge.”
[Sunan Tirmidhi (4/561) 2322 and Sunan Ibn Majah (5/231) 4112, (Abu Eesa al-Tirmidhi said: this hadeeth is hasan ghareeb)]
May Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, count us amongst those who do the Dhikr abundantly.
Aameen!