Dhikr (Remembrance)

Dhikr [Remembrance]
Allah, the Exalted has said:

So remember Me, I will remember you (Quran, 2:152);

So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself with a complete devotion. (Quran, 73:8);

Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest! (Quran, 13:28);

Those who remember God, standing and sitting and on their sides (Quran, 3:191);

And whoever withdraws from the Remembrance of the Compassionate One, We assign for
him a devil and he becomes his companion. (Quran, 43:36);

and: Verily God and His angels whelm in blessings the prophet. O ye who believe invoke
blessings upon him and give him greetings of Peace. (Quran, 33:56).

Objective

The objective of dhikr is to achieve at each moment in ones earthly existence
a conscious awareness, nearness, a taaluq [relationship] and marifa [knowledge]
of Allah.

Some of the many merits or virtues of dhikr

Abu Hurayra -= - _- reports that the Prophet '- ,'= - _'- in a Hadith Qudsi
[Sacred Hadith] narrated that Allah Taala says: I treat My slave according to his
expectations from Me. I am with him when he remembers Me; and if he remembers Me in his heart, I
remember him in My heart; and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better and nobler
gathering (of angels). If he comes closer to Me by one span, I go closer to him an arms length; if he comes
towards Me an arms length, I go towards him two-arms length; and if he comes to Me walking, I run to
him.
1

Abu Hurayra -= - _- reports that the Prophet '- ,'= - _'- in a Hadith Qudsi
[Sacred Hadith] narrated that Allah the Almighty and Majestic says: I am with My
slave when he remembers Me and till his lips move while remembering Me.
2

Ibn Abbas +-= - _- '- narrates that the Prophet '- ,'= - _'- said: There are four
characteristics of such nature that one who has been blessed with them has been blessed with what is the best
in this world and the Hereafter: 1) A thankful heart, 2) A tongue which remembers Allah, 3) A body
which endures hardships and 4) A wife who does not desire to breach the trust of her husband or squander
his wealth.
3

Muadh ibn Jabal -= - _- narrates that the Messenger of Allah '- ,'= - _'-
said: The dwellers of Paradise will not regret anything except the moment spent by them (in the worldly
life) without the remembrance of Allah Azza wa Jall.
4

Abu Musa -= - _- narrates that the Prophet '- ,'= - _'- said: The example of one
who remembers his Lord and the one who does not remember his Lord is like the example of the living and
the dead. It is also mentioned in another narration: The example of a house in which Allah is
remembered and of a house in which Allah is not remembered is like the example of the living and the dead.
5

Abu Hurayra -= - _- narrates that the Messenger of Allah '- ,'= - _'- said:
One who remembers Allah excessively is freed from hypocrisy.
6

Abu Said al-Khudri -= - _- narrates that, indeed, the Messenger of Allah _'-
'- ,'= - said: Verily, there are many a people who remember Allah on their soft beddings and for this
they will enter the highest positions of Paradise.
7

Abu Hurayra -= - _- narrates that the Messenger of Allah '- ,'= - _'- in a
Hadith Qudsi [Sacred Hadith] said: Verily, Allah has such angels who move on paths, seeking
those who remember Allah. And when they find such a people engaged in remembering Allah, they call one
another: Come to what you are looking for! Then they surround them with their wings up to the sky of the
world. Lord Azza wa Jall asks them, though He knows better than them: What are My slaves saying? The
angels submit: They are glorifying and magnifying and praising and exalting You. Allah asks: Have they
seen Me? The angels reply: No! By Allah, they have not seen You. Allah asks: What if they had seen Me?
He angels submit: Had they seen You, they would have worshipped You more devotedly and would have
engaged more earnestly in glorifying and praising You. Then Allah says: What were they asking for? The
angels reply: They were asking for Paradise. Allah asks: Have they seen it? The angels reply: No! By Allah.
O Lord! They have not seen it. Allah asks them: What if they had seen it? The angels reply: Had they seen
it, they would have been more eager, and more desiring for it, and more longing for it! Then Allah asks:
What were they seeking refuge from? The angels submit: They were seeking refuge from the Fire. He asks:
Have they seen it? The angels reply: No! By Allah. O Lord! They have not seen it. Allah then asks: What
if they had seen it? The angels reply: Had they seen it, they would have been more earnest in fleeing from it,
and more intense in fearing it. Allah then says: I call you to witness that I have, indeed, forgiven them. One
of the angels says: Among them was such a person who was not one of them but had come there only for some
need. Allah says: They are such people that whoever sits with them is not deprived of (My Mercy).
8

Anas ibn Malik -= - _- narrates that the Messenger of Allah _'- '- ,'= -
said: When some people who gather and engage in remembering Allah Azza wa Jall, not intending
anything except Allahs pleasure, an angel calls them from the heavens: Get up duly forgiven! As indeed your
sins have been replaced with virtues.
9

Anas ibn Malik -= - _- narrates that the Prophet '- ,'= - _'- said: A person who
remembers Allah and his eyes overflow due to the fear of Allah, such that a few tears fall on the ground,
Allah Taala will not punish him on the Day of Resurrection.
10

Sad -= - _- narrates that we were with the Messenger of Allah '- ,'= - _'-
and he asked: Is anyone of you unable to earn a thousand virtues daily? One of those sitting with him
asked: How can one earn a thousand virtues in a day? He replied: If one glorifies Allah one hundred times
(for example, SubhanAllah [Transcendent is Allah] one hundred times), a thousand virtues are
recorded for him and a thousand sins are removed from him.
11

Abu Hurayra -= - _- narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah ,'= - _'-
'- saying: Whoever (sincerely) says:

Subhan Allah, wal Hamdu lillah, wa La ilaha illallah, wAllahu Akbar, wa la Hawla, wa la Quwwata,
illa billa [Transcendent is Allah, and All Praise belongs to Allah, and there is no god but
Allah, and Allah is the greatest, and there is no strength nor power, save with Allah].

On this Allah says: My slave has become obedient, and has surrendered himself to Me.
12

Achievement of Objective

Allah, the Exalted has said:

O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. (Quran, 33:41).

The objective of dhikr outlined above, can only be achieved by constant
remembrance of Allah. This dhikr should be done with presence of heart and
mind, concentrating on the words being uttered. The three tasbihat

[litanies] that
are highly recommended to help achieve this are: (a) Subhan Allah, wal Hamdu lillah,
wa La ilaha illallah, wAllahu Akbar, wa la Hawla, wa la Quwwata, illa billa [Transcendent is
Allah, and All Praise belongs to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is
the greatest, and there is no strength nor power, save with Allah]; (b) Salat Alan
Nabi ,'= - _'- '- [Salutations upon the Prophet ,'= - _'- '- ], in any of the various
accepted forms; and (c) Istighfar [Seeking Forgiveness], in any of the various
accepted forms. The abovementioned adhkar [pl. of dhikr] are prescribed one
hundred times each, morning and evening.

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Allah, the Exalted has said:

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