The question was asked:

Asta`idhu billah, Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim:

{Say: ALLAH. Then leave them to their playing} (6:91).

{Surely by mentioning ALLAH hearts become peaceful} (13:28).

From Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, the Prophet said, upon him peace:

"No people mention ALLAH but the angels surround them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends on them, and ALLAH mentions them to those who are with Him." (Muslim, at-Tirmidhi)

From Abu Hurayra, the Prophet said that Allah Most High said:

"I am as My servant thinks of Me and I sit with him when he remembers Me. If he mentions Me in himself I mention him in Myself. If he mentions Me in a gathering I mention him in a better gathering." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad)

The Prophet said, upon him blessings and peace:

"ALLAH, ALLAH! Fear Him with regard to my Companions! Do not make them targets after me! Whoever loves them loves them with his love for me; and whoever hates them hates them with his hatred for me. Whoever bears enmity for them, bears enmity for me; and whoever bears enmity for me, bears enmity for Allah. Whoever bears enmity for Allah is about to perish!"

Narrated from `Abd Allah ibn Mughaffal by al-Tirmidhi who said: ghar�b (single-routed), by Ahmad with three good chains in his Musnad, al-Bukhari in his Tarikh, al-Bayhaqi in Shu`ab al-Iman, and others. Al-Suyuti declared it hasan in his Jami` al-Saghir (#1442).

Asma' bint `Umays the wife of Abu Bakr and mother of `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far ibn Abi Talib - Allah be well-pleased with all of them! - said:

"The Messenger of Allah - upon him blessings and peace - taught me words for me to say in times of duress: 'ALLAH, ALLAH is my Lord nor do I associate with him anything!'" (Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah with a good chain)

The Prophet upon him peace - said as narrated from Anas:

"The Hour will not rise until ALLAH, ALLAH is no longer said on the earth."

Through another chain from Anas, Allah be well-pleased with him:

"The Hour will not rise on anyone saying: ALLAH, ALLAH."

Muslim narrated both in his "Sahih," Book of Iman (belief), chapter 66 titled (by al-Nawawi): "The Disappearance of Belief at the End of Times."

Imam al-Nawawi said in his commentary on this chapter:

"Know that the narrations of this hadith are unanimous in the repetition of the name of Allah the Exalted for both versions and that is the way it is found in all the authoritative books." (Sharh Sahih Muslim, Dar al-Qalam, Beirut ed. vol. 1/2 p. 537)

Additional Remarks on the two narrations of ALLAH, ALLAH

1. Note that Imam al-Nawawi placed Anas's hadith under the heading of the disappearance of belief (iman) at the end of times although there is no mention of belief in the hadith. This shows that saying "ALLAH, ALLAH" stands for belief. Those who say it have belief, while those who don't, don't. Those who fight those who say it, are actually worse than those who merely lack belief and do not say "ALLAH, ALLAH."

2. Note that al-Nawawi highlights the authenticity of the repetition of the form to establish that the words "ALLAH, ALLAH" are a Sunna ma'thura (invocation inherited from the Prophet and the Companions) as it stands. Ibn Taymiyya's claim that the words must not be used alone but _obligatorily_ in contruct, e.g. with a vocative form ("Ya Allah") is therefore an innovation departing from the Sunna.

3. One who knows that the dhikr "ALLAH, ALLAH" has been mentioned by the Prophet himself, is not at liberty to muse whether it was used by the Companions or not in order to establish its basis. It suffices for its basis that the Prophet said it! Sami`na wa-Ata`na!

4. One who knows that "ALLAH, ALLAH" is a dhikr used by the Prophet, is not at liberty to object to similar forms of dhikr such as HU and HAYY and HAQQ. "To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call Him by them" (7:180). Moreover, it is established that Bilal used to make the dhikr "AHAD, AHAD" while undergoing torture. As for the hadith of the ninety-nine Names, it does not limit the Names of Allah to only ninety-nine, as al-Nawawi made clear in his commentary of that hadith.

5. Note that the Siddiqi translation of Sahih Muslim, which is almost as flawed as the Khan translation of Sahih al-Bukhari, mistranslates the first as: "The Hour (Resurrection) would not come so long as Allah is supplicated in the world" and the second as "The Hour (Resurrection) would not come upon anyone so long as he supplicates Allah."

This is wrong as translation goes, although it is right as a commentary, since saying "ALLAH, ALLAH" is supplicating Him, as is all worship according to the hadith of the Prophet: "Supplication: that is what worship is." (Tirmidhi and others narrate it.) However, concerning accuracy in translation, the word form highlighted by al-Nawawi must be kept intact in any explanation of this hadith. It is not merely "supplicating Allah". It is saying: "ALLAH, ALLAH" according to the Prophet's own wording, upon him peace.

6. The fact that an alternate version exists in Musnad Ahmad with the words "LA ILAHA ILLALLAH" instead of "ALLAH, ALLAH" in no way cancels out the wording in Muslim. We do not leave a wording in Sahih Muslim for a wording in Musnad Ahmad nor do we make TA`TEEL and TA'WEEL of an established, explicit, and authentic Nass which, furthermore, confirms the letter of the Glorious Qur'an!

7. Imam al-Nawawi's daily devotion (Wird) uses the dhikr ALLAH, ALLAH!

And Allah knows best.

Was-Salam.

Hajj Gibril
GF Haddad

[14 May 2003]

Bismillah

Assalamu'alaikum Rami.

Jazzak Allahu Khair for your clarification and supporting references.

One must also understand that developing certain distinctive rituals and integrating them with remembrance of Allah may not be the correct way of performing Dhikr.

The like of running in circles, clapping hands, self-beating or chanting the most beautiful names of Allah to achieve the state of trance... is disapproved.  

There are also unsound claims that each name of Allah has a specific reward if it is pronounced 1000 times daily. "If a pregnant woman chants this name repeatedly she will deliver a boy, if that name - a girl..." and so on. This has no evidence whatsoever and should be rejected. Only Allah knows the reward that He has prepared for the believers... and may it be His Forgiveness and Mercy.

Bismillah

Assalamu'alaikum Rami.

Thank you for your clarification. Some time ago, i came across the book on Asma-ul-Husna, with one page dedicated to each of the 99 names. At the bottom of each translation and explanation of the meaning there was a note stating that if you pronounce the given name a certain number of times then you will achieve such and such.... or if you are feeling bad then you must recite this name a certain number of times. I could not find any reference in the ahadeeth to support these claims.

There are certain supplications that help seek increase in knowledge from Allah (provided that you have "tied your camel first"), however I have not heard that one can also repeat al-'Aleem for such purpose. Could you please guide me to some reference on this.

Perhaps I have been influenced by views that have a very strict stand on innovations brought into religion, but i am reluctant to accept that dancing or spinning is the correct way to establish remembrance of Allah, or dhikr. In this regards, i mean cultural innovations that do not exist anywhere outside of one ethnic or cultural group. May be not until you equip me with more information concerning their established status, insha Allah.

http://www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/dhikr.htm - http://www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/dhikr.htm

Dhikr - Remembrance of Allah

Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi

From: Kitab at-Tasheel li 'Uloom at-Tanzeel" - "The Sciences of Tafsir" ^{http://www.sunnah.org/tasawwuf/dhikr_tafsir_ibn_juzayy.htm#1 - 1}

Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said, "Its meaning is 'Remember Me with obedience and I will remember you with reward'." It has been said that it means 'Remember Me with supplication and glorification and the like of that.

The commentators, particularly the Sufis, have said a great deal in commentary on this subject using words with restricted and qualified meanings, and there is no proof of restriction. In general this ayah is an explanation of the nobility of dhikr, which the saying of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made clear, as he narrated it from his Lord, "I am in My slave's opinion of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in My self. If he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in an assembly better than them."

There are three types of dhikr:

• the dhikr of the heart,
• dhikr with the tongue,
• with the two of them together.

Know that dhikr is the best of actions in general, even if in some hadith there is related some superiority to some other action, such as the prayer, etc., for that is only because of what they contain of the meaning of dhikr and being present with Allah ta'ala.

There are three aspects to the proof of the superiority of dhikr:

First, the texts which have been narrated about its superiority over all other actions. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shall I not tell you of the best of your actions, and the most pure of them with your King, and the most exalted of them in your ranks, [those which are] better for you than your meeting your enemy and striking their necks and they striking your necks?" They said, "Certainly, Messenger of Allah." He said, "Dhikr of Allah." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, "Which actions are the best?" He said, "Dhikr of Allah." Someone said, "Is dhikr better or jihad in the way of Allah?" He said, "Even if the mujahid were to strike at the kuffar until his sword broke and he was coloured with the blood, the person of dhikr would be better than him."

Second , that Allah exalted is He, wherever He commands us to do dhikr or praises dhikr, He has stipulated a great deal of it, so He says, "Remember Allah with much remembrance" and "those who remember Allah a great deal" and He does not stipulate that for any other action.

Third, that dhikr has something extra which belongs to it especially and does not belong to anything else, which is presence in the Highest Presence, and arrival to nearness which is indicated by that which is narrated in the hadith which mention 'sitting with' and 'withness', for Allah, exalted is He, says [in the hadith Qudsi], "I sit with the one who remembers Me", and He says, "I am in My slave's opinion of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me."

People have two stations with respect to their intentions in dhikr:

• the intention of the generality is to earn rewards,
• the intention of the elect is nearness and presence.

How great a distance there is between the two stations, and how great it is between one who takes his reward and he is behind a veil, and one who draws near until he is one of the elect of the beloved ones.

Know that dhikr has many types, of which there is "La ilaha illa'llah", and tasbeeh, takbir, praise, "La hawla wa law quwwata illa billah", "husbuna'llahu wa ni'ma'l-wakeel" and the dhikr of every name of Allah ta'ala, and sending blessings on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and seeking forgiveness, etc. Each dhikr has its special quality and its fruit.

• As for "La ilaha illa'llah - There is no god but Allah", its fruit is http://www.bogvaerker.dk/Bookwright/tawhid.html - tawhid , and I mean the tawhid of the elect because every believer obtains the tawhid of the ordinary people.
• As for takbir "Allahu Akbar - Allah is greater", its fruit is exaltation of the Possessor of Majesty.
• As for http://www.bogvaerker.dk/Bookwright/hamd.html - praise and the [Divine] Names whose meanings are good treatment and mercy such as ar-Rahman "The Universally Merciful" and ar-Raheem "The Specifically Compassionate" and al-Kareem "The Nobly Generous", and al-Ghaffar "The Oft Forgiving" and the like of them, their fruit is three stations, gratitude, strength of hope, and love, for the One Who Treats [us] Well is unavoidably beloved.
• As for "La hawla wa law quwwata illa billah - There is no power and no strength but by Allah" and "husbuna'llahu wa ni'ma'l-wakeel - Allah is enough for us and an excellent guardian" their fruit is dependence on Allah and surrendering [all affairs] to Him, and strong trust in Allah.
• As for the [Divine] Names whose meanings are showing and grasping, such as al-'Aleem "the All-Knowing" and as-Samee' "the All-Hearing" and al-Baseer "the All-Seeing" and al-Qareeb "the Near" and the like of them, their fruit is muraqabah "fearful watchfulness".
• As for sending blessings on the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, its fruit is strong love for him, and carefully guarding the following of his sunnah.
• As for istighfar "seeking forgiveness" its fruit is going straight in http://www.bogvaerker.dk/Bookwright/Taqwa.html - taqwa , and guarding the preconditions of turning in penitence [to Allah from one's wrongdoing] along with the hearts rejection of the causes which led to previous wrong actions.
• Then the fruit of the dhikr which unites the names and attributes is gathered together in the unique dhikr which is our saying, "Allah, Allah". This is the goal and the limit.

---

¹an unpublished translation available at Bogvaerker http://www.bogvaerker.dk/Bookwright/unpublished.html - Bookwright Book and Web Design

Auzubillahi minash shaitan ir rajeem,

Bismillah ir rahman ir rahim,

MOCKBA wrote:  Some time ago, i came across the book on Asma-ul-Husna, with one page dedicated to each of the 99 names. At the bottom of each translation and explanation of the meaning there was a note stating that if you pronounce the given name a certain number of times then you will achieve such and such.... or if you are feeling bad then you must recite this name a certain number of times. I could not find any reference in the ahadeeth to support these claims.

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah wa barkatuhu, Brother Mockba,

There is a difference in barakah in reciting the Quran, and reading its translation. Because Quran is not just a set a guiding principles, it is the word of Allah, and its recitation has benefits manifolds. eg, if one recites surah kahf every friday, it will be a light for him till the next friday. If a pregnant woman recites surah maryam, thru it will be an ease for her. Likewise, there are many other examples.

In a similar way, knowing the meanings of the names of allah and reciting these repeatedly has different benefits. Occupation with Allah changes ones state, this change depends on how frequent and in what manner one occupies oneself.

The Quran says, remember allah "abundantly". The prayers are prescribed, and their timings/number are also prescribed, but the amount of dhikr one must perform is not limited, and there cannot be boundary to "abundance". The opening passages of surah muzzammil remind us to stand up for prayers in the night, where He goes on reducing the limit to upto one thrid of the night, but for His rememberance, there are reminders again and again, to do it more and more.

Brother, when every surah has a special benefit, which is His word, there is all reason to believe that every attribute of His, has a special benefit, if He is remembered thru that.

I have not seen hadith prescribing certain number of repetitions for special benefits in case of asma allahul hasana, but there are hadith that relate to certain rewards for other dhikr. And there are hadith indicating or prescribing certain dhikr.

eg, tasbih fatimah, which is 33 times subhan allah, 33 times alhamdulillah and 34 times allahu akbar to be recited after every fard salah.

there are ten rewards for every salat-o-salam that are sent on the prophet (SAW), it is surely multiplied by ten to any number of times one sends it.

The prophet (SAW) has been reported to have been saying astaghfar 70 times each day.

All these repetitions are dhikr, and these have benefits which are specifically linked to specefic utterances.

Do not give up invocation of Allah
                  because you are not present with Allah in it.
            It is worse to forget to invoke Him
                 than to be inattentive while invoking Him.

            He might raise you up from invocation with heedlessness
                 to invocation with wakeful attention,
            and from invocation with wakeful attention
                 to invocation with presence,
            and from invocation with presence
                 to invocation with withdrawal from all that is other than the Invoked.
            That is not difficult for Allah.

Maa salaama,

Nausheen

Bismillah

Wa'alaikumu Salaam.

Jazzak Allahu Khair Rami and Nausheen. I completely agree with your explanations pertaining to the importance of dhikr and rewards for practicing it.

In the first part of my enquiry, I was more concerned with references to specifics... something like "If you pronounce Al-Haqq 100 times each day, you will be protected from telling lies"... and on it goes for each name. There is undoubtedly reward for every good deed, and remembrance of Allah cannot be classified otherwise. Can somebody guide me to authentic sources that confirm the specific rewards for pronouncing each of the 99 names. (I was similarly seeking authentic confirmation on specific rewards for Taraweeh prayers for each day of the month of Ramadhan, yet to find). 

Abu Darda' reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal. Sahih Muslim Book 4, Number 1766

The second part of my enquiry is bodily movements with reference to performing dhikr. Is it all right to clap hands, lollop in circles to the rythm of the dhikr etc. Amont the clans in the mountainous regions of Central Asia you will find all sorts of practices and rituals which they also refer to as dhikr. As far as i came to know, and as far as my references have told me there were no such practices known to the early ummah. It is not anasheed, but a complete ritual. Please share your thoughts. 

Ma'a Salaam.