What is dhikr (remembrance)?
(Quran 17:110) -
Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 80, Hadith 26)
The people said, “O Allah’s Apostle! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures in this life and the life to come.”
He said, “How is that?”
They said, “The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah’s cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth to spend.”
He said, “Shall I not tell you a thing, by doing which, you will catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; and nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same. That deed is to recite Subhan Allah (Allah is Sublime) ten times, and Al-Hamdulillah (all praise to Allah) ten times, and AllahuAkbar (Allah is Greatest) ten times after every prayer.”
Explainer
Islam does not require anyone to torture himself in order to reach a high stage of spirituality. Nor does he have to shun everything of this world. Rather, one can be close to Allah by frequently remembering Him with his lips and heart, even as he goes about his daily tasks.
All thoughts, whether spoken out loud or silently in one’s heart and all deeds performed for the sake of Allah, are dhikr. The idea behind dhikr is the “God consciousness ”. Unlike salah, fasting, and Hajj, dhikr does not have any prescribed timings or ritual, and this only adds to easiness. The Quran tells us that remembering Allah of our own free will is the very best thing we can do.
Dhikr emanating from the heart has the ability to awaken a person’s soul and to uplift our spirits. It cleanses the heart from all else but Allah and increases our love for Him. Dhikr enables the Muslim to come ever closer to his or her Creator, Sustainer, Evolver, Judge and only Helping Friend.
قُلِ ادْعُواْ اللّهَ أَوِ ادْعُواْ الرَّحْمَـنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُواْ فَلَهُ الأَسْمَاء الْحُسْنَى وَلاَ تَجْهَرْ بِصَلاَتِكَ وَلاَ تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلاً
(Quran 17:110) -
Say, “Call Him God, or call Him the Most Merciful. Whichever name you use, to Him belong the Best Names.” And be neither loud in your prayer, nor silent in it, but follow a course in between.(Quran 17:110) -
(Quran 17:110) -
Sahih al-Bukhari (Book 80, Hadith 26)
The people said, “O Allah’s Apostle! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures in this life and the life to come.”
He said, “How is that?”
They said, “The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah’s cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth to spend.”
He said, “Shall I not tell you a thing, by doing which, you will catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; and nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same. That deed is to recite Subhan Allah (Allah is Sublime) ten times, and Al-Hamdulillah (all praise to Allah) ten times, and AllahuAkbar (Allah is Greatest) ten times after every prayer.”
Explainer
Islam does not require anyone to torture himself in order to reach a high stage of spirituality. Nor does he have to shun everything of this world. Rather, one can be close to Allah by frequently remembering Him with his lips and heart, even as he goes about his daily tasks.
All thoughts, whether spoken out loud or silently in one’s heart and all deeds performed for the sake of Allah, are dhikr. The idea behind dhikr is the “God consciousness ”. Unlike salah, fasting, and Hajj, dhikr does not have any prescribed timings or ritual, and this only adds to easiness. The Quran tells us that remembering Allah of our own free will is the very best thing we can do.
Dhikr emanating from the heart has the ability to awaken a person’s soul and to uplift our spirits. It cleanses the heart from all else but Allah and increases our love for Him. Dhikr enables the Muslim to come ever closer to his or her Creator, Sustainer, Evolver, Judge and only Helping Friend.
