O’ you who live in the grace of Allah (swt), you must not forget the Giver of these favours. For that, in Surah Al-Kahf, Allah (swt) says:

  {وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ إِذَا نَسِيتَ ۚ}

(And remember your Lord when you forget [it].) (Al-Kahf:24)

That is to say, live always with Allah Y, and do not forget Allah (swt) because you live in the world of reasons. If you remember the Causer, you will undoubtedly recognize the blessings that Allah (swt) blessed you in this life.

Dhikr (remembrance): is evoking something into the mind. In addition, dhikru-llah (remembrance of Allah) is not to forget Him, i.e. to stay with Him.

It is strange that we find the Wahhabis attack the scholars of Syria and its people because of the dhikr gatherings and the gatherings in which they say prayers for the Prophet (saws) We argue them by the Qur’an, as Allah (swt) says:

{ فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَاسِكَكُمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا ۚ}

(And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance) (Al-Baqara: 200)

Thus, if you have completed the prayer, remember Allah (swt). Consequently, the rites are a thing, and the remembrance is another thing.

Dhikr is the easiest and most comprehensive worship ever. To be with Allah (swt), you need to repeat with the tongue until the heart is motivated, and until there will be a presence of Allah (swt) in the heart. When you remember Allah (swt), do you practice an innovation in religion? Do you violate the command of Allah (swt)? (So remember Me; I will remember you). If we remember Him, Allah (swt) will rain upon us from the clouds of His mercy.

The remembrance of Allah (swt) has been mentioned in many verses in the Qur’an, Allah (swt) says:

 { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا * وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا * هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَائِكَتُهُ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورۚ وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًاۚ}

(O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance % And exalt Him morning and afternoon % It is He who confers blessing upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful.) (Al-Ahzaab)

He (swt) also says:

{فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ الصَّلَاةُ فَانتَشِرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَابْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ}

(And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed) (Al-Juma’a: 10)

In addition, He praised the believers that they are:

{الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ}

(Who remember Allah while standing, sitting, or [lying] on their sides) (Al-Imran:191)

Thus, remembrance is to live with Allah (swt). Some have thought that the people of dhikr in the Islamic Sharia’ is doing something not required when they repeat a lot of dhikr. We say that the meanings of the dhikr are vast and numerous in the Book of Allah (swt), and the dhikr is intended for purpose of not to forget Allah (swt), and to live with Him (swt). Hence, the words of the tongue must be repeated to move the hearts, and this is virtuous and good. However, the meaning of the dhikr in general is the Holy Qur’an, as Allah (swt) says:

{إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ}

(Indeed, it is We who sent down the Dhikr (Qur’an) and indeed, We will be its guardian) (Al-Hijr: 9)

Therefore, when you recite the Qur’an, you are with Allah (swt), and remembering Allah (swt). The Prophet (saws) said as narrated on behalf of Allah (swt):

“Whosoever becomes preoccupied with the Qur’an and My remembrance from extensively asking for things, I give that person better and more than what I give to those people who are actively asking”[1]

When you say prayers for Prophet Muhammad (saws), you remember Allah (swt), when you say, (Lailahaillallah)“there is no god but Allah”, you remember Allah (swt), and when you say, (Subhanallah) “Glory be to Allah”, you remember Allah (swt). The Prophet (saws) said on behalf of his Lord (swt):

“l am with my slave as long as he remembers me and his lips moves with mentioning Me”[2].

All forms of dhikr mentioned by the Messenger of Allah  (swt), his companions, or the pious scholars, these forms of dhikr move hearts towards Allah (swt), and this is what is required; to live with Allah (swt), and it is not required to repeat the words only with the tongue. As narrated in the Qudsi hadith:

“I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly (i.e., in the assembly of angels).”[3]

This gives the comprehensive wide meaning of the dhikr, which is to live with Allah (swt), and this is the true meaning of all the gatherings of dhikr that are held, in which there is a lot of mention of Allah (swt) and prayers for the Prophet (saws).

The verse, which has commanded saying the prayers for the Prophet (saws), is in Surah Al-Aḥzaab:

{إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا }

(Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.) (Al-Ahzab:56)

Furthermore, the verse, which has commanded the remembrance of Allah (swt), is also in Surah Al-Aḥzaab:

{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا}

(O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance) (Al-Ahzaab: 41)

Why has the command to say dhikr been? To live with Allah (swt). Therefore, when Allah (swt) says: (So remember Me; I will remember you), He reminds us of the blessings He bestows upon us. In general, you have to fortify these blessing by remembering their Granter as mentioned in Surah Al-Kahf:

{وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ}

(And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, ‘What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah?) (Al-Kahf: 39)

You fortify the blessings by remembering the Granter, this is to live with Allah (swt):

{لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ}

(If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]). (Ibraheem: 7)

Permanent relationship and communication with Allah (swt) through Dhikr which is the easiest worship, which makes the man in continuous communication with Allah (swt). The Prophet (saws) said:

“Shall I not tell you the best of your deeds, and those that are the purest with your King, and those that give you the highest rank, and are better for you than giving gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy tomorrow and striking their necks?” They said, “Of course.” He said, “Remembrance (dhikr) of Allah”[4]

Because of that, it is said here:

(وَاشْكُرُوا لِي) (And be grateful to Me): when you recite dhikr, you are grateful, and when you are grateful, the blessings increase, because Allah (swt) says:

{لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ}

(If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]). (Ibraheem: 7)

Thus, fortify the blessings by the fence of remembering the Granter.

 

[1] Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, Book of the virtues of the Qur’an, no. 2926.

[2] Shu‘abu Al-Imᾱn, the tenth, no. 509.

[3] Shu‘abu Al-Imᾱn, the tenth, no. 550.

[4] Musnad Imam Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal, no. 22132.