Dhikr as a form of Dua and its impact on the Dua (2/2)

2 - Ahadith on dhikr and its numerous benefits

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

 “The comparison of the one who remembers Allah and the one who does not remember Allah is like that of the living and the dead.” [Reported by Bukhari, 11/208; Muslim, 1/539]

He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said:

 “Should I not inform you of the best of deeds, and the most sanctifying of deeds before your Lord, which does more to raise your positions (with Him), and is better for you than the disbursement of gold and money, or battle with the enemy?” They (the companions) said: “Indeed inform us.” He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) then said: “Remembrance of Allah.” [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, 5/459; Ibn Maajah, 2/1245]

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said: Allah says:

 “Indeed I am as My servant presumes Me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. So if he remembers Me to himself I remember him to Myself, and if he remembers Me amongst a company, I remember him amongst a company greater than it. And if he draws near to Me a span of a hand, I draw near to him the span of an arm, and if he draws near to me the span of an arm, I draw near to him the span of two outstretched arms, and if he takes a step towards Me I hastily step towards him.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari 5/175; Muslim, 4/2061]

On the authority of Abdullah Ibn Busr (radhyAllahu ‘anhu):

A man said to the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam): “O Messenger of Allah, the rights of Islam are much for me, so tell me of something that I might hold fast to.” He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Let not your tongue cease from the remembrance of Allah.” [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, 5/458; Ibn Maajah, 2/1246]

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said:

“Whoever recites a letter of Allah’s Book has for it, a merit and ten more like it, not to say that Alif, laam, meem are one letter but rather Alif is a letter, laam is a letter and meem is a letter.” [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, 5/175]

He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said:

 “Are there any of you who would wish to go every day to Buthaan or Al-‘Aqeeq (i.e. the name of two ditches in Madina), in the early morning and return from it with two she-camels without incurring any sin or severing relations?” We the companions said: “We would indeed love that, O Messenger of Allah.”

He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

 “Then you should go to the mosque and acquire some knowledge, or recite two verses from the Book of Allah, that would be better for you than two she-camels, and four verses are better than four she-camels and the same for a like number of male camels.” [Narrated by Muslim, 1/553]

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said:

“Whoever takes a seat and fails to remember Allah, has incurred upon himself a loss from Allah, and whoever lies down (relaxes) and fails to remember Allah, has incurred upon himself a loss from Allah.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4/264]

He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said:

“Whenever a people sit in a gathering in which they fail to remember Allah and send prayers upon the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) they incur a loss upon themselves and if Allah willed He would punish them and if He willed He would forgive them.”  [Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, 3/140]

Similarly, he (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Whenever a people rise from a gathering in which they failed to remember Allah, they rise as if they have arisen from the corpse of an ass and incurring upon themselves grief.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4/264; Ahmad, 2/389; Saheeh AlJaami, 5/176]

Abu Huraira (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allah’s Apostle said:

“Shall I not tell you a thing, which, by doing, 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? (deed as you do). That deed is to recite ‘Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah) ten times, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) ten times and Allaho Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) ten times after every prayer.’” [Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari Volume VIII, The Book of Invocation, 6329]

Abu Musa (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allah’s Apostle said:

 “O Abdullah bin Qais! Shall I teach you a sentence which is from the treasures of Paradise? It is “La haula wala quwwata illa bil-lah” (there is neither might nor power except with Allah).” [Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari Volume VIII, The Book of Invocation 6384]

Abu Huraira (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allah’s Apostle said:

 “There are two expressions which are very easy for the tongue to say, but they are very heavy in the balance and are very dear to The Benficent (Allah), and they are ‘Subhan Allah Al- Azim’ and ‘Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi’ (I deem Allah free of any resemblance to anything what-so-ever in any respect and I celebrate His Praises.)”

3- Views of Scholars on dhikr

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said in Madaarij Al-Saalikeen [2/244-246]:

Gratitude is based on five foundations: humility of the thankful one towards the One Who is thanked, his love for Him, his acknowledgement of His blessing, his praise of Him for that and not using it for anything that He hates.

It is narrated that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) taught people various adhkaar to say, and the best of dhikr is Laa ilaaha ill-Allah.

This is what he urged his paternal uncle Abu Taalib to say when he was dying. He said,

“O uncle, say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah and I will defend you thereby before Allah.”

And he said,

“I know of a word which no one says when he is dying but his soul finds rest in it.”

And he said,

“Anyone whose last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allah will enter Paradise.”

And he said,

“Whoever dies knowing that there is no god except Allah will enter Paradise.”

And there are many similar ahadith. [Majmoo’ Al-Fataawaa, 10/556-558]