Remembrance of Allah

عَنْ اَبِیْ ھُرَیْرَۃَ وَ أَبِیْ سَعِیْدٍ قَالاَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اﷲِ ﷺ لاَ یَقْعُدُ قَوْمٌ یَذْکُرُوْنَ اﷲَ اِلاَّ حَفَّتُہُمْ الْمَلاَئِکَۃُ وَغَشِیَتُھُمْ الْرَحْمَۃُ وَ نَزَلَتْ عَلَیْھِمُ السَکِیْنَۃُ وَذَکَرَھُمُ اﷲُ فِیْمَنْ عِنَدَہٗ‘‘(رواہ مسلم فی کتاب الذکر و الدعاء)

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Narrated Hazrat Ibn ‘Umar (R.T.A.) and Hazrat Abu Saeed (R.T.A.): The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, “The people do not sit but they are surrounded by angels and covered by Mercy, and there descends upon them tranquility as they remember Allah, and Allah makes a mention of them to those who are near Him”.

Explanation:

          In the tradition appearing above, there has been mentioned the importance of Allah’s remembrance and those of practice it. Here, the word ‘Zikr’ refers to being consistent on doing the deeds observing which has been prescribed mandatory by Allah, the Almighty on a man. Shaikh-ul-Islam Allamah Ibne Taimiyah says that each and every deed a man does with intention to seek Allah’s pleasure, is considered to be ‘Zikr’.

A kind of Zikr is to make by hearth i.e. to deliberate in the signs and arguments of Allah, the Almighty existing in each and every particle of the universe which allows a man to recognise Allah’s person and His attributes. Says Allah, the Almighty:

’’اَلَّذِیْنَ یَذْکُرُوْنَ اﷲَ قِیَٰماً وَقُعُوْداً وَعَلَیٰ جُنُوْبِھِمْ وَیَتَفَکَّرُ وْنَ فِیْ خَلْقِ الْسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ ھَٰذَا بَٰطِلاً سُبْحَانَکَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ الْنَّارِ‘‘ (آل عمران:۱۹۱(

“Those who honour God in meditation, standing or sitting or lying on their sides, who reflect and contemplate on the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say) “Not in vain have You made them. All praise be to You, O Lord, preserve us from the torment of Hell.”

Another kind of Zikr is made by the parts of body such as keeping oneself absorbed in the Allah’s remembrance. Says Allah, the Almighty:

’اَقْمِ الصَّلوٰۃَ لِذِکْرِیِ‘‘ (طہٰ ۲۴(

“And establish Salah for My remembrance.”

At another place He says:

’’اِنَّمَا جَعَلَ الطَوَافُ و الْسَعْی بَیْنَ الصَفَا والْمَرْوَۃَ ورَمِیْ الْجِمَارِ لِاِقَامَۃِ ذِکر اﷲِ‘‘ (رواہ ابوداؤد(

“The circumambulation, Rami of the Jimar and the Sa’i between Safa and Marwah are imposed only to maintain remembrance of Allah.”

Another kind of Zikr is also to make with tongue like being punctual of praising and glorifying Allah, the Almighty to maintain His greatness and awe.

In reality, Allah’s remembrance is the essence of Islam. Without it, a man’s life is not a life in its real sense as required by Islam. It is only the remembrance of Allah which keeps a man in communion with Allah, the Almighty. The way breathing is an essential element for the existence of body, in the same way, making Allah’s remembrance continuously is essential for our spiritual and moral existence. Our tongue must be always engaged in His remembrance and it should instill in our heart to such extent that it penetrates in the depth of our consciousness, since the main objective of Islam is that a man is totally immersed in Allah’s remembrance. In fact, all the acts of worship without remembrance has no effect. Hence, a stress has been laid in the Holy Qura’n not only on remembrance, rather on remembrance in abundance.

Allah, the Almighty says:

“یَا اَیُّھَا الَذِّیْنَ اَمَنُوْا اذْکُروا اﷲَ ذِکْراً کَثِیراً‘‘ (الاحزاب : ۱ ۴(

“O you who believe, remember Allah abundantly.”

It is in view to focus on the importance of Allah’s remembrance that the whole religion is illustrated with ‘Zikr’.Says Allah, the Almighty:

“(And it is also revealed to me) that if they (the people of Makkah) had stood firm on the (right) way, We would have supplied water to them in abundance, so that We test them thereby; and if one turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will thrust him into a severe torment.”

It is for this reason that after other acts of worship, a special mention has been made of ‘Zikr’ laying stress on it. It does imply that Zikr is such an act of worship that a man is never required being free of it, rather it should be always continue without fail and make a regular practice of one’s life. Says Allah, the Almighty:

فَاِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلٰوةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللّٰهَ قِيٰمًا وَّقُعُوْدًا وَّعَلٰي جُنُوْبِكُمْ ۚ فَاِذَا اطْمَاْنَـنْتُمْ فَاَقِيْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ  ۚ اِنَّ الصَّلٰوةَ كَانَتْ عَلَي الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ كِتٰبًا مَّوْقُوْتًا      ١٠٣؁

“If you are late in performing your service of prayer honour God by remembering Him, standing or sitting or lying on your sides. And when you have security, perform your act of prayer befittingly; and praying at fixed hours is prescribed for the faithful.”

It becomes quite clear through the instructions furnished by the Holy Qura’n and Hadith that the essence of all deeds and act s of worship is the remembrance of Allah, the Almighty. On the contrary, negligence from it might result into a great loss, besides it, it is also a sign of the hypocrites. Says Allah, the Almighty:

“Surely, the hypocrites (try to) deceive Allah while He is the One who leaves them in deception. And when they stand for Salah, they stand

up lazily, only to show people, and do not remember Allah but a little.”

“حَفَّتُہُمْ الْمَلاَئِکَۃُ”:

‘The angels surround them’. Through other traditions, we come to know that there are some angels who are appointed by Allah, the Almighty to look for those who are engaged in His remembrance. Thus, when they find any group of people engaged in Zikr, they call upon their fellows and tell that these are the people whom we were looking for. Then, they cover them under their wings and overspread the heaven close to the world.

“وَغَشِیَتُھُمْ الْرَحْمَۃُ”:

‘They are covered by Allah’s Mercy’. They become worthy of receiving Allah’s Mercy and who can be more blessed than who becomes worthy of Allah’s Mercy?

“وَ نَزَلَتْ عَلَیْھِمُ السَکِیْنَۃُ”:

‘And there descends upon them tranquility’. Thus, Allah, the Almighty bestows them with the wealth of heart’s relief which causes to remove all their doubts and confusion. It is really a special reward for them. As to how this tranquility descends on them, it is pointed out in Bukhari mentioned in the virtues of Surah Al-Kahaf that once, a man (Usaid bin Huzair) was reciting Surah Al-Kahaf while, beside him, a horse was tied with two ropes. All of sudden, a cloud overshadowed it and began to approach it more and more with the result that it began to skip. In the morning, when he came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and narrated it before him, he said, “It was a tranquility which descended due to the recitation of the Holy Qura’n.”

“وَذَکَرَھُمُ اﷲُ فِیْمَنْ عِنَدَہٗ”:

‘Allah, the Almighty makes their mention among the angels near to him. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is reported to have said that their mention is made by Allah among the angels based on pride. (Muslim: 2701) Of course, what a matter of great honour it is for a man that his Lord makes his mention among His angels.

As a matter of fact, remembering Allah, the Almighty is an act of worship and worship requires discipline. Hence, while making remembrance of Allah, it is must to take some rules of discipline into consideration. They are as follows:

• Allah’s remembrance should be made keeping in mind the greatness and supremacy of Allah, the Almighty with utmost humbleness.
• It should be made fearing Allah’s punishment and a sense of Allah’s awe.
• In place of loud voice, it should be made in low voice – so that – there remains no doubt of exhibition and allows no desire to hear people admiring him.
• It should be made with the Masnoon words and way only rather than with self-made up and ways, since avoiding it only can allow a man to be blessed with Allah’s Mercya and tranquillity.

Where the remembrance of Allah made with utmost attention causes the relief of heart, there it also allows a man the blessed company of Allah, the Almighty. He will be saved against Satan and his insinuations. More importantly, he will be honoured with the shade of Allah’s Throne. On the contrary, being indifferent to His remembrance is a bargain of great loss. It is the people on whom Satan is let lose by Allah, the Almighty and causes dearth in his sustenance. The greater loss he is supposed to undergo due to dearth in sustenance is that it results in destroying his worldly life while the letting Satan lose over him may result in the destruction of his next life.

May Allah, the Almighty grant us ability to make His remembrance! (Ameen!)