The virtue of Dhikr and it’s importance
Allah سبحانه و تعالى says in Ar-Ra’d 13:28
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ
Verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest.
Tranquility and inner peace only comes through remembrance of Allah سبحانه و تعالى . Not from people or anything else.
Allah says in Surah Al Ahzab verse 35,
وَٱلذَّٰكِرِينَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَٱلذَّٰكِرَٰتِ أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
and the men and the women who remember Allâh much with their hearts and tongues Allâh has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise).
Allah سبحانه و تعالى also says in Al-Ahzab 33:41
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
O you who believe! Remember Allâh with much remembrance.
Allah says in Aal-e-Imran verse 191,
ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ
Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides,
Remembrance of Allah is not limited to the masjid, or you have to have wudu. It can be done anytime generally.
And the statement of the prophet ﷺ by Abu Hurairah
من حديث أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: (ما من قوم جلسوا
وتفرّقوا منه لم يذكروا الله فيه، إِلاّ كأنّما تفرقوا عن جيفة و كان عليهم حسرت يوم القيامة)
There are no people who sit in a gathering in which they do not remember Allah this action of there’s will be a loss for them on the day of judgement.
وعن أبي الدرداء، رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ”ألا أنبئكم بخير أعمالكم، وأزكاها عند مليككم، وأرفعها في درجاتكم، وخير لكم من إنفاق الذهب والفضة وخير لكم من أن تلقوا عدوكم فتضربوا أعناقهم، ويضربوا أعناقكم؟” قالوا: بلى، قال: ”ذكر الله تعالى”. رواه الترمذي وقال الحاكم أبو عبد الله إسناده صحيح.
Abud-Darda (رضي الله عنه) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions which are the purest to your Rabb, which exalt you to the high ranks, which are more efficacious than spending gold and silver (in charity), and better for you than you should encounter your enemies whom you will smite their necks and they will smite your necks?” They said, “Certainly.” He (ﷺ) said, “Remembrance of Allah the Exalted.”
[At-Tirmidhi].
عن أبي هريرة -رضي الله عنه- قال: قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم-: «سبق المُفَرِّدُونَ» قالوا: وما المُفَرِّدُونَ ؟ يا رسول الله قال: « الذاكرون الله كثيرا والذاكراتِ».
In the hadith of Abu Hurairah, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “The mufaridoon are going to be ahead of everyone else. They sahaba said, who are these mufariddon? The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم they are the men and women who remember Allah much.
Narrated Abu Musa:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The example of the one who remembers Allah in comparison to the one who does not Remember Allah is that of a living creature compared to a dead one.”
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ وَالَّذِي لاَ يَذْكُرُ مَثَلُ الْحَىِّ وَالْمَيِّتِ ”.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6407
There are 2 types of Dhikr.
1. One type is general and unrestricted
2.One type is limited and restricted
For example saying laa ilaha illa Allah in general is unrestricted, there’s no specific number time or place.
There are many adhkar that is limited and restricted and is said in a specific time, number or place. Like astaghfirullah astaghfirullah astaghfirullah allahuma anta Salam that you recite after praying. Astaghfirullah came three times and came with specific words. If someone changes these things it’s not acceptable. You have to perform it as the Prophet ﷺ did it. You can’t take something form it or add something in it.
General and unrestricted dhikr can be done anytime in any situation.
The Hadith of Harith Al-Ashari
وَآمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تَذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فَإِنَّ مَثَلَ ذَلِكَ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ خَرَجَ الْعَدُوُّ فِي أَثَرِهِ سِرَاعًا حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَى عَلَى حِصْنٍ حَصِينٍ فَأَحْرَزَ نَفْسَهُ مِنْهُمْ كَذَلِكَ الْعَبْدُ لاَ يُحْرِزُ نَفْسَهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ إِلاَّ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
And He commands you to remember Allah. For indeed the parable of that, is a man whose enemy quickly tracks him until he reaches an impermeable fortress in which he protects himself from them. This is how the worshiper is; he does not protect himself from Ash-Shaitan except by the remembrance of Allah.
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2863
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described dhikr as Hisnun Haseen, a fortified fortress, which is where the name of the book, Hisnul Muslim came from.
Ibn Al Qayyim رحمه الله said about this:
If Dhikr didn’t have any virtue except this one thing, that it’s a fortress against Shaytan, it would be deserving for someone to never let his tongue stop from remembering Allah and to be constantly engaged in His rememberance. Because he cannot protect himself from his enemy except with dhikr. And his enemy cannot attack him except because of him being not aware. His enemy is hiding and waiting to attack him. If he is not engaged in dhikr, his enemy will attack him and if he remembers Allah, his enemy will withdraw and becomee something small and insignificant. Like a tiny bird or a like a tiny fly and that’s why the shaytaan is called Al Waswasul Khannas. The one who whispers in the chest, but when Allah’s name is mentioned, he withdraws.
A person should never consider that dhikr is something insignificant. Rather dhikr is extremely important. The best of Dhikr is the Quran. Remembering Allah with Quran, His names, even when we see something that pleases us we say Allahu Akbar or subhanAllah or when something is difficult you say laa hawla wa la quwata illa billah. This is all dhikr.
Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said
الذكر للقلب مثل الماء للسمك؛ فكيف يكون حال السمك إذا فارق الماء؟
Dhikr for your heart is like water for the fish. What would happen to the fish if it is taken out from the water?