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- Remembrance (Dhikr)
Remembrance (Dhikr)
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- Category: Remembrance (Dhikr)
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I will not keep it a secret that I am not the one of cooking fans, as I used to consider it as a waste of time and effort.
When I got engaged, I discovered that my mother in law is one of those who spend most of their life time at the kitchen, moreover she loves to give variety to new kinds of food from time to time using different kinds of Arabic and western cooking books.
This matter – of course – used to make me worry because I thought that my fiancé, after marriage, would compare between my cooking and his mother’s.
So when we have finished with all marriage arrangements and the marriage date was determined, my fiancé noticed that I was delaying the wedding and every time I used to invent a different excuse so finally he came and asked me “you are delaying the marriage for a reason I do not know, what is it?” then I felt the matter is being discovered and I do not have anything to do but saying the truth, so I said “ frankly, I hate kitchen!” then he laughed in astonishment and told me “anyway I like simple kinds of food and also I do not mind if I eat the same kind of each two days ” these words calmed me down and I did not delay the marriage any more, on the contrary after I got married I started feeling responsible for the house and all its matters which include the kitchen! So I told myself “you have to do your best in the kitchen even if your husband likes simple kinds of food”.
At the first day I entered my kitchen for cooking I asked God for help and trust on Him then I pleaded Him that my food would not come to be much less that of my mother in law. Then I started to cook and during that time I remembered--with God’s help-- some words of one of our sisters who was giving us lessons at the mosque during Ramadan and she said – God Rewards her—“the Arabian woman spends most of her life time at the kitchen, especially in Ramadan, which wastes much of this great month. Ramadan is like a scent flying away easily! So do not miss it in the kitchen and such kind of works, and if though why do not you mention God while at the kitchen? Has anyone of you tried to cook while she is glorifying Allah?!”
I felt I need to do that, not to take the opportunity of Ramadan—because we were in other month which I do not remember now—but for the hope that God Will Make my food tastes good!!
And I decided to start with saying God’s name before each step; starting with turning the fire on , passing through putting butter, then onion and garlic , then tomato and ending with turning the fire off.
The second time I asked myself why do not I say Surat Al-Ikhlas (the loyalty), after mentioning God’s name, during each step? I love this Surat very much, it is short and there are a lot of rewards with saying it too!!
So I have started doing that with God’s help and then, subsequently, God led me to glorify Him while the food is being cooked and during washing the dishes or cleaning the kitchen.
My husband’s reaction was to praise my food to the extent that he said my food has been better than his mother’s! —And of course I did not believe him then—because I am not the one who would pay much attention for the taste of food as long as it is fitting for eating and the salt is not too much, and I thought him saying that as a compliment, after all I was still new bride and such compliments are very normal. But I have noticed that he is repeating such words very often and this made me so happy but I never believed him and thought it is just encouraging from him especially when I discovered that he is one of the greatest fans when it comes to well cooked food , moreover he pays much attention to the way each kind of food is cooked, and thus he told me before marriage turned out to be encouragement, nothing more!!!
When I used to invite my mother in law to spend few days with us she used also to praise my food and I thought she was making a compliment as well. I have noticed that she used to spend her time with me at the kitchen while I was pleading her to have rest at the living room however she used to refuse. Because we were chatting with each other—I did not notice that she was watching my cooking till she asked me once about the method of cooking a certain kind of food and when I mentioned it she was surprised but I did not understand why till she called me once, after months from my marriage, to tell me “I adjure you to tell me the secret of your food taste” so I asked her if she is joking but she swore that she was not!!!
This was a surprise for me and I started thinking deeply to find out the reason but I could not find any but mentioning God’s name and surat Al-Ikhlas and sometimes glorifying God so I told her: “do you want the truth?” she said “sure” then I told her the aforementioned , she was surprised but she seemed as if she did not believe me, I noticed the next time she visited us that she was watching me while cooking to make sure of what I had told her!! And when she believed she told me that she “is doing the same thing now” and that she started noticing a progress in her food taste too!!!.
The funny thing about this matter is that I do not hate cooking or spending time at the kitchen anymore, especially when I play a cassette there; in the kitchen, to listen to Quran and different kinds of religious lessons. Subsequently the time I am spending at the kitchen has become amusement and I do not feel the pass of time except after finishing with everything.
Not only that but also—with God’s help—I am not confined to cook just the ordinary dishes but also baking foods like cake, pizza, and sometimes making jars and pickles to the extent that my friends and relatives did not believe that when they knew!!!
Glory to Allah that mentioning Him has secrets we do not know, but such ignorance dose not prevent us the amazement of such secrets. So Glory to you God how great you are!!!!
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- Written by Zainub Habib
- Category: Remembrance (Dhikr)
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The term ذكر 'Dhikr' means remembrance and in the Islamic context, it is used in the sense of remembrance of Allah.
Allah Almighty tells us in the Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
"O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance." (33:41)
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) also told us: "He who remembers his Lord and he who does not are like the living and the dead." (Bukhari & Muslim)
Dhikr is an all-embracing term that, in addition to including the ritual acts of worship, covers an array of activities of the tongue and heart. It involves thinking of and making mention of Allah at all times and in every area of our lives. This is the worship that has no special time, but is performed constantly so that it permanently links man’s life with Allah and His service.
The importance of constant Dhikr cannot be emphasized enough, particularly if we desire to be on the receiving end of Allah’s attention, Grace and Mercy.
Allah tells us in the Quran:
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
"Then remember Me, I will remember you." ( 2:152 )
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that Allah has said:
"I am with My servant when he remembers Me and his lips move making mention of Me." (Saheeh Al-Bukhaari)
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "A man does nothing more calculated to rescue him from Allah’s punishment than making mention of Allah."(Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
Reciting & Reading Qur'aan is Dhikr
In addition to our ritual acts of worship including the most frequent one i.e. Salaat -prayer, there are many other ways of remembering Allah. Of these, reading and reciting the Qur'aan is the foremost.
Allah refers to the Qur'aan as ‘Adh-Dhikr’ i.e. ‘The Remembrance’ or ‘The Reminder’ in as many as 55 places in the Qur'aan. In Surah Saad, Verse 1, he tells us:
ص ۚ وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ
"By the Qur'aan, full of Dhikr."
And in verse 49:
هَٰذَا ذِكْرٌ
"This (the Qur'aan) is a Dhikr ".
Reading, understanding, reflecting and pondering on Allah’s words is the most effective way of remembering Him.
Dhikr All Day, Everyday
Dhikr also includes remembering Allah when one gets up in the morning, on starting to do anything, on eating, leaving the house, on entering various places and before performing so many other activities. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) has taught us the appropriate supplications for every occasion and if we can recite these with understanding, all our activities will, Allah Willing, amount to His remembrance and worship. With a little effort these can be learnt; but if for any reason one cannot remember the appropriate one, then even saying بسم الله 'Bismillah' and being conscious of Allah amounts to Dhikr and will be a source of barakah (blessing) in everything we do.
When a man said: "O Messenger of Allah the ordinances of Islam are too many for me, so tell me something that I may cling to", he (peace be upon him) replied:
"Your tongue will continue to be supple by making mention of Allah." (Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah)
There are so many ways of remembering Allah, taught to us by our Prophet (peace be upon him). When we:
- Glorify Him by saying: سبحان الله 'Subhanallah' (How perfect is Allah);
- Praise Him by saying: الحمد لله 'Alhamdulillah' (All praise is for Allah);
- Magnify Him by saying: الله أكبر 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest);
- When we say: أستغفر الله 'Astaghfirullah' (I seek Allah’s forgiveness);
- when we say: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله 'La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (There is no power nor might except with Allah)
- all this is Dhikr.
Our Prophet (peace be upon him) also said:
كلمتان خفيفتان على اللسان، ثقيلتان في الميزان، حبيبتان إلى الرحمن:
"(There are) two words, (which are) light on the tongue, heavy on the scale and beloved to the Most Gracious:
سبحان الله وبحمده، سبحان الله العظيم
SubhaanAllaahi wa bihamdihi. Subhaan Allaahil adheem.
How perfect Allah is and I praise Him. How perfect Allah is, The Supreme." [Saheeh Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
We have also been taught the prescribed Dhikr for the mornings and evenings. Allah tells us in the Quran regarding prayers and Dhikr:
فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ
وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ
"So glorify Allah when you come up to the evening and when you enter the morning. And His are all the praises and thanks in the heavens and the earth; and in the late afternoon and when you come up to the times when the day begins to decline." (30; 17-18)
This morning and evening Dhikr should also include seeking Allah’s protection from Satan’s machinations and whisperings and all those things that can harm us. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"The devil is encircling the heart of the son of Adam, when he mentions Allah, he withdraws; but when he is neglectful, he makes evil suggestions." (Bukhaari)
When we supplicate to Allah earnestly, this is also Dhikr. Dhikr can be done anywhere and at anytime. Allah tell us in the Quran:
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
"Men who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying down on their sides and contemplate the (wonders of) creation." (3:191).
Ablution is not a prerequisite for Dhikr and Dhikr can be pronounced with the tongue or done silently. However, when one is saying it, one must not do it with a careless and inattentive heart and try to be conscious of what one is saying.
Dhikr is not only to remember and mention Allah when one is on one’s own but also when one is amongst people i.e. in assemblies. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that that Allah said: "I am present when My servant thinks of me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly I shall remember him inwardly and if he remembers Me in people, I shall remember him among people who are better than they." (Bukhari & Muslim) Our Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "People will not sit remembering Allah without the angels surrounding them, mercy covering them, peace descending on them and Allah mentioning them among those who are with them." (Muslim)
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
"لا تكثروا الكلام بغير ذكر الله، فإن كثرة الكلام بغير ذكر الله تعالى قسوة للقلب! وإن أبعد الناس من الله القلب القاسي".
"Do not indulge in excessive talk except when remembering Allah. Excessive talking without the Remembrance of Allah hardens the heart; and those who are the farthest from Allah are those whose hearts are hard." [At-Tirmidhi]
Isa ibn Maryam used to say,
لاَ تُكْثِرُوا الْكَلاَمَ بِغَيْرِ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ فَتَقْسُوَ قُلُوبُكُمْ فَإِنَّ الْقَلْبَ الْقَاسِيَ بَعِيدٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ
وَلَكِنْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ وَلاَ تَنْظُرُوا فِي ذُنُوبِ النَّاسِ كَأَنَّكُمْ أَرْبَابٌ وَانْظُرُوا فِي ذُنُوبِكُمْ كَأَنَّكُمْ عَبِيدٌ
فَإِنَّمَا النَّاسُ مُبْتَلًى وَمُعَافًى فَارْحَمُوا أَهْلَ الْبَلاَءِ وَاحْمَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى الْعَافِيَةِ
"Do not speak much without the mention of Allah for you will harden your hearts. A hard heart is far from Allah, but you do not know. Do not look at the wrong actions of people as if you were lords. Look at your wrong actions as if you were slaves. Some people are afflicted by wrong action and some people are protected from it. Be merciful to the people of affliction and praise Allah for His protection." (Muwatta Imaam Maalik)
Gatherings where people assemble to learn and teach religion and to remember Him are greatly encouraged and valued in Islam. Allah has angels who go about seeking those who remember Allah. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When you come upon the pastures of Paradise, feed on them." When asked what the pastures of Paradise were he replied that they were circles where Allah is remembered. (Tirmidhi)
Even when people come together for social purposes, it is important to remember Allah in some way. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "People who arise from an assembly in which they do not remember Allah will be just as if they had got up from an ass’s corpse and it will be a cause of grief to them." (Abu Dawud).
There are many prescribed ways of Dhikr that are acceptable and praiseworthy in our religion. It is important to remember that Dhikr must be done in these prescribed ways as Allah tells us:
وَاذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ
"And celebrate His praises as he has directed you." (2;198)
Thus creating one’s own ways of Dhikr for e.g. reading something or reading something for a specific number of times, unless there is evidence of it in the Quran and the Sunnah, is to be avoided as it may result in the wastage of one’s good deeds.
Dhikr is a means of blessings and reward from Allah and also results in peace of mind. Allah tells us in the Quran:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
"Those who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah, for without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction."(13;28)
It is vital for our salvation that we remember Allah at all times, both in private and when amongst people. The men and women who remember Allah have been specially mentioned in the Qur'aan amongst the categories of people that are dear to Allah. We have been told about them:
وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
"And for men and women who engage much in Allah’s remembrance. For them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (33;35)
May Allah make us of those who remember Allah much in times of happiness and sorrow, aloud and in solitude. Aameen.
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- Written by Atif Haseeb
- Category: Remembrance (Dhikr)
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So what is Dhikr? Sounds like a cool word. Dhikr, looks pretty neat in Arabic script.
Dhikr, according to the book Fiqh-Us-Sunnah by Sheik Sayyed As Sabeeq, mentions that, "All words of praise and glory to Allah, extolling His Perfect Attributes of Power and Majesty, Beauty and Sublimeness, whether one utters them by tongue or says them silently in one's heart, are known as Dhikr or remembrance of Allah."
Allah is so great, every time I see the glittering stars in the sky, resembling diamonds and pearls, I call to mind the greatness of Allah. Every time I see the various creatures Allah has created I reflect upon the greatness of Allah, the rainbow-colored parrots in the Amazon Forest, the birds how they soar so high in the sky only by the will of Allah.
I have been given the chance to be able to work for Paradise, shelter and clothing, having a mother and father, the ability to communicate with relatives and friends across the world using e-mail, and the greatest blessing- the religion Allah has chosen for me, Islam!
These are just some of the things Allah has blessed me with, and if I were to try and name and count all of them, it would impossible. Just take a moment, try to name all the blessings Allah has bestowed on you, and you will know what I mean.
Don't you agree that remembering Allah is the least you could do in order to acknowledge the gifts and blessings He has bestowed you with?
Remembering Allah is the foundation of good deeds. The more we remember Allah, the closer we will get to Him. You can see that our greatest example, Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him), used to remember Allah at all times. So you know Dhikr is good, but what do you get in return for remembering Allah?
"Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and women... (up to)... And the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues. Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e., Jannah).'' (33:35)
The difference between the one who makes Dhikr and the one who does not is well explained in this Hadith. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet said, "The similitude of one who remembers his Lord and one who does not remember Him, is like that of the living and the dead.'' (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
All right, so we know what Dhikr means and why we should do it. Here are some more specific things we can say to remember Allah.
Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet said, "I love repeating Subhan Allah , Walhamdu lillah , wa La ilaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu Akbar (Glorified is Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and there is no God but Allah, Allah is the greatest) more than all that the sun shines upon.'' (Muslim and Tirmidhi).
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah said, "He who recites after every prayer: Subhan Allah (Allah is free from imperfection) 33 times; Alhamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) 33 times; Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest) 33 times; and completes the hundred with: La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shai'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent), will have all his sins pardoned even if they may be as large as the foam on the surface of the sea.'' (Muslim).
So, next time you're waiting for a bus or walking to school, remember to think about the greatness of Allah.
"And remember Allah much, that you may be successful.'' (62:10).
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- Written by Tayyibaat
- Category: Remembrance (Dhikr)
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The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said about the people of Jannah,“They will be inspired with tasbeeh (saying “subhanAllah”) and takbeer (saying “Allahu Akbar”) as they are inspired with breathing.” (Muslim)
“The analogy of breathing is used because it is something man does with no conscious effort. Their breathing will become tasbeeh, and the reason for this is that their hearts will be illuminated with the knowledge of their Lord, may He be glorified, and filled with love for Him, and whoever loves a thing remembers it frequently.” -Fathul Baari, Ibn Hajar, rahimahullah.
Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah stated that this tasbeeh and takbeer will be one of the pleasures enjoyed by the people of Paradise. He said,
“This is not the kind of obligatory work that is done for the sake of a specific reward. It is the same as the kind of deeds that people do for pleasure and enjoyment.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa)
Source: “Paradise and Hell” by Shaykh Umar Al-Ashqar, hafidhahullah, pg 304.
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- Written by Shahid Khan
- Category: Remembrance (Dhikr)
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WHO amongst us dislikes being praised? Well, we might not do a certain act to be praised but yes we do feel happy when our work is appreciated. How we go ‘over the moon’ when our bosses appreciate our work.
Should I not remind you of a small deed by which Allah will remember you and praise you! That’s Dhikr, remembering Allah.
{Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying,). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me.} (Qur’an, 2:152)
You may remember Allah on this earth in a small gathering, but Allah, Who is high above the heavens, will remember you in a better gathering, amongst the angels.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Allah says: “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).’’ (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
So when we attend Islamic lectures and classes of Qur’an and Hadith in which Allah is remembered, His Religion is taught, Inshaa' Allah, our Creator will mention us in gatherings better than ours. When we do Dhikr, like Tasbeeh (Subhan Allah), Tamheed (Alhamdulillah), Takbeer (Allahu Akbar) and Tahleel (Laa ilaha illAllah) to ourselves, Allah will also Inshaa' Allah remember and mention us. What a great honor!
Why should we do Dhikr?
• Command of Allah: {And remember the Name of your Lord every morning and afternoon.} (Qur’an, 76:25)
• Path to success: {...and remember Allah much, that you may be successful.’} (Qur’an, 62:10)
• Best of deeds:
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions which are the purest to your Lord, 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 (peace be upon him) said, “Remembrance of Allah the Exalted.’’ (Al-Tirmidhi)
• Easy way to earn reward:
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Wudhoo' is half of Salat, and the expression: 'Subhaan Allah' (Allah is free from imperfection)’ fills the Balance, and the expression: 'Alhamdulillah' (praise be to Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth.’’ (Sahih Muslim)
There are many more benefits of Dhikr, mentioning of which is not possible in a short article. Dhikr is a deed that doesn’t take more than half a second of our time and has enormous benefits. Dear brothers and sisters, let’s keep our tongues moist with Dhikr. Besides it’s a very easy 'Ibadah (act of worship). It doesn’t require us to be in ablution or facing the Qiblah; it is also not restricted to specific timings – we can do it while driving, doing our household work, buying groceries, etc.
