As Muslims, all we need to do is to follow a simple way which
will enable us to have a successful life. It is known as Zikr which is a
practice with our heart and
tongue to remember Allah in everything we
do. It can also be known as a practice to fill our hearts with the
remembrance of Allah. Once we start this practice, we will soon find how
things change on our way from negative to positive. We will be sad
thinking of our past life for missing this practice of Zikr. So let's
have a look on this practice to know about it better.
Opinions based on Zikr
There are two main opinions based on Zikr:
1. Feeling the prescence of Allah as a form of Zikr:
This means, Remembering Allah in
everything we do. This happens because we always feel that Allah is so
close to us and this includes everything like: glorifying, praising,
repenting, supplicating, thanking etc.
2. Quran recital as a form of Zikr:
It's a common thing to see that most of us
carry Quran as a mode to remember Allah often. We used to have a copy
with us so that we can read whenever we get a time with the aim of
remembering Allah through it. It is also considered to be an effective
way for we can fully focus on remembering Allah without paying attention
to anything else.
Types of Zikr
There are 3 ways to perform Zikr:
1. Orally: Performing Zikr with tongue. For Example: Reciting Quran, Uttering Duas.
2. Silently: Performing Zikr by heart. For Example: Repenting, Contemplating on the creations of Allah.
3. Practically: Performing Zikr with obedient actions. For Example: Fasting, Offering Salah.
Importance of Zikr
1. Closeness to Allah:
Allah is always near to those who are with
Zikr. He is proud of them and praises them in the gathering of the
angels. Verily, those who attain the closeness to Allah are successful
in this world and the hereafter as well.
Abu Huraira (R.A) narrated that Rasoolullah (SAWS) said,
“Allah (SWT) says I am closer to my slave than his supposition of which
he keeps of me. And when he/her does Zikr of Allah, I am with him/her.
If he does Zikr in his heart, I do his Zikr near MY proximity
(closeness) and if he does Zikr in a gathering, I mention him in a
gathering (better) than it.[Bukhari]
2. The best of deeds:
Zikr is the gateway to lead us towards
goodness. Remembering Allah will never lead us astray and it always
guides us to the right. That's why it is known to be the best of deeds.
"And remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt." [29:45]
Muhammad (SAWS) would often tell his companions, "Shall
I tell you about the best of deeds, the most pure in the Sight of your
Lord, about the one that is of the highest order and is far better for
you than spending gold and silver, even better for you than meeting your
enemies in the battlefield where you strike at their necks and they at
yours?" The companions replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" Muhammad
(SAWS) said, "Remembrance of Allah." [Tirmidhi]
3. Gardens of Paradise:
Rasoolullah defined the gatherings of Zikr
as the Gardens of Paradise because Zikr is sweet to those who are used
to it and it gives a twitch of eternal bliss in advance.
Anas (R.A) narrated that Rasoolullah (SAWS) said, “When
you pass by gardens of paradise, eat fruits of them. The Sahaba said,
“What are the gardens of Paradise?” He said, “The gatherings of Zikr.” [Tirmidhi]
Benefits of engaging in Zikr
1. You will be successful:
If your heart is filled with the
remembrance of Allah, then you are successful indeed. You will always
have a focus in your life and it will let you know what to be done, and
what to be avoided which is a highly outlined character of a successful
person.
"Stand firm and remember Allah much that you may be successful." [8:45]
2. You will find peace within you:
Minds with the remembrance of Allah will
never be disturbed for they are always away from sins and unnecessary
things. No matter whatever happens as they are steadfast in their faith
and it will help them to praise Allah than before.
"Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the
remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find
rest!" [13:28]
3. You will be forgiven and greatly rewarded:
Allah will be much pleased with the ones those who remember Him, and He will forgive them and bless them with great rewards.
"And the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward." [33:35]
4. You will be covered with Allah's Mercy:
Allah never fails to shower His Mercy for
the ones those who remember Him. He will let the angels to surround them
so they will feel tranquility overpowering them.
"When any group of men remember Allah, angels surround
them and mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah
mentions them to those who are with Him." [Muslim]
5. You will be surrounded with Angels:
Whenever you join a gathering where Allah is remembered, Angels will encircle you and the people around you.
Abu Huraira (R.A) narrated that Rasoolullah (SAWS)
said, “The angels look for those who do Zikr of Allah on the paths. When
they find those who are doing Zikr of Allah, then they call each other,
“Come, your desired has been found.” Then those angels cover those are
doing Zikr of Allah up to the skies of this world with their wings. [Bukhari]
6. Your heart will be softned:
Those who fear Allah and remember Him,
they will be soft at heart. There will be politeness in their speech,
friendliness in their gesture, generosity in their hearts and moderate
in their pace.
"Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah." [39:23]
7. You will be blessed with lasting happiness:
We all know that this life is temporary and we have come
here to harvest for the hereafter. Those who remember Allah often have
this in mind and they never feel sad for they knew that this mundane
life has no value. So they are happy in remembering Allah, no matter
whatever that come across and the happiness will last forever.
"Lasting happiness will be for those who purify themselves, remember the name of the Lord, and pray to Him." [87:14,15]
Drawbacks of not performing Zikr
1. You will be among the losers:
Those who fail to remember Allah are real
losers. They gain nothing in this world because of doing for the sake of
others and they have nothing left in the hereafter as well.
"O you who have believed, let not your wealth and your
children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that -
then those are the losers." [63:9]
2. You will have a depressed Life:
What's the use of leading a life without
remembering the Creator who provide us everything? You will be always
nagged by the feeling that this life is useless, but you are unaware
that it all happens because of not remembering Allah. You will feel
empty within you and it will narrow your life gradually without knowing
you.
"And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed,
he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of
Resurrection blind." [20:124]
3. You will have to face a severe torment:
If your mind isn't possessing the
remembrance of Allah, then you will not have a mind to offer salah, give
charity, observe fast, perform hajj etc. This will lead you to an empty
handed state where you will find nothing good in you on the Day of
Judgement. Thus, you will be hurled to a severe punishment. May Allah
protect us all!
"But if any turns away from the remembrance of his Lord, He will cause him to undergo a severe Penalty." [72:17]
4. You will be among the party of Satan:
It's all because of nothing, but Satan
which leads you away from the correct course. He overtakes your mind and
makes you to forget the Creator. So control your nafs and never let him
enter your mind.
"Satan has overcome them and made them forget the
remembrance of Allah. Those are the party of Satan. Unquestionably, the
party of Satan - they will be the losers." [58:19]
"And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful - We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion." [43:36]
Abdullah Bin Abbas (R.A) narrated that Rasoolullah
(SAWS) said, “The Satan sticks to the heart of the child of Adam. When
he does Zikr of Allah, he (the Satan) runs away from him. And when the
child of Adam becomes careless from the Zikr of Allah, the Satan begins
to put was-wasah (evil suggestions) into his heart. [Bukhari]
5. You will be hard-hearted:
When you are out of zikr, you will be too
much involving in unnecessary talks. This will stiffen your mind, and
arrogance will overwhelm in you.
"Woe to those whose hearts have become like stone against the remembrance of God. They are clearly in error." [39:22]
Abdullah Bin Umar (R.A) narrated that Rasoolullah
(SAWS) said, “Don’t have a conversation [without] Zikr of Allah. Because
talking too much without Zikr of Allah is the reason for the heart’s
hardness and wretchedness. And that person becomes distant from Allah in
whose heart there is wretchedness. [Tirmidhi]
How to engage in Zikr often?
Follow these simple guidelines below and you will be stunned to see how often you remember Allah.
1. Remember Allah in everything you do:
The first and foremost thing you have to
do is to remember Allah in everything you do, but how? For an instance,
when you go for a walking, look at the things around you and observe how
beautifully Allah has created everything that fits with one another.
When you are having your meals, you can remember and thank Allah for the
sustenance he has provided you without any barriers. In this way, if
you start, you will soon get accustomed to this habit and you will see
how it turns your life to an entirely different concept.
2. Control your nafs:
One of the main aspect which makes us to
forget the remembrance of Allah is our own desires. If you can control
your desires and let your hearts to invade with the remembrance of
Allah, then those times will be the best paces in your life. If you do
not, then Satan will accompany you. So control your nafs and never let
Satan to invade your life. Always seek refuge from Satan by uttering
Ta'awwudh as much as you could.
3. Don't miss your daily adhkar:
Daily adhkar are very important to purify
our minds and to remember Allah often. If you could make it a habit of
reading it every morning after fajr and every evening after asr, you
will soon feel a change in your life. Daily adhkar prevent the evils and
soothes our hearts. It is an excellent way to keep remembering Allah
often as you are expecting every fajrs and asrs to complete them.
4. Read atleast an ayah from the Quran:
One of the most effective way is to read
the Quran on a daily basis which will help you to remember Allah often.
If you just read an ayah and ponder its meaning the whole day, no wonder
you have remembered Allah all the time. You can make it more productive
by pondering its meaning when you are involving in your routine tasks
like gardening, working on your vehicle, cooking etc.
5. Be among the good company:
If you are among the good company, you
will remember Allah often. You will be inspired by the people who are
around you and they will be a motivation for you to engage in goodness.
You will always try to find some ways that would please Allah for you
are surrounded with people of such. This will refrain you from doing bad
and will let your heart to be developed with the remembrance of Allah.
"The likeness of the one who Remembers his Lord and the
one who does not Remember Him is like that between the living and the
dead." [Bukhari]
"Those who are admitted into paradise will not remorse
over anything of this world, except over the times in which the zikr of
Allah was not utilised" [Bukhari]
