Beauty of Islam

"But verily, remembrance of Allah is the most important"

AHAADITH OF 'DHIKR' (REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH)

HADITH NO-1

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) narrated that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said,

"Almighty Allah says, 'I treat my slave (man) according to his expectations from Me, and I am with him when he remembers me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better and nobler gathering (i.e. of angels) if he comes closer to Me by one span, I go towards him a cubit's length, if he comes toward Me by a cubit's length, I go towards him an arm's length, and if he walks towards Me, I run unto him."

HADITH NO-2

Advice to keep tongue very busy in Dhikr

A sahabi once said, "O Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), I know that the commandments of Shariat are many, but of these tell me the one that I may practice assiduously throughout my life." The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), replied, "Keep your tongue always moist (i.e. busy) with the 'Dhikr' of Allah.

According to another Hadith, Hazrat Moaaz has said, "Once at the time of my departure from Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), I asked him to advise me of that action which is most pleasing to Almighty Allah: whereupon he replied, "At the time of your death, your tongue should be bus with 'Dhikr' of Almighty Allah."Note:-By "my departure", hazrat Muaaz (Radhiallaho anho) refers to the occasion when he was appointed by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) as the Governor of Yemen and sent there for teaching and propagating Islam. It was at the time of that farewell that Rasulullah (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had given him some parting instructions.
By saying that "the commandments of Sahriat are many", the Sahabi had meant that although observance of every commandment is imperative, to specialize and attain perfection in each and every one is difficult; and so he wanted that Rasulullah (sallallaho alaihe wasallam), may recommend him something of over-riding importance which he might hold fast to, and practice at al times and in all conditions of sitting, standing or walking.

HADITH NO-3

Constant Dhikr - a means to elevation of status in Jannah

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), said, "There are many a people who do Dhikr of almighty Allah, while lying comfortably in their soft beds, and for this, they will be rewarded with the highest positions in Paradise by Almighty Lord."

Note: Generally, the greater the sufferings and hardships one undergoes in the cause of religion, the higher will be his status in the Hereafter. But the Dhikr of Allah is such a blessed act that, even if it is done in soft beds in this world, it will bring high rewards and elevated positions in the Hereafter. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said, "If you keep yourselves busy in Dhikr all the time, the angels will shake hands with you in your beds as well as on your way."

Once Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "The Mufarrid people have gone far ahead." "Who are the Mufarrid?" enquired the Sahabah. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) replied, "It is those who are intensely devoted to the Dhikr of Allah." On the basis of this Hadith, the Shuyukhs have stated that the kings and rulers should not be prevented from Dhikr of Allah, for they, by this means, can attain a lofty rank in the Hereafter.

Hazrat Abu Darda (Radiallaho anho) says, "Glorify Almighty Allah during the time of prosperity and happiness, and it will help you in times of distress and trouble."

Hazrat Salman Farsee (Radiallaho anho) said, "If a person remembers Allah in times of peace, pleasure and prosperity, then whenever he is in trouble and difficulty, the angels, being familiar with his voice, recognize him in his helplessness and intercede before Almighty Allah (for his forgiveness); but, if one who does not remember Allah in his time of pleasure and happens to pray for help at the time of difficulty, the angels find his voice to be quite unfamiliar and therefore do not intercede for him."

Hazrat Ibn-I-Abbas (Radiallaho anho) said, "Paradise has eight gates, one of which is exclusively reserved for those who are engaged in Dhikr." It is said in one Hadith, "A person who constantly does Dhikr of Allah is immune from hypocrisy in faith", and according to another Hadith, "He is loved by Almighty Allah."

Once during his return journey to Medina Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Where are those who have gone ahead." The Companions said, "The fast travelers have gone ahead"; then Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Those who remain ahead are the persons who remain constantly absorbed in Zirk. Whoever desires to enjoy himself in Paradise, should do Zirk of Allah excessively."

According to another Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "for everything there is a purifier or cleanser. (For instance, soap is used for cleaning the body and the clothes, while a furnace is used for purifying iron). The Dhikr of Almighty Allah cleanses and purifies the heart, and provides the best protection against retribution in the Hereafter." This hadith describes Dhikr as the purifier of the heart, and as such it also establishes superiority of Dhikr over all other actions, because the value of every act of worship depends upon Ikhlas (sincerity of the intention), which in turn depends on the heart.

There are many more Ahaadith that describe the superiority of Dhikr over all other actions. Somebody enquired of Hazrat Salman (Radiallaho anho) as to what action of man is most virtuous. He replied, "Have you not read in the Holy Qur'an, (Certainly the Dhikr of Allah is most exalted"). Hazrat Salman (Radiallaho anho) had referred here to the first Ayat of Part 21 of the Holy Qur'an.

HADITH NO-4

A Dhaakir is like the living and the forgetful like the dead

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "The contrast between a person who glorifies Almighty Allah and one who does not remember Him is like that between the living and the dead."

Note: Life is dear to all, and every one fear death. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) meant to say that one, who does not remember Allah, though (bodily) alive, is spiritually dead and his life is but worthless.

HADITH NO-5

The superiority of Dhikr over charity

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "if a person has a lot of wealth and distributes it amongst the needy, while another person is only busy with the Dhikr of Allah, the latter who is engaged in Dhikr, is the better of the two."

Note: Spending in the path of Allah is a splendid virtue, but Dhikr of Allah is more virtuous. How lucky are those well-to-do persons who, in addition to spending for the pleasure of Allah, remain also devoted to His Dhikr.

According to one hadith, Almighty Allah also does 'Sadaqa' every day, i.e. showers his favors on the people, and everybody gets what he deserves, but the luckiest is the person who is favored with the ability to do His Dhikr. People who are engaged in different occupations, such as trade, farming and service, should spare some time for Dhikr every day and thereby earn great rewards. It should not be difficult to devote an hour or two out of 24 hours, exclusively for this noble purpose. A lot of our time is wasted in frivolous pursuits, and some of this can be easily spared for this most useful work

HADITH NO - 6

Inmates of Jannah regret the time not devoted to Dhikr

The Holy Prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Those who are admitted into paradise will not regret over anything of this world, except the time spent without Dhikr in their life."

Hazrat Sirri (Rahmatullah alaihe) says, "I saw Jurjanee swallowing roasted barley flour. He told me that he had compared the time taken in chewing bread and in eating barley flour; eating bread took so much longer than he could say (subhana Allah) seventy times in that time. Therefore, he had not taken bread for forty years, and had lived by swallowing barley flour alone."

It is said about Mansur-bin-Motamar that he never spoke to anybody after Isha prayers for forty years. Similarly, it is said about Rabi-bin-Haseem that it was his practice for twenty years that he noted down what he talked during the day, and would check at night whether that talking was necessary or not. Those pious scholars were particular that every moment of their life was spent in Dhikr and in nothing else.

HADITH NO-7

Allah's pleasure and His angels surround the zaakir and Allah Taala praises them to His angels

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radiallaho anho) and Hazrat Abu Saeed (Radiallaho anho) both bore testimony to having heard from Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), that the gathering engaged in Dhikr of Almighty Allah is surrounded by the angels on all sides, the grace of Allah and 'Sakina' (peace and tranquility) descend upon them, and Almighty Allah speaks about them, by way of appreciation, to His angels."

HADITH NO -8

Allah Taala takes pride in the groups of Muslim engaged in Remembrance of Him

Once Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) went to a group of Sahaba, (Radhiallaho anhum) and said to them, "What for are you sitting her?" they replied, "We are engaged in the Dhikr of Almighty Allah, and are glorifying Him for His extreme kindness to us in that he has blessed us with the wealth of ISLAM" Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "By Allah, Are you here only for this reason? " "By Allah! Replied the Sahaba, (Radiallaho anhom) ; "We are sitting her only for this reason." Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) then said, "I asked you to swear not out of any misunderstanding, but because Jibrail (Alayhis salam) came to me and informed me just now that Almighty Allah was speaking high about you before angels."

HADITH NO -9

The angels' announcement of reward for those gathered together for Dhikr of Allah

Anas (Radhiallaho anho) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said, "When some people assemble for the Dhikr of Allah with the sole purpose of earning His pleasure, an angel proclaims from the sky, "You people have been forgiven, your sins have been replaced by virtues."

According to another hadith, "A gathering devoid of Dhikr of Allah, would be the cause of dismay and sorrow on the Day of Judgement."
It is narrated in another Hadith that any gathering devoid of Allah's Dhikr and Darood Sharif will be a source of dismay and loss. Then, out of His sheer mercy, Allah may grant forgiveness, or He may demand an explanation and penalize. It is stated in another Hadith, "Do proper justice to a gathering by remembering Allah profusely, show the way to way-fares (if need be), and close your eyes or cast them down when you come across a forbidden thing.

HADITH NO -10

Dhikr protects from the punishment of the grave

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "No other action of a person can surpass Dhikr of Almighty Allah in saving from the punishment in the grave."

Note: How serious is the punishment in the grave can be realized only by those who have the knowledge of Hadith on this subject. Whenever Hazrat Umar (Radhiallaho anho) visited a grave, he would weep so much that his beard would become wet with tears. Some one asked him, "How is it that mention of Paradise and Hell does not make you weep so much as you do when you come across a grave?" He replied, "the grave is the first of the many stages of the Hereafter. For him who is successful or safe during this stage, the later stages will also be easy; while for a person who is not exempted in this stage, the later stages will be even more difficult." Then he quoted Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) as having said, "I have not come across any sight more terrifying than that of the grave."
Hazrat Aisha (radhiallaho anha) said that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) used to pray after every Salaat for protection against the chastisement in the grave. Hazrat Zaid (Radhiallaho anho) reported Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to have said, "I would have prayed to Almighty Allah to let you hear the torture of the grave. With the exception of men and Jinns, all other creatures hear the punishment in the grave."

Once Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) entered the mosque and saw that some people were laughing very loudly. He said to them, "If you had remembered death quite often, you would not have laughed like this. Not a day passes when the grave does not proclaim; " I am the house of wilderness, the house of loneliness, and the abode of worms and insects." When a true believer is buried in a grave, it welcomes him, saying, "You are welcome here, you have done well to have come here. Of all the people walking upon the Earth, you were the dearest to me. Now that you have been made over to me, you will see my excellent behaviour." Then the grave expands to the farthest point of sight, and a door of paradise opens into it. Through this door comes the scented air of the paradise. But when an unbeliever or a transgressor is buried, the grave says, "your coming here is unwelcome and abominable. You had better not come here. Of all the people who have been walking upon me, I hated you the most. Today you have been made over to me, and you will see my treatment." Then it narrows down and presses him mercilessly, till his ribs pierce into each other as the fingers of the two hands interlock each other. Then ninety or ninety-nine dragons are let loose upon him, and they will continue clawing at him till the Day of Resurrection. If one of those serpents or dragons were to blow on the Earth, it will be rendered incapable of growing any grass till the Day of Judgement. Then Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) continued, "The grave is either a garden out of Paradise or else a pit out the Hell." The effectiveness of Dhikr in this respect is evident from the above-mentioned hadith.

HADITH NO- 11

Exaltation and bright countenance of the gathering for the Dhikr of Allah Taala

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said, "Almighty Allah will, on the Day of Resurrection or Qiamat, resurrect certain groups of people in such a state that their faces will be radiant with light, they will be sitting on pulpits of pearls and others will envy their lot. They will neither be from among the Prophets nor from among the martyrs." Somebody asked the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to let him have more details about these people, so that he may be able to recognize them. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) replied, "They will be the people who belong to different families and different places, but assemble at one place for the love of Almighty Allah and are engaged in His Dhikr."

It is said in another Hadith, "In the paradise there will be pillars of emerald supporting balconied houses made of rubies and with open doors on all the four sides. These will shine like brilliant stars, and will be occupied by those people who love each other for the sake of Allah, and who assemble at a place and meet each other only for His pleasure."

How blessed, in the eyes of Allah Taala, are the places where Dhikr is practiced, which are the targets of abuse from all directions, can best be judged from Hadiths in their favour. It is stated in a Hadith that the houses where Dhikr is practiced shine unto the residents of the skies, as do the stars shine unto the inhabitants of the earth. According to another Hadith, sakeenah (a very special blessings) descends on the gathreing engaged in Dhikr, the angels surround them, the divine mercy covers them, and Allah Taala mentions them on His Throne.

Aboo Razi (radiyAllahu anhu), a sahabi, narrated that Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Shall I tell you something that will strengthen your Imaan and earn you the blessings of Allah Taala, the Great, in both the worlds? It is the gatherings of those who do Dhikr of Allah Taala; you should make it a point to take part in them and, when you are alone, do as much Zike as you can."

HADITH NO-12

Gatherings of Dhikr are described as gardens of Jannah

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "When you pass the gardens of Paradise, graze to your heart's content." Someone asked, "O Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), what is meant by the gardens of Paradise?" he replied, "Gathering for performing Dhikr."

HADITH NO-13

Do Dhikr so much that people call you insane

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "Practice Dhikr so excessively that people may regard you as a maniac." It is stated in another Hadith "practice Dhikr so much that the hypocrite may regard you as insincere."

HADITH NO-14

The Dhaakir in the shade of Allah

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said: "The following seven persons will be accommodated by Allah in the shade of His Mercy on the Day when there will be no other shade except His:(1) A just ruler, (2) A young man who worships Allah in his youth, (3) A person whose heart yearns for the Masjid, (4) those two persons who love, meet and depart only for the pleasure of Allah. (5) A man who is tempted by a beautiful woman and refuses to respond for fear of Allah. (6) A person who gives alms so secretly that the charity of one hand is not known to the other hand. (7) A person who practice Dhikr of Allah in solitude, so that tears flow of his eyes."

Among the seven persons mentioned in the foregoing Hadith, is included also the person who weeps while doing Dhikr in solitude. He combines two sublime qualities: first Ikhlas, which makes him remember Allah in solitude, secondly the fear or love of Allah, which makes him weep.

HADITH NO-15

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "an announcer will call out on the Day of Judgement, "where are the wise ones?" People will enquire, 'who are meant by the wise ones?' The reply will be, "They are those who always remembered Allah, whether sitting, standing or reclining, and pondered over the creation of the Heaven and the Earth, and would say, 'O Allah! Thou hast not created al this in vain. We glorify Thee; save us from the fire of Hell.' Thereafter a flag will appear for them, and they will follow this flag and will be told to enter Paradise and stay for ever."

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) narrated from Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) that a person lying on the roof of his house was looking at the sky and stars for some time, and then said, "I swear by Allah and I believe there is somebody who has created you all; O Allah! Forgive me for my sins." Thereupon Allah's mercy turned towards him and he was forgiven. Hazrat ibn-e-Abbas (Radhiallaho anho) said that meditation for one Sa'at (a short duration of time) is better than worship throughout the night. Similarly, Hazrat Anas, (Radhiallaho anho) narrated that meditation over the creations of Allah is better than doing worship for eighty years. Somebody asked Umme Darda (Radhiallaho anho) as to what had been the best kind of worship done by her husband, Abu Darda (Radhiallaho anho). She replied it was meditation and contemplation. According to Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) also Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said that meditation and contemplation for one SA'AT (a short duration of time) is better than worship for sixty years.

Imam Ghazali (Rahmatullah alaihe) has written that meditation is held to be superior to Dhikr because, in addition to the essence of Dhikr, it includes two additional things, of which one is recognition of Allah, for which meditation is said to be the key, and secondly the love of Allah, which is induced by deep thinking. It is this meditation which the Shuyukh call 'Muraqaba', and the virtue of which is narrated in many Ahadith. Hazrat Aisha (Radhiallaho anha) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said 'Dhikr Khafi' (without voice) which is not heard even by angels is rewarded seventy times over." When, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will summon all the creation for reckoning, and the 'Kiraman Katibeen' (recording angels) will bring the recorded accounts of all the people, Allah will ask them to verify if there is any more good deed to the credit of a certain individual. They will submit that they had not omitted anything from his recorded account. Allah will then say, there is yet one good to his credit, which is not known to the angels, and it is his Dhikr in silence. Baihaqi has quoted on the authority of Hazrat Aisha (Radhiallaho anha) that he Dhikr that is not heard even by the angels is seventy times superior to the Dhikr that is heard by them.

Hazrat Saad (Radhiallaho anho) quoted Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to have said, "The best Dhikr is the Khafi (silent) one, and the best livelihood is that which just suffices", (i.e. it should neither be too insufficient to make both ends meet, nor too abundant as to drive one to vanity and vice). In another Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "Remember Allah through Kaamil Dhikr'. He replied, 'Khafi' (silent) Dhikr."

HADITH NO.-16

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was in his house when the verse (keep yourself bound to the company of those who invoke their Lord morning and evening) was revealed to him. On this revelation, he went out in search of such people; he found a group of men who were engaged in Dhikr. Some of them were with disheveled hair, parched skins, and clad in a single cloth i.e. except for the loincloth, the whole body was naked. On seeing them, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) sat down by them and said, "All praise is for Allah who has created in my Ummah such people that I have been ordered to sit in their company." According to another Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) went out in search of them and found them in farthest part of the mosque, where they were busy in doing Dhikr of Almighty Allah. He said, "All Praise is for Allah who has created, during my lifetime, such people that I have been ordered to sit with them." Then he continued, "My life and death is with you (i.e. you are my companions in life and death)." It is mentioned in one Hadith that a group of Sahabah, including Hazrat Salman Farsi (Radhiallaho anho) was engaged in Dhikr of Allah, when Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) came to them. They became all silent. In reply to his enquiry as to what they were doing, they submitted that they were practicing Dhikr of Allah. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "I saw that the mercy of Allah was descending upon you, and so I desired that I should join your company. Alhamdo lillah (All Praise is for Allah)" he then continued, "Almighty Allah has raised such people in my Ummah that He ordered me to sit in their company." It is from such orders of almighty Allah that the Shuyukh have deduced that the Shaykh should also sit with his disciples. In addition to the benefit that will thereby accrue of the Shaykh. In the effort to tolerate the vulgarities of the uncivilized and uninitiated people, his ego will undergo severe strain, and thereby he will develop humbleness in him. In addition to this, the get-together of the hearts is important for attracting the Mercy and Grace of Almighty Allah.

HADITH NO.-17

Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said that Almighty Allah says, "Do My Dhikr for some time after Fajr Salaat and after Asr Salaat, and I will suffice for you during the intervening periods."

According to another hadith, if a person offers Fajr Salaat in congregation and remains engaged in Dhikr of Allah until sunrise, and then offers two rakaats of Nafl Salaat, his reward will equal to that of a perfect Hajj and Umra. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is also stated to have said, "offering Fajr Salaat in congregation, and then remaining busy in Dhikr until sunrise, is more precious to me than this world and all that it contains. Similarly, remaining busy in Dhikr with a group after Asr till sunset is preferred by me to this world and everything that it contains." It is for this reason that the time after Fajr and Asr prayers is specially reserved for Dhikr as a matter of routine by the Sufees Especially, the time after Fajr prayer is also reserved for Dhikr, even by the Faqihs i.e. the Muslims jurists.


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DhikrAllah Discourses of the Pious Great Personalities Contact	"But verily, remembrance of Allah is the most important" AHAADITH OF 'DHIKR' (REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH) HADITH NO-1 Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) narrated that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said, "Almighty Allah says, 'I treat my slave (man) according to his expectations from Me, and I am with him when he remembers me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better and nobler gathering (i.e. of angels) if he comes closer to Me by one span, I go towards him a cubit's length, if he comes toward Me by a cubit's length, I go towards him an arm's length, and if he walks towards Me, I run unto him." HADITH NO-2 Advice to keep tongue very busy in Dhikr A sahabi once said, "O Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), I know that the commandments of Shariat are many, but of these tell me the one that I may practice assiduously throughout my life." The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), replied, "Keep your tongue always moist (i.e. busy) with the 'Dhikr' of Allah. According to another Hadith, Hazrat Moaaz has said, "Once at the time of my departure from Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), I asked him to advise me of that action which is most pleasing to Almighty Allah: whereupon he replied, "At the time of your death, your tongue should be bus with 'Dhikr' of Almighty Allah."Note:-By "my departure", hazrat Muaaz (Radhiallaho anho) refers to the occasion when he was appointed by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) as the Governor of Yemen and sent there for teaching and propagating Islam. It was at the time of that farewell that Rasulullah (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had given him some parting instructions. By saying that "the commandments of Sahriat are many", the Sahabi had meant that although observance of every commandment is imperative, to specialize and attain perfection in each and every one is difficult; and so he wanted that Rasulullah (sallallaho alaihe wasallam), may recommend him something of over-riding importance which he might hold fast to, and practice at al times and in all conditions of sitting, standing or walking. HADITH NO-3 Constant Dhikr - a means to elevation of status in Jannah Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), said, "There are many a people who do Dhikr of almighty Allah, while lying comfortably in their soft beds, and for this, they will be rewarded with the highest positions in Paradise by Almighty Lord." Note: Generally, the greater the sufferings and hardships one undergoes in the cause of religion, the higher will be his status in the Hereafter. But the Dhikr of Allah is such a blessed act that, even if it is done in soft beds in this world, it will bring high rewards and elevated positions in the Hereafter. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said, "If you keep yourselves busy in Dhikr all the time, the angels will shake hands with you in your beds as well as on your way." Once Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "The Mufarrid people have gone far ahead." "Who are the Mufarrid?" enquired the Sahabah. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) replied, "It is those who are intensely devoted to the Dhikr of Allah." On the basis of this Hadith, the Shuyukhs have stated that the kings and rulers should not be prevented from Dhikr of Allah, for they, by this means, can attain a lofty rank in the Hereafter. Hazrat Abu Darda (Radiallaho anho) says, "Glorify Almighty Allah during the time of prosperity and happiness, and it will help you in times of distress and trouble." Hazrat Salman Farsee (Radiallaho anho) said, "If a person remembers Allah in times of peace, pleasure and prosperity, then whenever he is in trouble and difficulty, the angels, being familiar with his voice, recognize him in his helplessness and intercede before Almighty Allah (for his forgiveness); but, if one who does not remember Allah in his time of pleasure and happens to pray for help at the time of difficulty, the angels find his voice to be quite unfamiliar and therefore do not intercede for him." Hazrat Ibn-I-Abbas (Radiallaho anho) said, "Paradise has eight gates, one of which is exclusively reserved for those who are engaged in Dhikr." It is said in one Hadith, "A person who constantly does Dhikr of Allah is immune from hypocrisy in faith", and according to another Hadith, "He is loved by Almighty Allah." Once during his return journey to Medina Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Where are those who have gone ahead." The Companions said, "The fast travelers have gone ahead"; then Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Those who remain ahead are the persons who remain constantly absorbed in Zirk. Whoever desires to enjoy himself in Paradise, should do Zirk of Allah excessively." According to another Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "for everything there is a purifier or cleanser. (For instance, soap is used for cleaning the body and the clothes, while a furnace is used for purifying iron). The Dhikr of Almighty Allah cleanses and purifies the heart, and provides the best protection against retribution in the Hereafter." This hadith describes Dhikr as the purifier of the heart, and as such it also establishes superiority of Dhikr over all other actions, because the value of every act of worship depends upon Ikhlas (sincerity of the intention), which in turn depends on the heart. There are many more Ahaadith that describe the superiority of Dhikr over all other actions. Somebody enquired of Hazrat Salman (Radiallaho anho) as to what action of man is most virtuous. He replied, "Have you not read in the Holy Qur'an, (Certainly the Dhikr of Allah is most exalted"). Hazrat Salman (Radiallaho anho) had referred here to the first Ayat of Part 21 of the Holy Qur'an. HADITH NO-4 A Dhaakir is like the living and the forgetful like the dead Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "The contrast between a person who glorifies Almighty Allah and one who does not remember Him is like that between the living and the dead." Note: Life is dear to all, and every one fear death. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) meant to say that one, who does not remember Allah, though (bodily) alive, is spiritually dead and his life is but worthless. HADITH NO-5 The superiority of Dhikr over charity Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "if a person has a lot of wealth and distributes it amongst the needy, while another person is only busy with the Dhikr of Allah, the latter who is engaged in Dhikr, is the better of the two." Note: Spending in the path of Allah is a splendid virtue, but Dhikr of Allah is more virtuous. How lucky are those well-to-do persons who, in addition to spending for the pleasure of Allah, remain also devoted to His Dhikr. According to one hadith, Almighty Allah also does 'Sadaqa' every day, i.e. showers his favors on the people, and everybody gets what he deserves, but the luckiest is the person who is favored with the ability to do His Dhikr. People who are engaged in different occupations, such as trade, farming and service, should spare some time for Dhikr every day and thereby earn great rewards. It should not be difficult to devote an hour or two out of 24 hours, exclusively for this noble purpose. A lot of our time is wasted in frivolous pursuits, and some of this can be easily spared for this most useful work HADITH NO - 6 Inmates of Jannah regret the time not devoted to Dhikr The Holy Prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Those who are admitted into paradise will not regret over anything of this world, except the time spent without Dhikr in their life." Hazrat Sirri (Rahmatullah alaihe) says, "I saw Jurjanee swallowing roasted barley flour. He told me that he had compared the time taken in chewing bread and in eating barley flour; eating bread took so much longer than he could say (subhana Allah) seventy times in that time. Therefore, he had not taken bread for forty years, and had lived by swallowing barley flour alone." It is said about Mansur-bin-Motamar that he never spoke to anybody after Isha prayers for forty years. Similarly, it is said about Rabi-bin-Haseem that it was his practice for twenty years that he noted down what he talked during the day, and would check at night whether that talking was necessary or not. Those pious scholars were particular that every moment of their life was spent in Dhikr and in nothing else. HADITH NO-7 Allah's pleasure and His angels surround the zaakir and Allah Taala praises them to His angels Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radiallaho anho) and Hazrat Abu Saeed (Radiallaho anho) both bore testimony to having heard from Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), that the gathering engaged in Dhikr of Almighty Allah is surrounded by the angels on all sides, the grace of Allah and 'Sakina' (peace and tranquility) descend upon them, and Almighty Allah speaks about them, by way of appreciation, to His angels." HADITH NO -8 Allah Taala takes pride in the groups of Muslim engaged in Remembrance of Him Once Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) went to a group of Sahaba, (Radhiallaho anhum) and said to them, "What for are you sitting her?" they replied, "We are engaged in the Dhikr of Almighty Allah, and are glorifying Him for His extreme kindness to us in that he has blessed us with the wealth of ISLAM" Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "By Allah, Are you here only for this reason? " "By Allah! Replied the Sahaba, (Radiallaho anhom) ; "We are sitting her only for this reason." Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) then said, "I asked you to swear not out of any misunderstanding, but because Jibrail (Alayhis salam) came to me and informed me just now that Almighty Allah was speaking high about you before angels." HADITH NO -9 The angels' announcement of reward for those gathered together for Dhikr of Allah Anas (Radhiallaho anho) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said, "When some people assemble for the Dhikr of Allah with the sole purpose of earning His pleasure, an angel proclaims from the sky, "You people have been forgiven, your sins have been replaced by virtues." According to another hadith, "A gathering devoid of Dhikr of Allah, would be the cause of dismay and sorrow on the Day of Judgement." It is narrated in another Hadith that any gathering devoid of Allah's Dhikr and Darood Sharif will be a source of dismay and loss. Then, out of His sheer mercy, Allah may grant forgiveness, or He may demand an explanation and penalize. It is stated in another Hadith, "Do proper justice to a gathering by remembering Allah profusely, show the way to way-fares (if need be), and close your eyes or cast them down when you come across a forbidden thing. HADITH NO -10 Dhikr protects from the punishment of the grave Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "No other action of a person can surpass Dhikr of Almighty Allah in saving from the punishment in the grave." Note: How serious is the punishment in the grave can be realized only by those who have the knowledge of Hadith on this subject. Whenever Hazrat Umar (Radhiallaho anho) visited a grave, he would weep so much that his beard would become wet with tears. Some one asked him, "How is it that mention of Paradise and Hell does not make you weep so much as you do when you come across a grave?" He replied, "the grave is the first of the many stages of the Hereafter. For him who is successful or safe during this stage, the later stages will also be easy; while for a person who is not exempted in this stage, the later stages will be even more difficult." Then he quoted Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) as having said, "I have not come across any sight more terrifying than that of the grave." Hazrat Aisha (radhiallaho anha) said that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) used to pray after every Salaat for protection against the chastisement in the grave. Hazrat Zaid (Radhiallaho anho) reported Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to have said, "I would have prayed to Almighty Allah to let you hear the torture of the grave. With the exception of men and Jinns, all other creatures hear the punishment in the grave." Once Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) entered the mosque and saw that some people were laughing very loudly. He said to them, "If you had remembered death quite often, you would not have laughed like this. Not a day passes when the grave does not proclaim; " I am the house of wilderness, the house of loneliness, and the abode of worms and insects." When a true believer is buried in a grave, it welcomes him, saying, "You are welcome here, you have done well to have come here. Of all the people walking upon the Earth, you were the dearest to me. Now that you have been made over to me, you will see my excellent behaviour." Then the grave expands to the farthest point of sight, and a door of paradise opens into it. Through this door comes the scented air of the paradise. But when an unbeliever or a transgressor is buried, the grave says, "your coming here is unwelcome and abominable. You had better not come here. Of all the people who have been walking upon me, I hated you the most. Today you have been made over to me, and you will see my treatment." Then it narrows down and presses him mercilessly, till his ribs pierce into each other as the fingers of the two hands interlock each other. Then ninety or ninety-nine dragons are let loose upon him, and they will continue clawing at him till the Day of Resurrection. If one of those serpents or dragons were to blow on the Earth, it will be rendered incapable of growing any grass till the Day of Judgement. Then Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) continued, "The grave is either a garden out of Paradise or else a pit out the Hell." The effectiveness of Dhikr in this respect is evident from the above-mentioned hadith. HADITH NO- 11 Exaltation and bright countenance of the gathering for the Dhikr of Allah Taala Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said, "Almighty Allah will, on the Day of Resurrection or Qiamat, resurrect certain groups of people in such a state that their faces will be radiant with light, they will be sitting on pulpits of pearls and others will envy their lot. They will neither be from among the Prophets nor from among the martyrs." Somebody asked the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to let him have more details about these people, so that he may be able to recognize them. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) replied, "They will be the people who belong to different families and different places, but assemble at one place for the love of Almighty Allah and are engaged in His Dhikr." It is said in another Hadith, "In the paradise there will be pillars of emerald supporting balconied houses made of rubies and with open doors on all the four sides. These will shine like brilliant stars, and will be occupied by those people who love each other for the sake of Allah, and who assemble at a place and meet each other only for His pleasure." How blessed, in the eyes of Allah Taala, are the places where Dhikr is practiced, which are the targets of abuse from all directions, can best be judged from Hadiths in their favour. It is stated in a Hadith that the houses where Dhikr is practiced shine unto the residents of the skies, as do the stars shine unto the inhabitants of the earth. According to another Hadith, sakeenah (a very special blessings) descends on the gathreing engaged in Dhikr, the angels surround them, the divine mercy covers them, and Allah Taala mentions them on His Throne. Aboo Razi (radiyAllahu anhu), a sahabi, narrated that Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: "Shall I tell you something that will strengthen your Imaan and earn you the blessings of Allah Taala, the Great, in both the worlds? It is the gatherings of those who do Dhikr of Allah Taala; you should make it a point to take part in them and, when you are alone, do as much Zike as you can." HADITH NO-12 Gatherings of Dhikr are described as gardens of Jannah Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "When you pass the gardens of Paradise, graze to your heart's content." Someone asked, "O Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), what is meant by the gardens of Paradise?" he replied, "Gathering for performing Dhikr." HADITH NO-13 Do Dhikr so much that people call you insane Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "Practice Dhikr so excessively that people may regard you as a maniac." It is stated in another Hadith "practice Dhikr so much that the hypocrite may regard you as insincere." HADITH NO-14 The Dhaakir in the shade of Allah Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said: "The following seven persons will be accommodated by Allah in the shade of His Mercy on the Day when there will be no other shade except His:(1) A just ruler, (2) A young man who worships Allah in his youth, (3) A person whose heart yearns for the Masjid, (4) those two persons who love, meet and depart only for the pleasure of Allah. (5) A man who is tempted by a beautiful woman and refuses to respond for fear of Allah. (6) A person who gives alms so secretly that the charity of one hand is not known to the other hand. (7) A person who practice Dhikr of Allah in solitude, so that tears flow of his eyes." Among the seven persons mentioned in the foregoing Hadith, is included also the person who weeps while doing Dhikr in solitude. He combines two sublime qualities: first Ikhlas, which makes him remember Allah in solitude, secondly the fear or love of Allah, which makes him weep. HADITH NO-15 Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "an announcer will call out on the Day of Judgement, "where are the wise ones?" People will enquire, 'who are meant by the wise ones?' The reply will be, "They are those who always remembered Allah, whether sitting, standing or reclining, and pondered over the creation of the Heaven and the Earth, and would say, 'O Allah! Thou hast not created al this in vain. We glorify Thee; save us from the fire of Hell.' Thereafter a flag will appear for them, and they will follow this flag and will be told to enter Paradise and stay for ever." Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) narrated from Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) that a person lying on the roof of his house was looking at the sky and stars for some time, and then said, "I swear by Allah and I believe there is somebody who has created you all; O Allah! Forgive me for my sins." Thereupon Allah's mercy turned towards him and he was forgiven. Hazrat ibn-e-Abbas (Radhiallaho anho) said that meditation for one Sa'at (a short duration of time) is better than worship throughout the night. Similarly, Hazrat Anas, (Radhiallaho anho) narrated that meditation over the creations of Allah is better than doing worship for eighty years. Somebody asked Umme Darda (Radhiallaho anho) as to what had been the best kind of worship done by her husband, Abu Darda (Radhiallaho anho). She replied it was meditation and contemplation. According to Abu Hurairah (Radhiallaho anho) also Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said that meditation and contemplation for one SA'AT (a short duration of time) is better than worship for sixty years. Imam Ghazali (Rahmatullah alaihe) has written that meditation is held to be superior to Dhikr because, in addition to the essence of Dhikr, it includes two additional things, of which one is recognition of Allah, for which meditation is said to be the key, and secondly the love of Allah, which is induced by deep thinking. It is this meditation which the Shuyukh call 'Muraqaba', and the virtue of which is narrated in many Ahadith. Hazrat Aisha (Radhiallaho anha) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had said 'Dhikr Khafi' (without voice) which is not heard even by angels is rewarded seventy times over." When, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will summon all the creation for reckoning, and the 'Kiraman Katibeen' (recording angels) will bring the recorded accounts of all the people, Allah will ask them to verify if there is any more good deed to the credit of a certain individual. They will submit that they had not omitted anything from his recorded account. Allah will then say, there is yet one good to his credit, which is not known to the angels, and it is his Dhikr in silence. Baihaqi has quoted on the authority of Hazrat Aisha (Radhiallaho anha) that he Dhikr that is not heard even by the angels is seventy times superior to the Dhikr that is heard by them. Hazrat Saad (Radhiallaho anho) quoted Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to have said, "The best Dhikr is the Khafi (silent) one, and the best livelihood is that which just suffices", (i.e. it should neither be too insufficient to make both ends meet, nor too abundant as to drive one to vanity and vice). In another Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said, "Remember Allah through Kaamil Dhikr'. He replied, 'Khafi' (silent) Dhikr." HADITH NO.-16 Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was in his house when the verse (keep yourself bound to the company of those who invoke their Lord morning and evening) was revealed to him. On this revelation, he went out in search of such people; he found a group of men who were engaged in Dhikr. Some of them were with disheveled hair, parched skins, and clad in a single cloth i.e. except for the loincloth, the whole body was naked. On seeing them, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) sat down by them and said, "All praise is for Allah who has created in my Ummah such people that I have been ordered to sit in their company." According to another Hadith, Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) went out in search of them and found them in farthest part of the mosque, where they were busy in doing Dhikr of Almighty Allah. He said, "All Praise is for Allah who has created, during my lifetime, such people that I have been ordered to sit with them." Then he continued, "My life and death is with you (i.e. you are my companions in life and death)." It is mentioned in one Hadith that a group of Sahabah, including Hazrat Salman Farsi (Radhiallaho anho) was engaged in Dhikr of Allah, when Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) came to them. They became all silent. In reply to his enquiry as to what they were doing, they submitted that they were practicing Dhikr of Allah. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "I saw that the mercy of Allah was descending upon you, and so I desired that I should join your company. Alhamdo lillah (All Praise is for Allah)" he then continued, "Almighty Allah has raised such people in my Ummah that He ordered me to sit in their company." It is from such orders of almighty Allah that the Shuyukh have deduced that the Shaykh should also sit with his disciples. In addition to the benefit that will thereby accrue of the Shaykh. In the effort to tolerate the vulgarities of the uncivilized and uninitiated people, his ego will undergo severe strain, and thereby he will develop humbleness in him. In addition to this, the get-together of the hearts is important for attracting the Mercy and Grace of Almighty Allah. HADITH NO.-17 Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said that Almighty Allah says, "Do My Dhikr for some time after Fajr Salaat and after Asr Salaat, and I will suffice for you during the intervening periods." According to another hadith, if a person offers Fajr Salaat in congregation and remains engaged in Dhikr of Allah until sunrise, and then offers two rakaats of Nafl Salaat, his reward will equal to that of a perfect Hajj and Umra. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is also stated to have said, "offering Fajr Salaat in congregation, and then remaining busy in Dhikr until sunrise, is more precious to me than this world and all that it contains. Similarly, remaining busy in Dhikr with a group after Asr till sunset is preferred by me to this world and everything that it contains." It is for this reason that the time after Fajr and Asr prayers is specially reserved for Dhikr as a matter of routine by the Sufees Especially, the time after Fajr prayer is also reserved for Dhikr, even by the Faqihs i.e. the Muslims jurists.