١٠٠. عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
»لَا تُكْثِرُوا الْكَلَامَ بِغَيْرِ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ فَإِنَّ كَثْرَةَ الْكَلَامِ بِغَيْرِ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ قَسْوَةٌ لِلْقَلْبِ وَإِنَّ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنَ اللّٰهِ الْقَلْبُ الْقَاسِي».
100. It is narrated from Ibn Umar (r.a.) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Do not forget Allah and be lost in vain talk. That is because talking too much by forgetting Allah hardens the heart. The people who are furthest away from Allah are those whose hearts are hardened.” (Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 62/2411. Also see Muwatta’, Kalam, 8)
Explanations:
The Arabic word dhikr means mentioning and remembering. This can be done by tongue or by heart. Allah the Almighty is the One that we should remember the most.
Allah the Almighty wanted His Glorious names to be remembered. For this reason, every being in this universe is in the state of performing His dhikr (remembrance). The order of the beings that remember Allah the most is: first non-living beings, then plants, then animals, and finally humans. In other words, humans are the most heedless among beings. Since the needs and works of humans are more than any other being, forgetfulness of humankind becomes more apparent. On the other hand, in Arabic the word for human, i.e., “insan” comes from the same root as the word forgetfulness, (i.e., “nisyan).” “Dhikr” is the only medicine for forgetfulness which costs humans a lot.
Allah the Almighty says:
“The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; and yet you understand not how they declare His glory! Verily He is Oft-Forbear, Most Forgiving!” (Al-Isra; 17:44)
In this verse, Our Almighty Lord encourages us to remember (dhikr) Him by telling us that all beings remember Him.
The following hadith that talks about how much animals remember Allah is very exemplary:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came across to a group of people on his way. They were chatting while they are on their rides.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) commanded them as follows:
“When you ride your animals treat them nicely without exhausting them and when you are not using them leave them to relax. Do not treat them like your benches for your chats on the streets (do not chat while sitting on your rides). There are many animals that are better than their riders and remember Allah the Almighty more than their riders do.” (Ahmad, III, 439)
What is honorable and proper for humans is to obey their Lord and remember Him a lot and exalt Him to a level appropriate for Him. As a matter of fact, being lower than animals and non-living creatures in remembrance of Allah does not suit human nobility.
Allah the Almighty commands His servants as:
“And do you (O reader!) Bring your Lord to remembrance in your (very) soul, with humility and in reverence, without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings; and do not be of those who are unheedful.” (Al-Araf; 7:205)
“O you who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often; and glorify Him morning and evening.” (Al-Ahzab; 33:41-42)
This noble verse does not set limits for the worship of remembering Allah as set for the other acts of worships. So, it is asked from humans to remember Allah in all circumstances and never to forget Him.
Since it can easily be done and it is very rewarding, there is no excuse for not fulfilling this worship. Possible excuses for other worships such as being ill, travelling, or working conditions are not considered as valid excuses for remembering Allah and as a matter of fact, they might even be good opportunities to fulfill this act of worship. We may find better chances to remember Allah in such conditions.
The goal of dhikr is to remember Allah in the heart and shape our acts accordingly. Otherwise, the goal is not just repeating the noble name of Allah without being aware what we are doing. Therefore the best dhikr is to remember Allah the Almighty at all times and in every act, or in other words to try not to forget Him at all. Nothing can prevent remembering Allah in the heart.
Those who remember Allah all the time not only earn abundant spiritual rewards but also embrace other acts of worships with aspiration and perform them easily.
Abdullah b. Busr (r.a.) narrated:
Two Bedouins came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to ask a question. One of them asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! Who is the best kind of all humans?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Those whose life is long and deeds are righteous.”
The other one said:
“O Messenger of Allah! The rules of Islam increased, tell me such an act that I can strongly adhere to it.”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Let your tongue always be wet for mentioning the name of Allah (always remember Allah)!” (Ahmad, IV, 188; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 4/3375)
As it can be understood from the above narration, those who always remember Allah obey the commands of Allah more and show submission to His commands and prohibitions by freeing themselves from negligence and forgetfulness. On the other hand, this hadith also shows us that remembering Allah is one of the easiest and most rewarding supererogatory acts of worships.
If people forget their Lord who provides with all kinds of blessings, they would commit a huge disloyalty. In this respect Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said that:
“If people gather in a meeting but do not mention the name of Allah, they would do something imperfect, they would commit a sin. Whoever walks on the street and does not remember Allah the Almighty would do something imperfect and would commit a sin. Whoever goes to his bed and does not remember Allah again would do something imperfect and would commit a sin.” (Ahmad, II, 432; Abu Dawud, Adab, 25/4855, 97-98/5059)
In the Hereafter, people will feel strongly the regret for the time that they wasted in this world due to their negligence. They will long for and regret the times that they wasted by not remembering Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“The people of Paradise will regret most for nothing but the times that they have wasted without remembering Allah in this world!” (Haythami, X, 73-74)
Therefore, a believer must try to mention the name of Allah under all circumstances. As a matter of fact, according to the report of Aisha (r.anha), our beloved example the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would remember Allah under all circumstances. (Muslim, Hayd, 117; Abu Dawud, Taharah, 9/18; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 9/3384; Ibn Majah, Taharah, 11)
Hussein (r.a.) asked his father Ali about the general behavior and morals of the Messenger of Allah, and his father explained them in detail. The following sentence that he mentioned in his speech shows how much importance the Messenger of Allah attached to remembering Allah:
“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would neither sit nor stand without mentioning the name of Allah…” (Ibn Sa’d, I, 424)
In other words, he used to remember Allah under all circumstances and in every one of his actions, pray to Him and seek refuge in Him.
Our first hadith explains the influence of dhikr upon our spiritual life. Human heart is something alive and finds peace and tranquility as much as it remembers Allah. By remembering Him, it becomes extremely aware of the eternal life. The beauty of heart influences the other parts of the body. And such a person’s actions become nicer, and he attains the perfect morality. That is because when a person frequently repeats a certain dhikr, his carnal self gets colored by the meaning of that dhikr.
In another saying the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) described the difference between those who perform dhikr and those who do not as:
“The person who remembers Allah among the heedless people is like a person who fights in a war behind the others. The person who remembers Allah among the heedless people is like a lamp in the dark house. The person who remembers Allah among the heedless people is like a green tree among the deadwood. Before he dies, Allah shows his place in Paradise to this person who remembers Allah among the heedless. Allah forgives the sins of those who remember Allah among the heedless as many as the number of all humans and animals.” (Abu Nuaym, Hilya, VI, 181)
Therefore, reviving the heart and finding peace is only possible through dhikr. As a matter of fact, Allah the Almighty says in a noble verse:
“… for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (Al-Ra’d; 13:28)
When the heart is not busy with dhikr, it lives under the tyranny of the carnal self. It is impossible for this kind of a heart to find peace.
Once, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said the following about the virtues of those who remember Allah:
“The mufarridun have surpassed all!”
The Noble Companions asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! Who are the mufarridun?”
He replied:
“Those men and women who remember Allah abundantly”[1] and then he made the following explanation:
“Mufarridun are those who are devoted themselves to remember Allah. They resurrect weightless on the Day of Judgment since dhikr takes the weight of their sins away from their shoulders.” (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 128/3596)
The following story is very important in terms of expressing the situation of those who remember Allah in the Hereafter:
One day the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Allah the Almighty resurrects a group of people on the Day of Judgment. Their faces shine from divine light, they sit on pulpits made out of pearls and everyone envies them. They are neither prophets nor martyrs!”
One Bedouin bent on his knees and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! Please let us know about them so we know!”
Our Master the Pride of the Universe (pbuh) explained as:
“They are from different tribes and places but love each other for the sake of Allah and get together in order to remember Allah.” (Haythami, X, 77)
Those who do not remember Allah incur huge losses both in this world and in the Hereafter. The sad situation of those is told in the noble verses as:
“But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.” (Taha; 20:124)
“If anyone withdraws himself from remembrance of (Allah) Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one, to be an intimate companion to him.” (Al-Zukhruf; 43:36)
“O you who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. If any act thus, the loss is their own.” (Al-Munafiqun; 63:9)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“…Allah the Almighty loves every heart that is full of awe, sadness and mercy, and that teaches goodness to people and invite them to obey Allah. Allah dislikes the hearts that are harsh, busy with idle work, and that spend the whole night sleeping without being sure that their souls will be returned to them, and that remember Allah rarely.” (Dailami, I, 158)
Our Almighty Lord has warned us many times in order to protect us from the harms and dangers of not remembering Allah. For example, in one those warnings Allah the Almighty says:
“Has not the time arrived for the believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed (to them)?” (Al-Hadid; 57:16)
This verse was revealed about some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah who had somewhat been overcome with languor after the migration despite the fact that they had been living in difficulties while they were in Mecca. (Suyuti, Lubab, p. 227)
Even if they were prophets, Allah the Exalted said to Moses (r.a.) and Aaron (r.a.) when He sent them to Pharoah:
“Go, you and your brother, with My Signs, and slacken not, either of you, in keeping Me in remembrance.” (Taha; 20:42)
As we can infer from this verse, remembrance of Allah should not be abandoned even under very difficult and dangerous circumstances. Also, remembrance of Allah gives a person strength to overcome the difficulties of life.
The difference between those who remember Allah and those who are heedless, which is mentioned in our first hadith, can be applied to our homes as well. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“The difference between a house in which Allah is remembered and the house in which Allah is not remembered is comparable to the difference between the alive and dead.” (Muslim, Musafirin, 211)
The way to save our houses from being places like graves or arid fields is to perform the acts of worships and prayers, recite the Qur’an, and remember Allah in them. As a matter of, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“When you perform an obligatory prayer in a mosque, leave performing some of (the sunnah) parts of the prayer to your homes. As a matter of fact, Allah creates goodness to your house for that performed prayer.” (Muslim, Musafirin, 210. Also see Ibn Majah, Iqamah, 186)
The Prophet also said about recitation of the Qur’an in our homes:
“Do not turn your houses into graves. For sure, Satan runs away from a house in which the chapter al-Baqarah is recited!” (Muslim, Musafirin, 212)
As dhikr (remembrance) revives the hearts and spiritual life, it also adds another dimension to the worship. Acts done in remembrance of Allah are superior to and are more rewarding than the acts that are not done in this way. That is because acts done in remembrance of Allah are perfectly performed with sincerity. Those who fill their lives with the remembrance of Allah would attain several goodnesses.
The following event is so meaningful in expressing how continuously remembering Allah adds a deep meaning to our lives:
Three people from the Bani Uzra Tribe had come to the Messenger of Allah and converted to Islam. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked:
“Who will take the responsibility of taking care of these people?”
Talha (r.a.) said:
“I can take care of them, O Messenger of Allah!”
While they were with Talha, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had sent a sariyya[2] (minor military expedition.) One of the three people joined this expedition and became a martyr. After that, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sent another minor expedition. In this expedition, the second man became a martyr. A while later, the third man passed away in his bed.
Talha (r.a.) reported the rest of the narration as:
“I saw those three people who stayed with me in my dream that they were in Paradise. The one who passed away in his bed was at the front and the person who became a martyr in the second expedition was following him. The person who became martyr in the first expedition was behind them. I got surprised and a little disappointed. I immediately went to the Prophet (pbuh) and told him what I saw in my dream.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“There is nothing to be surprised about this! There is no better person in the sight of Allah than a believer who lives a life praising Allah, uttering His Greatness, and His Oneness (La ilaha illallah).” (Ahmad, I, 163)
Therefore remembrance of Allah is one of the best preparations for the Hereafter. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to wake up after one third of the night and warned us as follows about the necessity of getting prepared for the Hereafter by remembering Allah:
“O people! Remember Allah! Remember Allah! The first trumpet, which will shake the earth, will be blown. Then the second one will follow. Death will come with all its agony! Death will come will all its agony!…” (Tirmidhi, Qiyamah, 23/2457)
In the third hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) teaches us to ask help from Allah in remembering Him. The Prophet taught a supplication to recite after prayers to Muadh whom he said that he loved him by taking an oath. This is enough to prove the worth and value of the remembrance of Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) taught other supplications which can be recited after the prayers as well. As a matter of fact, in one of such noble ahadith, he said:
“Those who recite the following supplications done after the obligatory prayers never incur losses. Those are the recitation of tasbih (Subhan Allah) thirty-three times, tahmid (al-Hamdu li-Allah) thirty-three times, and takbir (Allah-o-Akbar) thirty-three times.” (Muslim, Masajid, 144, 145. Also see Tirmidhi, Daawat, 25/3412; Nasai, Sahw, 92/1347)
In our fourth hadith, we are informed that Allah the Exalted shows mercy on His servants and gives many divine rewards even for very little and easy efforts. That is because dhikr that is easy on the tongue will weigh heavy on the divine scale and will make our Merciful Lord pleased.
The dhikr “Subhan Allah” mentioned in the hadith means “I absolve Allah the Most High and Exalted from all imperfections that do not fit to the state of being God. I do not let any evil to be associated with Him nor be close to Him. I praise Him with the most high and perfect attributes,” and it is a dhikr that Allah taught to the angels. (Al-Baqarah; 2:30)
Allah desires that the hearts always be with Him. For this reason, He made dhikr easy on tongues and said:
“(men of understanding) Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides…” (Al-i Imran; 3:191)
Therefore, one must not take a back seat by only performing some of the practical dhikrs such as the ones taught in the hadith. The reason that we are informed that those dhikrs will be greatly awarded is to express their importance. Therefore, a believer should not limit the remembrance of Allah only to those dhikrs, but should try to be in a state of remembrance of Allah at all times. As a matter of fact, filling life with idle talk by forgetting Allah hardens the heart, and people who are in this situation eventually get further away from Allah.
It is said in a noble verse:
“Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against celebrating the praises of Allah…” (Al-Zumar; 39:22)
Even if someone has to speak for a long time, he should not continue with his speech without remembering Allah, and instead he should often remember his Lord.
Our words may not always be necessary and appropriate. People many times put themselves in difficult positions and commit sins with their tongues. For this reason, Islam has brought a discipline to our words and commanded Muslims to be extremely careful about this issue. That is because we’ll be held accountable for our words as well.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“All of the words except the ones that enjoin the good and forbid the evil or the ones that are said to remember Allah the Exalted work against the son of Adam not for him.” (Tirmidhi, Zuhd 63/2412)
Thus, a Muslim should pay attention to say good and beneficial words and should know when to prefer silence over talking. By acting this way, he would gain both the rewards for the talk, for the dhikr and for the contemplation when he keeps his silence. The following word of the wise is so meaningful and significant:
“One should not waste his time and instead should things beneficial to Islam and the Muslims! The smallest good deed is more valuable than saying the greatest right word since talking is easy.”
A Muslim should reach to such a maturity level by continuously remembering Allah that those who see him should too remember Allah.
One day the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked:
“Pay attention! Should I let you know the best amongst you?”
Noble Companions said:
“Yes, O Messenger of Allah! Let us know”
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“The best among you are the ones who remind Allah when they are seen!” (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 4; Ahmad, VI, 409)
Another time, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Among people there are keys to the remembrance of Allah. When people see them, they remember Allah.” (Haythami, X, 78)
Another day, when the Noble Companions asked:
“Who are the friends of Allah?” the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
اَلَّذِينَ اِذَا رُئوُا ذُكِرَ اللّٰهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
“Those are the people who remind Allah when their faces are seen!” (Haythami, X, 78; Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 4)
As it can be seen, the best people are those who remember Allah a lot and as a result their spiritual states get elevated and therefore their faces and actions help reminding Allah the Exalted. This is because they continuously remember Allah wherever they are. They turn their faces away from idle talk and acts, and they always guide and advise others to righteousness and goodness.
O my Lord! Make us among Your servants who are keys to Your remembrance! Make us one of Your servants who reminds You when seen!..
Ameen!..