Part 1 : Benefits of Dhikr- The Divine Protection

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يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّـهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا ﴿٤١﴾
وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا

“O You who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance. And exalt Him morning and evening.” (Al Ahzab- 41:42)

Remembrance: The remembrance of Allah is a perpectual divine order. It is the most excellent act of Ibadah and it is highly emphasized in the Book of Allah and in the Sunnah of His Messenger.

Salah: The most important pillar of Islam after the testimony of faith is Salah.

Yet, it is amazing to know that the great institution of salah has been made a means to achieve the highly regarded goal of remembering Allah.

This is what Almighty Lord told Musa

“And establish the prayer for my remembrance.” (Taha: 14)

The Salah is composed of three different types of deeds:

1. Physical movements
2. Oral statements
3. Feelings and emotions (the deeds of the heart)

• All of the oral statements are words of remembrance. We should be active in ou Salah. We should know what we are reciting.
• All of the deeds of the heart during salah are acts of remembrance, like concentratiing during the prayer, reflecting on the verses, etc.
• The physical movements seem to be excluded from the rule, yet all these movements are meant for the remembrance of Allah. The servant does not perform them except to remember Allah. They are conscious movements that are aligned with the oral statements.
• Therefore, everything we do in salah is an act of remembrance.

When we do any act for the sake of Allah to please Him and to Obey Him, we are engaged in DHIKR!

Dhikr: Dhikr of Allah is the greatest and the noblest act of Ibadah. Allah says, which means:

“…and the remembrance of Allah is greater.” (Al Ankabut:45)

1. The Remembrance of Allah is an immunization against hypocrisy (Get immunized against nifaaq)
   
   إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّـهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّـهَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

   “Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little,” (An Nsa: 142)

   Thus, the best way to save ourselves from hypocrisy and stay away from it is to increase the remembrace of Allah with our hearts and tongues.

   When we increase our remembrace of Allah, we stay away from hypocrisy.

2. The Remembrace of Allah is the most effective weapon to defeat our enemy, the satan.
   
   وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ
   
   “And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful – We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion.” (As Zukhruf: 36)

   Explanation of this verse: Indeed, he is an active companion who is able to affect the decisions and the choices of his human companion. He has an influence over him.

   Due to his lack of remembering Allah, his enemy has overtaken him. He has no defences.

   Every human being has a Satan to invite him to disobey Allah. When we becomes heedless about the remembrance of Allah, then Satan becomes active and starts inviting us to disobey Allah.
   
   The Prophet (SAW): “Verily, Allah has commanded Yahya ibn Zakariya to tell the children of Israel to perform five duties, including the following: ‘I command you to remember Allah, for the likeness of that is like a man whose enemy chases him with a high speed, until he comes to a strong fortress where he protects himself from him. Similarly, a servant can not protect himself against the satan except by remembering Allah.” (Classes as Saheeh by Al Albaani)

3. The remembrance of Allah is the most deserving of deeds in reward.
   
   وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّـهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

   “And the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (Al Ahzab: 35)

   The value of the gift depends upon the status of the giver. So how about Allah when he promises a great reward?

   Prophet (SAW) said: “There is no group of people who leave a gathering in which they did not remember Allah, except that they will conclude it as if it has foul odour similar to that of a rotten carcass of a donkey, and it will be a cause of grief to them.” (Abu Dawud)

4. The remembrance of Allah polishes and refines the heats

   It removes the outlayer layers caused by disobedience. With the remembrance of Allah, hearts are purified and freed from coarse and unsuitable qualitites.

   Narrated Abu Huraira (RA): “Verily, when the servant commits a sin, a black spot appears in his heart. If he repents from it, his heart is polished clean. However, if he increases (in the sin), the spot will continue to increase. That is the statement of Allah: Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering) which they used to earn.” (At-Tirmidhi)

   Therefore, asking Allah (SWT) forgiveness which is one of the best types of dhikr will remove that stain and the hearts are polishd and purifies again.

   The Best way to Purify our hearts, is by DHIKR! Ask Forgiveness!

5. The remembrance of Allah dispels worry from the heart

   Complete satisfaction and comfort are never achieved except with the dhikr of Allah.
   
   الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
   
   “And those who disbelieved say, “Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, [O Muhammad], “Indeed, Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]” (Ar-Rad: 28)

   This is an affirmative question which means: Surely and truly, it is by the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest.

   Ibn Taymiya (Rahimu Allah) said: “Remembrance of Allah is to the heart what water is to fish. What happends to a fish when it is taken out of water?”

   The well known answer is: it will die. So, with great confidence we may exclaim that a heart that is deprived from the remembrance of his Lord is a dead heart.

   This famous hadith confirms this concept: Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “The difference between the one who remembers Allah, and the one who does not, is like the difference between a living and dead body.” (Bukhari)

6. The people of dhikr are described to be people of great wisdom

   Whoever is given wisdom, he has acquired a great share of goodness. Allah says:
   
   يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

   “He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding. “ (AL Baqarah: 269)
   
   إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ
   لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿١٩٠﴾
   الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّـهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ
   فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
   رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

   “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire. “ (Al Imran: 190-191)

Read the remaining 6 benefits of Dhikr in Part 1 (a)