Dhikr, a profound act of obedience in the Islamic tradition, literally means Remembrance.
The technical meaning of Dhikr is remembering Allah in the heart and mentioning Him on the tongue. Dhikr is a very powerful and simple way to connect with Allah (SWT), allowing us to gain proximity to Him throughout even the mundane affairs of daily life.
Allah (SWT) wants us to remember Him in every situation, regardless of our condition or the momentary emotion we may be experiencing. By praising and glorifying Allah (SWT) we are showing our gratitude to Him and recognising His Grandeur. We are accepting that we have no power without Him, and He has power over all things.
It is only after we truly grasp this, that we can understand our lack of control in life, and that it is only with the help and will of Allah (SWT) that we can achieve things in our lives. The Prophet (saw) also suggested the importance of Dhikr:
Rasulullah (saw) said,
“If your hearts were always in the state that they are in during dhikr, the angel would come to see you to the point that they would greet you in the middle of the road” (Sahih Muslim).
The Morning & Evening Adhkar (remembrances)
The morning and evening adhkar are phrases found in the Qur’an and Sunnah which are recited every morning and evening for an array of spiritual benefits. Each dhikr contains a unique reward and spiritual benefit which allows a person to develop himself spiritually by reciting certain adhkar. More imperative, however, is that the command to do dhikr is found in the Qur’an:
“…And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning.” (3:41)
8 Benefits of Dhikr:
- The dhikr of Allah removes the rust of your heart and purifies the heart. As mentioned in Quran “Rather, the stain has covered their hearts that which they were earning”.
- Dhikr makes Muslims closer to Allah. Through this, a person makes direct connection with Allah.
- The Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) and tears that are shed – give a person shade on the Day of Judgement.
- Allah (SWT) remembers those who remember Him. As he mentioned in His Holy Book: “Therefore remember Me I will remember you,” (Al-Baqarah 2:152). Such prestige and dignity are enough for a Muslim to be proud of and it shows the greatness of this act.
- Dhikr of Allah protects you from your enemies. It works like a shield around you and protects from any harm.
- The beloved Prophet (PBUH) advised to remember and praise Allah (SWT) all the time because it the best deed being considered in Islam and possible to do while doing anything.
- Dhikr is the Remembrance of Allah [Dhikr] which is the basis of Gratitude and thanks [Shukr] – when you remember Him abundantly you thank Him abundantly.
- It endows the heart with life. Ibn Taymiyah said, ‘Remembrance is to the heart what water is to fish. What happens to the fish that leaves the water?’
