Remembrance Of Allah

Allah, the Almighty, is Perfect and inevitably Existent. He, Glory to Him, has the
Beautiful Names and the Perfect Attributes. He is One, and there is no one comparable
unto Him, whether in His Being, Acts, or Attributes. He is the Creator and Lord of all
things. There is no god but Him. He can not be perceived by senses, and can not be
compared with people. He is over everything; and nothing is over Him. There is nothing
comparable unto Him, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. He is neither a substance
nor an image; He is not limited, divisible, made of parts, perishable, or changeable. He is
far above time and place. And He, All-High, is unlike whatever might occur to our
minds or we can ever imagine.

He, All-Mighty, knows what was, what is, what will be, and what was not: if it were,
how it would be. He knows secrets and what is yet more hidden. Everything is in need
of Him for everything. He is Self-Sufficient, Perfect, and needs none. He is the
Everlasting and Eternal. He is Self-Existent and is not in need of anything or anyone for
His Existence. That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things; there is no god but
Him; then how you are deluded away from the Truth!

As for man, he is a weak creature who is in need of his Lord for every thing. His human
body is in need of food and drink in order to subsist; his heart is in need to remember
Allah and keep linked with Him in order to remain alive; and his mind is in need of
knowledge in order to develop. The above-mentioned three kinds of needs are
indispensable for man to maintain his existence, safety of his existence, perfection of his
existence, and persistence of his existence.

Now, let us leave matters of man’s nutrition needs to scientists of nourishment and
intllectual needs to religious clerics; and let us talk about the human heart and the
nourishment thereof, explicitly Remembering Allah.

Narrated Imam Malik in his“Al-Mouatta”: The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Shall I tell you
of something that is the best of your deeds, the most virtuous one in the sight of
your Lord, that which exalts you to the most sublime ranks (in Paradise), and that
which is better for you than spending gold and silver (for the Cause of Allah) or
meeting your enemies and striking their heads and they striking your heads [i.e.
fighting against them (for the Cause of Allah)]?!” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of
Allah!” He said: “Remembering Allah”.[1]

By virtue of the above Prophetic Hadith, it is clear that Remembering Allah has a
considerable significance in a believer’s life, particularly, as it is mentioned in more
than three hundred Verses of the Holy Quran, which confirms that Remembering Allah
must accompany man in all his affairs and conditions, because it is a real kind of
worship that involves one’s heart, mind, and tongue.

To remember Allah, Most Gracious, means to Remember Him through His Cosmic and
Quranic Signs, His apparent and hidden Graces, His Commandments and Prohibitions,
to remind other fellow humans of Him by explaining to them His Beautiful Names and
Attributes, to remember Him in your heart and in your tongue, to glorify Him, to praise
Him, to profess His Oneness, to remember His Godhood, and obey Him, Alone, in all
your situations and conditions, to remember Him so that your heart becomes peaceful,
your distress vanishes, your breast is comfortable, your livelihood becomes felicitous,
and so that He grants you victory over your enemies.

In fact, remembering Allah is mentioned in the holy Quran in ten ways, one of which is
direct Command. To this effect, Allah, All-Mighty, says, “O you who believe celebrate
the praise of Allah, and do this often” [XXXIII ; 41]

Another way is prohibition of being forgetful of Allah, Most Gracious. To this effect,
Allah says: “And be you not like those who forgot Allah; and, therefore, He made
them forget their own selves! Such are the rebellious transgressors!” [CIX ; 19] In
this context, some interpreters said: Their forgetfulness of Allah caused them to forget
themselves in the sense that they did not know the reality of themselves, their mission in
the present world, or the never-ending happiness which has been prepared for them if
they obey Allah.

A third way of remembering Allah is to associate one’s success and prosperity in both
abodes with constant remembrance of Allah, All-Mighty. To this effect, Allah, Most
Gracious, says: “and celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint), that
you may prosper.” [CXII ; 10]

A fourth way is that Allah, Glory to Him, considers heedlessness of the rememberance
of Allah a reason for man’s great loss. To this effect, He, All-Mighty, says,“O you who
believe! Let neither your riches nor your children divert you from the
remembrance of Allah. If any (of you) act thus, the loss is their own.” [CXIII ; 9] In
other words, no Favor or Blerssing a true believer receives from his Lord is greater than
when He, Most Gracious, remembers him as a reward for his remembering the Lord or
reminding other fellow humans of Him. In this context, Allah, Praised and Glorified,
says, “Then remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me, and reject
not Faith.” [II ; 152]

In fact, Remembering Allah should be the ultimate goal of human beings and the
essence of their worship and acts of obedience. That is why Allah, All-High, considers it
the essence of man’s work and greater than any other kind of worship or act of devotion.
To the same purport, Allah says: “And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to
you of the Book of your Lord: none can change His words, and none will you find
 [XIIX ; 27] ”.as a refuge other than Him

Concerning Allah’s Words “And Remembering Allah is greater.”, exegetes hold that it
embraces more than one significance. First, remembering Allah is greater than any other
kind of worship or act of devotion. Second, it means that if you remember Allah in your
prayer, He will remember you much more than you do. A third meaning is that
remembering Allah safeguards man from committing sins or misdeeds.
Some exegetes, however, hold that remembering Allah is in fact the greatest thing in
prayer. To this effect, Allah, Most Gracious, says, “Verily, I am Allah; there is no god
but I; so serve you Me (only), and establish regular prayer in order to remember
Me.” [XX ; 14]

In general, Allah considers remembering Him as the spirit of good deeds; therefore, if
they lack remebrance of Allah, good deeds are dead bodies with no spirit.

Furthermore, remembrance of Allah is the life for man’s heart. It is narrated in “Sahih
Al-Boukhari” and “Sahih Muslim” that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “The parable of
someone who remembers his Lord and another who does not remember Him is the
parable of a living and a dead person.” And according to the narration of Muslim:
“The parable of a house in which Allah is remembered and a house in which Allah
is not remembered is the parable of the living and the dead.”

In this context, some scholars said: Remembering Allah is as necessary for the human
heart as water is for fish. In a Divine Qudsi Hadith, Allah, All-Mighty, says: “I am as
my servant thinks of me, if he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in
Myself. If he remembers Me in a company of people, I remember him in a better
company. If he comes near to Me a span of a hand, I come near to him a cubit. If he
comes near to Me a cubit, I come near to him a fathom. If he comes to Me walking,
I come to him running.”[2]
Scholars hold that even if there were only the above Divine Hadith as the fruit of
remembering Allah, it would suffice man in Honor and Grace.

Remembering Allah drives Satan away and suppresses him. It pleases the Most Merciful
Allah and brings man nearer to Him. It removes distress and worry and brings happiness
and joy. It strengthens man’s heart and body, brightens his face and enlightens his heart.
It enlarges man’s provision and makes him better off. It enshrouds man with dignity,
congeniality and gracefulness. It conduces to Allah’s Love, which is the spirit of the
religion of Islam, the pillar of Faith and the pivot of man’s happiness and safery in both
Abodes.

As afore-mentioned, remembering Allah repels Satan and over-power him. To this

effect, Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Satan is (forever) sitting on
man’s heart. No sooner is he (man) heedless and forgets (Allah) than he (Satan)
whispers evil to him. But if he (man) remembers Allah, he (Satan) sneaks away.”
That is why Satan is called in Arabic “Al-Waswas Al-Khannas”, i.e “ the whisperer of
evil, who withdraws and sneaks away when man remmbers Allah”. Mo’ath Ibn Jabal
also narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Man never does anything that rescues
him from Allah’s Punishment better than Remembering Allah, the Almighty.”[3]

Occupying oneself with the remembrance of Allah keeps man away from futile talk like
slander, backbiting, calumny, talebearing, idle talk, …ect. This is because man’s tongue
is never at rest; it is either a heedful tongue that extols Allah’s Names and Attributes or a
heedless tongue that gets indulged in vain talk. The same thing applies to man’s soul,
which, if not filled with good, fills man’s life with evil, and man’s heart, which, if not
filled with love for Allah, is filled with love for the perishable trivial mundane things,
and also man’s tongue, which, if not involved in extolling Praises of Allah, utters vain
meaningless things. In this context, Allah, All-High, says: “The Believers must
(eventually) prosper: Those who humble themselves in their Prayers, who avoid
vain talk, who are active in deeds of Charity, and who abstain from (illegal) sex.”
[XXIII ; 1-5]

One of the benefits of remembering Allah is that it is the only cure for hard-heartedness.
This is because the more forgetful of Allah man is, the harder his heart is. Nothing can
eliminate man’s hard-heartedness except remembering Allah. In other words,
remembrance of Allah is a cure for man’s heart as much as heedlessness and
forgetfulness of Allah is the source of its ailment and death.

Moreover, remembering Allah is conducive to Allah’s Friendship and Protection as

much as heedlessness and forgetfulness entail His Hatred and Enmity. In other words,
the more man remembers his Lord, the more his Lord, Most Gracious, loves, befriends
and protects him; and the more man is heedless and forgetful of his Lord, the more his
Lord hates and antagonizes him. Nothing could ever make man more dested to Allah
than his being heedless or forgetful of Him. Allah’s Favors and Blessings can be attained
and His Anger and Punishment can be repelled by nothing better than remembering Him
and glorifying His Beautiful Names and Attriubtes. This is because remembrance of
Allah entails His Love and Grace and repels His Wrath and Punishment.

Furthermore, remembering Allah is the Paradise of this present world. One of the
righteous scholars was quoted as saying: “There is a Paradise in this present world;
whosoever does not enter it, he will never enter the Paradise of the Hereafter. Such
Paradise is Remembering Allah.” Another scholar referred to such Paradise saying:
“What can my enemies do to me. My Garden of Paradise is in my heart; wherever I
go, it is with me. My imprisonment is devotional seclusion (for remembering Allah),
killing me is martyrdom, and driving me away from my homeland is tourism.”
A third one said: “How miserable people of the present world are! They pass away
from it without having tasted the most delicious thing therein.” And when he was
asked: “What is the most delicious thing therein?”, he said: “Knowing Allah, the
Almighty, loving Him, and remembering Him.”

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: “Seek sweet happiness in three things: performing prayer,
Remembering Allah, and reading the Holy Quran. If you find (delight in those
three things), it is alright. But if you do not, it means that the door (to Allah’s Love
and Mercy) is closed; so search for the reason.”

Remembering Allah is conducive to His Generous Donnation. This is because Allah,

Most Generous, grants those who remember Him much more than those who ask Him.
In a Divine Hadith narrated by Omar ibn Al-Khattab on authoritiy of the Prophet
(PBUH), Allah said: “Whosoever is distracted by My Remembrance from asking
Me, I grant him more than that which I grant to those who ask.”

Remembering Allah also leads to Allah’s Mercy and, hence, tranquility and peacefulness
of man’s heart. It was narrated in “Sahih Muslim” on authority of Abu Hourairah that the
Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whenever a group of people sit in a place where they
remember Allah, angels surround them, mercy is made to overwhelm them,
peacefulness comes down unto them, and Allah remembers them among those who
are with Him. And whenever a group of people sit in a place where they do not
remember Allah or ask Him to bestow His Blessings upon their Prophet, they suffer
decrease of their good deeds on the Day of Judgment, and incur Allah’s Wrath and
Punishment.”

‘A’isha (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “On the
Day of Judgment, man shall regret every hour during which he does not remember
Allah.”

A good human model should be someone who is in constant rememberance of his Lord,
All-Mighty, and is rightly guided by His Divine Revelation and Guidance. Those who
are heedless and astray should by no means be followed or taken for good exemplars. To
this effect, Allah, Most Gracious, says: “Nor obey him whose heart We have
permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires,
whose case has gone beyond all bounds.” [XIIX ; 28]

Rememberance of Allah breeds intimacy with Him and provides man with spiritual
enhancement; therefore, it should be constantly observed. In this context, Allah says:
“O you who believe celebrate the praise of Allah, and do this often. And glorify Him
morning and evening. He it is Who send Blessings on you, as do His angels, that He
may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light; and He is Full of Mercy
to the Believers. Their salutation, on the Day they meet Him, will be ‘Peace!’; and
He has prepared for them a Generous Reward.” [XXXIII ; 41-44]

Kinds of Remembrance:

Ø To call out Allah’s Name, saying: “Allah, Allah ….” To this effect, Allah says: “But
keep in remembrance the name of your Lord.” [CXXIII ; 8]

Ø To glorify Him, saying: “Soubhana Allah” ( Glory is to Allah).

Ø To praise Him, saying: “Alhamdu lillah” (Praise is to Allah).

Ø To testify to His Oneness, saying: “la ilaha illallah” (There is no god but Allah).

Ø To say: “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Greatest).

In this issue, what is important is not the words and utterances in themselves but rather
the meanings and intentions thereof; therefore, such words as “Glory is to Allah”,
“Praise is to Allah”, “There is no god but Allah” and “Allah is Greatest”, as afore-
mentioned, are “the things that endure of good deeds”, which Allah mentions in His
Words: “Wealth and sons are adornment of the life of this world; but the things that
endure of good deeds, are best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards, and best as
(the foundation for) hopes.” [XIIX ; 46]

When Allah, All-Wise, explicitly describes the above-mentioned supplications of

glorification, praise, monotheism, and magnification as being the things that endure of
good deeds, He, implicitly describes adornment of this present life as being ephemeral
and perishable. In other words, this present life, as the Holy Prophet, (PBUH), confirms,
is a temporary provision for both the pious and libertine. Moreover, the perishable
vanities might well be conducive to man’s misery and perdition if they divert him from
the remembrance of his Lord, Allah. To this purport, the Quranic Verse goes: “O you
who believe! Let neither your riches nor your children divert you from the
remembrance of Allah. If any (of you) act thus, the loss is their own.” [CXIII ; 9]

Ø Another kind of Remembrance is to beseech Allah for forgiveness. Allah, Most

Merciful, says: “Ask forgiveness from your Lord; for He is Oft-Forgiving. He will
send rain to you in abundance, Give you increase in wealth and sons, and bestow
on you gardens and bestow on you rivers (of flowing water).” [CXXI ; 10-12]
Ø Another kind of Remembrance is to invoke Him, for invocation is the essence of
worship. Allah, Most Gracious, says: “When My slaves ask you concerning Me, (tell
them that) I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every supplicant
when he calls upon Me; let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in
[II ; 186] ”.Me;that they may be rightly guided

Ø Another kind of Remembrance is to remember His Bidding and Forbidding, His Good
Promise and Threat, His Paradise and Hell, and His Laws and Legislations.

Ø Another kind of Remembrance is to remember the good righteous deeds of those upon
whom Allah has bestowed His Grace: Prophets, believers, martyrs, and righteous people,
and to keep away from those whose portion is Allah’s Wrath, who go astray and cause
others to go astray, in order that your worship may be acceptable.

Ø Another kind of Remembrance is to Remember Allah’s Quranic Verses. Allah, the

Most Beneficent, says: “Establish regular prayers – at the sun's decline till the
darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading (of Quranic Verses);for
the prayer and reading (of Quranic Verses) in the morning carry their testimony.”
[XVII ; 78]

Readers of the Quran never grieve; and those who learn the Holy Quran, Allah will let
them enjoy healthy sober minds until they die.

Ø Another kind of Remembrance is to remember Allah’s Cosmic Signs. In this context,

Allah, Glory to Him, says, “Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and
in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed Signs for men of
understanding: Those who remember Allah (while they are) standing, sitting and
lying down, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying):
‘Our Lord! You have not created all this without purpose, glory to You! Give us
salvation from the torment of the Fire!’” [III; 190,191] He also says: “Soon will We
show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own
selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that
your Lord does witness all things?” [XCI ; 53]

The above-mentioned were Allah’s Signs in the horizons, but what about His Signs in
man’s own self? Such is the Creation of Allah! Allah Says; “And in your own selves,
do you not see?”
Another kind of Remembering Allah is to remind people of their Lord, Most Gracious,
to call for Him, making people aware of His Existence, Perfection, and Oneness, to
teach them His Book, which guides people to the Right Path, to tell them about His
Messenger, (PBUH), as well as the Prophetic Tradition and Biography, addressing their
minds and hearts at the same time, and to be a good model for them. Allah says: “A
similar (favour have you already received) in that We have sent among you a
Messenger of your own, showing you Our Signs, purifying you, and instructing you
in Scripture, Wisdom and in new Knowledge.” [II ; 151]

Dear Muslim brother! As you have been guided to Allah, strive to seek after guiding
people to Him. Strive to be a rightly guided and guiding man. Strive to be a righteous
reformer. This is the greatest kind of Remembering Allah. It is the work of Prophets,
Messengers, true believers, monotheists, and sincere laborious scholars, who are the
foremost in Faith and will be the foremost in the Gardens of Eternal Bliss in the
Hereafter.

Imam An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, extended the meaning of
Remembering Allah, saying: “It should be known that the virtue of Remembering
Allah is not confined to extolling Glories and Praises of Allah, Most Gracious,
bearing witness to His Oneness, or the like. Nay, rather, every one who obeys Allah
is someone who Remembers Him. In other words all acts of obedience reflect
remembrance of Allah, Lord of all worlds.”

[1] - It was narrated by Imam Malik (1 \ 211), At-Termidhi (3374), Imam Ahamd, and
Alhakem.

[2] - It was narrated by Al-Boukhari and Muslim.

[3] - It was narrated by Malik and At-Termidhi (3374).