The Magic of Dhikr

By Ayaan Qayyum, Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Dhikr--or remembrance--is a form of Ibadah--or worship. More often than not, Dhikr ends up being neglected in comparison to other forms of Ibadah. The beautiful thing about Dhikr, however, is that any other Ibadah in Islam requires you to Niyyah, or intention. Other requirements of Ibadah include having Wudu for Salat, for instance, but for Dhikr, you get rewards as soon as the words leave your mouth. It is shockingly easy. SubhanAllah! Let us now discuss easy forms of Dhikr you can integrate into your daily lives.

Subhan Allah Wa Bihamdihi, Subhan Allahil Azeem.

In an authentic Hadith in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad (SS) told us that "(There are) two words which are dear to the Beneficent (Allah) and very light (easy) for the tongue (to say), but very heavy in weight in the balance. They are: ''Subhan Allah wa-bi hamdihi'' and ''Subhan Allah Al-`Azim." “Glory to Allah, the Most Great, Glory to Allah, the Supreme.”

Take the time to read that again. If you read that 100 times in a day, all of your sins will be obliterated “even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean” (Al-Bukhari, Book 15, Hadith 3). No matter how many rewards you think Allah (SWT) will give to you for this, it will always be greater than what you expect. If you expect a mountain of good deeds, you (Insha Allah) will receive it.

But why do these two words weigh so heavy on the scales? The word is a declaration of your submission to Allah (SWT). This is a declaration that events in life are always in the hands of Allah (SWT). Nothing in this world or beyond can ever match up to the majestic beauty that is Allah (SWT). Those two words capture it. It’s fuel for your Iman. No amount of rewards can ever capture the true feeling of Iman, but Allah (SWT) knows how to get close and knows how to reward.

Subhanallah Walhamdulillah, Walailaha Illallah Wallahu Akbar.

This particular Dhikr came from the Prophet Muhammad (SS)’s heavenly ascension, known as Al-Isra and Al-Mi’raj. When Muhammad (SS) met with Ibrahim (AS), he gave him this advice. “Tell them O Muhammad! Tell them that Jannah is a plain that’s been divided. The soil is sweet, the water of it is sweet, the soil is fertile. And tell them that the plants in Jannah are ‘Subhanallah Walhamdulillah, Walailaha Illallah Wallahu Akbar’” (FreeQuranEducation).

It takes an Arabian horse 100 years to cross the shadow of ONE tree in Jannah. You can earn this very tree by saying this dhikr once.

’La ilaha ‘illa Allaahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer’

Whoever says ’La ilaha ‘illa Allaahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadeer’ one hundred times in one day, then it is equivalent to him freeing ten slaves, a hundred good deeds are written for him, a hundred bad deeds are erased, it is a protection for him against shaytan during that day until the evening, and no one comes with a better deed than him except for the person who reads more than him. This is a declaration of your Tauhid. “There is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent.”

In an authentic hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (SS) tells us that "the similitude of one who remembers his Rabb and one who does not remember Him, is like that of the living and the dead" (Al-Bukhari Book 15, Hadith 27). He who remembers Allah (SWT) will be remembered by Him. When someone famous mentions you directly, you can’t help but be starstruck. You want the world to hear it! Allah (SWT) is mentioning your name right now to the best company imaginable. May Allah grant us the rewards he has promised and then some. May Allah forgive all of our sins. May Allah grant us all Jannahtul Firdaus.

Sources:

FreeQuranEducation. “Dhikr, the Neglected Ibaada That Will Make Allah Very Happy” YouTube,

uploaded by FreeQuranEducation, 7 May 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RIOske7-0I.