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2 The Importance of Dhikr This hadith demonstrates the importance and great reward for dhikr or remembrance of Allah. Ibn al-Qayyim calls dhikr the food for the hearts, the 1 As mentioned in a different narration. 2 lbn Rajab, Jaami, vol. 2, pp. 17-18. Ihn Rajah then goes into a discussion as to which is superior, al-hamdulillah or la ilaha illa-llah ("There is none worthy of worship except Allah"). He concludes that al-hamdulillah encompasses all of the aspects of perfection and completeness for Allah. Hence, it encompasses and includes tauheed itself. Ihn Rajah, Jaami, vol. 2, p. 20. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi weapon by which one fights, the cure for the diseases and the connection between the servant and his Lord. 1 The following hadith clearly indicates the superiority of dhikr. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, •. · 11'J ଀.lJI ടഠl ... ,,. fJ$ ... ,,. ... ... ,.. ,,. "' ,,. ,, ,,. J ,.. .J ,,. ,,. J஁ MI :.?'N Jt:! dl l}u eGi "Shall I inform you of the best of your deeds, the one that raises you most in rank, most purifying to your Lord, which is better for you than giving gold and silver and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks and them striking your necks?" They said, "Certainly, [tell us]." He said, "It is the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted. "2 In the Quran, Allah has ordered people to make dhikr (al-Ahzaab 413); prohibited its opposite, namely neglectfulness and forgetfulness (al-Hashr 1 9); tied success into constantly remembering Allah (al-Anfaal 45); praised the people of dhikr (al-Ahzaab 35); stated that the losers are those who turn away from dhikr to useless pursuits (al-Munaafiqoon 9); stated that He mentions those who mention Him (al-Baqara 152); mentioned that it is greater than everything (al-Ankaboot 45); and has stated that it must accompany every act, and that dhikr is like the "spirit" or soul of each act (Taha 14).4 In his book on the benefits of dhikr, Wahbi has mentioned eighty-three different beneficial aspects to dhikr. 5 Among the most important of them are the following: Dhikr increases one's love for Allah. Love for Allah is the spirit and heart of this religion, as ibn al-Qayyim mentioned. One's happiness in this life 1 lbn al-Qayyim, Madaarij, vol. 2, p. 423. 2 Recorded by Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, ibn Maajah and Malik. According to al-Albaani, its chain is sahih. (See al-Albaani's footnotes to al-Tabreezi, vol. 2, p. 702.) Some people find it difficult to understand how dhikr could be superior to charity and jihad. Some state that dhikr benefits the individual alone while these other deeds benefit the individual as well as others, so they should be considered superior. Some scholars have responded to this by saying that the superior dhikr is not simply a remembrance with the tongue. Instead, it is a remembrance of the tongue and the heart. This remembrance drives the person to perform obligatory deeds, such as zakah and jihad, and keeps him away from evil deeds. Hence, dhikr encompasses all of those other deeds and that is why it considered superior to the other deeds as it is their foundation. See Muhammad al­ Shaukaani, Tuhfah al-Dhaakireen (Beirut: Daar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah, 1988), p. 14. 3 The verses referred to in this passage are simply examples that the reader may wish to follow up. Obviously, there is more than one verse in which, for instance, Allah has ordered His remembrance. 4 Abdul Haadi Wahbi, Fawaaid Dhikr Allah (Beirut: al-Maktab al-Islaami, 1992), pp. 7-1 1 . 5 Wahbi, pp. 1 2-94. Al-Sabbaagh, pp. 16-26, also mentions some important benefits to dhikr. Hadith #23: "Purification is Half of Faith . . . " and the Hereafter revolves around it. 1 The more one remembers Allah and thinks about His attributes as well as all of the blessings He has bestowed on mankind, the more one will love Allah. Dhikr may also lead one to the exalted level of ihsaan, which was discussed under Hadith Number 2. Ihsaan is where one realizes that Allah is watching him at all times or where one feels he sees Allah in front of him. If a person is not thinking about Allah and remembering Allah, he will not attain this level. It can only be attained when a person is mindful of Allah and remembers Him. This is the essence of dhikr. Al-Sabbaagh points out that if a person remembers Allah while performing an obligatory deed, he will make sure to perform it in the best way. If he remembers Allah when he is about to perform a sin, this remembrance may keep him from committing that sin. In this way, dhikr protects him from all evils. This is why al-Hasan al-Basri once said that there are two types of dhikr. One is where a person remembers Allah between himself and Allah and, therefore, it is known only to Allah. This is a great deed and will have a great reward.