Dhikr – The Chapter on Dhikr from Ibn Hajar’s Summary of al-Targhib wa’l Tarhib
1. Encouragement to remember Allah often, secretly and openly, and to presevere
in it; what is reported about someone who does not remember Allah often
1. Abu Huryara reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “Allah Almighty
says, ‘I am in My slave’s opinion of Me and I am with Him when He remembers
Me. When he remembers Me in himself, I mention him in Myself. If he mentions
Me in an assembly, I mention him in a better assembly than them.’ If he comes
near Me by a handspan, I come near him a cubit. If he comes near Me by a
cubit, I come near a fathom. When he comes to walking, I come to him running.”
(Muslim and al-Bukhari, Ahmad has at the end of it, Qatada said,
“Allah is quicker to forgive.”)
2. ‘Abdullah ibn Busr reported a man said, “Messenger of Allah, the laws
of Islam are too much for me. Tell me something I can cling to.” He said,
“Your tongue should remain moist with the remembrance of Allah.” (at-Tirmidhi)
3. Abu’d-Darda’ reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “Shall I inform
you of the best of your actions and the purest of your property and the highest
of your degrees and what is better for you than spending gold and silver
and better for you than encountering the enemy and striking their necks and
their striking your necks?” They said, “Yes, indeed!” He said, “Remembrance
of Allah Almighty.” MuÔadh ibn Jabal said, “There is nothing which
saves from the punishment of Allah more than remembrance of Allah.” (Ahmad,
Ibn Abi’d-Dunya, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
4. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “Do a lot
of remembrance of Allah until they say, ‘He is mad.’” (Ahmad, Abu Ya’la and
Ibn Hibban)
5. Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of Allah said, “If one man has some
dirhams in his possession which he divides and another remembers Allah, the
one who remembers Allah is better.” One variant has, “There is no sadaqa
better than remembrance of Allah.” (at-Tabarani)
6. Umm Anas reported that she said, “Messenger of Allah, command me.” He
said, “Avoid acts of disobedience: that is the best jihad. Do a lot of invoking
Allah. You do not bring Allah anything he loves more than a lot of remembrance.”
(at-Tabarani. In one variant, “Remember Allah a lot. It is the action which
Allah loves most to reveive.” At-Tabarani notes that Umm Anas is not the
mother of Anas ibn Malik.)
Read more:
Dhikr – The Chapter on Dhikr from Ibn Hajar’s Summary of al-Targhib wa’l Tarhib
translated by Ustadha Ayesha Bewley
