Virtues of Dhikr – Remembering God

Dhikr, or remembrance of Allah, is one of the most important acts a Muslim can perform. It is an expression of the heart's attachment to Allah and an acknowledgment of His Lordship and Divinity. 

The virtue of Dhikr is mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, where Allah says:

"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Indeed, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Quran 13:28)

Benefits of Dhikr:

Dhikr has great benefits for the individual and society, including:

• Obtaining the pleasure of Allah

 The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Shall I not inform you of the best of your deeds, the purest in the sight of your Lord, and the highest in your ranks, and better for you than spending gold and silver, or meeting your enemy and striking their necks, or they strike your necks? They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: Dhikr of Allah." (Tirmidhi)

• The love of Allah for the servant

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty says: 'I am with My servant as long as he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself. If he remembers Me in an assembly, I remember him in an assembly better than them. If he draws near to Me by a handspan, I draw near to him by an arm's length. If he draws near to Me by an arm's length, I draw near to him by a cubit. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.'" (Muslim)

• Peace of the heart

Allah says: "Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Indeed, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Quran 13:28)

• Repelling the devil

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, the devil sits on the heart of the son of Adam, and if he remembers Allah, he withdraws, and if he forgets, he mounts him." (Tirmidhi)

Obtaining reward and recompense

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever says, 'La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulk, wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir', one hundred times a day, will have the reward of freeing ten slaves, one hundred good deeds will be recorded for him, one hundred sins will be erased from him, and he will be protected from the devil from that day until the evening. And no one will do anything better than this except for one who does more than that." (Bukhari)

Methods of Dhikr:

Dhikr has many forms, including:

Tasbih: Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar.

Tahmid: Alhumdulillahi hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih.

Tahlil: La ilaha illallah.

Istighfar: Astaghfirullah wa atubu ilayh.

Salat on the Prophet (peace be upon him): Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala aali Ibrahim innaka hamidun majid.

Takbir: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa lilahi al-hamd.

Dhikr is a path to happiness, peace, and tranquility. It is one of the greatest acts by which a servant draws closer to Allah. In these days, we need to remember Allah more than ever, to extinguish the fires of anger, hatred, and discord, and to open the doors of goodness and mercy for us.