32THE DHÝKR OF ALLAH
Dhikr is to remember everything. It is cited in the Qur’an and Sunnahh. The dhikr of Allah is that which is chanted for the sake of Allah. Dhikr contains both the dhikr of Allah and that of most deeds. The dhikr of Allah is to call upon Allah or call upon the Beneficent Allah; it does not mean uttering prayer in a loud voice nor to be silent. (Isra, 110)
1- “Those only are believers whose hearts become full of fear when Allah is mentioned, and when His communications are recited to them they increase in faith, and in their Lord do they trust.” (Anfal, 2)
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2- “Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah; now surely by Allah's dhikr are the hearts set at rest.” (Al-Rad, 28)
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3- “And whoever turns away from My dhikr, his shall be a straitened life, and We will raise him on the Day of Resurrection, blind.” (Ta-Ha, 124)
Even if they are rich, they will have a difficult life, and most of them commit suicide.
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4- “O you who believe! dhikr Allah, dhikr of Allah frequently and glorify Him morning and evening.” (Ahzab, 41-42)
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5- “And magnifies the name of his Lord and prays.” (Ala, 15)
Dihkr alone is not sufficient, praying alone neither. Both should accompany the other.
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6- “Bear patiently what they say, and remember Our servant Dawoud, the possessor of power; surely he was frequent in returning (to Allah).
Surely We made the mountains to perform the dhikr (of Allah) in unison with him in the evening and at sunrise.” (Sad, 17-18)
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7- “And the birds gathered together; all joined in singing with him.” (Sad, 19)
When Dawoud, alaihissalam, recited Zabur, the birds did not fly off, but gathered together, all listening to his reciting. (Mir’at-e-Kainat, Vol. 1, p. 249)
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8- If a group of people gather together just for the sake of the remembrance of Allah, they will be called to from the skies:
“Come on, stand up, you are forgiven. Your sins have been turned to good deeds.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4776)
That is the reward of the dhikr of Allah. There is no other deed which has same reward as the dhikr of Allah.
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9- Whoever spends forty whole nights in prayer and sincere remembrance of Allah will receive a fountain of wisdom that arises from his heart to his tongue. (Bariqa, Vol. 2, p. 292; Marifatnama, p. 869; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 546)
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10- One who is hungry, yet contented with his heart, and performs dhikr of Allah, is definitely of the muqarrabeen. (Those nearest to Allah) (Marifatnama, p. 598)
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11- The muqarrab is drawn nigh to Allah. The muqarrabeen are those nearest to Allah. (Waqia, 11)
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12- “And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance of the Beneficent Allah, We appoint for him a Shaitan, so he becomes his associate. (Or they will be put in chains)” (Zukhruf, 36; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 542)
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13- “Those who perform dhikr of Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire.”(Al-e-Imran, 191)
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14- “Ask the Ahl-i dhikr of Allah (people to perform more dhikr of Allah) if you do not know!” (Anbiya, 7; Nahl, 43)
Therefore, the best scholar is the one who performs the most dhikr of Allah. If you perform dhikr of Allah more and more, then you will be informed of everything.
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15- “The patient, and the truthful, and the obedient, and those who spend (benevolently) and those who ask forgiveness in the morning times.” (Al-e-Imran, 17)
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16- Whoever chants Lailahaillallah (There is no god but Allah) with longing in his voice will be forgiven for a thousand sins. (Zinat-al Qulub, p. 107; Imadiyal Islam, p. 212)
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17- One who says Lailahaillallah (There is no god but Allah) seventy thousand times will purchase his hell fire. That fire will no longer harm him.” (Zinat-al Qulub, p. 107)
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18- From Abdullah Ibn Abbas, radhiallahu ‘anhu:
“People used to mention Allah loudly at the time of the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.”
Ibn Abbas, radhiallahu ‘anhu, also narrated:
“As soon as I heard loud dhikr voices I knew that they had finished the prayer.” (Sahih Bukhari, at-Tajrid as-Sarih, Vol. 2, Hadith no: 465; Muslim, Vol. 2, Hadith no: 122 (583), p. 210)
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19- Narrated Abu Huraira:
“The poor of the emigrants (mohajeroon) said:
‘O Allah's Apostle! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures (in this life and the life to come in the Hereafter). The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah's Cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth (to spend likewise).’
Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi was sallam, said:
‘ Shall I tell you something that if you do it will allow you to catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same (deed). That deed is to recite 'Subhan Allah thirty three times, and 'Al-Hamdulillah thirty three times, and 'AllahuAkbar' thirty three times after every prayer. (That means you recite 33 times 'Subhan Allah, 33 times 'Al-Hamdulillah, and 34 times AllahuAkbar.) (Sahih Bukhari, at-Tajrid as-Sarih, Vol. 2, Hadith no: 466; the Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 31, p. 277; Hayat Dusturlari, p. 578)
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20- “The seven heavens declare His glory and the earth (does too), and those who are in them; and there is not a single thing but glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification; surely He is Forbearing, Forgiving.” (Isra, 44)
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21- “Do you not see that Allah is He, Whom obeys whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many of the people; and many there are against whom chastisement has become necessary; and whomsoever Allah abases, there is none who can make him honorable; surely Allah does what He pleases.” (Hajj, 18)
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22- “Therefore perform dhikr of Me, I will perform dhikr of you, and be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me.” (Baqara, 152; The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 1, p. 263)
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23- “Perform dhikr of your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and the morning.” (Al-e-Imran, 41)
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24- “Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, (yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the celebration of Allah's praises.” (Zumar, 23; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 403)
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25- “Therefore turn aside from he who turns his back upon Our dhikr and does not desire anything but this worldly life.” (Najm, 29)
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26- “And perform the dhikr of your Lord within yourself humbly and fearing and in a voice not loud in the morning or in the evening and be not of the heedless ones.” (Araf, 205; The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 4, p. 263; For more detailed information see Tafser-e Ruh-al Bayan, Vol. 3, p. 293-295)
According to this verse, the claim of those who refute dhikr that is done aloud is wrong. The religion and Sharia is clear. The dhikr of Allah, too, is clear and true according to the Sharia. One forgets his all belongings, including time, place, talk, simply everything, through muhabbat and the khal of tariqat and tasawwuf. He even forgets himself. He chants the dhikr of Allah, yet he is in another world. He has no information of himself. This is called khal and cannot be expressed in words. That implies the remembrance of Allah. It is known as giryan in the tarikat.
A dervish comes to his sheikh, who is sitting with his family. The sheikh’s wife gets up to go, but the Shiekh says: “You do not need to leave; he is giryan.” He does not see anything. An angry man does not see anything, either. Soon, the dervish begins to awaken. The sheikh warns his family to leave: “He an see you now.” Another example of giryan is those who do not awaken even though he stops sleeping.”
Their eyes are giryan, their heart is tender
They are admirers, they just wonder
Yunus Amra
They do not see anything other than Allah Almighty, His divine love and things for Himself. Their ears do not hear other than those mentioned and worldly things. They lend their ears to Allah Almighty and the words about Him with their heart. They never listen to any other words.
Hadith Qudsi:
“I will be his eyes to see, his ears to hear, his hands to hold, his feet to walk and his tongue to talk.” (Sahih Bukhari, at-Tajrid as-Sarih, Vol. 12, Hadith no: 2042; Ramuz-al Hadith, Hadith no: 4094; Bariqa, Vol. 1, p. 313; Gunyat-at-Talebeen, p. 1048)
This is a khal and khal cannot be expressed in words. This means that Allah will only make him see, hear, talk and walk with His will.
His eyes continue to see you
He talks and tells the words
Yet, his inner is with Haqq
27- “Certainly the dhikr of Allah is the greatest, and Allah knows what you do.” (Ankaboot, 45; the Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, p. 264)
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28- “So when you have performed your devotions, then praise Allah as you praised your fathers, but a greater praise. But there are some people who say, Our Lord! give us in the world, and they shall have no resting place.” (Baqara, 200)
When they have performed hajj, climbing to a high place, they shout loudly, declaring themselves. They talk; declaring their names and their fathers’ names in a loud manner. The verse states that they should declare, in a louder voice, when they perform the dhikr of Allah.
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29- “There is no blame on you in seeking bounty from your Lord, so when you hasten on from "Arafat", then perform dhikr of Allah near the Holy Monument, and dhikr of Him as He has guided you, though before that you were certainly of the erring ones.” (Baqara, 198)
On the return from Arafat, there is a place where the Prophet and his companions mentioned Allah near the Holy Monument. According to this verse, hajjis do not pass this place without performing dhikr of Allah as this was what the Prophet used to do. This is were most of the prayers of the Prophet which He assigned to his ummah were accepted.
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30- “And glorify the name and perform dhikr of Allah Morning and evening.” (Insan, 25)
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31- “O Uthman! Certainly Allah has guided us with a perfect religion free from errors. He ordered us to recite taqbir in a loud manner from Mina to Arafat. If you are of us, do as you are ordered!” (Ramuz al-Hadith, Hadith no: 6190)
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32- “Perform the dhikr of Allah much, so that you may be successful.” (Jum’a, 10; the Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, p. 264)
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33- “And that if they should keep to the (right) way, We would certainly give them to drink of abundant water.
So that We might try them with respect to it; and whoever turns aside from the reminder of his Lord, He will make him enter into an afflicting chastisement.” (Jinn, 16-17)
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34- “The dhikr of Allah is a sign of one’s love for Allah. Dislike of dhikr of Allah is because of not loving Allah.” (Ramuz al-Hadith, Hadith no: 5614)
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35- “Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the dhikr of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate; they fear a day in which the hearts and eyes shall turn about.” (Noor, 37)
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36- “And perform the dhikr of the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with (exclusive) devotion.” (Muzzammil, 8)
A servant of Allah should clear his heart and devote himself to Allah.
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37- Whoever desires honor, this honor belongs wholly to Allah. To Him ascend the good words (the dhikr of Lailahaillallah); and the good deeds, lift them up, and (as for) those who plan evil deeds, they shall have a severe chastisement; and (as for) their plan, it shall perish.” (Fatir, 10)
Nothing can prevent the dhikr of Lailahaillallah to ascend to Allah Almighty. Other deeds ascend daily, weekly or yearly. As soon as one says Lailahaillallah, it immediately ascends and reaches Allah. That is what this verse implies.
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38- “O you who believe! let not your wealth, or your children, divert you from the dhikr of Allah; whoever does that, they are the losers.” (Munafiqoon, 9)
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39- “The Shaitan has gained mastery over them, so he has made them forget the dhikr of Allah; they are of Shaitan's party; now surely Shaitan's party are the losers.” (Mujadila, 19)
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40- “Whoever perform dhikr of Allah more abstains from nifaq (hypocrisy).” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 5060; the Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 1, p. 265; Additionally narrated in Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 6, p. 82)
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41- “…(Hypocrites) little do they hold God in Rememberance”.” (Nisa, 142)
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42- “Perform dhikr of Allah to such a great extent that the hypocrites call you crazy.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 10, p. 268; Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 2, p. 84; Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 1111; Imad-al Islam, p. 288; Al-Uhud-al Qubra (Imam Sharani), p. 317; Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 257; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal III, 68, 71)
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43- “O Hafsa! Never talk too much (worldly words)! Too much talk without dhikr of Allah extinguishes the heart. Talk with the dhikr of Allah revives it.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 6173)
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44- “Do not talk too much without dhikr of Allah, because it makes the heart harsh. Most people who are distant from Allah are those with harsh hearts.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 5952)
His heart becomes like stone because he does not perform dhikr of Allah.
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45- “If a man dissipates a fortune with his hands and another in dhikr of Allah, the latter makes a better and more virtuous job.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 2, p. 265)
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46- “The people of Paradise never regret anything worldly except the moments they spent without dhikr of Allah.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 3, p. 266)
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47- One who prays the Morning Prayer in congregation, who later mentions Allah until the dawn, and later prays two rak’ah will be rewarded with a complete Umra and Hajj, yes, a complete Umra and Hajj, surely a complete Umra and Hajj.” (Hayat Dusturlari, p. 577)
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48- Those who prefer the dhikr of Allah will get ahead. (One should remember Allah more in isolation). The companions asked:
- Who are they? The Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
- Those who are keen to perform dhkir of Allah. (The Companions were the best in this regard) Dhikr of Allah will reduce their sins and they will have their load lightened. (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 4, p. 266; Additionally narrated in Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 4, p. 92)
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49- “Whoever performs the dhikr of Allah and sheds tears because of it will not be tormented on the Judgment Day by Allah Almighty.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 6, p. 267; Additionally narrated in Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 6, p. 128)
Those who shed tears because of their fear of Allah do not require wudu (ablutions), but the others do
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50- “Three groups of people are free from the evil of Iblis and his army: Those who perform dhikr of Allah much during the day and night, those who ask forgiveness at the time of sahar (who recite astagfirullah al azim many times), and those shed tears in fear of Allah.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 3323)
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51- One who performs dhikr of Allah in isolation is like a warrior who attacks the enemy alone.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 7, p. 267; Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 3, p. 559; Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 3567)
This is not a prayer, but the dhikr of Allah. Praying in congregation is more virtuous than praying alone. Dhikr of Allah alone is more virtuous than dhikr of Him in congregation.
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52- “Dissolve your meal with the dhikr of Allah and praying! Never neglect it so your heart does not harden.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 934)
(There is an addition in Mukhtar-al Ahadith Nabawiyya, Hadith no: 137, p. 129 as “Do not sleep right after the meal. Otherwise your heart will harden.”)
Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, orders both praying and dhikr of Allah. Praying or dhikr of Allah alone makes the heart harden. Praying, yet not performing dhikr of Allah comes from a state of hard-heartedness. Some people have said: If one’s heart is hard, he will never understand, listen, or commit.
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53- “O Muaz! How much do you perform dhikr of Allah in a day? Can you do it ten thousand times? I remind you of a few words which are easier and greater than thousands of words: Lailaha illallahu adada qalimatihi, Lailaha illallahu adada khalqihi, Lailaha illallahu zinata arshihi, Lailaha illallahu malaa samawatihi, Lailaha illallahu mislu zalika maahu walhamdulillahu mislu zalika maahu, la yuhsihi malaqun wala gayruhu.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 6226)
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54- “Dhikr is a blessing from Allah to His servant. (Therefore) be thankful for it.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 8, p. 268; Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 3, p. 569)
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55- Hadith Qudsi:
Allah said: “O son of Adam! When you perform dhikr of Me, you thank Me. When you forget Me, you insult Me.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4056)
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56- “Those who perform dhikr of Allah much will be on highest levels on the Day of Judgment.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 9, p. 268; Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 2, p. 43)
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57- “When you wake up in the middle of night to pray (when performing dhikr of Allah), make your voice a bit louder so that you will frighten Shaitan, wake up your neighbors or (in so doing) please Allah the Beneficent.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 795)
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58- “There are houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and in which His name may be remembered; glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings.” (Noor, 36)
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59- The difference between the houses in which dhikr of Allah is performed and the houses in which it is not, is like that between the living and the dead. (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 13, p. 269; Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 5, 250 Hadith Book, Hadith no: 207, p. 169; Mukhtar-al Ahadith Nabawiyya, Hadith no: 1097, p. 549)
In this hadith, Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, recommends dhikr made out loud of Allah in publice, like qadiri. Compared with dhikr made out loud, silent dhikr is deemed to be dead. How can they be equal? If they are, then it would be appropriate to ask: Are you not dead? How come your voice is not heard? The dead cannot chant, but the living can. So, this is evidence supporting the performance of dhikr out loud.
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60- “Narrated by Abu Mus’a (Al-Ashari) the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, compared the performers of dhikr to those who do not as being like those who are alive and those who are dead.” (Sahih Bukhari, at-Tajrid as-Sarih, Vol. 12, Hadith no: 2160)
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61- Some people (who are friends of Allah) are the keys of dhikr of Allah. As soon as they appear, dhikr of Allah is performed.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 20, p. 272; Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 2, p. 528)
They always perform dhikr of Allah morning and night and remind people to perform dhikr of Allah.
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62- “When the friends of Allah are seen, Allah is remembered.” (Marifatnama, p. 882; Sunan Ibn Maja, Vol. 10, Hadith no: 4119)
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63- Aisha, radhiallahu ‘anha, narrated:
“The Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, performed dhikr of Allah at all times.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 22, p. 272; Tuhkfatul Ahwazi, Vol. 9, p. 325 and narrated in Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 6, Hadith no: 3606)
This hadith needs to be examined more closely. She says “at all times”. Our Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam used to perform dhikr of Allah more than everyone, morning and night, at all times, including when asleep. A person in love speaks of their lover even in sleep. Likewise, one can speak of Allah in their sleep. At such times, Allah loves his servant, and this servant loves Allah. (Gunyat-at-Talebeen, p. 1048; Ihya, Vol. 4, Hadith no: 400, p. 554; Bariqa, Vol. 1, p. 313; Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4094; Riyadh-as-Saleheen (Original and Translation), Hadith no: 385, p. 293) Is the lover speaking of his lover in his sleep?
“The sleep of the scholar is better than the worship of the ignorant.” (Bariqa, Vol. 2, p. 489; Irshad, Vol. 3, p. 573; Maqasid-at-Talebeen, p. 142)
“The Fellows of the Cave reached the state of friendship of Allah by sleeping. They slept 309 years. (Kahf, 25) They have no knowledge at all, but they feared Allah much and left everything so that their sleep became a form of worship and they became scholars.
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64- Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
“One is not generous if he does not act when hearing the dhikr of the Friend.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 406)
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65- “He prayed more and he performed the dhikr of Allah more than anyone else.” [Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 440 (Section 30)]
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66- “Whoever says: la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamd, wa huwa `ala kulli shay'in qadir -- There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner. His is the sovereignty, and His is the praise, and He has power over everything -- a hundred times a day will have a reward equivalent to the reward for freeing ten slaves. In addition, a hundred good deeds will be recorded for him and a hundred bad deeds of his will be wiped clean, and this will be a safeguard for him from Satan that day until evening, and no one will be better in deeds than such a person, except he who does more than that.” (Ihya, Vol. 1, Hadith no: 913, p. 855; Narrated Bukhari and Muslim, as well.)
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67- “Whoever says: “La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu yuhyi wa yumit wa huwa hayyun la yamut, wa huwa `ala kulli shay'in qadir” when he is out, Allah will record a million good deeds for him, wipe clean a million bad deeds and raise him a million degrees.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 28, p. 275; Tuhkfatul Ahwazi, Vol. 9, p. 386; Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 6, Hadith no: 3650)
Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, used to go through the Mecca bazaar at night rapidly, saying “Subhan Allah, wa al-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar wala hawla wala quwwata illa billahi aliyyil azim la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamd, wa huwa `ala kulli shay'in qadir” in a state of tawajud.
Those who perform dhikr of Allah much reach the state of tawajud. Those in this state are between sobriety and drunkenness or sleep and awakening. They behave as if they are not in this world. One cannot know this state unless they have experienced it.
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68- “Those only are believers whose hearts become full of fear when dhikr of Allah is performed, and when His communications are recited to them they increase them in faith, and in their Lord do they trust.” (Anfal, 2)
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69- “(To) those whose hearts tremble when dhikr of Allah is performed, and those who are patient under that which afflicts them, and those who keep up prayer, and spend (benevolently) out of what We have given them.” (Hajj, 35)
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70- Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, was traveling along the path leading to Mecca when he happened to pass by a mountain known as Jumdan. He said:
“Proceed on, this is Jumdan, the Mufarradun have gone ahead.”
The Companions of the Prophet said:
“O Prophet! Who are the Mufarradun?”
He said: “They are those men and women who perform dhikr of Allah much.” [Muslim, Vol. 8, Hadith no: 4 (2676), p. 163, 164]
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71- “One whose last word is the word of tawheed (Lailahaillallah), goes to Paradise” (500 Hadith Book, Hadith no: 431, p. 351)
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72- Everything has a polish and the polish of hearts is “Lailahaillallah Muhammadun Rasoolullah.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 387; Marifatnama, p. 667)
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73- “When they perform dhikr of Allah, their hearts shine.” (Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 258; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 387)
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74- “Lailahaillallah is My castle. Whoever enters it is safe from My wrath.” (Marifatnama, p. 670; Anwar-al Ashiqin, p. 422; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 466)
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75- By Allah, I enjoy to be with a group of people who perform dhikr of Allah after Morning Prayer until dawn more than freeing four slaves of the Bani Ismail whose remission is twelve thousand. For me, it is preferable to accompany a group of people who perform dhikr of Allah after Asr Prayer until sunset than free four slaves of the Bani Ismail whose remission is twelve thousand.
(Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4275)
Let those who claim prayer is remembrance be reminded: There is no prayer after Morning Prayer until the dawn. There is no prayer after Asr Prayer until the sunset, either. Those times are offered for the dhikr of Allah to be made either out loud or silently.
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76- It is better for me to perform dhikr of Allah, to make tasbih (subhan allah), tahmid (al-hamdu lillah), and takbir (Allahu akbar) until dawn than to free a slave of the Bani Ibrahim. It is more enjoyable to perform the dhikr of Allah after Asr Prayer until sunset than to free four slaves of the Bani Ismail. (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4276)
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77- Every company who performs dhikr is accompanied by angels and they say: “Do it more so that Allah will grant you more.” When they ascend, dhikr ascends along with their wings.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4247)
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78- “Reach the morning and evening in the state of dhikr so that you will be free of sins.” (Ihya, Vol. 1, Hadith no: 902, p. 848; Narrated Abul Qasim Isfahani, too)
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79- “Allah has some angels who look for those who perform the dhikr of Allah on the roads and paths. And when they find some people performing the dhikr of Allah, they call to each other, saying:
‘Come to the object of your pursuit.’ Then the angels encircle them and listen.
‘O my ummah! Perform dhikr of Allah and make your nafs remember!’” (Ihya, Vol. 1, Hadith no: 85, p. 90; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 286)
This means that dhikr of Allah should be performed out loud in order to awake the nafs, which is like a sluggish snake. Silent dhikr is not a way of awakening the nafs.
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80- Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
“When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, avail yourselves of them.”
The Companions asked:
‘What are the gardens of Paradise, O Messenger of Allah?’
He replied: ‘The people you meet in order to perform dhikr of Allah, that is the circles of dhikr (dhikr companies)’” (Ihya, Vol. 1, Hadith no: 84, p. 90; Kanz al Irfan, Hadith no: 253; Kimya-e-Saadat, p. 183; Hayat-us-Sahaba, Vol. 4, p. 6-7; Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 878)
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81- When a group of people gather to perform dhikr of Allah Almighty, they are told “Rise, you are forgiven” and they leave. (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 14, p. 270; Fayz-al Qadir, Vol. 5, p. 409)
***
82- “If a group of people gather for the dhikr of Allah Almighty a herald calls them saying:
‘Rise forgiven, your evil deeds have been changed into good deeds!’” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4776)
***
83- “Sakina descends to the assemblies of Dhikr. Angels surround them and Allah mentions them in His presence. (This means that He is proud of those people who perform dhikr , who glorify the Angels)” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 17, p. 271; Sunan Ibn Maja, Vol. 9, Hadith no: 3791; Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 6094)
***
84- “Any moment that the Son of Adam wastes without the dhikr of Allah will be a means of regret on the Day of Judgment.” [Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4731; Marifatnama, p. 668]
***
85- Regarding a sinner participating in dhikr assembly, the angels say:
“Our Lord, there is one amongst them, such and such a simple servant, who happened to pass by (that assembly) and sat there along with them (who had been participating in that assembly).”
Because of His mercy and compassion, the Lord says:
“I also grant him pardon, for they are a people, those whom he sits with, whether sinner or not, who are in no way unfortunate. (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 287)
***
86- Narrated by Huzayfatul Yamani:
“One who sits in the middle of the dhikr assembly is cursed in the name of Muhammad or Allah curses him through Muhammad. (Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Hadith no: 2900; Islam’da Helaller ve Haramlar, Vol. 1, p. 421-422; Sihah Sita, Vol. 10, Hadith no: 3326)
This hadith is directed to those people who are seat-fellows
***
87- The Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, cursed the person who sits in the middle of the dhikr assembly. (Bariqa, Vol. 5, p. 334; Narrated Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawoud, Tirmidhi and Hakim with hasan and sahih chains)
***
88- Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Dawoud, Tirmidhi and Hakim narrated from Abu Huraira that the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
“La anallahu manjalasa vesatal khalgati…ila akhir.” “May Allah curse the one who sits in the middle of the dhikr assembly.”
Narrated Tirmidhi: A man sat in the middle of the dhikr assembly. Huzayfa, radhiallahu ‘anhu, said:
- This is the one who has been cursed by the words of the Prophet. (Islam’da Helaller ve Haramlar, Ibn Hajar Al Aytami, Vol. 1, p. 421-422)
Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, forbade us to sit in the middle of a dhikr assembly. He curses those who act in this way.
***
89- “Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, advised us not to sit down in the middle of any assembly, be it for dhikr or study.
Abu Dawoud narrated: “May Allah curse the one who sits in the middle of the assembly.” (Al Uhud-al Qubra (Imam Sharani), p. 1002-1003)
***
90- Whoever says “Bismillahillazi la yadurru maasmihi shayun fil ardi wala fissamai wa huwassamiul alim” three times morning and evening, will be harmed by nothing. (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 23, p. 273; Tuhkfatul Ahwazi, Vol. 9, p. 331)
My father (Sheikh) Bilal used to say: “Bismillahi qafi huwallahu, Bismillahi safi huwallahu, Bismillahi maafi huwallahu, Bismillahillazi la yadurru maasmihi shayun fil ardi wala fissamai wa huwassamiul alim, Allahummhafazna min afatissamawati wal ardi. Minal Jinni wal insi washaiateen.” It is very good to write this down and carry it with you. It is a written charm that heals.
***
91- “The best dhikr of Allah is to repeat la ilaha illallah and the best prayer (du'a) is al-hamdu lillah (all praise belongs to Allah).” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 26, p. 274; Cited in Tuhkfatul Ahwazi, Vol. 9, p. 325, too; Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4726)
If one says the following at the beginning of a prayer, the prayer is not refused:
1- Alhamdulillah
2- O My Lord!
3- Salawat
***
92- “Whoever says: subhan Allah wa bi hamdihi -- Glorified is Allah with all praise to Him -- a hundred times a day will have all their sins wiped clean even if they were as great as the foam on the surface of the sea.” (The Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 35, p. 278; Tuhkfatul Ahwazi, Vol. 9, p. 434; Narrated Bukhari, as well; Hayat Dusturlari, p.581 and alike)
***
93- Juwayriyya, one of the wives of the Prophet, reported that one day the Prophet left her apartment in the morning when she was observing her dawn prayer in her place of worship. He came back in the forenoon and she was still sitting there. The Prophet said to her:
“You have been in the same place since I left you?"
She replied: “Yes.”
Thereupon the Prophet said: “I recited some words three times after I left you and if these are to be weighed against what you have recited since the morning, my words outweigh them, and these words are: “Subhan allahi wa bi hamdihi `adada khalqihi wa rida nafsihi wa zinata `arshihi wa midada kalimatihi: Glory to Allah and praise to Him to the number of His creation and to the extent of His pleasure and to the extent of the weight of His Throne and to the extent of the ink used to record words in His Praise.” [Sihah Sita, Vol. 7, Hadith no: 1893; Hayat Dusturlari, p. 582; Muslim, Vol. 8, Hadith no: 79 (2726), p. 214]
***
94- Allah Almighty said in a Hadith Qudsi:
“I am with those who perform dhikr for Me.” (Anwar-al Ashiqin, p. 422; Marifatnama, p. 1096; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 537)
When you say Lailahaillallah, Allah is definitely with you. If you are offended and insulted because of your dhikr, the subject is not you but Allah. If your best friend is insulted in your name, you are insulted, as well, are you not? It is same for bad words which come to you, but which are targeted to Allah Almighty.
***
95- “It is more effective for one to perform dhikr of Allah in his place of prayer after Morning Prayer until the dawn than it is to travel from place to place for sustenance.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 2340)
If you patiently and rightfully trust and perform dhikr of Allah, Allah will send your sustenance, as was the case with Maryam. (Al-e-Imran, 37)
A rich person will be fair to the worker who works honestly. Allah is the same. The Qur’an contains statements such as: “Take refuge in Allah”, “Allah grants everyone’s sustenance” and “I am able to do everything.” Every bird searches for its sustenance, yet the owl finds sustenance. I DON’T UNDERSTAND
***
96- “Abu Huraira reported the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stated the following: “I am near to the thought of My servant when he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he performs dhikr for Me. And if he performs dhikr for Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he performs dhikr for Me loudly in assembly I perform dhikr of him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), (introducing him to everybody, and making people compelled to approach him); if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit, and if he draws near Me by a cubit I draw near him by the space
(that is covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.” (Muslim, Vol. 8, Hadith no: 2 (2675), p. 162; Riyadh-as-Saleheen (Original and Translation), Hadith no: 96, p. 105 a slightly different version)
***
97- Allah Azza wa Jalla says:
“If My servant is busy with Me, I make my dhikr delightful for him. If I make my dhikr delightful for him, he loves Me and I love him. When we love each other, I remove the curtain between us. This khal becomes his permanent state. When others err, he does not. His words are like the words of the prophets. He is a real hero. I detain My wrath when I remember him.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 6385)
***
98- A helpful interpretation:
Ali, radhiallahu ‘anhu, said: “One day, I went to the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, along with Zaid and Jafar. The Prophet said to Zaid:
“You are my slave.”
Zaid began to dance from joy and happiness. The Prophet then said to Jafar:
“You are like me spiritually and physically.”
Jafar began to dance from joy and happiness. The Prophet then said to me:
“You are from me.”
I too began to dance.
Narrated by Ahmad Ibn Hanbaland:
“This hadith implies that it is acceptable to dance when one reaches his inner world. However, the dance of Ali, Zaid and Jafar is not a dance we know. Perhaps, theirs was tawajud. They began to dance because of the praise of the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. They were sober and mindful. (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 407-408)
Dancing means to rotate. They rotate because of their excessive joy.
***
99- “The people of dhikr are a people not of the sitting fellows; they are in no way unfortunate and will not be the people of the hell.” (500 Hadith Book, Hadith no: 486, p. 388)
If one joins the assembly of dhikr and acts with them, he will be good, no matter how unfortunate he is. The exception is when Shaitan does not allow him to act with them.
Hadith: “Whoever performs dhikr of Allah more abstains from nifaq (hypocrisy).” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 5060
“…(Hypocrites) do not perform dhikr of Allah; but perform dhikr of Allah a little I DON’T UNDERSTAND.” (Nisa, 142)
Imagine that you cut a cucumber in half, putting one half in a jam jar and the other half in a pickle jar. The half in the jam jar will be sweet and the other half will be sour. Those in the assemblies of dhikr are the cucumber in the jam jar. Those in the assemblies of disbelief are the cucumber in the pickle jar.
***
100- “Is one whose heart Allah has opened to Islam, so that he has received Enlightenment from Allah, (no better than one who is hard-hearted)? Woe to those whose hearts have been hardened against the dhikr of Allah! They are manifestly wandering (in error)!” (Zumar, 22)
***
101- “Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, (yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the dhikr of Allah. Such is the guidance of Allah: He guides therewith whom He pleases, but such as Allah leaves to stray, can have none to guide.” (Zumar, 23)
***
102- “Shaitan attacks the heart of the man to invade it, yet, when the heart performs dhikr of Allah, he will retreat without hope. When the heart forgets to perform dihkr of Allah, he once again invades.” (Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 263)
***
103- Circumambulating the House of Allah, running between as-Safa' and al-Marwa and stoning al-Jamra have been ordered as part of the dhikr of Allah. (Sihah Sita, Vol. 5, Hadith no: 1392; Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Hadith no: 904, p. 147; Narrated Abu Dawoud in the section of Manasiq)
This is the order of Allah as stated in the Qur’an. When Hajj is performed, a dihkr of Allah to be made out loud is also to be performed by men and women. All deeds contain loud dhikr, such as “Lailahaillallah” in the adhan and the qamat, and “Bismillahi Allahu Akbar” in the House of Allah. You have to hear what you recite in the prayer. If not, this prayer is not acceptable. If the tongue does not move, the heart does not hear anything. Therefore, all prayers are to be performed out loud.
When a unbeliever becomes Muslim, he must utter the words of the shahadah in a loud manner. When one is about to die, it is suggested that he say Lailahaillallah Muhammadun Rasoolullah. When an army attacks the enemy, the soldiers shout Allah, Allah. There is no deed that is performed with silent dhikr. Deeds in which the tongue does not move are not counted. If those in our hearts happened to be counted, bad things would count more than good things. Therefore, dhikr out loud is more virtuous. Islam is clear. Dhikr is a thing ordered by Islam, so dhikr should be clear. You perform dhikr of Allah; He is not deaf. What you are saying is not to make Allah hear, but to make our nafs move a sluggish snake. Our nafs is in the sleep of heedlessness. When you want to awake someone, you shout loudly and shake him. Our nafs is drunken with sleep. We perform dhikr of Allah in a loud manner to awaken our nafs. Not Allah, but our nafs is deaf, which implies that dhikr should be carried out audibly. We circumambulate the House of Allah, which implies a dhikr of rotation. We run between as-Safa' and al-Marwa, which implies a dhikr of running. We attack the enemy by chanting Allah, Allah. We stone al-Jamra, which implies a dhikr of running, turning, and stoning. According to this hadith, there is no prayer that involves running, turning or stoning, but there is dhikr, which implies that dhikr and prayer are separate things. Those who refute audible dhikr also refute circumambulating the House of Allah, running between as-Safa' and al-Marwa and stoning al-Jamra. This khal is a sign for being outside of Islam.
There are two types of hidden infidelity:
a- You criticize the people of dhikr. What on earth do you know? Maybe Allah loves him; then what? You are now outside of Islam.
b- You criticize the married person who intends to watch for the order of Allah. What on earth do you know? Maybe his offspring will be good believers; what then? Why do you make judgments about events like these which are in the field of Allah? Again you should be considered outside of Islam.
***
104- Every disease has a cure. The cure of the hearts is the dhikr of Allah. (500 Hadith Book, Hadith no: 337, p. 279; Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 1621)
***
105- “Those who perform dhikr of Allah much will be at the highest levels on the Day of Judgment.” (Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 256)
***
106- If My servants are busy with Me, I will make my dhikr delightful for them. If I make my dhikr delightful for them, they will love Me and I will love them. When we love each other, I remove the curtain between us. This khal becomes their permanent state. When others err, they do not. Their words are like the words of the prophets. They are real heroes. They are my servants. I detain My wrath when I remember them.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 416)
***
107- Narrated by Shaddad Ibn Aws and Ubada Ibn Samit (radhiallahu ‘anhum):
We were with the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. He had us shut the door, and then said: “Raise your hands up and say “Lailahaillallah”. For one hour, we raised our hands and said “Lailahaillallah”. In the end, the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, lowered his hands and praised Allah: “O my Lord, you sent me with this word of tawheed, you nominated me with this word and you promised Paradise with this word. You surely keep Your promises. And then he said: “Enjoy yourselves, because Allah Almighty has forgiven you. [Islam Tarihi (M. Asim Koksal), Vol. 11, p. 380]
***
108- “And do not say of anything: Surely I will do it tomorrow, unless Allah pleases; and make dhikr of your Lord when you forget and say: Maybe my Lord will guide me to a course that is nearer to the right than this.” (Kahf, 24)
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109- “Lailahaillallah is the key of the Paradise.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 393)
***
110- “Fire cannot harm the corpses of those who were martyred saying Lailahaillallah and they are rewarded with Paradise.
Allah Almighty says on the Day of Judgment:
“O those who say Lailahaillallah! Proceed and rest under the shadow of My Throne. I love you and you love Me.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 392)
***
111- The Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, was asked:
“O Rasoolullah! Who are the friends of Allah?”
“Those who always perform dhikr of Allah Almighty.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 392)
***
112- “When a light descends into a heart, it enlarges and opens.” (Marifatnama, p. 975)
***
113- “Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi was sallam, said:
“I was commanded to fight with people until they say Lailahaillallah, because this word abstains from idolatry and divides between belief and disbelief.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 393)
***
114- Narrated by Abu Huraria, radhiallahu ‘anhu:
:“When Allah loves a servant, He commands Jibril:
‘That is a servant whom Allah loves. You, too, love him and have him be loved.’ Jibril loves him, as well and calls to those in the skies:
‘This is a servant that Allah loves. You love him too!’
Those in the skies love him, too. Then, this servant has a good attitude on the earth.” (Zubdat-al Bukhari, Hadith no: 848; Riyadh-as-Saleheen (Original and Translation), Hadith no: 386, p. 294)
***
115- “The Day of Judgment will not come as long as the name of Allah is chanted on the earth”
“A goodly word is like a goodly tree whose root is firmly fixed and its branches (reach) the heavens.” (Ibrahim, 24; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 394)
***
116- “Lailahaillallah is a great and beneficent word. Whoever says it with sincerity, Paradise will be required for him. Whoever rejects it, his goods are taken; to kill him will be halal. Hell fire waits for him.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 385)
“Whoever does not accept Islam, you must fight them. Their goods may be taken and to kill them will be halal. If they say Lailahaillallah, then they are a Muslim, they are not to be killed, and their goods are haram.”
***
117- Hadith:
The Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, suggested dhikr to Ali, qarramalahu wachah:
“O Ali! Close your eyes, listen to what I say three times, then repeat. I will listen to you three times.” Afterwards, our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said Lailahaillallah three times. Ali closed his eyes and listened. Then he repeated three times and our Prophet listened to him. (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 545)
According to this hadith, our Prophet instructed Ali in the qadiri way of dhikr, which is the same as that practiced today in the tariqat.
***
118- A servant who is inadequate in the Divine account can save his ninety nine account books by uttering Lailahaillallah once. (Lailahaillallah outweighs all sins) Whoever says Lailahaillallah with sincerity will be forgiven. (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 168)
One should pass seventy thousand gate-keepers to say Lailahaillallah with sincerity. Saying it once removes a gate-keeper. At the end, he is able to say it with sincerity. When Omar became Muslim, he said it with sincerity at once so that all his sins were turned to good deeds.
***
119- “And when he (Musa) came to it, a voice was uttered from the right side of the valley in the blessed spot of the bush, saying: O Musa! surely I am Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Qasas, 30; Muzakkin Nufus, p. 397)
When Musa, alaihissalam, was born, the fortune tellers of the Pharaoh told him that a boy born in that century would dethrone him. The Pharaoh began to kill all male babies. Allah Almighty made a revelation to Musa’s mother. (Mir’at-e-Kainat, Vol. 1, p. 190) She was commanded to make a basket for Moses. She nursed him, put him into the basket, then went to the shore of the Nile and threw the basket into the water. The palace servants found the basket with the baby and took it to the Pharaoh. He kept and nursed the baby in his palace. When Musa became a youngster, fortune tellers of the Pharaoh told him that Musa was the one who would kill him. When he attempted to kill Musa, Musa, alaihissalam, escaped. He met two young women shepherds watering their flocks. (Mir’at-e-Kainat, Vol. 1, p. 192) He worked for the father of young women, Shuaib, for a period of seven years. Afterwards, he wanted to return back to his country, Egypt. His wife would give a birth soon. She needed a fire. Musa noticed a fire in the distance. He neared the fire. It was at the top of an olive tree and like a beacon. While he stood in amazement at what he saw, he heard a loud voice calling to him:
“O Moses, I am Allah, the Lord of the Universe.” (Qasas, 30)
“Surely I am your Lord, therefore take off your shoes; surely you are in the sacred valley, Tuwa, And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed.” (Ta-Ha, 12-13)
Musa, alaihissalam, was told:
“ Go to the Pharaoh, you will destroy him.”
“ Thrust your hand into your robe at the armpit.” When Musa, alaihissalam, pulled out his hand, the hand was shining brilliantly:
And he drew forth his hand, and lo! it was white to the beholders. (Araf, 108)
“Throw down your staff!” He did so, and at once the staff became a wriggling snake 1800 meters in length.
“ O Musa these two signs are sufficient for you.” Musa, alaihissalam, said:
“ More O Lord! If you grant prophecy to my younger brother, Haroun, he will take care of my people when I am absent. I stammer, yet he does not.” (Ta-Ha, 30-31) Allah granted him prophecy, too. Haroun, alaihissalam, is one of the prophets whose prophecies were granted through prayer.
***
120- “Allah revealed to Musa, the son of Imran: There are such people among the community of Muhammad that they chant Lailahaillallah in every corner and valley. I will reward them as I reward the prophets.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 1929)
***
121- “The Dhikr of Allah is a sign of love for Allah. Dislike of dhikr of Allah is caused by not loving Allah.” (Ramuz al-Hadith, Hadith no: 5614)
***
122- Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
“Renew your faith by saying Lailahaillallah often because it washes away all sins and no deed is like this word.” (Marifatnama, p. 957)
***
123- Narrated by Muaz Ibn Jabal:
“Shall I tell you of a good deed which clears all your sins and elevates you? It is better than fighting, being martyred, and having gold, silver and charity.”
“Please tell us O Prophet!”
“This good deed is the dhikr of Allah.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 388)
***
124- “The sons of Adam have no deed other than the dhikr of Allah that will save them from Hellfire.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 388)
***
125- “There is no dhikr better than Lailahaillallah and no prayer better than Astagfirullah.” (Ramuz al-Hadith, Hadith no: 4726)
***
126- “The dhikr of Allah is better than charity.” (Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 262)
***
127- “The dhikr of Allah is better than supererogatory fasting.” (Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 268)
***
128- Abu Huraira asked our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi was sallam:
“Who will be privileged with your favor on the Day of Judgment?” He said:
“O Abu Huraira! I was expecting you to ask this question since you are eager to learn more hadiths than anyone else. Those privileged with my favor on the Day of Judgment will be those who say Lailahaillallah with sincerity.” (Sihah Sita, Vol. 1, p. 64)
***
129- To begin the dhikr of Allah:
“Auzu billahi minasshaitanirrajeem.
Bismillahirrahmanerrahim
Fa’lam anahu lailahaillallah (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 532)
***
130- “Whoever attains forty mornings with sincerity will receive a fountain of wisdom that arises from his heart to his tongue.” (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 546)
This means the performance of dhikr for Allah until morning. This hadith implies a forty day seclusion for dervishes.
***
131- “Remember that there are many horrible dangers for a traveler through most of the journey of the word of tawheed which is composed of proof and negation.” Sheikh Safi said:
“From the door of La (negation) to the door of Our Lord there are one hundred thousand seven hundred and seventy paths and a gate-keeper for each path.”
That is, from negation to proof, the gate-keepers try to block you in a hundred thousand seven hundred and seventy ways. (Muzakkin Nufus, p. 534-535)
Those who perform dhikr of Allah often are able to pass all of the gate-keepers. Those who say Lailahaillallah seventy-eighty thousand times survive all dangers. For the dead, those close to them come together and say Lailahaillallah:
a- Eighty thousand words of tawheed are recited. (Zeenat-al Qulub, p. 107) A thousand Surah Fatiha, a thousand Surah Ikhlas, a thousand salawat, and a thousand astagfirullah are added. Prayers are said for the betterment of the dead.
b- Hadith:
For whomever it is said “Mercy be upon him” by forty people, Allah will grant mercy upon him. (Sihah Sita, Vol. 9, Hadith no: 3087; Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 688; Riyadh-as-Saleheen, Hadith no: 929, p. 598 (Similar); the Book of Forty Hadiths in Forty Subjects, Hadith no: 20, p. 622)
If forty or a hundred people say “Mercy upon him” wholeheartedly for someone their sins will be cleansed. (Sunan Nasai, Vol. 3-4, Hadith no: 1993, 1995; Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Hadith no: 1034; Sunan Muslim, Vol. 3, Hadith no: 58 (947), p. 127; Additionally 59 (948), p. 128)
c- Narrated by Quraib, radhiallahu ‘anhu, the slave of Abdullah Ibn Abbas:
“The son of Abdullah Ibn Abbas died. Abdullah said to me:
“ O Quraib, tell me if anyone gathered for my son’s funeral”
I investigated out and said: “Yes” He said:
“Were there about forty?” I said:
“ More than that.” He said:
“So let the funeral begin. I testify that I have heard the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, say:
“Allah Almighty will accept the testimony of forty believers, in any case.” (It is a means for him to be forgiven) (Sunan Ibn Maja, Vol. 4, Hadith no: 1489; Sunan Nasai, Vol. 3-4, Hadith no: 1995; Sahih Bukhari, at-Tajrid as-Sarih, Vol. 4, Hadith no: 654’s explanation, in addition p. 469; Also narrated Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Bayhaqi, and Abu Dawoud)
***
132- Ali, radhiallahu ‘anhu, says:
“I asked the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, about his sunnah acts.” He said:
“The Sharia is my word. The tariqat is my action. The haqiqat (reality) is my khal (state). The marifat (the knowledge of Allah and His actions) is my capital. The mind is the essence of my religion. To love Haqq (Allah) is my base. Shawk (divine joy) is what carries me. Dhikr is my friend. Contentment with Allah is my treasure. Fear of Allah is my companion. Knowledge is my weapon. Patience is my ration. The pleasure of Allah is my bounty. Poverty is my pride. Abstinence is my art. Yaqin (strong belief) is my strength. Honesty is my heart. Obedience is the product of my life. Fighting for Allah is my behavior and salat (prayer) is the light of my eye. (Anwar-al Ashiqin, p. 369; Marifatnama, p. 434)
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133- (A simplified version of pages 275-294 of the manuscript Imadiyal Islam)
It is mentioned in SARAJIDA AND TAJNEES that reciting the Qur’an loudly in the bathroom is maqrooh, but reciting the Qur’an in secret is not maqrooh. There is a fatwa to this effect. But, dhikr for Allah out loud and tasbeeh are not maqrooh. There is a fatwa to this effect. The most critical place is the bathroom, where we now know that it is permissible. So then why would the dhikr of Allah be maqrooh in houses of Allah if the houses were not the places of devils? The dhikr Section of BASTAN-E-NAWADEER mentions that the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, performed dhikr of Allah out loud with his companions after salat. Among the muhaqqeqeen (those who experienced haqiqat) it was generally accepted that dhikr out loud was better. It is neither haram nor maqrooh. If it were so this means that those who do so will be exposed to torment and wrath. No verse or hadith states that a group of people will be tormented on the Day of Judgment for performing the dhikr of Allah out loud. Never! MAZHARI, in an explanation of the book MASABIHOON, states that it is permissible and preferable to make dhikr out loud, because it has five benefits:
1- The signs of Islam will emerge, which is advantageous for Muslims.
2- The blessings of dhikr run into the houses. Hearts are lightened.
3- As soon as dhikr begins, some will be attracted to the assemblies of dhikr. It is a great benefit to attract believers to these assemblies.
4- All things on the earth, dry or wet, living or not, will testify to the voice of the dhikr for Allah on the Day of Judgment.
5- Dhikr out loud makes ill opinions and judgments disappear. It allows one to concentrate. The human body is like a city the people of which are scattered. As the adhan for jum’a prayer is called, these scattered people come together at the mosque. Likewise, dhikr out loud makes all the organs of the body come together.
It is reported in the SHIR’AT-EL ISLAM: It is written in the book of FARISHTA OGLU: One should not make dhikr out loud at a funeral. Yet, throughout Islamic World this is done. Some friends are surprised why people are acting in this way; they refer to these books, and criticize these people in an extreme manner. I will respond to them by referring to some well-known books.
First of all, to respond something begs an explanation. There are some verses and hadiths that explain this fact. These are stated in the fiqh books. A famous scholar, SHEIKH SUMBUL AFFANDI (whose tomb is in Istanbul) wrote a single booklet, called “Risale-e-Tahqiq” which explained all the evidence on this subject. I have translated the evidence cited in this booklet into Turkish in a book called Imadiyal Islam in order to answer those who refute dhikr being performed out loud at funerals and to satisfy those friends who say that we are going to give up the dhikr because of opposition.
The explanation of the verse “Ya ayyuhallazine amanuzquraullaha zikran kasira:
As narrated Balawi and Tafseer Salabi: Ibn Abbas said regarding this verse: “Allah Almighty commanded all His servants to perform compulsory worship. He determined the limits and exceptions for each of them. He did not determine a limit for dhikr of Allah. He said that dhikr for Allah should be performed a great deal . It is not acceptable for a conscious believer to abandon it. MUJAHEER stated in his book: Compulsory dhikr is not to ever forget Allah. As Ibn Abbas reported, frequent dhikr of Allah is one of the compulsory things. One should treat what is compulsory in a clear manner.… Performing dhikr aloud is not ostentatious. Narrated by Tafser-e SAHEEB-E-KASHAF ARAAYTA: Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said: “La gummata fi farayizillaha li annaha e’lamal Islam wa sha’erreddeen.” This means performing a compulsory deed is not ostentatious. Those actions that are compulsory are a sign of Islam. They should be performed in an open, clear and loud manner. It is appropriate for nawafil to be hidden. Yet, unless there is a determined cause, they should be open. The exception is if it is desired that these be seen in public. To utter the words of tawheed before the dead is acceptable, because the cause is good.
Our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
“Li abe Huraira ‘Lagginil mawta bi shadati an lailaha illallah. Fa innaha tahdimuz zunuba hadma qala ya Rasoolallah haza lil mawti fa kayfa li ahyai fa qala hayyi hadamu wa ahadamu.’
To keep the dhikr of Allah in one’s nafs and try to make other things lessen is a good cause. Frequent dhikr of Allah in all other causes is compulsory. Nobody says anything about the other compulsory things when they are performed out loud. Yet, when it comes to this compulsory thing, which is dhikr out loud, some attempt to refute it. (…) Allah Almighty praised Prophet Ibrahim for performing dhikr of Allah out loud. He said: “Inna Ibrahima la awwahun haleem.” (Tawba, 114)
Reported in Tafseer MAANE; The dhikr of Allah, prayers and these verses all suffice for those who are objective and fair. In addition, Sayyid, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said:
“Ena inde zanni abdi ve ena maahu iza zekereni fe in zekereni fi nefsihi zekertuhu fi nefsi ve in zekereni fi mealin zekertuhu fi mealin hayrun minhum.”
“I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he performs dhikr of Me. And if he performs dhikr of Me in his heart, I also perform dhikr of him in My Heart, and if he performs dhikr of Me in assembly I perform dhikr of him in assembly, better than his (remembrance). I mention him in My presence, praising him to the angels.”
May Allah give mercy to those who attempt to forbid believers who have been granted such blessings! Ameen ya Hadee!
Narrated by Abu Saeed Al Khudri:
Sayyid, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
“Aksiru zikrullah hatta yaqulul majnoon.” (Kanz-al Irfan, Hadith no: 257)
“Perform dhikr of Allah to such a great extent that they call you crazy.”
In addition to this, Ibn Abbas narrated:
Sayyid, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, said:
“Aksiru zikrullah hatta yaqulul munafeeqoona innaqum muraaona.”
“Perform dhikr of Allah to such a great extent that the hypocrites outdo one another to call you crazy.” (Al-Uhud al Qubra, p. 317) Come and see that they call those who perform the dhikr of Allah with joy ostentatious people. In fact, they should think a bit about how our Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, answered such people and what he called them.”
SAYDE ALÝ OGLU said: Dhikr is not to be abandoned in streets or public, even it is performed less. It awakens a heedless person or makes a sinful one repent. GANI states that preferring the dhikr of Allah within an assembly of sinners is better than the dhikr of Allah in His house. Likewise, preferring to perform dhikr of Allah in the market is much better than performing dhikr of Allah in His house. If these are acceptable, why do they ban those who perform dhikr of Allah in the houses of Allah, in the mosques? Allah Almighty says:
“And who is more unjust than he who prevents (men) from the masjids of Allah, that His name should be remembered in them, and strives to ruin them?” (Baqara, 114)
They try to prevent dhikr from being performed out loud even in marriage ceremonies, which, in fact is a clear bid’ah.
FI ZAMANINA, the explanation of SHIRA, states that our books lists the evidence that proves the case for the dhikr of Allah; Risala-e-Tahqiq the evidence addressing this subject have been classified in five groups. This should be sufficient proof against the claims regarding dhikr of Allah at funerals. It is not our wish to agitate. This evidence is sufficient for the fair and objective. If they ask what we think about Ibn Masud sending those people who were performing dhikr of Allah out loud manner out of the masjid, this is slander; claiming that Ibn Masud acted in such a way is to assume that Ibn Masud did not know the following verse:
“And who is more unjust than he who prevents (men) from the masjids of Allah, that His name should be remembered in them, and strives to ruin them?”
How on earth could Ibn Masud have made those who were performing dhikr of Allah leave the house of Allah? There is just one narration in NUSUSU GATIA regarding Ibn Masud acting in such a way. Examine the following hadith:
“Ya ayyuhannasu irbiu ala anfusiqum innaqum la taduna asaman wala gayiban”; this means that you are not to call to the deaf or the absent.
Or what about the following verse:
“And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and fearing and in a voice not loud in the morning and the evening and be not of the heedless ones.” (Araf, 205)
The answer here is that our Prophet was in battle. He had to avoid the enemy so he was ordered to remember silently. In the explanation of the verse, in KASHAFIN TABIBI and TAFSEER QABEER, it was stated that this rule applied to the Prophet, and only to himself.
(…)
(The excerpt from Imadiyal Islam finishes here)
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Men not covering the head while walking, eating, drinking or worshipping is maqrooh.
“Come to the mosques with your head covered because covering the head is one of the signs of Muslims.” (Ramuz-al-Hadith, Hadith no: 31)
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To those who claim that reciting Qur’an without having wudu is not permissible:
“…Hazrat Ali went to toilet. After going out, he asked for water to wash his hands. Then, he began to recite Qur’an. When some wondered why he was doing this, Hazrat Ali said:
‘Surely the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, leaves the toilet and orders us to recite the Qur’an and eats with us (without having made wudu). Nothing but a state of janabat could prevent him from reciting the Qur’an. (Sunan Abu Dawoud, Vol. 1, Hadith no: 229)