QURANIC VERSES RELATING ZIKR .

Even if there were no Ayat or hadith relating to Zikr, we should not have forgotten to remember our real Benefactor whose blessings and favours on us at all times are unlimited, and have no parallel. It is but natural that we should remember our Benefactor, perform His Zikr (remember Him), and thank Him. Countless virtues of Zikr are described in the Qur’an and Hadith, and the sayings and deeds of our elders in support thereof are available for our benefit. No doubt, the blessings of the glorious Zikr of Allah are unlimited and its effulgence is so sublime.

Here, I first describe a few Ayaat (Verses from the Holy Qur’an) and then some Ahadith on the subject of His glorious Zikr.

QURANIC VERSES RELATING ZIKR

1. ‘Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me and reject not Me.’

2. When (during the Hajj) ye pass on in the multitude from ‘Arafaat’, remember Allah by the sacred monument. Remember Him as He hath guided you, although before this ye of those gone astray.

3. And when ye have completed your Hajj rites, then remember Allah as ye remember your fathers, or with a more lively remembrance. There are men who say, “Our Lord! Give unto us, your bounties in this world,” but they will have no portion in the Hereafter”

There are men (also) who say, “Our Lord! Give unto us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and guard us from the doom of Fire.” For them, there is in store a goodly portion (in both worlds) out of that which they have earned. Allah is swift at reckoning.”

It is related in a hadith that the ‘Duaa’ of three persons is not rejected, rather it is surely accepted. (1) He who remembers Allah profusely (2) Wronged person (3) Ruler who avoids tyranny.

4. (During the Hajj) remember Allah all through the appointed days.

5. Remember thy Lord much, and praise Him in the early hours of night and morning.

6. (Talking of the wise men these are) such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, and say, (after deliberation) “Our Lord! Thou has not created this in vain. Glory be to Thee! Preserve us from the doom of Fire.”

7. When ye have performed the act of Salaat, remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining (We should remember him in all circumstances.)

8. (The Hypocrites) when they stand up to worship, they perform it languidly and to be seen by men, and are mindful of Allah but little.

9. Satan seeketh only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and games of chance, and to turn you from remembrance of Allah, and from His worship. Will ye then leave off (these bad habits)?

10. Send not away those who call their Lord at morning and evening, seeking His countenance (Pleasure).

11. And call upon Him, making your devotion purely for Him (only)

12. Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Lo! He loveth not transgressors. Work not confusion in the Earth after the fair ordering thereof, and call on Him in fear and hope. Lo! The mercy of Allah is nigh unto the good.

13. Allah’s are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them.

14. And do thou remember thy Lord within thyself humbly and with awe, below thy breath, at morn and evening. And be thou not of the neglectful.

15. “They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel a tremor when Allah is mentioned, and when the revelations of Allah are recited unto them, they find their faith strengthened, and who trust in their Lord. Thereafter mentioning the observance of Salaat by them it is stated. Such in truth are the believers they shall enjoy dignified positions with their Lord and blessed with His forgiveness and generous sustenance.”

16. And guideth unto Himself all who turn to Him in penitence; who have believed and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts rest content!

17. Say (unto mankind): Call upon Allah, or Call upon the Beneficent, by whatever name you call upon him, it is well. His are the most beautiful names.

18. And remember thy Lord when thou forgettest.

19. Restrain thyself along with those who call upon their Lord at morning and evening, seeking His pleasure; and let not thine eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp of this worldly life; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who followeth his own lust and whose case has gone beyond all bounds.

20. On that day, We shall present Hell to the disbelievers, plain to view; those whose eyes had been under a veil from remembrance of Me.

21. A mention of the mercy of thy Lord unto His servant Zakariyya; when he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret.

22. And I shall pray unto my Lord. It may be that (And I have every hope), with prayer unto my Lord, I shall not be unblest.

23. Lo! I, even I, am Allah. There is no God save Me. So serve me and establish Salaat for My remembrance. Lo! The Hour is surely coming. But I will keep it hidden, that every soul may be rewarded for that which it striven to achieve.

24. And be not faint in remembrance of Me. (This is a piece of advice for Prophet Moses and Haroon (Alayhis Salam).

25. And (mention) Noah (Alayhis Salam) when he cried of old; We heard his prayer. (before times of Ibrahim (Alayhis Salam)

26. And (mention) Ayub (Alayhis salam) when he cried unto his Lord, “Lo! Adversity afflicteth me, and Thou are Most Merciful of all who show mercy.

27. And Zan-Nun Younus (Alayhis Salam), when he went off in anger (displeased with his community) and deemed that We had no power over him; but he cried out in the darkness (of the whale) saying “There is no God save Thee; be Thou glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong-doer.

28. And (mention) Zakariah (Alayhis salam) when he cried unto his Lord, “My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the best of inheritors.”

29. Lo! They (the Prophets mentioned before) used to vie one with the other in good deeds, and they cried unto Us in longing and in fear, and were submissive to Us.

30. And give good tidings to the humble: whose hearts fear when Allah is mentioned.

31. (While talking to the unbeliever on the Day of Judgement, they will be asked whether they remember). Lo! There was a party of My servants who said, “Our Lord! We believe therefore forgive us and have mercy on us, for Thou art best of all who show mercy.”

But ye chose them for a laughing-stock, until this (past time) caused you to forget remembrance of Me, while ye laughed at them. Lo! I have rewarded them this day for as much as they were steadfast; and they verily are the triumphant.

32. (While praising men with perfect faith) Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah and constancy in prayer and paying to the poor their due.

33. But verily, remembrance of Allah is the most important.

34. (Those) who forsake their beds to call upon their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of what We have bestowed on them. No soul knoweth what joy is kept hidden for them as a reward for what they used to do.

Note: it is mentioned in a hadith that one who prays to Allah in the last portion of the night gains acceptance of Allah. If possible, you should remember Allah at this hour.

35. Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day and remembreth Allah much.

36. (while talking of the virtues of the believers) And men who remember Allah much and women who remember; Allah hath prepared for them His forgiveness and a vast reward.

37. O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening.

38. And Noah (Alayhis Salam) verily prayed unto Us, and We are the best Who grant prayers.

39. Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah. Such are clearly in error

40. Allah hath (now) revealed the most beautiful message of the Qu’ran, a Scripture consistent with itself, repeating (its teaching in various aspects). Whereat doth tremble the skins of those who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their hearts soften to Allah’s remembrance. Such is Allah’s guidance, wherewith be guideth whom He will.

41. Therefore pray unto Allah, making devotion pure for Him (only), however much the disbelievers may be averse.

42. He is the Living One, there is no Allah save Him. So pray unto Him, making devotion pure for Him (only)

43. And he whose sight is dim to the remembrance of the Beneficent, We assign unto him a devil who becometh his comrade.

44. Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship), seeking bounty from Allah and His acceptance. Their mark is on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel-like as sown corn that sendeth forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the farmers. In the same manner, the Companions of the Prophet (sallallaho alaihe wasallam) were weak in the beginning and then grew in strength day by day, that He may enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah hath promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works, forgiveness and immense reward.

COMMENTARY

In these verses though the emphasis obviously is on the blessings occurring from ‘Ruki’ ‘Sajud’ and ‘Salaat’ but there is also an indication about the blessings associated with the second part of the Kalimah viz (Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah).

Imam Razi has related that in the treaty of Hudaibia, on the refusal and insistence of the unbeliever not to write (Muhammad Rasulullah) and to substitute it by ‘Muhammad bin Abdullah’, Allah Ta’ala asserts that He himself bears testimony to the Prophethood of Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). When the Sender confirms personally about a particular person to be his messenger, then the non-acceptance by any number of people does not matter. To confirm this testimony, Allah Ta’ala made the statement of Muahmmad Rasool Allah (Muhammad is a Prophet of Allah).

There are other important subjects in these Verses. One of them relates to the glow on the face of a blessed person. It has been explained that a person who keeps a vigil at night for prayers develops such a glow on his face.

Imaam Razi considers it an established fact that if two persons keep awake at night, one spending it in sensual and idle pleasures and the other uses his time in reciting the Qur’an, learning religious knowledge and offering prayers, they will get up with different facial expressions next morning. The latter described above will be because of his spiritual glow, will show himself quite a different person.

The third important thing that Imaam Malik and a group of scholars however established ‘Kufr’ for those people who talk ill of Sahaba and bear hatred against them.

45. Is not the time ripe for the hearts of those who believe to submit to Allah’s reminder?

46. (There is a mention of the hypocrites.) The devil hath engrossed them and so hath caused them to forget remembrance of Allah. They are the devil’s party. Lo! Is it not the devil’s party who will be the losers?

47. And when the (Friday) prayer is ended, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah’s bounty, (with the permission to engage yourself in worldly pursuits but even then) and remember Allah much, that ye may be successful.

48. O ye who believe! Let not your wealth nor your children distract you from remembrance of Allah. Those who do so, they are the losers. (These things will not last beyond the grave and Allah’s remembrance will prove useful in the Hereafter.)

49. And Lo! Those who disbelieve would fain disconcert thee with their eyes when they hear the message. ‘The Qur’an and they say, “Lo! He is indeed mad.”

Note: using the eyes in this manner indicates their extreme enmity. Hasan Basri (Rahmatullah alaih) advises blessing on a person, affected by malignant looks, after reciting this verse.

50. And whose turneth away from the remembrance of His Lord; He will thrust him into ever-growing torment.

51. And when the devotee of Allah, Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) stood up in prayer to Him, they crowded on him, almost stifling him. Say (unto them, O Muhammad), I pray unto Allah only, and ascribe to Him no partner.

52. So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself to him whole-hearted devotion. (All other attachments should be reversed at that time and devotion to Allah should dominate).

53. Remember the name of thy Lord at morning and evening; and worship Him (a portion) of the night, and glorify Him through long night, in Tahajjud Salaat. Lo! These people who oppose you love the fleeting life, and put behind them (the remembrance of) a grievous day.

54. He is successful who purifieth himself (of evil manners) and remembereth the name of his Lord, so prayeth.