A:
dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) is one of the best acts of `Ibadah (worship) that should be sincerely devoted to Allah (Exalted be He) Alone. There is no restriction on the modality or frequency of dhikr whatsoever. In his book entitled Al-Adhkar,
Al-Nawawy stated, "Know that the virtue of Dhikr is not confined to Tasbih, Tahlil, Tahmid, Takbir, and so on. Rather, every person engaged in obeying Allah (Exalted be He) is, indeed, remembering Allah. This was the opinion of
Sa`id ibn Jubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) and other scholars."In Sharh Al-Mishkah,
Ibn Hajar stated, "The gatherings of Dhikr are devotional gatherings. Those who confine devotional gatherings to the gatherings of teaching what is Haram (prohibited) and Halal (lawful) only refer to the most specific kind thereof."Every Muslim should regularly observe morning and evening Adhkar as authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Sahabah (companions - may Allah be pleased with them). These formulas of Dhikr are considered Jawami` Al-Kalim (concise yet most comprehensive expressions), so they are better and more beneficial than any other formulas.Allah (Exalted be He) has praised men and women who remember Him abundantly by His Saying:
...and the men and the women who remember Allâh much with their hearts and tongues
Allah (Part No. 24; Page No. 153) (Exalted be He) also says:
Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides
The scholars disputed over the meaning of "remember Allah much". In Al-Adhkar,
Al-Nawawy stated:
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "It refers to those who remember Allah immediately after finishing Salah (Prayer), in the forenoon and the afternoon, upon going to bed and when waking up, and upon leaving or entering the house."
Mujahid said, "A person will not be regarded as one of those who remember Allah much unless they remember Allah when standing, sitting, and reclining." Furthermore,
`Ata' said, "Anyone who performs the Five Obligatory Daily Prayers perfectly is recorded among those who are praised in His Saying:
...and the men and the women who remember Allâh much with their hearts and tongues
On the authority of
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudry (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Anyone who wakes up during the night and awakens his wife and then both of them offer together two Rak`ahs (units of Prayer), their names will be recorded among ‘those men and women who remember Allah much’."
(Related by
Abu Dawud,
Al-Nasa'y, and
ibn Majah (Part No. 24; Page No. 154) in their books Sunan (Hadith compilations classified by jurisprudential themes) and by Imam
Ahmad in his Musnad (vol. 3, p. 75))When asked how much Dhikr one should say to be among those who remember Allah much,
Imam Abu `Amr ibn Al-Salah (may Allah be merciful to him) said, "When they are constant in reciting Adhkar in the morning, the evening, and other parts of the day and the night, and in all situations as reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them). These Adhkar are shown in the book entitled `Amal Al-Yawm wal Laylah. And Allah knows best."In his Tafsir,
Ibn Kathir quoted
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) as saying upon explaining Allah's Saying:
Remember Allâh with much remembrance.
All obligations imposed upon man by Allah (Exalted be He) are clearly defined and one is exempted from them in the presence of a genuine cause except for the obligation of Dhikr, as Allah (Exalted be He) has not set a specific limit for it and, thus, leaving it is inexcusable. Allah (Exalted be He) says:
Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers)
We are commanded to remember Allah (Exalted be He) while standing, sitting, and reclining on our sides, in the morning and during the night, at sea and on land, while on a journey and at home, in poverty and prosperity, in sickness and health, and openly and secretly at all times. (Part No. 24; Page No. 155) Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (Fajr) and ‘Asr prayers].
When you do so, Allah and His angels will supplicate in favor of you.The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to remember Allah (Exalted be He) at all times.
`Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
"Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to remember Allah at all times."
(Related by
Imam Muslim in his Sahih (authentic) Book of Hadith) Accordingly, both kinds of people mentioned in the question, and anyone engaged in an act of obedience, whether by doing Allah's Commands and avoiding His Prohibitions, can be recorded among those who remember Allah (Exalted be He) much.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.
Sending prayers on t...
