“Those that remember Me in their heart, I remember them in My heart; and those that remember Me in a gathering (i.e. that make mention of Me), I remember them (i.e. make mention of them) in a gathering better than theirs.”
~ Al Hadith 72:17
In today’s world, it’s easy to get swept up in the routine of a busy schedule. Getting the kids off to school, coping with the traffic and waiting in endless lines. Sometimes, it’s even difficult to find the time to eat let alone spare a thought for Allah. But there are ways to find and make the time.
There is a word that is attributed to the remembrance of Allah and that is Dhikr, Zikhr or Thikr; depending on what part of the world you are from there are a variation of spellings but they all mean the same thing.
It’s a word that when translated into English essentially means the remembrance of Allah, either silently in the heart, or in the heart and by words.
Many of us do remember Allah especially in times of despair to ask for help or in good times to be thankful, but what about all of the other times? What about the in between times when we are on the go?
Fortunately, you don’t have to perform wudu (ritual ablution) to perform Dhikr, you just have to have some time. So, when you are waiting in traffic, standing in a queue, parked outside the school waiting for your child or even gardening, you can simply say the following short phrases.
Say
Subhaan Allah, I glorify Allah’s absolute perfection
Alhamdulillah, All praise be to Allah
Allahu Akbar, Allah is the Greatest
Say these three 33 times for each preferably counting on the fingers of the right hand. Then to make the 99 (33×3) to 100 say:
“Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer which translates in English to – “There is no god except Allaah Alone, with no partner, His is the power and His is the praise, and He is Able to do all things.”
There is a Hadith that says that for those who do this:
“… his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.”
~ Muslim, 939
Positively
Positive remembrance of Allah brings about a sense of being thankful and appreciative of all He has done for us. By being aware of the glory of Allah in everything it can even prevent negativity or even depression.
It helps to find the good in the bad, the positive in the negative, and the opportunities in the problems. Even more than that, it will purify your heart just by simply remembering Allah so He remembers you in this life and the next.
Do
Do take the opportunity to lift your spiritual status and increase your Iman by the remembrance of Allah. Do increase your chances of entering Paradise (Jannah) through Dhikr. Do say, La ilaha illa Allah (all praise is due to Allah) as many times as you want as the rewards are great.
Be
Be mindful of Allah no matter where you are except for the toilet or bathroom. You can engage in Dhikr either in silence or through the spoken word. Be in the presence of angels who come when one engages in Dhikr only to carry the good news up high.
Together
Together, there are times when you can take advantage of making dhikr as a group. Take the opportunity to encourage your children to engage in dhikr. Just include them, teach them and share dhikr together.
- Driving – recite short Surah’s of the Qu’ran
- Kids – encourage them to participate
- Household chores – use the time while cooking, sweeping, ironing
- Family outings – contemplating nature and the power of Allah (swt)
- Men – washing the car, mowing the lawn
- Traveling – by car, plane, boat, even walking
- Listen – to recordings of dhikr on a CD, mobile device
So, find the time in your busy schedule and spare some thought to the remembrance of Allah. Bear in mind the best time is given as being between al-Fajr and sunrise, between al-Asr and the sunset, after prayers and before you go to bed. And, if your memory needs a jog there are even apps for your phone that you can download for free to remind you to remember Him.
“Those men and women who engage much in Allah’s praise for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a Great Reward”
~ Qur’an 33:35
First published: April 2016