'' Our Lord ! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire '' [Ameen]
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{in Arab} :->
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wafil aakhirati hasanatan waqinaa 'athaaban-naar/-
(Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 201)
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remembering Allah. SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi is a good one, but even
something as simple as saying, "Thank you, Allah" when you finish a
meal is atype of dhikr.
When we have dhikr always on our tongues, we have this constant
connection with God, even as we go about our daily routines. When
things are going well, or when things are hard, we have this lifeline
to Allah, this constant stream of praise going up, and blessings
coming down. Our spirits are lighter, our hearts happier. We are
grateful for everything we have, because we remember thatevery single
little blessing – good health, the comfortable beds we sleep in, the
orange juice we hadfor breakfast, even our beating hearts and the
breath in our lungs – comes from Allah.
Dhikr is a guide to excellent character, and a light that keeps us on
the path to Paradise.
We covet what we think about
Here's another important point. I am the editor of IslamicAnswers.com
, whichis a common-sense advice website for marriage and family
issues. One type of common question I get is from a young person who
is madly in love with someone who is unavailable. Maybe the
unavailable person is already married, or is not interested, or the
parents do not approve, but it's clear that the match is impossible.
One thing I tell such a young person is, stop thinking about the
object of your desire. When the thoughts come, push them away.
Absolutely do not spend your time gazing at photographs of him/her,
reading old emails, dwelling on what-ifs, and fantasizing, because
that will only reinforce your obsession, and keep the unavailable
person in your mind.
What we think about, we come to desire.
With dhikr, we are using this principle for good. By constantly
praising Allah, we keep Him in our minds and hearts. The more we do
so, the more we come to desire His love, His forgiveness, and His
presence. The more we think about Allah, the morewe want to please
Him. It becomes a beautiful cycle of remembrance and blessings,
reinforcing each other.
That's why Allah described the believers as,
"Who remember Allaah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their
sides." [3:191]
"…and the men who remember Allaah often and the women who do so – for
them Allaah has prepared forgiveness anda great reward." [33:35]
"O you who have believed, remember Allaah with much remembrance. And
exalt Him morning and afternoon." [33:41-42]
The living and the dead
There is a very powerful hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in which he said,
"The example of the one who remembers his Lord (God) in comparison
withthe one who does not remember his Lord is thatof the living and
the dead." [Sahih al-Bukhari; 11:208, Muslim; 1:539]
I could write an entire essay about that one hadith, but I'll just say
that the essence of life is our need for Allah. Without Him, our
hearts would not beat, the rain would not fall, there would be no food
on our tables, and no joy in our hearts. When we remember Allah we
prove that we are spiritually alive. We acknowledge our need for the
One God, and we acknowledge His favorsupon us.
Conversely, if we do not remember Him, it's as if weare spiritually
dead. That's why the famous classical scholar Shaykhul Islam ibn
Taymiyyah said, "The example of dhikr to the heart is that of fish to
water."
