بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد
By: Shaikh Sa`eed Ibn `Alee Ibn Wahf al-Qahtaanee رحمه الله.
Linguistically, Dhikr means: mentioning Allaah by articulating the words and pronouncing them with the tongue.
Conventionally, Dhikr means: “Every word, phrase, or statement that glorifies Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and praises Him.”
In short, Dhikr is the worship of Allaah through the actions of the heart and tongue, and it is the easiest of deeds and an act of obedience. It includes the slave’s praise of his Lord عز وجل, whether it is mentioning of Allaah’s Self, or His Beautiful Names, or Lofty Attributes, or His Actions, or His Commandments, or the recitation of the Qur’aan, or praising Him for His blessings, or thanking Him for His favors, and so on. All the actions through which one attentively aims to seek nearness to Allaah and hope for reward from Him.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of doing Dhikr is to meditate on what is being
said; i.e., where the tongue articulates the words and the heart meditates on
the meaning.
The purpose of Dhikr is to remember Allaah with an attentive
heart that leads to obedience to Allaah.
Sa`eed Ibn Jubair رحمه الله said: “…and the Dhikr (Remembrance) is to obey Allaah تعالى. Whoever obeys Allaah تعالى
has remembered Him, and whoever disobeys Him has not remembered Him even if he
does a lot Tasbeeh* and recites (a lot of) Qur’aan.” [1]
*Tasbeeh (like saying: Sub-haan-Allaah, and other words of praise
for Allaah)
TYPES OF DHIKR:
The remembrances are of three types:
A) Remembrance with the heart
B) Remembrance with the tongue
C) Remembrance with the limbs
Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله
said: ❝Al-Adhkaar is the plural of
Dhikr, the intended meaning of which is the remembrance of Allaah عز وجل. It should be known that the remembrance
of Allaah تعالى could be with the heart, tongue and limbs.
As for (the remembrance of Allaah) with the heart, it is
meditation. This includes one pondering over the names of Allaah, His
attributes, His edicts, His Actions, and Signs. Remembrance (of Allaah) with
the tongue is clear. It includes every word that brings one closer to Allaah عز وجل, such as Tahleel (the saying: Laa ilaaha
illallaah), Tasbeeh (the saying: Sub-haan-Allaah), Takbeer (the saying: Allaahu
Akbar), reciting the Qur’aan, enjoining good and forbidding evil, reading the
books of Sunnah and (books) of knowledge. As for the Remembrance of Allaah with
the limbs, it is every action that draws one closer to Allaah such as standing
in Prayer, bowing, prostration, sitting, and so on.
However, remembrance of Allaah is usually employed to describe
Tasbeeh, Tahmeed, Takbeer, and Tahleel.❞
[2]
A) Remembrance with the heart:
From the actions of the heart are Fear, Love, and Hope. A
person loves Allaah and is obedient to Him; he does good deeds and hopes for a
reward from Him; he repents and hopes for forgiveness from Him; he avoids sins
and bad deeds out of fear of Him. This is the remembrance of Allaah with the
heart.
Furthermore, a person’s heart must accompany the tongue
while doing the Adhkaar.
Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله
said: ❝And know that the (real)
remembrance of Allaah تبارك وتعالى is the remembrance
with the heart. As for the mere remembrance of the tongue which is void of
remembrance with the heart is deficient. The proof of this is the saying of
Allaah تعالى:
وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ
{and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his own lusts} [Surah al-Kahf (18): 28]
And He تعالى did not say: “the one
whose tongue we have silenced (and made heedless) of Our remembrance”, but He تعالى said: {those
whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance}. The (most)
beneficial remembrance is the remembrance of the heart. And the remembrance of
the heart should be in everything, meaning: the person recalls the Aayaat (the
signs, Verses) of Allaah while walking, while sitting and while lying down then
this is from the remembrance of Allaah.
In any case, it is important for one to remember Allaah with
his heart whenever one remembers Allaah with his tongue. In this way, the heart
and the tongue will be in concord and this is more beneficial. Although the
remembrance with the tongue will benefit the person, it remains deficient, and
the remembrance of the heart is the foundation and the most important.❞ [3]
Remembrance of the heart includes pondering (thinking
deeply) over the Aayaat (Verses and Signs) of Allaah with devout concentration,
as Allaah تعالى says:
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّـهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
{Those who remember Allaah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.”} [4]
Also, from the actions of the heart are, Imaan (Belief), Taqwa (Fear of Allaah), Shyness, etc. In some cases, it becomes an obligation that the action of the heart concords with the movement of the lips. The hypocrites used to say with their tongues that they believed in Allaah and His Messenger, but with their hearts they disbelieved. So, Allaah تعالى said about them:
إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ
لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ
إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ
{When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muhammad], they say: “We testify that you are the Messenger of Allaah.” And Allaah knows that you are His Messenger, and Allaah testifies that the hypocrites are liars.} [5]
Similarly, if a person says “Astaghfirullaah!
Astaghfirullaah!” with his tongue, but has no regret in his heart about his bad
deeds, then this is not considered as sincere repentance.
B) Remembrance with the tongue:
It is an obligation to move the tongue and lips while making
the Adhkaar, even if it is done in a very low voice or even if the sound is not
audible.
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه
that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Allaah
says: {I am with My slave when he remembers
Me and his lips move saying My Name.}❞ [6]
Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله
was asked: “Does a person get the reward of recitation (of the Qur’aan) if he
does not move his tongue (and lips)? And is his prayer correct if he does the
same in prayer?”
Shaikh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله
replied: ❝The recitation is done
by moving the tongue (and the lips). Recitation without moving the tongue is
not considered as recitation. This is (considered as) pondering with the heart,
contemplation.
Recitation is that in which there is the movement of the tongue,
where a person can (at least) hear his own recitation where it is necessary to
hear. Where he hears (his) recitation, the Tasbeeh (Sub-haan-Allaah), Tahleel
(Laa ilaaha illallaah), and so on. This is (considered as) recitation.
As for it being done with the heart only, then this is not
considered as recitation. This is being attentive (with the heart at the time
of making) the Dhirk, and we hope that there is Khair (good) for him in it, but
this is not considered as (recitation).
So, (the reward of) doing the Adhkaar after the Salaah,
(saying): Sub-haan-Allaah! Al-hamdulillaah! Allaahu Akbar! Thirty-three times,
and the reward of reciting the Qur’aan – all these are not attained except by articulating
them. He needs to articulate them and speak them out, even if it is done
silently (i.e., even if no one else can hear except him).❞ [7]
Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله
was asked: “Is it obligatory to move the tongue when reciting Qur’aan in prayer
or is it sufficient to say it in one's heart?”
Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen رحمه الله
replied: ❝Recitation must be done
with the tongue. If a person recites it in his heart when he is praying, that
is not sufficient. The same applies to all other Adhkaar; it is not sufficient
to recite them in one's heart, rather it is essential to move one's tongue and
lips because they are words to be spoken, and that can only be achieved by
moving the tongue and the lips.❞ [8]
Remembrance of the tongue is where the remembrance of the
heart is accompanied by the movement of the tongue, and the articulation of the
words is necessary and in certain circumstances it becomes compulsory. For
example: At the time of giving the Shahaadah by a new Muslim, and saying
al-Hamdulillaah upon sneezing:
Narrated Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه:
Two men sneezed before the Prophet ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ said
to one of them: ❝Allaah bestow His Mercy on you.❞ But he did not say that to the other. On being
asked (why), the Prophet ﷺ said:
❝That one praised Allaah (at the time of sneezing), while
the other did not praise Allaah.❞ [9]
Abu Burdah said: When I visited Abu Moosa رضي الله عنه who was in the house of the daughter of Fadhl Ibn
`Abbaas, and I sneezed but he did not respond to it (by saying): “Allaah have
mercy upon you”. Then she sneezed and he (Abu Moosa) said: ❝Allaah have mercy upon you❞. I came back to my mother and informed
her about it, and when he came to her she said: “My son sneezed in your
presence and you did not say: “Allaah may have mercy upon you”, but she sneezed
and you said to her: “Allaah have mercy upon you””. Hereupon he said: ❝Your son sneezed but he did not praise
Allaah so I did not beg the mercy of Allaah for him. When she sneezed, she
praised Allaah and so I said: “Allaah have mercy upon you”❞, as I heard Allaah's Messenger ﷺ saying: ❝When
any of you sneezes he should praise Allaah and the other should say: May Allaah
have mercy upon you, and if he does not praise Allaah, no mercy should be
begged for him.❞ [10]
And from this is saying the Adhaan (call to prayer) out
loud, and the other Adhkaar like Sub-haan-Allaah, Al-hamdulillaah, Allaahu
Akbar, etc. [11]
C) Remembrance with the limbs:
This where the remembrance of the heart and the movement of
the tongue are accompanied with the movement of the limbs. For example the
Salaah (prayer), as Allaah تعالى says:
إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي
{Verily! I am Allaah! La ilaaha illaa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me, and perform al-Salaah for My Remembrance.} [12]
Sub-haan-Allaah! And again we have those who might be sitting
in one corner of the world but will claim that they are performing their
prayers in Makkah. The prophet ﷺ had
to travel from al-Madeenah to Makkah to perform Hajj, whereas these deviants
claim that they don’t even have to move from their place to do so.
We ask Allaah for our well-being, for indeed Allaah alone is
the One Who grants success.
[1]
al-Hilyah (4/276)
[2]
Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (5/483-484) of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله
[3]
Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (5/460) of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله
[4]
Surah aal-`Imraan (3): 191
[5]
Surah al-Munaafiqoon (63):1
[6]
Sunan Ibn Maajah (3792) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. Imaam
al-Bukhaaree also reported this in his Saheeh in Mu`allaq form (i.e. without
mentioning the chain of narration), in the chapter heading before the Hadeeth
(7524)
[7]
From the audio recording on the Shaikh’s official website
[8]
Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (13/156)
[9]
Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6221, 6225) and Saheeh Muslim (53-2991)
[10]
Saheeh Muslim (54-2992)
[11]
This clarification was needed to highlight the mistakes that some people do.
Their fingers will be moving the prayer beads (or pressing the button on the
electronic counter), while they busy themselves in talking with someone else.
And on being confronted, they will say: “our hearts are making the Adhkaar”.
Sub-haan-Allaah, their hearts and their tongues are engaged in worldly matters
and they still claim to be doing the Adhkaar!
[12] Surah Taahaa (20):14
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