Ithaaf al-Muslim bi Sharh Hisn al-Muslim
(Gifting A Muslim With Explanation Of Fortress Of The Muslim)
By: Shaikh Sa`eed Ibn `Alee Ibn Wahf al-Qahtaanee رحمه الله.
The Very Many Benefits Of Remembrance Of Allaah:
Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:
(From al-Waabil al-Sayyib)
In doing the Adhkaar (remembrance of Allaah),
there are more than hundred benefits:
1. Remembrance drives away, suppresses, and breaks
the Devil.
2. It pleases (Allaah) the Most Merciful, the
Almighty, the Sublime.
3. It removes the worries and sadness from the
heart.
4. It brings happiness, joy and relief to the
heart.
5. It strengthens both heart and body.
6. It illuminates the face and the heart.
7. It brings provision (al-Rizq).
8. It adorns the one who practices it with
dignity, sweetness, and radiance.
9. It endows him with love (al-Mahabbah) (of
Allaah) which is the very spirit of Islaam, the pivotal point of religion, and
the axis of (eternal) happiness and deliverance. For Allaah has opened a way of
access to everything, and the way to access the love (of Allaah) is through
constancy in Dhikr (remembrance of Allaah). So let anyone who wishes to find
the love of Allaah, the Almighty, be fervent in His remembrance. As studies and
revision is the gate towards (seeking) Knowledge, similarly, the Remembrance of
Allaah is the gateway, its widest route, and the straightest path to love (of
Allaah).
10. It endows one with vigilance (al-muraaqabah),
which opens the door to self-reform. Entering (therein), the servant worships
Allaah as if he were seeing Him. There is no way for the one who is heedless of
the remembrance of Allaah to reach the station of excellence (Ihsaan) any more
than for a seated man to reach his home.
11. It inclines (the servant) to turn back to
Allaah, i.e., turning back to Allaah, Almighty, in all his affairs. When
someone turns to Allaah frequently in remembrance, it predisposes his heart to
turn back to Him in every state - so that in the face of trials and
tribulations, Allaah remains his sanctuary and his shelter, his protection and
refuge, the Qiblah and prayer niche of his heart.
12. It endows him with closeness (al-qurb) to
Allaah. His closeness to Allaah is in proportion to his remembrance of Allaah,
and his distance is in proportion to his heedlessness.
13. It opens for him the greatest door to
al-Ma`rifah (deep awareness and knowledge of Allaah), and as his remembrance
increases, so does his awareness of Allaah.
14. It endows him with a sense of reverence and
awe (al-Hayba) before the Lord, because of the high place that (remembrance)
holds in his heart, and the intensity of his presence with Allaah the Most High
(through remembrance) - unlike the heedless man, whose heart is veiled from the
awe of Allaah.
15. It endows him with Allaah’s own remembrance of
him, as Allaah تعالى said:
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ
{So, remember Me, I will remember you} [1]
Indeed, if there was no other
virtue mentioned about Remembrance except this (Aayah), it alone would be
sufficient as a merit and honor. And the Prophet ﷺ
related these words from his Lord: ❝{Whoever mentions Me within himself, I shall mention him
within Myself; whoever mentions Me in a gathering, I shall mention him in a
better gathering. }❞ [2]
16. It fills the heart with life. I
heard the Shaykh al-Islaam, Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله,
say: ❝Remembrance is to the heart what water is to the fish. And
what is the state of a fish that leaves the water?❞
17. The remembrance of Allaah nourishes the heart
and the soul. If the servant is deprived of it, it is as if his body were
deprived of food.
Once when I was with the Shaykh al-Islaam, Ibn
Taymiyyah رحمه الله, he performed the
Fajr (pre-dawn) prayer and then sat down to remember Allaah تعالى until sunrise. Then he turned to me and said: ❝This is my morning meal. If I do not take my morning meal, I
lose my strength❞, or he said words to that effect.
Another time he said to me: ❝I never forsake Allaah’s remembrance except with the intention of giving myself
respite to be ready to resume another (round) of Allaah’s remembrance❞, or he said words to that effect.
18. The remembrance of Allaah polishes away the
heart’s tarnish. Everything gets tarnished. As for the heart, the tarnish is
heedlessness and (chasing) desires, while its polish is the remembrance of
Allaah, turning to Allaah in repentance, and seeking Allaah’s forgiveness.
19. The remembrance of Allaah
protects one from committing sins, and it effaces them, and it is one of the
greatest forms of good deed, (as Allaah تعالى
said):
إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ
السَّيِّئَاتِ
{Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds} [3]
20. It removes estrangement (al-Wahshah) between
the servant and his Lord, for between a heedless man and Allaah there is an
estrangement which can only be removed through Allaah’s remembrance.
21. As the servant mentions his Lord by extolling
His majesty, glorifying and praising Him, so shall the Lord remember him in his
times of adversity.
Imaam Ahmad (Ibn Hanbal} related in his Musnad
that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝What you mention of the Majesty of your Lord, (by saying):
al-Tahleel (لا إله إلا الله “There is no one
worthy of being worshiped except Allaah”), al-Takbeer (الله أكبر “Allaah is the Greatest”), and al-Tahmeed
(الحمد لله “Praise be to Allaah”), revolves around
the Throne, buzzing like bees, reminding of the one who said it. Wouldn't any
one of you like to have, or continue to have, something that reminds of him (in
the presence of Allaah)?❞ [4]
22. When the servant seeks to know his Lord
through remembrance in times of ease, the Lord will know him in times of
hardship. [5] There is a narration with the meaning that states that when an
obedient servant - who (regularly) remembers his Lord - is afflicted by some
adversity or asks Allaah تعالى for something, the
Angels exclaim: “O Lord! A familiar voice from a familiar servant!” But if it
is a servant who neither heeds nor obeys his Lord, the Angels say: ‘”An unknown
voice from an unknown servant.” [6]
23. Remembrance of Allaah delivers one from the
punishment of Allaah. As Mu`aadh (Ibn Jabal) رضي الله
عنه is reported to have said: ❝The
son of Aadam does nothing better to rescue himself from Allaah’s
punishment than doing the remembrance of Allaah.❞
[7]
24. It is a means by which
tranquility (al-Sakeenah) descends, Divine mercy encompasses, and the Angels
surround the one who does the remembrance of Allaah, as the Prophet ﷺ had mentioned. [8]
25. It is a way to prevent the tongue from
backbiting, slandering, telling lies, lewd speech, and vain talking. For a
servant will speak, and if while speaking he fails to remember Allaah and His
commandments, he will most likely fall into those (above-mentioned) forbidden
things, or (at least) some of them. There is no safe passage except through the
remembrance of Allaah (and by reminding others about Him). Both reflection and
experience are witness to this: a person who accustoms his tongue to the mention
of Allaah protects it from falsehood and useless talks. But the tongue that is
dry of Allaah’s remembrance grows moist with vanities, chatter, and lewd talk.
There is neither strength nor power except through Allaah.
26. The gatherings where Allaah is mentioned are
the gatherings that the Angels attend, whereas gatherings filled with useless
talks and heedlessness are the gatherings of devils. Let the servant decide
which of these (two gatherings) is more pleasing and important to him, for he
will belong to it in this world and the next.
27. The one who remembers Allaah is made joyful
through this remembrance, and it makes those around him joyful, for he is
blessed wherever he may be. But someone who is heedless of Allaah’s
remembrance, and engages in useless talks, is made sorrowful by his
heedlessness and empty talks, and it makes those around him sorrowful as well.
28. Remembrance saves the servant from regret on
the Day of Judgement. Every gathering in which the servant does not mention his
Lord will be a source of regret for him on that Day.
29. The remembrance of Allaah along with the tears
shed in private is the way to the shade that Allaah will grant His servant on
the Day of the tremendous heat beneath the shade of His (Mighty) Throne. As
people stand melting under the sun, he who remembered (his Lord in this world)
will find shade beneath the Throne of al-Rahmaan. [9]
30. When one is occupied with the remembrance of
Allaah, it becomes a means by which Allaah grants the one who remembers him (often)
with something better than what He grants to the one who supplicates to Him. It
has been reported from `Umar Ibn al-Khattaab رضي الله
عنه that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ
said: ❝Allaah says: {To the
one who is too occupied in My remembrance to supplicate Me, I will give him
what is better than what I give to those who supplicate}.❞ [10]
31. The remembrance of Allaah is the easiest form
of worship, yet it is also the strongest and the best form of worship. Moving
the tongue is easier and simpler than moving the limbs of the body. If someone
could move his muscles day and night as much as he moves his tongue, he would
be completely exhausted - in fact, it is quite impossible.
32. Remembrance plants the trees in Heaven.
Al-Tirmidhee reported in his Jaami`, from the Hadeeth of Ibn Mas`ood رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝I met Ibraaheem (عليه السلام)
on the night of my ascent (to Heaven), so he said: “O Muhammad, recite Salaam
from me to your nation, and inform them that Paradise has pure soil and
delicious water, and that it is a flat treeless plain, and that its seeds are:
“Sub-ḥaan Allaah (Glory is to Allaah), and al-Hamdulillaah (all praise is due
to Allaah), and Laa ilaaha illallaah (none has the right to be worshiped except
Allaah), and Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is the greatest).❞ [11]
Al-Tirmidhee also reported from the Hadeeth of
Jaabir Ibn `Abdullaah رضي الله عنهما
that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Whoever says: Sub-ḥaan Allaahil-`Adheem, wa biḥamdih
(Glorified is Allaah the Most Great and praised is He), a date palm is planted
for him in Heaven.❞ [12]
33. The recompense and favor (al-ataa’ wal-fadhl)
that results from Allaah’s remembrance do not result from any other activity.
In the Saheehain, it is reported from the Hadeeth
of Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that Allaah’s
Messenger ﷺ said: ❝Whoever says: "Laa ilaaha illallaah wahdahoo laa sharika
lahoo, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa `alaa kulli shai’in qadeer” (there is no
one worthy of being worshiped except Allaah. He is One and He has no partner
with Him; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),
one hundred times will get the same reward as given for manumitting ten slaves;
and one hundred good deeds will be written in his accounts, and one hundred
sins will be deducted from his accounts, and it (his saying) will be a shield
for him from Shaitaan on that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a
better deed except the one who does more than he.❞ [13]
And in Saheeh Muslim, there is addition that he ﷺ said: ❝And he who says: “Sub-haan-Allaahi wa bihamdihi (Allaah is
free from imperfection and His is the praise)”, one hundred times a day, his
sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of
the ocean.❞ [14]
In Saheeh Muslim it is reported
that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝That I should say: “Sub-haan Allaah (Glory is to Allaah), al-Hamdulillaah (All
praise is due to Allaah), Laa ilaaha illallaah (None has the right to be
worshiped except Allaah), and Allaahu Akbar (Allaah is the greatest)”, is more
beloved to me than all that the sun has risen over.❞ [15]
34. Constancy in remembrance of the Lord تبارك وتعالى brings about security
from forgetfulness of Him. This forgetfulness is the cause of the servant’s
misery both in his worldly life and on the appointed Day. This is because
forgetfulness of his Lord سبحانه وتعالى leads a person to
forgetfulness of his own soul and all that which brings welfare to his self. As
Allaah تعالى has said:
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ
فَأَنسَاهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
{And be not like those who forgot Allaah (i.e. became
disobedient to Allaah) and He caused them to forget their ownselves, (let them
to forget to do righteous deeds). Those are the Fasiqoon (rebellious,
disobedient to Allaah).} [16]
Author’s Footnotes:
[1] Surah al-Baqarah (2): 152
[2] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (7405) and
Saheeh Muslim (2675)
[3] Surah Hood (11): 114
[4] Musnad Ahmad (18362, 18388) and
Sunan Ibn Maajah (3809) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in
al-Saheehah (3358)
[5] Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said: ❝Whoever
would be pleased to have Allaah respond to him during hardship and disaster
should make much Du`aa’ in times of ease.❞ [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3383) and graded as “Hasan” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]
[6] Reported by Muhammad Ibn Fudhail al-Dhibaa in
his book: “al-Du`aa” (85), and from him Ibn Abee Shaibah reported in his
“al-Musannaf” (29480, 34664), as well as al-Baihaqee in “al-Shu`ab” (1100) as a
statement of Salaam al-Faarisee رضي الله عنه.
And the Chain of narration of al-Dhibaa is “Saheeh”.
[7] The complete narration is as
follows: Abu al-Darda رضي الله عنه
narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Should I not inform you of the best of your deed, and the
purest of them with your Master (In another narration it is: ❝the most pleasing to your Master (Allaah)❞) and the highest
of them in your ranks, and what is better for you than spending gold and
silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks,
and they strike your necks?❞ They
said: “Of course.” He ﷺ
said: ❝The remembrance of Allaah تعالى.❞ [Then] Mu`aadh Ibn Jabal رضي الله
عنه said: ❝There is nothing that brings one more
salvation from the punishment of Allaah than the remembrance of Allaah.❞ [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3377) and
Sunan Ibn Maajah (3790) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]
[8] Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa`eed
al-Khudree رضي الله عنهما said: The Messenger
of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝When a
group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allaah, the angels surround
them, (Allaah's) mercy envelops them, and al-Sakeenah (tranquility) descends
upon them, and Allaah makes a mention of them before those who are near Him.❞ [Saheeh Muslim]
[9] Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet ﷺ
said: ❝Allaah will give shade to seven (types of people) under His
Shade (on the Day of Resurrection). (One of them will be) a person who
remembers Allaah and his eyes are then flooded with tears.❞ [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh
Muslim]
[10] Al-Bukhaaree in “al-Taareekh”
(2/115), al-Tabaraanee in “al-Du`aa” (1850), and al-Baihaqee in “al-Shu`ab”
(567) and this narration is “Dha`eef Jiddan” (very weak), due to its narrator,
Safwaan Ibn Abi al-Suhbaa. Ibn Hibbaan said about him: “Munkar al-Hadeeth (his
Hadeeth are rejected), he attributes baseless narrations to trustworthy
narrators. It is not permissible to take from him.” Some have graded this
narration as “Maudhoo`” (fabricated). See al-Dha`eefah (4989) of Shaikh
al-Albaanee.
There is another narration, from
Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree رضي الله عنه,
that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝The Lord عز وجل has said: {To him who is so occupied with the Qur’aan as to neglect to
make mention of Me and to supplicate to Me (for a request), then I shall give
him more than what I give to those who ask.} And the virtue of Allaah's Speech
over the speech of others is like the virtue of Allaah over His creation.}❞ [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (2926) and
graded as “Dha`eef” by Shaikh al-Albaanee and others]
Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen said: “This narration is
also weak. For Allaah تعالى said: {And your Lord said: “Invoke Me (and ask Me for anything), I
will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do
not invoke Me], they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"} [Surah Ghaafir (40):60]. For a man has been commanded to do
the Adhkaar and he has been commanded to supplicate to Allaah. Neither one of
these two replaces the other. [فتاوى نور على الدرب]
[11] Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3462) and
graded as “Hasan li ghairihee” (good due to corroborating narrations) by Shaikh
al-Albaanee. See al-Saheehah (105).
[12] Sunan al-Tirmidhee (3464,
3465) and graded as “Saheeh li ghairihee” (authentic due to corroborating
narrations) by Shaikh al-Albaanee. See al-Saheehah (64).
[13] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (3293,
6403) and Saheeh Muslim (2691)
[14] Saheeh Muslim (2691)
[15] Saheeh Muslim (2695)
[16] Surah al-Hashr (59):19
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