The significance of dhikr and its immense benefit is no secret to any Muslim. It stands as one of the noblest objectives and most beneficial acts that bring one closer to Allāh, the Exalted. Allāh has commanded its practice in numerous instances within the Noble Qur’ān, encouraging it, praising its practitioners, and lauding them with the finest commendations.
Allāh, the Exalted, says:
﴾ يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا ﴿
“O you who have believed, remember Allāh with much remembrance.” (Al-Aḥzāb, 33:41)
And He says:
﴾ فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمْ مَنَاسِكَكَمْ فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ آبَاءَكَمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا ﴿
“So when you have completed your rites, remember Allāh like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:200)
He also mentions:
﴾ الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ ﴿
“Who remember Allāh while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides.” (Āl ʻImrān, 3:191)
And:
﴾ وَالذَاكِرِينَ اللهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللهُ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا ﴿
“And the men who remember Allāh often and the women who do so – for them Allāh has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (Al-Aḥzāb, 33:35)
In these verses, Allāh commands frequent remembrance due to the dire need and dependence of the servant upon it. Any moment devoid of Allāh’s remembrance is a moment of loss, and the regret for such negligence will be profound on the Day of Resurrection.
It’s also narrated in “Shuʻab al-Īmān” by al-Bayhaqī and “al-Ḥilyah” by Abū Nuʻaym from Umm al-Muʼminīn ʻĀʼishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There isn’t an hour that passes by a son of Adam in which he doesn’t remember Allāh, except that he will regret it on the Day of Resurrection.”
The Sunnah is replete with hadīths highlighting the virtue of dhikr, its esteemed status, and the numerous benefits it brings to those who remember Allāh frequently. For instance, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, and al-Hākim have narrated from Abū al-Dardāʼ (may Allāh be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Shall I not inform you of the best of your deeds, the purest in the sight of your Lord, which raises your rank to the highest, and which is better for you than spending gold and silver, and better than meeting your enemy and striking their necks and they strike yours?” They said, “Of course!” He replied, “It is the remembrance of Allāh.”
Muslim narrated in his Ṣaḥīḥ from Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The Mufarridūn have taken the lead.” They asked, “Who are the Mufarridūn, O Messenger of Allāh?” He replied, “Those men and women who remember Allāh frequently.”
Al-Bukhārī narrated from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʻarī (may Allāh be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like that of the living and the dead.”
There are numerous other hadīths on this subject. Perhaps it’s fitting here, as we discuss the virtues of dhikr, to summarise some of the benefits mentioned by scholars. Among the most eloquent on this topic is the esteemed scholar Ibn al-Qayyim in his magnificent book “al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib min al-Kalim al-Ṭayyib”. He states that there are over a hundred benefits of dhikr. One such benefit is that dhikr repels Shayṭān, suppresses him, and breaks him. Allāh says: ﴿وَمَن يَعْشُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ﴾ “And whoever is blinded from remembrance of the Most Merciful – We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion.” (Al-Zukhruf, 43:36)
And He says: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ﴾ “Indeed, those who fear Allāh – when an impulse touches them from Shayṭān, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight.” (Al-Aʻrāf, 7:201)
Ibn ʻAbbās (may Allāh be pleased with him) described: “Shayṭān is per
ched on the heart of the son of Adam. When he remembers Allāh, Shayṭān withdraws, but when he becomes heedless, Shayṭān begins to whisper.”
Another profound benefit of dhikr is that it brings joy and delight to the heart. Ibn al-Qayyim mentions that the heart was created with an innate inclination towards the remembrance of its Creator. When it engages in dhikr, it finds tranquillity and contentment. Allāh says: ﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ﴾ “Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allāh. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allāh hearts are assured.” (Ar-Raʻd, 13:28)
Furthermore, dhikr serves as a fortress, protecting the believer from harm and shielding them from the plots of their enemies. The Prophet ﷺ said, as narrated by al-Tirmidhī and al-Hākim, “Dhikr is a fortress for the believer from Shayṭān.”
Dhikr also brings about proximity to Allāh. The more a servant remembers Allāh, the closer they draw to Him. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned in a hadīth qudsī, as narrated by al-Bukhārī, “Allāh says: ‘I am with My servant when he remembers Me and his lips move with My name.'”
Moreover, dhikr serves as a means of expiating sins. The Prophet ﷺ said, as narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim, “Frequently utter: ‘Subḥān Allāh, Alhamdulillāh, Lā ilāha illallāh, and Allāhu Akbar.’ They are light on the tongue but heavy on the scales, and they are beloved to the Most Merciful.”
In conclusion, the virtues of dhikr are numerous, and its benefits are vast. Engaging in the remembrance of Allāh is a means of drawing closer to Him, attaining His pleasure, and securing a place in Paradise. It is a simple act, yet its rewards are immense. As believers, we should strive to make dhikr an integral part of our daily lives, seeking its benefits in this world and the Hereafter.