Zikar: The Most Virtuous Act

Zikar: The Most Virtuous Act
[Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest] [Al-Quran 29:45]

The Glorious Quran unfolds the greatest mystery of our creation and existence in this world and declares that God, Al-Mighty has created men and jinn only to celebrate His praise and worship Him alone, as mentioned in the holy verse “I have created jinn and men only to worship Me” [51:56]. The Quran further says “Remembrance of Allah is the Greatest” [29:45], Zikr [Remembrance of Allah] is definitely the best and the most excellent form of worship as it includes Tasbih [glorifying], Takbir [exalting], Tahmid [praising] and Istigfar[seeking forgiveness] of God, Al-Mighty, who deserves all the great and the most beautiful praises. It is Allah’s greatest blessing and mercy on us, that he has informed us about the virtues, the blessings and the rewards of Zikar in the Quran and the Ahadith, without which we would have never been successful, as mentioned in the Quran “Remember Allah much, that you may be successful” [62:10].

The Importance of Zikar in Quran
1. “Men who remember Allah much and women who remember Allah much, Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward.”[33:35];
2. “If you give thanks, I will give you more [of My Blessings]” [14:7]
3. “Remember Me and I will remember you, and be grateful to Me and never be ungrateful to Me.” [2:152]
4. “O ye who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance; and glorify Him in morning and evening.”[41:42]
5. “Those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah! it is in the remembrance of Allah that their hearts can find comfort”[13:28]
6. “.. Remember Allah standing, sitting and lying down.”[4:103]
7. “And be not you as those who forgot Allah and therefore He caused them to forget their own souls. Such are the losers.”[59:19]
8. “Who so ever turns away from My remembrance, verily for him is a life of hardship and We shall raise him up blind on the day of Resurrection.”[20:124]

The Virtues and Importance of Zikar in Ahadith:
1. Hadhrat Abu Saeed[RA] narrates that Prophet[SA] was asked about the one who will be the noblest among people on the Day of Qiyaamah and the closest to Allah Ta’ala. Prophet[SA] said:”Those men and women who remember Allah in abundance.” Someone asked: “O Rasulullah! What about the one who wage Jihaad in the Path of Allah? “Prophet[SA] replied: “The one who engages constantly in Zikar of Allah is superior in rank to the one who wages Jihad, even if he fights so vehemently against the kuffar and mushrikeen that his sword breaks and even if he is dyed red in blood” [Ahmad and Tirmidhi]
2. Abu Darda[RA] says that the Prophet[SA] said, “Do you want me to tell you of your best deeds, the most honored and praised and sanctified to Your Lord and the highest in its reward; better than spending gold and better than meeting your enemy and fighting them in the Jihad?” They said “Yes O Prophet of Allah.” He said, “Zikarullah.” [Reported by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]
3. Abdullah ibn Umar[RA] narrated that Prophet[SA] used to say: “Everything has a polish, and the polish of hearts is Zikar of Allah. Nothing is more calculated to rescue from Allah’s punishment than Zikar of Allah.” He was asked whether this did not apply even to Jihad in Allah’s path, and he replied: “Not even if one would fight with his sword until it breaks.” [Bayhaqi and al-Targhib]
4. Prophet[SA] said “The example of one who remembers Allah and someone who does not, is like the example between the living and the dead.”[Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
5. Abdullah Bin Bisr[RA] narrated that a villager came to the Holy Court of Rasool Allah[SA] and asked, “Which man is the best?” Prophet[SA] said, “It is the luck and good-fortune of that person whose life is long and his deeds are good.” He asked, “Ya Rasool Allah! Which deed is the best?” Prophet said, “Your tongue be wet from Zikar of Allah when you part from this world.” [Tirmidhi]
6. Muaaz bin Jabal[RA] narrated that Rasool Allah[SA] said, “The people of Jannat will only regret that moment which was spent without the Zikar of Allah during their life time.” [Bayhaqi and Tabrani]
7. Prophet[SA] said “Seven people will be shaded by Allah on the Day of Judgement…” The seventh is: “A person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes get flooded with tears.”[Al-Bukhari]

Zikar 1: Juwairiyah bint Al-harith[R.A], the blessed wife of Prophet[SA] said: The Prophet[SA] came out from my apartment in the morning as I was busy in performing the dawn prayer. He came back in the forenoon and found me sitting there. The Prophet[SA] said, “Are you still in the same position as I left you”. I replied, affirmative. Thereupon Prophet[SA] said, “I recited four words three times after I had left you. If these are to be weighted against all you have recited since morning, these will be heavier. These are:
Sub-haa-nal-laahi Wa Bi-ham-dihi ‘Ada-da Khal-Qihi, Wa Riza Naf-sihi, Wa Zinatah ‘Ar-shi-hi, Wa Mida’-da Kali-ma-tihi [Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with His praise, as many times as the number of His creation, in accordance with His Good Pleasure, equal to the weight of His throne and equal to the ink that may be used in recording the words[for His Praise]]” [Sahih Muslim].

Zikar 2: Safiyya bint Huyayy[RA], the blessed wife of Prophet[SA] said: The Prophet came in to see me and in front of me there were four thousand date-stones with which I was making tasbih [counting ‘Subhan Allah’]. He said: “You make tasbih with so many! Shall I teach you what surpasses your number of tasbih?” She said: “Teach me!” He said: Say:
Sub-haa-nal-laahi `Adada Khal-Qihi [Glory to Allah the number of His creation] [Tirmidhi and Al-Hakim]

Zikar 3: Ibn `Umar[RA] reported that the Prophet[SA] told them, “A servant of Allah said:
Yaa-Rabbee-Lakal-Hamdu, Kamaa Yam-ba-ghee-li-Jalali, Waj-hi-ka, Wa-li-A-zheemi-Sul-Taanik
[My Lord! All praise belongs to You as much as it befits Your Glory and Sublime Majesty]
This was too much for the two angels to record. They did not know how to record it. So they soared to the heaven and said: Our Lord! Your servant has said something which we don’t know how to record. Allah asked them and, of course, He knew what the servant had said: What did My servant say? They said: He said: My Lord! All praise belongs to You as much as it befits Your Glory and Sublime Majesty. Allah said to them: Write it down as My servant has said until he should meet Me and I reward him for it.” [Hadith Qudsi reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah]

Zikar 4: Hazrat Anas[RA] describes that the Holy Prophet[SA] said that “Ten angels rush towards a man who recites:
Alhamdu-LilLaahi Hamdan Kaseeran Tayyibam Mubarakan feehe, Kama Yuhibbu rabbuna wa yer za [All Praises be to Allah, the Praise which is bountiful, pure and blessed, the Praise which our Rabb loves and is pleased with]
To write right the blessings and the reward for this recital every angle cherishes, buts gets confused as to how to write and how much to write. They put this matter before Allah, Allah commands them to put down as much as the man has recited and leave the matter of reward to him.” [Hadith Qudsi reported by Ibn Hibban]

Zikar 5: Hadrat Abduallah bin Abi-Auffa [RA] reported that the Prophet [SA] said that “Whoever recites
La e-laaha il-’lal-laahu Wah-dahu Laa sha-rika-lahu, A-ha-dan Sa-madan, lam-ya-lid Wa-lam-yu-lad, wa-lam ya-kul-la-ho ku-fu-wan Ahad -two million [20 lakhs] virtues will be written in his credit”. [Tabrani]

Zikar 6: Prophet[SA] said:” Whoever says: La e-laaha il-’lal-lahu Wahdahu la sharika lahu, La-hul-mulku wa La-hul-hamdu, wa huwa ala kul-li shai’in Qadir [There is No God But Allah Alone, who has no partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over everything] -ten times, will have the reward for freeing 4 slaves from the progeny of Ismail[AS]”.[Al-Bukhari, Muslim].

Zikar 7: Sub-haa-nal-laahi Wa biHamdihi [Glory be to Allah and His is the praise]
Hadith 1: Hazrat Umaama[RA] narrates that Prophet[SA] said: “One who is unable to pray during the night or is too miser to spend money or is too coward to take part in Jihad, should recite “SubhanAllahi Wa Bihamdihi” excessively, because this action is more valuable to Allah then spending in his path, a mountain load of gold”. [Tabrani]
Hadith 2: Prophet [SA] said “Whoever says: ‘Subhan Allahi wa bi hamdihi’ a hundred times during a day, will have all his sins wiped off even if they were as numerous as the foam, on the surface of the sea.” [Muslim, Tirmidhi, and Nasa'i]
Hadith 3: Abu Hurayra[RA] reported that the Prophet[SA] said: “There are two phrases that are light on the tongue but heavy on the scale of rewards and are dear to the Gracious One. These are: “SUB-HAA-NAL-LAAHI WA BIHAMDIHI, SUB-HAA-NAL-LAAHIL AZEEM[E]” [Glory be to Allah, and Praise, Glory be to Allah, the Supreme] [Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi]

Zikar 8: Abu Hurayra[RA] reported that Prophet[SA] said: “I love [repeating]: Sub-haa-nal-laahi, Wal-hamdu lil-laahi, Wa laa e-laaha il-lal-laahu, Wal-laahu Akbar [Glorified is Allah, and Praise be to Allah, and There is no God but Allah, and Allah is most Great] more than all that the sun shines upon.”[Muslim and Tirmidhi]. It is further mentioned in Muslim and Nasa’i Shareef that Prophet[SA] said: “The dearest phrases to Allah are four: Subhan Allah, Wa al-hamdu lillah, Wa la ilaha illallah, Wallahu akbar. It doesn’t matter whichever of them you say first”. [Muslim, Nasa'i]

Zikar 9: La Hawla wa la Qu-watta il-laa Bil-laah [There is no Might or Power except with Allah]
Hadith 1: This is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim as “A treasure from the treasures of Paradise”.
Hadith 2: This is mentioned in Al-Nasa’i and Mishkat-e-Shareef as “A cure for ninety-nine illnesses, the least of which is sorrow”.

Zikar 10: La e-laaha iI ‘lal laa[h] [There is No God But Allah]
Hadith 1: The Prophet[SA] said that Allah will save a man of his community, the record of whose sins fills 99 books, each book extending as far as the eye can see. Against all this will be weighed, the one good deed that he has, which is his witnessing that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad[SA] is His Messenger, and it will outweigh all the rest. The Prophet [SA] then said: “Nothing is of any weight with Allah’s Name.” [Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Al-Hakim, Bayhaqi]
Hadith 2: Abdullah ibn `Umar[RA] narrated that Prophet[SA] said: “Saying ‘Subhan Allah’ is half the balance and saying ‘al-hamdu lillah’ fills it, and there is no veil between ‘La ilaha illallah’ and Allah Himself [it is not even weighed in the Balance], it reaches Him directly.”[Tirmidhi].
Hadith 3: Hazrat Jabir[RA] reported that Prophet[SA] said, “The best way Zikar is to say: La ilaha illallah and the best dua is Al-hamdu lillah” [Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Hakim and Tirmidhi]

Zikar 11: Surah Al Ikhlas “Qul hu-Wal-laa-hu-A-had, Allah-hus-Samad, Lam Ya-lid Wa lam Yu-lad, Wa lam Ya-kul-Lahu Kufu-Wan Ahad”
Hadith 1: Prophet[SA] said: He Who reads “Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad,” it is as if he has read one third of the Qur’an [Ahmad, An-Nisa'i, Tirmidhi]. The reward for reciting Surah Ikhlas thrice, is equivalent to the recitation of one complete Quran.
Hadith 2: Prophet[SA] said: Whoever recites the Surah Al-Ikhlas “Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad” ten times, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.[Reported by Ahmad]

Zikar 12: The Best Istighfar, for the Forgiveness of Major Sins: Ibn Masud[RA] said: Prophet(SA) said, “He who says:
As-tagh-fi-rul-laah-Hal-lazi La e-laha il-laa Hu-wal-Hai-yul-Qayyumu, Wa A-tubu e-laih[i]
[I seek the forgiveness of Allah, there is no true God except Allah, the Ever Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance]
His sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield [during Jihad]”. [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Hakim]
Hadith 2: Abu Saeed RA narrates that Prophet SAW said: “He who says these words while going to bed: As-tagh-fi-rul-laah-hal-lazi La e-laha il-laa Hu-wal-Hai-yul-Qay-yoo-mu, Wa A-tubu e-laih[i] ” all his sins are remitted even if they are as large as the foam of the ocean or as many as the leaves of the trees or the grains of sand or even if his sins are equal to the life of this world i.e from its creation to the day of resurrection”. [Tirmidhi]

Zikar 13: Imran ibne Husain[RA] narrates that Rasulullah[SA] said “ the reward of reciting Sub-haa-nal-laah is more than Mount Uhud, Alhumdulillah is more than Mount Uhud and reciting Al- laa-hu Akbar is more than Mount Uhud. [Tabani, Bazar]. It is further mentioned in Muslim and Nasa’i Shariff that Prophet[SA] said: ‘the dearest phrases to Allah are four: Sub-haa-nal-laahi Walhumdu lil laahi Wa laa e- laaha il-lal- laahu Wal- laahu Akbar. It doesn’t matter which of them you say first” .
Note: For infinite reward, it is preferable to recite these words: : Sub-haa-nal-laahi A-da-da Khal-Qehe ; Alhumdu-lil-laahi A-da-da Khal-Qehe; Laa e- laaha A-da-da Khal-Qehe; Al-laa-hu Akba-ru A-da-da Khal-Qehe or recite: Sub-haa-nal-laahi Walhumdu lil laahi Wa laa e- laaha il-lal- laahu Wal- laahu Akba-ru A-da-da Khal-Qehe. [Glory be to Allah and all praises are for Him and there is no God BUT He and Allah is the greatest as many times as the number of his Creaton.]

Zikar 14:Allahu-mag-fir-li-wa-lil-mu-mi-nee-na wal mu-me-naati Wal mus-le-mee-na wal mus-le-maat [O Allah Forgive me and all the male and female believers and Muslims]
The Prophet[SA] said: “Whosoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman.” [Tabrani]

Zikar 15: Prophet [SA] said “the prayer which Hazrat Yunus[AS] offered in the stomach of the fish is: Laa-e-laaha il-la anta sub-haa-naka en-ne Kuntu me-naz zaale meen [There is no one worthy of worship except thee may thou be glorified. Surely I have committed wrong], whom so ever prays to Allah with these words, Allah grants his prayer. [Trimidhi]

Zikar 16: Darood-O-Salaam: In Al-Quran, Surah al-Ahzab verse 56 we have been commanded to send Darood and Salaam on Prophet[SA]. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas [RA] narrated that the Holy Prophet [SA] said that if a man recites JA-ZAL-LAAHU A’NN-NA MUHAMMADAN MA HUWA A’H-LU-HU [Sal-lal-laahu-Alayhi-Wa-Sal-lam]
[O Allah! Give reward to our Prophet Muhammad[SA] the reward which is benefiting as he deserves] once, then for the coming 1000 days the Angels of Allah Ta’ala will be busy in writing reward for the recite of this Durood. [Tabarani]

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