Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (RA), a well-known Muhadith (A scholar of traditions), has written an authentic book, 'Al-Waabilus Sayyib',
on the virtues of Zikr, which are more than one hundred and he has
listed seventy nine of these, which are briefly given below in the same
order. Some of these include multiple benefits, in that case their
actual number exceeds more than one hundred:
1) Zikr keeps away the Shaitân and weakens his strength.
2) It is the cause of Almighty Allah Ta’ala’s pleasure.
3) It relieves the mind from anxieties and worries.
4) It produces joy and happiness in the heart.
5) It strengthens the body and mind.
6) It brightens the face and heart.
7) It attracts one’s sustenance.
8) It invests the Zâkirs with awe and sweetness so that the beholder is filled with awe and pleasure at his sight.
9) It induces love
for Allah Ta’ala, which in fact is the spirit of Islam and the pivot of
Deen (religion), and the source of success and salvation in the
Hereafter. He who seeks access to the love of Almighty Allah Ta’ala
should do Zikr profusely. Just as reading and repetition is the door of
knowledge, so Zikr of Allah Ta’ala is the gateway of His love.
10) Zikr involves
Muraqabah (transcendental meditation) through which one reaches the
stage of Ihsân, wherein a person worships Almighty Allah Ta’ala as if he
is actually seeing Him. (The attainment of this stage of Ihsân is the
ultimate objective of the Sufis).
11) It helps in
realization of Allah Ta’ala so that by and by a stage is reached when he
comes to regard Almighty Allah Ta’ala as his sole Cherisher, Guardian
and Master, and he turns unto Him, in all afflictions.
12) It is the key to
the nearness of Almighty Allah Ta’ala. More abundant the Zikr, more one
will get nearer to Allah Ta’ala, and greater the indifference to Zikr,
greater will be the distance from Him.
13) It opens the doors of realization (Ma’arifat) of Allah Ta’ala.
14) It makes one to
realize the greatness and grandeur of Almighty Allah Ta’ala, and
strengthens the consciousness of His omni-presence.
15) Zikr of Allah Ta’ala causes one’s mention in the court of Allah Ta’ala, as is mentioned in the Holy Book (Al-Qur’ân):
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَاتَكْفُرُونِ
" Remember me, and I will remember you.” (2:152)
And as stated in the Hadith:
“Whosoever remembers Me in his heart. I remember him in My heart”. (Bukhâri & Muslim Sharief)
It has already been
explained under other verses and Ahâdith that, even if there were no
other good points in Zikr, except those mentioned above, this alone
would have established its superiority over others. Nevertheless, there
are many more virtues and benefits of Zikr.
16) It gives life to
the heart. Hafiz Ibn Taimiyah (RA) says that Zikr is so much necessary
for the heart as water for the fish. Imagine the condition of a fish out
of water.
17) It is food for the heart and soul; to deprive them of Zikr is like depriving the body of its food.
18) It cleanses the
heart of its rust. It has been mentioned in the Hadith; everything rusts
according to its nature; and the heart rusts with worldly desires and
indifference; to purify it, Zikr is necessary.
19) It safeguards against pitfalls and lapses.
20) The heart of
neglectful person is tormented by a feeling of remoteness from Allah
Ta’ala, and nothing other than Zikr can rid off the heart from this
feeling.
21) The words of Zikr keep circulating round the Arsh of Almighty, as stated in a Hadith.
22) If one remembers Allah Ta’ala in happiness, Almighty Allah Ta’ala remembers him in his afflictions.
23) It is a means of deliverance from Allah Ta’ala’s punishment.
24) It causes Allah Ta’ala’s peace and mercy to descend, while angels surround the person engaged in Zikr.
25) It saves one’s
tongue from indulging in backbiting, loose talk, lies, and abuses. It is
a common experience that a man whose tongue remains engaged in Zikr
does not commit these absurdities. On the other hand, a tongue that is
not busy in Zikr, falls an easy prey to all kinds of useless talk.
26) The gatherings of
Zikr are the gatherings of angels, and gatherings without Zikr are
gatherings of Satan. A person is free to have a choice between the two,
and verily a man, by instinct, is drawn towards what suits to his
temperament.
27) By virtue of
Zikr, the Zâkir is blessed and also the person sitting by him.
Similarly, the indolent person is accursed for his indolence and also
the person sitting by him.
28) Zikr will save
one from despair on the Day of Judgement. This is confirmed by one of
the Ahâdith which says that the gathering devoid of Allah Ta’ala’s Zikr
will cause sorrow and losses on that Day.
29) If Zikr is
accompanied by tears and loneliness, the Zâkir will be blessed under the
shadow of Allah Ta’ala's Throne on the Day of Judgement when hearts
will jump to lips due to agony of intolerable heat of that Day.
30) Those who remain
busy in Zikr are better rewarded by Allah Ta’ala than those who remain
busy in Dua (prayer) and supplication. According to one Hadith, Almighty
Allah Ta’ala says that "I will reward one better who is engrossed in
Zikr than the one who is busy in making Dua”.
31) In spite of the
fact that Zikr is the easiest form of worship (the movement of the
tongue being easier than the movement of any other part of the body),
All the same it is the most virtuous form.
32) Allah Ta’ala’s Zikr helps the plants of Paradise to grow.
33) Of all the
actions, the reward and forgiveness promised for Zikr is the highest.
According to a Hadith, if on any day a person repeats the following
words one hundred times:
لا اله إلا وحده لا شريك له له الملك و له الحمد و هو على كل شىء قدير
"There is none worthy
of worship except Allah Ta’ala, the One. There is no partner with Him;
His is the kingdom, and for Him is all praise, and He is All-powerful to
do everything."
He is rewarded as
much as for freeing ten slaves, and in addition one hundred virtues are
written in his account and one hundred sins are forgiven. He remains
protected against the devil throughout the day, and none is considered
as having acted better than him except one who has recited the same
words more often than he did. Similarly, there are many other Ahâdith
proclaiming the superiority of Zikr over all other good deeds.
34)
Due to incessant Zikr one does not forget his own soul. Forgetting
one’s soul leads to failure in both the worlds, because forgetting the
remembrance of Allah Ta’ala leads to neglecting one’s own soul and all
its best interests. Allah Ta’ala says in His book:
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“And be not ye as
those who forgot Allah Ta’ala and therefore He caused them to forget
their souls. Such are the evil-doers”.(59:19)
Thus, when one
forgets his own soul, he becomes careless and forgets his real
interests, which leads to his ruin in the same way as a garden or field
is invariably ruined when its owner fails to look after it. To remain
protected from this ruin, one should keep his tongue always busy in Zikr
to such an extent that it (zikr) becomes indispensable for him in such a
way as water is for thirsty, food for hungry or a house and clothes for
the needy. As a matter of fact, one should be more mindful towards Zikr
than any of these material necessities which are a small loss if lost
as compared with the spiritual death.
35)
Zikr is the source of one’s spiritual elevation whether one is engaged
in it while in bed or in the market, in good health or in sickness, or
even when one is enjoying most of the pleasures of life. Nothing but
Zikr can take a man to such spiritual heights whereby his heart is so
illuminated with the radiance of Zikr that even while asleep he is more
wakeful than a neglectful person who is awake all the night.
36) The Noor
(radiance) of Zikr remains with a person in his life as well as in his
grave. It will guide him on the Sirât in the Hereafter. Almighty Allah
Ta’ala says in the Quran:
أَوَمَنْ
كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي
النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَا
كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“Can he who was
dead and whom We gave life, and a light whereby he can walk among men,
be like him who is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge?” (6:122)
The one mentioned
first is the faithful, who believes in Allah Ta’ala and shines with the
light of His love, Zikr, and cognizance, while the second one is devoid
of all these virtues. In reality this radiance is a great blessing and
leads to perfect success. That is why Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) used to beg in prolonged prayers for it to circulate in every
part of his body. As mentioned in Ahâdith, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) prayed that Almighty Allah Ta’ala may bless his flesh, bones,
muscles, hair skin, eyes and ears with Noor, and that he may be
surrounded with Noor on all sides; he even prayed that he may be blessed
with Noor from top to bottom, and that his whole person may be
transmitted into Noor. One’s deeds will shine according to the Noor in
oneself so much that the good deeds of some people (while going to
heaven) will shine like the Sun. Similar Noor will be found in their
faces on the Day of Judgement.
37)
Zikr is the basic principle of Tasawuf (Sufism) and is invoked in all
the schools of Sufism. A person who gets conversant with Zikr enters the
gateway of Almighty Allah Ta’ala, from Whom he will get whatever he
wishes, for Allah Ta’ala’s treasures are unlimited.
38) There is not a
single corner in the heart of a man which cannot be filled but with
Zikr. When Zikr controls the heart, not only does it fill up this corner
but also leads the Zâkir to that kind of contentment which any amount
of wealth would fail to produce. Such a person gets respect among
people, which his family or party fails to bring about. He earns such a
control over people that a sovereign would never dream of. On the other
hand, disgrace descends over an indolent in spite of all his wealth and
riches, party, strength and powers.
39) Zikr transforms
distraction into concentration, remoteness into nearness. This means
that one gets relieved of troubles, worries and fears, and is blessed
with peace of mind. His mistakes and sins are forgiven, and the devils
who are after him are dispersed away. It makes him to remember that the
Hereafter is not far away, and the worldly life has little attraction
for him.
40) Zikr does not allow one’s heart to suffer from forgetfulness, which leads to ignoring one's ultimate interest.
41) Zikr is just like
a tree whose fruit is realization of Almighty Allah Ta’ala. More a
person engages himself in the Zikr, stronger shall grow the root of this
tree and more abundant will it bear the fruits.
42) Zikr of Almighty
Allah Ta’ala promotes nearness to Him and thereby one earns His constant
patronage. It is mentioned in the Quran.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَ
“For Allah Ta’ala is with those who restrain themselves and those who do good” (16:128)
It is stated in one Hadith:
ان مع عبدي ما ذكرني
“I am with my slave who remembers Me”. (Bukhâri Sharief)
According to another Hadith, Allah Ta’ala says,
“Those
who remember Me are My men, and I do not deprive them of My mercy. When
they repent, I Am their friend, but when they do not repent. I Am their
physician. I put them to worries to condone their sins."
The nearness to Allah
Ta’ala that is developed due to excessive Zikr has no parallel. No
words and no writing can describe this nearness. Its taste is known only
to those who are blessed with it. (May Almighty Allah Ta’ala also bless
me with the same).
43) Zikr of Allah
Ta’ala is as meritorious as it is to liberate slaves, to spend in
charity, and to perform Jihâd in the path of Allah Ta’ala.
(Many virtues of this kind have already been described and more will further be narrated in this book).
44) Zikr is the
fundamental form of thanksgiving to Almighty Allah Ta’ala. One who does
not perform Zikr cannot thank Him. It is stated in Hadith that Hadhrat
Musa (AS) had asked Allah Ta’ala,
"O My Lord! You have done me countless favours, teach me the manner in which I should thank you befittingly."
Allah Ta’ala says:
"The more you perform Zikr, the more thanks you offer."
According to another Hadith, Hadhrat Musa u is reported to have said,
"O, Lord! how can I offer thanks worthy of Your greatness."
Allah Ta’ala replied:
"Let your tongue be always engaged in Zikr."
45) According to
Allah Ta’ala, the best of the pious people are those who always remain
busy in Zikr, because piety leads to paradise, and Zikr to the nearness
to Allah Ta’ala.
46) There is a sort of hardness in the human heart which does not get softened by anything except Zikr.
47) In fact, Zikr is a remedy for all the ills of heart.
48) Zikr of Allah Ta’ala is the root of His love, and neglecting Zikr is the root of His enmity.
49) Nothing is more effective than Zikr in attracting Allah Ta’ala’s blessings and in warding off His chastisement.
50) Almighty Allah Ta’ala grants His grace to those who perform Zikr, and the angels pray for them.
51) One who wants to
remain in the gardens of Paradise, even in this life, should sit in
gathering of Zikr, because these are like the gardens of Paradise.
52) Gatherings of Zikr are also the gatherings of angels.
53) In the presence of angels, Almighty Allah Ta’ala praises those who perform Zikr.
54) One who is constant in performing Zikr will enter Paradise in high spirits.
55) All good deeds are attained because of Zikr.
56) A good deed
becomes superior to others of its kind because of Zikr. Of the fasts,
the one with more Zikr is the best; Of the Hajj, one with excessive Zikr
is more virtuous. Similar is the case with other good deeds like Jihâd
etc.
57) Zikr is a
substitute of Nafl Salâh and other non-obligatory devotions. It is
related in one Hadith that the poor people once complained to Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) of the higher reward available to the rich
because of their wealth.
They said, “These
rich men offer prayers and fast just as we do, but they excel us by
performing Umrah and Hajj, and by taking part in Jihâd on account of
their wealth."
Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied: “Should I tell you something, so
that none except one who practices it can excel you." He then advised
them to recite:
سبحان الله - الحمد لله - الله اكبر
after every Salâh. (Bukhâri Sharief)
By this, Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has indicated the importance of Zikr to be
the substitute for various kinds of worship, like Umrah, Hajj, Jihâd
etc.
58)
Zikr is very helpful to all other forms of worship. Excessive Zikr
creates love for various forms of worship and one starts taking delight
in performing them and never feels bored or burdened.
59) Zikr is a
solution to all the difficulties, and a good remedy for all kinds of
misery. It lightens every burden, and relieves every affliction
60) Zikr dispels
every fear of the heart It has a special hand in inducing peace of mind
and for relieving the heart of its fear. To free the heart of its fears
and mind of its perplexity is one of the specific qualities of Zikr.
Therefore greater the amount of Zikr , greater is the freedom from fear.
61) By virtue of
Zikr, one is blessed with the Divine help in all his doings. That is why
sometimes a man achieves such distinctions which are beyond his
capacity and he attains what evidently seems beyond his reach. Once
Hadhrat Fatimah (RA) complained to Rasulullah's (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) of excessive fatigue due to grinding of wheat and other
domestic drudgery. She requested that a 'domestic help' may be arranged
for her. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) advised her to recite
'Subhân Allah Ta’ala’ and 'Alhamdu Lillah’ each thirty three times and
'Allah Ta’alau Akbar’ thirty four times. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam) further said to her: "The recitation of these Kalimas is
better for you than a servant”. (Abu Dawood Sharief)
62) Those who are
working for Hereafter are in a race, wherein the Zâkirs shall remain
ahead of all on account of the Zikr. Umar Maula Ghufra (RA) says that
‘on the Day of Judgement when people will be rewarded for their good
deeds many will repent why they neglected Zikr when it was the easiest
of all the good deeds and highest in reward. In a Hadith, Rasulullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is quoted to have said:
“The Mufarrideen have surpassed all”.
He was asked:
“Who were the Mufarrideen?”
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied:
“Those who toil hard for Zikr because it lightens their burdens”. (Muslim Sharief)
63) Those who perform
Zikr are deemed truthful by Almighty Allah Ta’ala and those who are
testified as such by Almighty Allah Ta’ala will not be raised with the
liars on the Day of Judgement. It is quoted on the authority of the
Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that when a man utters:
لا اله إلا الله و الله اكبر
Allah Ta’ala proclaims:
“My slave has spoken the truth, and nobody is worthy of Worship except 1, and I am the Greatest of all."
64) While being engaged in Zikr the angels remain busy in constructing houses in Paradise
for the performers. When Zikr is stopped, the angels also stop
construction of the houses. When asked why a particular construction was
stopped by the angels, they reply, “The construction had to be stopped
because funds for that were stopped. The fact is confirmed by a Hadith,
which reads when a man recites seven times:
سبحان الله و بحمده سبحان الله العظيم
A tower is raised for him in the Paradise.
65) Zikr provides
protection against the Hell fire. If, due to any misdeed a Zâkir
deserves the Hell, his Zikr acts as defense against the Hell. The more
his Zikr is, the stronger will be this defense.
66)
The angels pray for the forgiveness of Zâkireen (those who are engaged
in Zikr). It is related on the authority of Hadhrat Amr bin Aas (RA)
that when a person says:
الحمد لله رب العالمين سبحان الله و بحمده
the angels pray to Almighty Allah Ta’ala for his forgiveness.
67) Any place whether
a mountain or plain on which Zikr is recited, feels proud of it.
According to a Hadith, one mountain asks another if any Zâkir has
crossed over it during the day, if the reply is in the affirmative, it
feels happy.
68) Zikr guarantees immunity from hypocrisy, for Almighty Allah Ta’ala has described the hypocrite as:
لا يذكرون الله إلا قليلا
They do not remember
Allah Ta’ala except very rarely. It is also related on the authority of
Ka’b Ahbâr (RA) that he who performs frequent Zikr of Allah Ta’ala is
free from hypocrisy.
69) Compared with
other good deeds, Zikr carries a special taste which is not found in any
other action. Even if there were no other virtues of Zikr, this fine
taste alone would have been a sufficient reward to justify it. Maalik
bin Deenâr (RA) has said that nothing surpasses the taste of Zikr, which
is the best and finest.
70) The faces of those who perform Zikr remain illume in this life, and will carry a special radiance in the Hereafter.
71) One who is
frequently engaged in Zikr while sitting, standing, walking or in any
other position, will find this earth testifying his act on the Day of
Judgement. The day when the earth will throw out all that it knows.
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) asked his companions if they had
any knowledge about what will that news. They expressed their
ignorance. Then Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Whatever
deed is done good or bad, by any man or woman on the face of the earth,
it (the earth) will narrate everything with date, time and place”.
Hence, one who performs Zikr at whatever place he is will find number of
witnesses in his favour.
72) As long as the
tongue is busy in Zikr, it is saved from indulging in lies, backbiting
or any other kind of evil talk. The tongue will engage itself in useless
talk if it is not in Zikr. Same is the case with the heart; if it is
devoid of the love for Almighty Allah Ta’ala, it will get filled with
the love of worldly things.
73) The devils are
outright enemies of man and always create trouble for him and keep him
surrounded. The miserable condition of one who remains surrounded by
enemies can well be imagined; especially when the enemies are vindictive
and everyone of them wants to surpass the other in troubling him.
Nothing except Zikr can protect him against these enemies. Many forms of
Dua (prayer) are mentioned in the Ahâdith, so that, if any of these is
recited by a person, then Satan dare not come near him. If the same is
recited at the time of going to bed, one remains safe from Satan
throughout the night.
Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (RA)
has also mentioned many such Duas (prayers). In addition to these he
has also mentioned in detail under six headings relative merits of Zikr
as also some of the virtues, which are specific to Zikr alone. Then he
has also given seventy five chapters of specific Duas (prayers), which
are suited to specific times and occasions. For those blessed with
determination to act, the virtues of Zikr detailed above are more than
enough, and for those who are disinclined to act, thousands of such
virtues would be of little avail.
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