Glossary of terms used:
Allah – God
dhikr – remembrance
halaqah – usually refers to a circle of students who are studying
iman – faith
du’a – supplication
sunnah – the Prophetic way
inshAllah – God willingly
Remembering God
In a society where remembering God has become limited to religious centres or select gatherings, we as Muslims have also reduced our rememberance of God to grouply dhikr sessions or local halaqahs. However, there are circumstances when it is not possible to attend a weekly/monthly dhikr session or halaqah. What then? Do we give up and wish we had the opportunity to join others’ company? Or do we utilize the blessing God has given us by allowing us to worship Him in every act we do? The choice is clear, yet many of us succumb to the easier of the options.
Recently, the city of Toronto was blessed with the presence of Shaykh Ramzy Ajem’s teacher, Shaykh Abdallah al-Haddad of Fez, Morocco. Anyone with a sliver of iman in their heart could attest to his love for Allah, the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of God be with him), and for all Muslims. In one of the gatherings with him, a sister asked a very serious question that many sisters face. Her problem dealt with the inability to attend dhikr sessions because they are either catered towards males or hard to attend because as a mother, it is not easy to leave her children. The Shaykh admitted that it’s important to attend a dhikr session once in a while, using an effective analogy to explain its positive effects. He paralled ones motivation/inspiration to a gas tank in a car. A grouply dhikr session is like a gas station, where one refuels and is ready to pursue onwards with their journey. Although participating in a grouply dhikr is important, he reminded everyone that dhikr encompasses much more than grouply dhikr sessions. In fact, one can remember God in everything one does.
When waking up in the morning, there is a du’a we can say. When brushing our teeth, we are keeping with the sunnah to keep clean. When eating breakfast, we can eat with the intention of replinishing our energy to worship and work for God. When driving to work, we can make an intention that we are doing so to help support our family or maybe even Muslims (and non-Muslims) who are suffering in the world. When we are at home taking care of our children, we can do so for God, for it is obligatory to take care of our children. Everything we do, we can do for God. Islam is a religion that is not limited to our mosques or practiced in a far off place away from society. We can get blessings for everyday actions that we often take for granted. We can live in a normal society, raise our families, do daily chores, and yet still make all of this a means to remember and worship God.
It is a good reminder to myself and to all of you that everything that is considered permissible in Islam can merit a reward when accompanied with a good intention inshAllah. This is truly a blessing and mercy from our Lord. As God promises us, “Then remember Me and I will remember you” (2:152).
[...] short reflection on Shaykh Abdullah al-Haddad’s answer to a sisters question. Check it out here, entitled “Remembering God”. Comments are off on this post, in order to keep the [...]
This is good stuff. Many Muslims, including myself, lack this. Definitely going to blog this.
“Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest! ”
Quran 13:28 – one of my all time faves
hmmm, adam, we will do a dhikr session when you & your family come to our house, inshaallah
can’t wait to see you all here in the big apple, did you plan with amir where we will go?
As-salaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatAllah,
“It is a good reminder to myself and to all of you that everything that is considered permissible in Islam can merit a reward when accompanied with a good intention inshAllah.”
Qadi ‘Iyad rahimahullah mentioned the acceptance of ANY deed with the site of Allah necessitate 2 requisites and conditions:
1. Sincerity solely for Allah ‘azza wa jal
2. Conformity: to the sunnah of the Prophet salAllahu ‘alaihee wa sallam.
Sincerity itself will not account to acceptance of a deed. One can be so sincere in his misguidance like many who went against the anbiyyah.
And subhanAllah on the topic of dhikr…
WAllahi, I swear by Allah.. I myself find it ironic that when we as brothers and sisters who claim to love dhikr sessions and remembrance in Allah.. We rush to these sessions, and forget the dhikr session of RasoolAllah salAllahu ‘alaihee wa sallam. 5 times a day at least.
After every salah, how many of us rush after every prayer to go and leave? Do we do the adhkaar in the morning and evening sanctioned in the Sunnah? Do we spend our time just to say 33x subhanAllah 33x Allahu akbar 33. Alhamdulillah and then say
La Ilaha Illalah Wah dahu La Sharika la Hu.
La Hul Mulku Walahul Hamdu.
Wa Huwa A’la Kuly Shai’n Qadir.
“No one has the right to be worshiped except Allah, alone, with no partner. To Him belongs all sovereignty and Praise, and He is over all things Omnipotent.”
“Who ever recites this after each prayer will have all his sins forgiven, even if they are as many as there is foam on the sea”
?
I find it truly ironic.. we leave the established and the one the Prophet salAllahu ‘alaihee wa sallam emphatically emphasized.. for public displays and something that this remembrance should be private between one and His Lord, pleaing for His help, asking and reminding himself/herself between the Most Beloved and him/her..
From the signs of true love is that private moments that one rushes to meet his/her love.. what about the Most Beloved? Do we seek that as the Prophet salAllauh ‘alaihee wa sallam would? When he would almost be WAITING for the nightfall to have that private conversation with His Rub? Are we truly following RasoolAllah salAllahu ‘alaihee wa sallam?
May Allah guide us to the straight path and following his most beloved Messenger that completed the message with his actions, sayings, and approvals. Ameen.
In need of your Du’as
-Akh Fillah
Jazak Allah for that reminder.