Merits of Remembering Allah
28 hadiths
Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah
‘Abdullah ibn Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, the laws of Islam are too many for us, so give us something comprehensive that we can hold on to. He said: "Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah." Another version reads: From the Hadīth of Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him): The last thing upon which I parted from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was that I asked: Which deeds are best and closest to Allah? He said: "That you die while your tongue is moist with the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic."
A servant committed a sin and said: 'O Allah, forgive my sin
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), narrating from his Almighty Lord, said: "A servant committed a sin and said: 'O Allah, forgive my sin,’ and Allah Almighty said: ‘My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sins.' Then, he committed a sin again and said: ‘My Lord, forgive my sin,’ and Allah Almighty said: ‘My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sins.’ He again committed a sin and said: ‘My Lord, forgive my sin,’ and Allah Almighty said: ‘My servant committed a sin and then realized that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you.'"
Whoever says ‘subhān Allah wa bihamdih (glory be to Allah, and praise be to Him)’ one hundred times a day, his sins will be erased, even if they were as much as the foam of the sea
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says ‘subhān Allah wa bihamdih (glory be to Allah, and praise be to Him)’ one hundred times a day, his sins will be erased, even if they were as much as the foam of the sea."
Whoever says ten times
Abu Ayyūb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says ten times ‘Lā ilāha illa Allah wahdahu lā sharīka lahu, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadīr (There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner; to Him belongs the dominion, and praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things)' will be the same (in reward) as the one who emancipated four slaves from the children of Ishmael."
When the Muezzin (the caller to prayer) says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar
‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the Muezzin (the caller to prayer) says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar' (Allah is the Greatest), and one of you says 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah' (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah' (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah', and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala as-salāh' (Come to prayer), and he says, 'Lā hawla wala quwwata illa billāh' (There is no power or strength except through Allah), and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala al-falāh' (Come to success), and he says, 'Lā hawla wala quwwata illa billāh', and then he says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and he says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'lā ilāh illa Allah', and he says 'lā ilāh illa Allah' from his heart, he will enter Paradise."
Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, but Jibrīl (Gabriel) came and told me that Allah Almighty is boasting about you before the angels
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: Mu‘āwiyah came upon a group of people sitting in a circle in the mosque and said: What has made you sit together? They said: We have sat together to remember Allah. He said: I adjure you by Allah, has nothing else made you sit together? They replied: By Allah, nothing else has made us sit together. He said: Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, and there was no one in the position I was in from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who narrates fewer Hadīths from him than me. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came upon a group of his Companions sitting in a circle and said: "What has made you sit together?" They said: We have sat together to remember Allah and praise Him for having guided us to Islam and for bestowing favor upon us. He said: "I adjure you by Allah, has nothing else made you sit together?" They said: By Allah, nothing else has made us sit together. He said: "Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, but Jibrīl (Gabriel) came and told me that Allah Almighty is boasting about you before the angels."
Shall I not inform you of the best of your deeds and the purest in the sight of your Sovereign and the highest in your ranks
Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not inform you of the best of your deeds and the purest in the sight of your Sovereign and the highest in your ranks and better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than encountering your enemy so you strike their necks and they strike your necks?" They said: Yes. He said: "Dhikr (remembrance) of Allah Almighty."
Al-Mufarridūn have gone far ahead
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was walking on the path of Makkah, and he passed by a mountain called Jumdān, so he said: "Proceed, this is Jumdān. Al-Mufarridūn have gone far ahead." They said: O Messenger of Allah, what is Al-Mufarridūn? He said: "Those men and women who remember Allah frequently."
I met Ibrāhīm (Abraham) on the night I was taken for a journey, and he said: O Muhammad, convey my greetings of peace to your Ummah and tell them that Paradise has pure soil and sweet water
Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I met Ibrāhīm (Abraham) on the night I was taken for a journey, and he said: O Muhammad, convey my greetings of peace to your Ummah and tell them that Paradise has pure soil and sweet water. It is vast plain lands and its seedlings are: Subhānallāh (glory be to Allah), Al-hamdulillāh (praise be to Allah), La ilāha illallāh (there is no god but Allah), and Allāhu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)."
No people leave a gathering in which they did not remember Allah except that it will be as if they are leaving the carcass of a donkey, and it will be a cause of regret for them
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No people leave a gathering in which they did not remember Allah except that it will be as if they are leaving the carcass of a donkey, and it will be a cause of regret for them."
Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah
‘Abdullah ibn Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man said: O Messenger of Allah, the legislations of Islam have become too much for me, so inform me of something to hold on to. He said: "Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah."
Shall I inform you about the most beloved words by Allah? They are: Glory belongs to Allah and praise is due to Him
Abu Dharr al-Ghifāri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I inform you about the most beloved words by Allah? Verily, the most beloved words by Allah are: Glory belongs to Allah and praise is due to Him."
By the One in Whose hand my soul is, if you were not to commit sins, Allah would replace you with people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty, who would then forgive them
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand my soul is, if you were not to commit sins, Allah would replace you with people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty, who would then forgive them."
Allah, the Almighty, says: I am with My slave as long as he remembers Me and his lips move saying My Name
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, the Almighty, says: 'I am with My slave as long as he remembers Me and his lips move saying My Name.'"
Allah does not listen as attentively to anything as He listens to a prophet with a melodious voice
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah does not listen as attentively to anything as He listens to a prophet with a melodious voice chanting the Qur’an audibly."
A number of Hadīths pertaining to the virtue of Dhikr sessions
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, Exalted, has angels who wander in the roads seeking those who remember Him. When they find some people remembering Allah, the Almighty, they call one another and say: 'Come to what you were looking for' and they encircle them with their wings filling the space between them and the lowest heaven. Their Lord asks them, and He knows best: 'What are My slaves saying?' They reply: 'They are exalting You, glorifying You, praising You, and extolling You.' He asks: 'Have they seen Me?' They reply: 'No, by Allah they have not seen You.' He asks: 'What if they see Me?' Thereupon they reply: 'If they were to see You, they would engage more devoutly in worshiping, extolling, and glorifying You.' He says: 'What do they ask of Me?' They say: 'They ask You for Your Paradise.' Allah says: 'Have they seen it?' They say: 'No Lord, by Allah they have not seen it.' He says: 'What if they see it?' They reply: 'Were they to see it, they would be more keen, more zealous in seeking it, and would wish more for it.’ He says: 'From what are they seeking refuge?' They (the angels) say: 'They are seeking refuge from Hell.' He asks: 'Have they seen it?' They say: 'No. By Allah they have not seen it.' He says: 'What if they see it?' They say: 'If they were to see it, they would be more fearful of it and flee faster from it.' He says: 'Bear witness that I have forgiven them.' One of the angels says: 'There is amongst them so-and-so who is not one of them. He only came for another purpose.' He says: 'They are the people by virtue of whom their companion will in no way be unfortunate.'" Another narration reads: Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah has angels, other than the keepers, who wander about seeking Dhikr sessions. Once they find it, they sit with them and surround them with their wings filling the space between them and the lowest heaven. When they [the people in the gathering] depart, the angels ascend and rise to heaven. Then Allah, the Almighty, asks them - though He knows best - 'From where have you come?' They say: 'We have come from a gathering of Your slaves on earth. They were exalting You, glorifying You, witnessing that there is no deity but You, praising You, and asking You.' He says: 'What do they ask of Me?' They say: 'They ask You Your Paradise.' He says: 'Have they seen My Paradise?' They say: 'No, Lord.' He says: 'What if they see My Paradise?' They say: 'They also ask You for protection.' He says: 'What do they ask Me protection from?' They say: 'From Your Hell, O Lord.' He says: 'Have they seen My Hellfire?' They say: 'No.' He says: 'What if they see My Hell?' They say: 'They ask for Your forgiveness.' Then He says: 'I have forgiven them, and I have bestowed upon them what they asked for,and I have granted them refuge from what they sought protection from.' They say: 'O Lord, among them is so-and-so, a frequent sinner, who was merely passing by and sat down with them.' He says: 'They are the people by virtue of whom their companion will in no way be unfortunate.’"
When you hear the Muezzin, say what he says and then invoke Allah's blessings upon me
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When you hear the Muezzin, say what he says and then invoke Allah's blessings upon me, for whoever invokes Allah's blessings upon me once, Allah will bestow His blessings upon him ten times. Then, ask Allah to grant me the Wasīlah, a high rank in Paradise that befits only one of Allah's servants, and I hope that I will be him. If anyone asks for Wasīlah for me , intercession will be permitted for him.”
That is Satan who is known as Khinzab. If you perceive his effect, seek refuge with Allah from him and spit three times to your left
‘Uthmān ibn Abi al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and my recitation of the Qur'an, confounding me." So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is Satan who is known as Khinzab. If you perceive his effect, seek refuge with Allah from him and spit three times to your left." He said: I did that, and Allah caused him to depart from me.
Whoever says a hundred times in a day: "La ilāha illallāhu wahdahu la sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadīr" (There is no god but Allah. He is One, and He has no partner with Him; to Him belong the sovereignty and praise, and He is competent over all things)
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says a hundred times in a day: "La ilāha illallāhu wahdahu la sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadīr" (There is no god but Allah. He is One, and He has no partner with Him; to Him belong the sovereignty and praise, and He is competent over all things); he will have a reward equivalent to that of emancipating ten slaves; a hundred good deeds will be added to his record; a hundred of his sins will be erased; and he will be shielded against the devil on that day till the evening; and no one will exceed him in doing good deeds except someone who says more than that."
مَن صلَّى عليَّ واحدةً صلى الله عليه عشرًا
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ وَاحِدَةً صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ عَشْرًا».
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to stand by the trunk of a date-palm tree while delivering the sermon. When a pulpit was placed in the mosque, we heard the trunk crying out like a pregnant she-camel until the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came down from the pulpit and placed his hand over it and it became quiet.
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to stand by the trunk of a date-palm tree while delivering the sermon. When a pulpit was placed in the mosque, we heard the trunk crying out like a pregnant she-camel until the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came down from the pulpit and placed his hand over it and it became quiet. In another narration: "On Friday, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sat on the pulpit, so the date palm tree that he used to stand by while delivering the sermon cried out until it almost split asunder." In a third narration: "... so it cried like a child, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) descended (from the pulpit) and embraced it while it continued moaning like a child being quietened until it calmed down. He said: 'It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of Dhikr near it.’"
The lasting good deeds are the statements: There is no god but Allah, glory be to Allah, Allah is the greatest, praise be to Allah, there is no power or might except with Allah
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The lasting good deeds are the statements: There is no god but Allah, glory be to Allah, Allah is the greatest, praise be to Allah, there is no power or might except with Allah."
Never does the son of Adam do any deed that can save him from Allah's punishment more than remembering Allah
Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Never does the son of Adam do any deed that can save him from Allah's punishment more than remembering Allah.”
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أمرهن أن يُراعِينَ بالتكبير
عَنْ يُسَيْرَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَهُنَّ أَنْ يُرَاعِينَ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالتَّقْدِيسِ وَالتَّهْلِيلِ، وَأَنْ يَعْقِدْنَ بِالْأَنَامِلِ، فَإِنَّهُنَّ مَسْؤُولَاتٌ مُسْتَنْطَقَاتٌ.
By Him in Whose hand is my soul, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in Dhikr, the angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzhalah, time and time
Abu Rib‘i Hanzhalah ibn Ar-Rabī‘ al-Usaydi, one of the scribes of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) reported: I met Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and he said: 'How are you?' I said: 'Hanzhalah has turned into a hypocrite.' He said: 'Glory be to Allah, what are you saying?' I said: 'When we are in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), he reminds us of Paradise and Hellfire as if we are seeing them with our very eyes, and when we depart from his company, we attend to our wives, children, and business, and we forget much of that.' Abu Bakr said: 'By Allah, we do experience the same.' So I and Abu Bakr went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, Hanzhalah has turned into a hypocrite.' Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'And how is that?' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, when we are in your company, you remind us of Hellfire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, then when we depart from you we attend to our wives, children, and business, and we forget much of that.' Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'By Him in Whose hand is my soul, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzhalah, time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation) and time (should be devoted to worldly affairs).' He said this thrice."
أمرني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن أقرأ بالمعوذات دبر كل صلاة
عن عقبة بن عامر قال: أمرني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن أقرأ بالمعوِّذات دبر كل صلاة. ولفظ الترمذي: أمرني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن أقرأ بالمعوِّذتين في دبر كل صلاة.
Has Allah not provided for you that which you can give as charity? Every Tasbīh (saying: Glory be to Allah) is charity; every Takbīr (saying: Allah is the Greatest) is charity; every Tahmīd (saying: Praise be to Allah) is charity; and every Tahlīl (saying: There is no God but Allah) is charity. Enjoining good is charity, forbidding evil is charity, and even in fulfilling the sexual desire of one of you there is charity
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Some of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): O Messenger of Allah, the wealthy have taken all the rewards. They pray as we pray, fast as we fast, and give charity from their surplus wealth. He said: "Has Allah not provided for you that which you can give as charity? Every Tasbīh (saying: Glory be to Allah) is charity; every Takbīr (saying: Allah is the Greatest) is charity; every Tahmīd (saying: Praise be to Allah) is charity; and every Tahlīl (saying: There is no God but Allah) is charity. Enjoining good is charity, forbidding evil is charity, and even in fulfilling the sexual desire of one of you there is charity." They said: O Messenger of Allah, does one of us fulfill his desire and get rewarded for it? He said: "Do you not see that if he were to fulfill it in a forbidden way, would he incur a sin? Similarly, if he fulfills it lawfully, he will have a reward."
O people, repent to Allah, for I repent to Him one hundred times a day
Al-Agharr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the Prophet's Companions, reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people, repent to Allah, for I repent to Him one hundred times a day."