How Zikr Sets Muslims Apart From People of Other Faiths

[S.Belle]

Zikr is the Arabic term for remembrance of Allah, the Most Merciful. It is not restricted to the prayer and worship that we do on our prayer rugs five times a day; it is much more than that.

Zikr can be a sister adorned in her Hijab. Zikr can be a brother with his long beard and cap. Zikr can be remembering to say "Yarhamokullahi" (may Allah have mercy on you) when a fellow Muslim sneezes. Zikr can be kindness towards our family, friends and neighbors. Zikr can be the following of the Sunnah, the example, of Prophet Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon him, because through him we learn the correct way to worship our Creator.

Religion, for followers of other faiths, consists of once a week attendance at temples and churches and the wearing of a religious symbol around their necks. Religion has the last priority in most people's lives. They are too busy partying, making money and having too much fun to stop and think about where their lives are going. It is no surprise that so many people revert to Islam, both non-Muslims and born Muslims. Most reverts claim they felt emptiness while worshiping in their old faiths. Islam replaced that void in their lives, Alhamdu lillah (thanks be to Allah).

Everything about our perfect Deen (religion). Islam, sets Muslims apart from all other faiths. Zikr is the best example for that.

No other religion perfectly incorporates every-minute aspects into life. Muslims start any and everything that they do with the words "Audhubillahi Minashaytaanirajeem, Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim"" (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil, in the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful).

Islam teaches us how to greet people, how to eat, how to sleep, how to leave one's home, how to dress, how to behave, even how to cut our nails, and these are all forms of worship because we are following the Sunnah. We know how to live our lives through the perfect example of our Prophet Mohammed, and Muslims strive to be like him, to follow in his footsteps, as there is no human worthy of higher praise than him.

The Hadith, or the Prophet's sayings and actions, have recorded his life and have been preserved till this very day so that we can learn from him.

The greatest form of Zikr though is the fear of Allah. A Hadith of the holy Prophet Mohammed states that a Muslim should think of death forty times everyday to remind him that he will be returning to Allah and his account will be taken.

Abstinence can be a form of Zikr as well, such as abstaining from pork, alcohol, drugs and illicit relations.

Stopping to admire the beauty of nature is a form of Zikr that most people do subconsciously. Allah does not impose on His creatures by asking them to pray to him all day long. Anyone who worships Allah at the prescribed times and remembers Allah before going to sleep, then the entire time he is sleeping he is performing Zikr. This is because he is sleeping with Allah's permission and with the purpose to acquire energy to worship Allah when he awakes.

Abu Sa`eed al-Khudri said, that the Messenger of Allah said, "Moses said: O Lord! Teach me something that I can remember You with and I can supplicate You with. Allah said: Say 'La ilaaha ill Allah', O Musa. He (Musa) said: All of your servants say this. He (swt) said: If the
seven Heavens and those who dwell in them other than Me and the seven Earths are put into one pan (of the scale) and 'La ilaaha ill Al.' is put into the other; 'La ilaaha ill Allah' would be heavier."
As it is obvious, Islam is not just a religion, but a complete way of life. Islam literally means "submission" and the word Muslim means "one who submits". It is our duty as Muslims to submit to no one but Allah. Every action we perform it is for Him because our purpose for being on this earth is to go through a test and to worship Allah.

Any form of remembering Allah or performing a righteous deed is a form of Zikr and Zikr brings us closer to Allah, which is the ultimate achievement of Muslims. If we are close to Him, we will not go astray.
If we strive to remember Him, He will help us, as this Hadith narrated by Anas in Sahih Bukhari describes: The Prophet said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "

[S.Belle]

The purpose of zhikr is to purify hearts and souls and awaken the human conscience. The Qur'an says, "And establish regular prayer, for prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds, and remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing in life, without doubt.'' Qur'an 29.45 In other words, the remembrance of Allah has a greater impact in restraining one from shameful and unjust deeds than just the formal regular prayer. This is so because when a servant opens up his soul to his Lord, extolling His praise, Allah strengthens him with His light, increasing thereby his faith and conviction, and reassuring his mind and heart. This refers to "those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah, for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.'' Qur'an 13.28

And when hearts are satisfied with the Truth, they turn to the highest ideals without being deflected by impulses of desire or lust. This underscores the importance of zhikr in man's life. Obviously it would be unreasonable to expect these results just by uttering certain words, for words of the tongue unsupported by a willing heart are of no consequence. Allah Himself has taught us the manner in which a person should remember Him, saying, "And do bring your Lord to remembrance in your very soul, with humility and in reverence, without loudness in words, in the mornings and evening, and be not of those who are unheedful.'' Qur'an 7.205

This verse indicates that doing zhikr in silence and without raising one's voice is better. Once during a journey the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a group of Muslims supplicating aloud. Thereupon the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Give yourselves a respite, you are not calling upon someone deaf or absent. Surely He Whom you are calling upon is near you and He listens to all. He is nearer to you than the neck of your mount." This hadith underlines the love and awe a person should feel while engaged in zhikr.

A part of this etiquette is the requirement that a person wishing to do zhikr be clean in body and dress, and smell sweet and fragrant. This will give him a fresh zeal and he will feel invigorated. One should face the qiblah during zhikr, for the best assemblies are those that face the Ka'bah.

http://www.hadithcollection.com/fiqh...iqh-4101a.html

[tw009]

JazakAllah for sharing. I needed this

[Insaanah]

sister,

This is a very nice article.

Zikr can be a sister adorned in her Hijab. Zikr can be a brother with his long beard and cap

Abstinence can be a form of Zikr as well, such as abstaining from pork, alcohol, drugs and illicit relations.

I was under the impression that zhikr was of the heart and tongue...

The most perfect of dhikr is that in which the heart and tongue are both focused

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Dhikr may be in the heart, or on the tongue, but the best is that which is both in the heart and on the tongue.

Source: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/72826/dhikr

Also your link in the post below is similar.

Proper zhikr can lead to good deeds, but I didn't think that the actual deeds were zhikr.

Do you have a reference for this?

JazaakiAllah khayr.

[S.Belle]

I was under the impression that zhikr was of the heart and tongue...

You know how if you see something it reminds of you something else like when I see a fellow sister in hijab somewhere in a crowded area or somewhere where its busy and hectic it makes me stop and thank Allah or makes me remember Him just because of seeing her follow the orders of Allah. Abstinening from something haram would be a reminder of what Allah has ordered you to do. And by remembering what he has ordered you to do you are remembering Him....like a chain effect you could say.

Proper zhikr can lead to good deeds, but I didn't think that the actual deeds were zhikr. Do you have a reference for this?

if you mean the first article
http://www.soundvision.com/Info/teen...therfaiths.asp

Allah has defined the form and frequency of all obligatory worship. The rak‘at (cycles) of Salah, various recitals therein and the timings of each Salah have all been laid down. Similarly, all details about Hajj and Saum have also been defined. Allah has how­ever, not defined any form and frequency for His Zikr. There is neither any pre condition nor any time limitation, even ritual purity or cleanliness of garments is not obligatory. It is not mandatory to perform Zikr in the mosque, although ritual purity and the holy atmosphere of the mosque would definitely attract more blessings. Zikr must continue at all times, under all circumstances and conditions. It must continue in mosque, in market, standing, sitting or reclining

The Gracious Lord has given complete freedom of choice in the method of Zikr, “Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining.” - 3:191, "And remember your Lord when you forget.” - 18:24.
http://www.owaisiah.com/engarticles/needforzikr.htm