أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ 
1. REMEMBRANCE
It includes: calling (something) to mind and keeping (something) in mind; being mindful of (something) and not neglecting it; bearing (something) in mind and not forgetting it.
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
“Surely, peace and tranquility of the minds come with the remembrance of Allah [i.e. by being heedful of His Commands in all walks of life]”.
[Al-Quran Surah 13: Verse 28]
2. MENTIONING, TELLING, RELATING, OR GIVING AN ACCOUNT
وَقَالَ لِلَّذِي ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ نَاجٍ مِّنْهُمَا اذْكُرْنِي عِندَ رَبِّكَ فَأَنسَاهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ذِكْرَ رَبِّهِ فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ
“And Yusuf (Joseph) said to the one whom he believed to be released: ‘Mention me to your master/lord (he may thus recall that another innocent one is also lying in imprisonment).’ But Satan made him forget to mention (him) to his master/lord, and consequently, Yusuf (Joseph) remained in prison for several years.”
[Al-Quran Surah 12: Verse 42]
3. FAME, STATUS OR REPUTATION
وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
“And We have raised for you your status”.
[Al-Quran Surah 94: Verse 4]
4. EMINENCE, HONOUR OR NOBILITY
وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ
“And, verily, this [revelation] is indeed [a source of] eminence for you and your people”.
[Al-Quran Surah 43: Verse 44]
لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ
“Verily, We have revealed to you a Book wherein is [a source of] your eminence”.
[Al-Quran Surah 21: Verse 10]
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ
“So remember Me (being heedful of My Commands in all walks of life); I shall grant you nobility and eminence”
[Al-Quran Surah 2: Verse 152]
5. EXHORTATION, ADMONITION, UNDERSTANDING
وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ
“By the Quran, full of exhortation & admonition”.
[Al-Quran Surah 38: Verse 1]
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ
“And surely, We have made the Quran easy for understanding & taking admonition”.
[Al-Quran Surah 54: Verse 17]
6. THE QURAN
With the definite article, الذِکر refers to the Quran.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
The Prophet, ﷺ, said:
“The best remembrance is to declare there is no God but Allah. The best supplication is to declare all praise is due to Allah” At Tirmidhi.
But dhikr in a sense is more encompassing than this. One of the meanings of dhikr is salah for verily the salah itself is remembrance of Allah. Allah says in the Quran,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu’ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. {62:29}
Quran is also a form of dhikr as it contains important reminders for us to reflect upon. Allah says,
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱلذِّكْرِ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَكِتَـٰبٌ عَزِيزٌۭ
Indeed, those who disbelieve in the message after it has come to them. And indeed, it is a mighty Book. {41:41}
Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, wants us to remember Him and be grateful to Him. This remembrance is all to our benefit. The more a man remembers Allah, the higher the level he will attain in front of Him. Allah says,
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me. {2:152}
And the Prophet,ﷺ said, Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a cubit, and if he draws near to Me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.
Allah has ordered us to remember Him much. He says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance {33:41}
We should not be like the hypocrites who are not sincere in their remembrance of Allah. The hypocrites may perform prayers but not in a good manner and their actions are done only to show-off.1 Likewise, we should try as much as possible to move away from those things that can prevent or turn us away from the remembrance of Allah like, love for wealth and children.2
Importance of Dhikr
Peace of mind
One of the greatest benefits of dhikr is that it gives the heart comfort in Allah, becomes tranquil and pleased to have Allah as its Protector and Supporter. Allah says,
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. {13:28}
Ease and Comfort in this Life and the Hereafter
Remembrance of Allah brings ease and comfort in this life and the Hereafter and not remembering Him brings hardship and difficulty. Even if someone that is not remembering Allah appears to be in comfort outwardly and he wears whatever he likes, eats whatever he likes, and lives wherever he wants; he will not be happy. For verily, his heart will not have pure certainty. But rather confusion, agitation, bewilderment, and doubts. Allah says,
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ
And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” {20:124}
Protection from shaytaan and evil
Shaytaan is on a mission to destroy us. However, dhikr keeps a person away from shaytaan and his evil plots. this is because shaytaan runs away wherever the name of Allah is mentioned.
وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ
And whoever is blinded from the remembrance of the Most Merciful – We appoint for him a devil, and he is to him a companion. {43:36}
Reward in this world and the Hereafter
Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala rewards those who remember Him with goodness and the greatest reward Allah will give them is Jannah. 3 Those who fail to remember Allah will be punished.4
We should always say this supplication that the Prophet, ﷺ, used to say during this lifetime:
اللهم أعني على ذكرك وشكرك وحسن عبادتك
O Allaah assist me to remember You, be grateful to you and perfect my worship for You.
Conjugations found in the Quran:
ذكر= remembrance
الذَّاكِرِينَ = those who remember (masculine or mixed)
الذَّاكِرَاتِ = those who remember (feminine only)
يَذْكُرُونَ = they are remembering (masculine only)
اذْكُرُوا = remember (the command to do so).
Notes:
- Surah 4:142
- Surah 63:9
- Surah 33:35
- Surah 72:17
