Hadiths on the Virtue of Remembering Allah
Numerous hadiths highlight the significance of remembering Allah (Exalted Be He), emphasizing its superiority over other voluntary acts of worship. The importance of this practice is underscored even in relation to striving in the path of Allah. This is attributed to the heart of the one who remembers being deeply connected to their Lord and committing to His servitude. Some of the most notable hadiths include:
- Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The example of the one who remembers their Lord and the one who does not is like the living and the dead.”
- Abdullah bin Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man asked the Messenger of Allah: “O Messenger of Allah, the teachings of Islam have become too many for me. Please tell me something I can hold on to.” The Prophet replied: “Let your tongue remain moist with the remembrance of Allah, the Almighty.”
- Abu Huraira reported that while walking towards Mecca, the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed by a mountain called Jamdan, and said: “Proceed; this mountain has excelled the solitary ones (in deeds).” They asked, “What are the solitary ones, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Those who remember Allah abundantly, both men and women.”
- Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Every joint of one of you has a charity to give each day. Every utterance of glorification (SubhanAllah) is a charity, every utterance of praise (Alhamdulillah) is charity, every utterance of affirmation of His greatness (Allahu Akbar) is charity.”
- Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Shall I not inform you of the best of your deeds, the purest of them in the sight of your King, and the highest of them in rank? It is better for you than spending gold and silver, and even better than meeting your enemy and striking their necks and them striking yours?” They replied: “Indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “It is the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) encountered a circle of his companions and asked: “What brings you together?” They replied: “We are sitting to remember Allah and to praise Him for guiding us to Islam.” He said: “By Allah, is that all that brought you together?” They affirmed it. He then said: “I did not ask you out of suspicion against you; rather, Gabriel came to me and informed me that Allah boasts about you before the angels.”
Hadiths on the Virtue of Glorification (Tasbih)
Glorifying and praising Allah is a phrase that flows easily from the tongue but carries significant weight in the balance of deeds, being beloved to the Most Merciful for its acknowledgment of the Creator’s majesty. Among the hadiths emphasizing its importance are:
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Two phrases are light on the tongue, heavy in the scale, beloved to the Most Merciful: ‘SubhanAllah wa bihamdiH, SubhanAllah al-‘Azim’ (Glory be to Allah and praises be to Him, Glory be to Allah the Most Great).”
- Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “Shall I inform you of the most beloved speech to Allah? The most beloved speech to Allah is: ‘SubhanAllah wa bihamdiH’ (Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him).”
- The lady Juwairiyah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) left her in the mosque after the Fajr prayer and returned after a while to find her still seated. He asked: “Are you still in the same situation I left you in?” She replied, “Yes.” He then said: “I have said four phrases three times, if weighed against what you have said since then, they would outweigh it: ‘SubhanAllah wa bihamdiH, ‘Adad Khalqihi, wa Ridha Nafsihi, wa Zinata ‘Arshihi, wa Midada Kalimatihi’ (Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him, as many as His creations, in accordance with His pleasure, like the weight of His Throne, and the ink of His words).”
- Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he asked: “Can any of you not earn a thousand good deeds each day?” One of the men asked: “How could one earn a thousand deeds?” The Prophet replied: “By saying one hundred tasbih (glorifications), a thousand good deeds will be recorded for him, or a thousand sins will be erased.”
- Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said: “Whoever says: ‘SubhanAllah al-Azim wa bihamdiH’ (Glory be to Allah the Most Great, and praise be to Him) will have a palm tree planted for him in paradise.”
Hadiths on the Virtue of Declaration of Faith (Tahlil)
Many scholars regard the declaration of faith as the most exalted form of remembrance because it serves as the key to paradise and a prerequisite for entering it. Numerous hadiths articulate its merits, including:
- Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) declared that “The best of remembrance is ‘La ilaha illallah’ (There is no deity but Allah).”
- Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever says after the Fajr prayer, while still in place, ‘There is no deity but Allah alone; He has no partners; His is the dominion and the praise; He gives life and causes death; He is capable of all things’ ten times will have ten good deeds recorded for him, ten bad deeds erased, ten ranks raised, and his day will be protected from every harm and secured from the Devil, and sins will not reach him that day except for polytheism against Allah.”
- Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever says: ‘There is no deity but Allah alone; He has no partners; His is the dominion and the praise; and He is capable of all things’ ten times, it is as if he has freed four souls from the descendants of Ishmael.”
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) shared that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever says: ‘There is no deity but Allah alone; He has no partners; His is the dominion, and the praise, and He is capable of all things’ one hundred times in a day will have the reward of freeing ten slaves, will have a hundred good deeds recorded for him, and a hundred bad deeds erased. He will be protected from the Devil until the evening, and no one will come with anything better than what he has brought except for a man who did more than him, and whoever says, ‘SubhanAllah wa bihamdiH’ one hundred times, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam of the sea.”
Hadiths on the Virtue of Seeking Refuge in Allah (Hawqala)
Seeking refuge in Allah is a declaration of relying on His might and abandoning dependence on one’s own strength. This practice is highly rewarded and is described as a treasure from paradise. The following hadiths elaborate on its importance:
- Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Shall I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?” He replied: “Certainly, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet said: “Say: ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’ (There is no power and no strength except with Allah).”
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that he was walking with the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said: “O Abu Huraira, shall I not guide you to a treasure from the treasures of Paradise?” He replied affirmatively. The Prophet then said: “Say: ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah,’ and there is no refuge from Allah except in Him.”