"Remember me, I shall remember you" (Al-Baqarah 2:152) is the verse stated in the holy Quran by the creator. Remembrance of ALLAH SWT is ZIKR. My last two write-ups focused on the role played by the tongue in porousing in an individual's account of good deeds thus leading him to an undesired destination i.e. Hell. http://http//nlightmentz.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/watch-your-talk/" / , 's-flesh/" 's-flesh/ . In this write-up I will rather throw light on the merits of engaging tongue in appeasing ALLAH and its benefits in the hereafter.
Zikr is largely done by tongue. It is considered as an easiest form of worship. Abdullah bin Busr said that a man asked the Prophet PBUH: "O Messenger of ALLAH SWT! Verily, the sanctions of Islam have become too heavy for me, so tell me something that I can easily follow, The Prophet PBUH replied "Let your tongue always be moist with the remembrance of ALLAH". [Al-Tirmizi].
Remembrance of ALLAH SWT is the plinth of all good deeds. It is the best and the purest form of Ibadah (worship) in the sight of ALLAH SWT. The prophet often used to tell his companions, "Shall I tell you about the best of deeds, the most pure in the sight of your Lord, about the one that is of the highest order and is far better for you than spending gold and silver, even better for you than meeting your enemies in the battlefield where you strike at their necks and they at yours?" The Companions replied, "Yes, O Messenger of ALLAH!" The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Remembrance of ALLAH."[Al-Tirmizi]
We consume food to gain physical fitness and strength which enables us to perform our day to day activities similarly Zikr acts as food to our souls. It strengthens our faith in the oness of our Lord, helps us combat Satan's traps and increases us in piety.
The word zikr has a very wide meaning. It can be recitation of Quran, proclaiming tauheed (oneness of ALLAH), offering salah, observing fast, payment of Zakat, performing Hajj, learning and teaching of Islam, praising ALLAH SWT, pondering over ALLAH's creation.
Zikr strengthens the heart and the soul. It nurtures the love of ALLAH SWT in the heart of a believer and drives him to His worship alone. Source for peace and tranquility. Helps to achieve sanctity in one's life inspite of all troubles. Lightens the burden, banishes fear and anxiety from the heart and keeps an individual away from hypocrisy.
According to a Hadith of Prophet Muhammed PBUH, blessed person is the one who has the following:
• A tongue always absorbed in Zikr or remembrance of ALLAH SWT
• A heart filled with gratitude of ALLAH.
• A body capable of undergoing hardships
• A wife who does not betray her husband's trust in repect of her chastity and his wealth.
On the Day of Judgment ALLAH will bestow the shade of the Arsh (Throne), to seven, when there will be no shade but the shade of the Arsh. One among the seven is a person who praises (remembers) ALLAH in seclusion (privacy) and his eyes are then flooded with tears. A person who does not remember ALLAH is compared with a dead as said by Prophet PBUH "He who remembers his Lord and he who does not remember his Lord, are like the living and the Dead."[Bukhari]
Salaf Predesessors have classified Zikr into three types
1. Zikr-e-faily or pratical Zikr. It comprises of all practical deeds, For eg Offering Salat, paying zakat, observing fasts, performing hajj and various other practical sunan of Prophet PBUH.
2. Zikr-e-lisani or or verbal Zikr. This is done by tongue eg. Of this type are reciting quran and various other supplications mentioned in the sunnah.
3. Zikr-e-qalbi or silent zikr. The best eg of this form of zikr is pondering over the creation of ALLAH SWT and bowing down in gratitude
As i started the article by the beautiful verse of Quran let me end with another verse of the same book, ALLAH SWT says "And remember your lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly an in awe, without loudness, by words in the morning and in the afternoon, and be not among those who are neglectful" [ Al-Aaraf 7:205]
