SIX FUNDAMENTALS
Zikr
The second part of the third lesson is zikr. The highest degree of zikr is that a believer should be entirely devoted to Allah, and should never forget Him. This standard of zikr is achieved by constant spiritual edercise, and by continuous remembrance of Allah. Those who have realized the spiritual benefits of zikr, they do not neglect it for a single moment of their life. Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) instructed a companion of his with the remembrance of Allah”. In another hadith he says, “When some people gather together in an assembly, and then get up without remembering Allah, be sure that they sat around the assembly will be a sorrow to them on the Day of Qiyaamah”.
The true believers should remember Allah most often, and by contemplating the wonders of His creation, they should glorify Him, and thereby strengthen their love for Him. The more they remember Allah, the better will be their good deeds, the stronger their faith and knowledge. Then, they will have more and more love for Allah, and their service to Him will be more sincere and realistic. Particularly, during the Tabligh journey they should not forget Allah for a single moment. If all the daily prayers, which are mentioned in the hadith, viz, prayer at the end of a meeting, prayer for riding an animal (or any other transport), prayer for entering a new town or a city etc., are remembered well, and are read on the relevant occasion, naturally the exercise of the remembrance of Allah can be improved to a great extent. No amount of time is sufficient for a sacred thing like zikr, yet most spare time should be devoted to the same; but the least thing that every Muslim can do, is to read the kalimah, and Durood Sharief, and Istighfaar (each a complete Tasbeeh) every morning and evening; moreover, a time should be fixed for the recitation of the Holy Qur’aan. Even some worldly loss can easily be tolerated for the boundless boons Allah, that are going to be granted to a believer in the next life!
The preference of zikr
It has been mentioned in the hadith that zikr purifies and enlightens the heart. Another hadith says that nothing saves a Muslim from the chastisement of Allah, more than zikr. Another Hadith says that amongst the negligent, one who remembers Allah most often is like a glowing lamp in a dark house. A hadith of Bukhaari says, “One who remembers Allah, is remembered by Him among His courtiers (Angels)”. Ralulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in another hadith says, “Anyone who remembers Allah most often, is so much preferable to a person, who distributes a great amount of money in the way of Allah. (Targheeb)
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