The greatest Dthikr is reciting the Qur’an.
The greatest Dthikr is reciting the Qur’ān, which is an act of worship that made our ancestors stay awake long at night.
{ كَانُوا قَلِيلاً مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ. وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ }
“They used to sleep only little in the night, and they used to be found calling up on their Lord asking for forgiveness late in the night before dawn.” (Soorat Ud-Dthāriyāt, Verse 18). Thus, in their night, they would do both acts of worship, reciting the Qur’ān, and supplicating with the Adthkār of the Sunnah. Imagine how great a night filled with worship and supplication is, and imagine the loss of those who fill their nights with useless deeds or sins, may Allāh grant us guidance.
Hammād Ibn Zayd said that ‘Atā’ Ibn Il-Sa’ib (PBUH) said that Abā Abd Ir-Rahmān said, “We took the Qur’ān from people who told us that when they would learn ten verses of the Qur’ān, they would not move to the following verses until they had applied the first ten verses in their lives. Thus, we used to learn the Qur’ān and learn how to act accordingly. Yet, some people will come after us who would superficially read the Qur’ān with their tongues and not apply it in their lives.” (Siyar A‘lām An-Nubalā’, 4/269)
Dthikr revives the heart.
In our current days, many people complain about the stiffness of their hearts due to their busyness with this worldly life, and thus their hearts do not pay the appropriate attention to the remembrance of Allāh. In fact life of the heart and tranquility cannot be achieved except with the remembrance of Allāh.
In a Hadeeth reported in Saheeh Il-Bukhāriy, Abu Moussa Al-Ash‘ariy (ABPWH) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “One who remembers his Lord compared to one who does not remember his Lord, is like the living compared to the dead.” In Muslim’s narration, “A house in which Allāh’s name is remembered compared to a house in which Allāh’s name is not remembered, is like the living compared to the dead.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 6407, Muslim no. 779)
Allāh urges us in many verses to have the habit of remembrance of Allāh and mentioning His name (i.e praising Him).
1. « يا أَيُّهَا الّذينَ ءاَمَنُواْ اذْكُرُوْا الله ذِكْراً كَثِيراً. وَسَبِّحُوْهُ بُكْرَة وَأَصِيْلاً »
“O you who believe, remember Allāh very often, and glorify Him morning and evening.” (Soorat Ul-Ahzāb, Verse 42)
2. Allāh promised to forgive those who remember Him and mention His name, and give them great reward.
« وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْراً عَظِيماً »
“… and those of men and women who remember Allāh often, for all of them Allāh has prepared forgiveness and great reward.” (Soorat Ul-Ahzāb, Verse 35)
3. Allāh warned us of being like hypocrites who rarely remember Allāh.
« إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُواْ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَى يُرَآؤُونَ النَّاسَ وَلاَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً »
“Verily, hypocrites seek to deceive Allāh, but it is He Who causes them to be deceived, and when they stand up for prayer they do so in laziness, only to be seen by people, but little do they remember or praise Allāh.” (Soorat Un-Nisā’, Verse 142)
4. Allāh warned us of paying full attention to money and offspring, and forgetting Allāh the Almighty.
« يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ »
“O you who believe, let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allāh, and whosoever does that then they are the losers.” (Soorat Ul-Munāfiqoon, Verse 9)
5. Imagine this great reward:
Allāh, the Almighty, said,
« فَاذْكُرُوْنِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ »
“Thus, remember Me (i.e. by mentioning my name during praying, glorifying, etc.) and I will remember you.” (Soorat Ul-Baqarah, Verse 152)
In addition, Allāh said in the Qudsiy Hadeeth, “I am just as My slave thinks of Me (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him), and I am with him when He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself, and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than them.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 7405, Muslim no. 2675)
Other Valuable Daily Adthkār of Sunnah [1]
Abu Hurayrah (ABPWH) narrated that Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “Whoever says a hundred times in one day, “None has the right to be worshiped but Allāh alone, Who has no partners, to Him belongs the kingdom and to Him belong all Praises, and He has power over all things (i.e. Omnipotent),” will get the reward of freeing ten slaves, a hundred good deeds will be written in his account, a hundred bad deeds will be erased from his account, he will be protected from Satan from the morning till the evening, and nobody will be superior to him except one who has done more than that which he has done. Whoever says, ‘Subhān Allāh wa Bihamdih,’ (i.e. Glory and Praise be to Allāh) a hundred times a day, all of his sins will be forgiven even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 3293, Muslim no. 2691)
Abu Ayyoob (ABPWH) narrated that Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “Whoever says, ‘There is no God but Allāh alone, Who has no partner, His is the kingdom and His is the praise, and He has power over all things’ ten times, will get the reward of freeing four slaves from the children of Isma‘eel.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 6404, Muslim no. 2693)
Other Valuable Daily Adthkār of Sunnah [2]
Sa‘d Ubn Abi Waqqāss (ABPWH) narrated, “We were sitting with Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) and he said, ‘Is any one of you incapable of earning one thousand rewards every day?’ Someone from the people in the gathering asked, ‘How can any one of us earn a thousand rewards?’ Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, ‘By Glorifying Allāh (i.e. saying “Subhān Allāh”) a hundred times, one will be granted a thousand rewards, or will get a thousand sins wiped off his record.’.” (Muslim no. 2698)
Abu Hurayrah (ABPWH) narrated that Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “Whoever says, “Glory and Praise be to Allāh” a hundred times in a day, all of his sins will be forgiven even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 6405, Mulsim no. 2692)
The Ahādeeth narrating various Adthkār and their virtues are so many. The ones that were quoted above are the most known and the authentic ones. Yet, there are many other Ahādeeth that show the virtues of Adthkār.
Abu Moussa Al-Ash‘ariy (ABPWH) said, “Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) said to me, ‘Shall I tell you about one of the treasures of Paradise?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ The Prophet (PBUH) replied, ‘There is no power nor might except with Allāh.’.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 4202, Muslim no. 2704)
Abu Hurayrah (ABPWH) that Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “Saying ‘Glory be to Allāh, all praise is due to Allāh, there is no God but Allāh, and Allāh is the Greatest,’ is dearer to me than all that the sun has risen upon (i.e. the whole world).” (Muslim no. 2695)
The Sunnah contains a lot of the various types of Dthikr (3)
Asking Allāh’s forgiveness is a type of Dthikr. Al-Aghar Ul-Muzaniyy (ABPWH) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allāh for forgiveness one hundred times in a day.” (Muslim no. 2702)
This is a deed of Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) also advised us to ask forgiveness, as reported by Muslim through Al-Agharr (ABPWH) who said, “The Prophet (PBUH) said, ‘Oh people, repent to Allāh, for indeed I repent to Allāh one hundred times every day.’.” (Muslim no. 2702)
Al-Bukhāriy also reported through Abi Hurayrah (ABPWH) that he heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying, “I swear by Allāh that I supplicate for Allāh’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 6307)
Thus, a Muslim should not forget to continuously ask for Allāh’s forgiveness.
Finally, I would like to conclude the Sunan of Dthikr (and all daily Sunan as well) with the following great Dthikr:
Abu Hurayrah (ABPWH) narrated that Allāh’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “Two words are light on the tongue, but weigh heavy in the balance, and are loved by the Allāh the Most Merciful, ‘Glory and Praise be to Allāh. Glory be to Allāh, the Supreme.’.” (Al-Bukhāriy no. 6406, Muslim no. 2694)
Praise be to Allāh, by Whose favors good deeds are accomplished.