Surah Ale-Imran (The Family Of Imran ) 3 : 191

Explanatory Note

It is a moment of worship, which means that it is a moment of establishing a relationship and receiving a message. It is no wonder, then, that the mere reflection on the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night is enough to reveal the truth about them and the fact that nothing of this has been created in vain. The immediate result of this attitude is embodied in these words: “’Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain. Limitless are You in Your glory.’”

This is immediately followed by a psychological response to the inspiration of the universe: “Guard us, then, against the torment of the fire. Our Lord, him whom You shall commit to the fire"

What is the nature of the emotional relationship between recognising the truth behind the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night and the fear of being thrown into hell? Recognition of this truth means to those endowed with understanding and insight that it is all made according to an elaborate plan and for a definite purpose, and that truth and justice will be maintained beyond man’s life on this planet. This inevitably means that whatever people do will be taken into account and that rewards will be administered. This leads to the conclusion that there is another life where the truth will be established and where justice will be done.

Practical suggestion

• Make it a habit to complete the morning and evening duas regularly. Read here.
   
• إدامةُ ذِكرِ الله تعالى على كلِّ حال، فقدْ أرادَ بقوله تعالى: قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ عُمومَ الأحوال، على أنَّ هذه الأحوالَ هي مُتعارَفُ أحوالِ البَشرِ في السَّلامة، أي: أحوال الشُّغل، والرَّاحة، وقَصْد النَّوم 
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• أصنافُ العُبوديَّة ثلاثةُ أقسام: التَّصديقُ والإذعانُ بالقلب، والإقرارُ باللِّسان، والعملُ بالجوارحِ؛ فقوله تعالى: يَذْكُرُونَ اللهَ إشارةٌ إلى عُبوديَّةِ اللِّسان، وقوله: قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ إشارةٌ إلى عُبوديَّةِ الجوارحِ والأعضاء، وقوله: وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إشارةٌ إلى عُبوديَّة القلبِ والفِكرِ والرُّوح، والإنسانُ ليس إلَّا هذا المجموع، فإذا كان اللِّسان مستغرقًا في الذِّكرِ، والأركانُ في الشُّكر، والجَنانُ في الفِكر، كان هذا العبدُ مُستغرقًا بجميعِ أجزائِه في العبوديَّة [Be the first to translate this...]
  
  Benefits of Dhikr summarised from works of Ibn al-Qayyim:

• Remembrance of God [Dhikr] drives away and breaks the devil [shaytan]
• It pleases ar-Rahman [the Most-Merciful]
• It removes the cares and worries of the Heart
• It brings joy and happiness to the Heart
• It strengthens both body and Heart
• It endows the person with Love of God which is the very spirit of Islam - for God has opened a way of access to everything, and the way to Love is constancy in Remembrance [Dhikr].
• It endows one with Muraqabah [vigilance] which opens to the door to Ihsan - entering therein, the servant worships God as if he were seeing Him.
• It predisposes the servant to turn back to God in every state.
• It endows him with proximity to God. His proximity to God is in proportion to his remembrance; his distance in proportion to his heedlessness.
• It endows him with God’s own remembrance of him, God says, ‘Remember Me, I shall remember you.”
• It endows the heart with life. Ibn Taymiyah said, ‘Remembrance is to the heart what water is to fish. What happens to the fish that leaves the water?’
• It polishes away the Heart’s tarnish
• It erases sins and repels them
• It removes estrangement between the servant and his Lord.
• Words of Remembrance become like the buzzing of bees around the Throne of God.
• When he knows his Lord through Remembrance [Dhikr] in times of ease his Lord will know him in times of adversity.
• Remembrance of God [Dhikr] is most effective thing to repel the punishment of God
• Tranquillity descends upon the Heart
• The Remembrance of God [Dhikr] and tears that are shed – give a person shade on the Day of Judgement.
• It is the easiest form of worship – using the tongue is easier compared to actions of hands and feet.
• Plants trees in Paradise.
• Constancy in Remembrance of God [Dhikr] brings about security from forgetfulness of Him. This forgetfulness is the cause of the servant’s misery both in this worldly life and the Day of Judgement.
• Ibn Taymiyah said, ‘Truly there is a Heaven in this world [and] whoever does not enter it, will not enter the Heaven of the next world.’
• It enters Light [Nur] in to the Heart – more Remembrance of God [Dhikr] = more light
• God is with the one when he remembers Him. “I am with My slave when he remembers Me and when his lips move to mention Me.”
• Remembrance of God [Dhikr] is basis of Gratitude and thanks [Shukr] – when you remember Him abundantly you thank Him abundantly.
• Remembrance of God [Dhikr] is both the source and the basis of intimate friendship with God – A servant continues to remember his Lord until He loves him.
• Nothing attracts God’s blessings and repels His wrath as does His remembrance. He repels harm from them and defends them in proportion to the strength and the completeness of their faith in Him. The very substance and power of this faith comes through [His] remembrance. The stronger one’s faith and more abundant the remembrance, the greater God’s defence of him. For the one who falls short, it falls short. i.e. STRONGER DHIKR = STRONGER IMAN = STRONGER DEFENCE
• God’s remembrance of him precedes his remembrance of Him, for when God remembers His servant, it inspires the servant to remember Him. In prayer, you remember God and He remembers you, and His remembrance of you is greater than your remembrance of Him.
• The most excellent of those who perform any practice are people who do it with the greatest remembrance of God. The most excellent of those who fast, are those who remember God the most in their fasting -the most excellent of those who do Hajj, are those who remember God the most in [their Hajj] etc.