The heart is at peace when the tongue is moist with the remembrance of Allah, for undoubtedly, it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest.
It is very common among humans that one always remembers those whom he loves and cares about. But that doesn’t necessarily become a two way remembrance. It isn’t often that you can guarantee that the person you are thinking about is DEFINITELY thinking about you. But with the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted, it is a two way street. In fact, the response of the Most Gracious, is greater in intensity as compared to the believers.
As Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi:
I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.’” (Bukhari)
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And whom Allah grants with His remembrance, it will definitely result in ultimate contentment of one`s soul.
Allah tells us in the Quran:
“..For without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (13:28)
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It is the key to the nearness of Almighty Allah- the more abundant the Zikr, the more one will get nearer to Allah, and greater the indifference to Zikr, the greater will be the distance from Him.
There is not a single corner in the heart of a man which cannot be filled but with Zikr. When Zikr controls the heart, not only does it fill up this corner but also leads the person to that kind of contentment which any amount of wealth would fail to produce. Such a person gets respect among people, which his family or party fails to bring about. He earns such a control over people that a sovereign would never dream of. On the other hand, disgrace descends over an indolent in spite of all his wealth and riches, party, strength and powers.
Zikr transforms distraction into concentration, remoteness into nearness. It lightens every burden, and relieves every affliction. While being engaged in Zikr the angels remain busy in constructing houses in Paradise for the performers. When Zikr is stopped, the angels also stop construction of the houses. When asked why a particular construction was stopped by the angels, they reply, The construction had to be stopped because funds for it were stopped.It gives life to the heart. It is food for the heart and soul, and to deprive them of Zikr is like depriving the body of its food. It cleanses the heart of its rust. It has been mentioned in the Hadith: everything rusts according to its nature; and the heart rusts with worldly desires and indifference; to purify it, Zikr is necessary.
The faces of those who perform Zikr remain illume in this life, and will carry a special radiance in the Hereafter.
On the other hand, there are stern warnings against those who do not remember Allah and whose hearts are heedless. Allah says in His book:
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
And be not ye as those who forgot Allah and therefore He caused them to forget their souls. Such are the evil-doers. (59:19)
Thus, when one forgets his own soul, he becomes careless and forgets his real interests, which leads to his ruin, in the same way a garden or field is ruined when its owner fails to look after it. To remain protected from this ruin, one should keep his tongue always busy in Zikr to such an extent that it (zikr) becomes a necessity for him- just as water is for the thirsty, food for hungry or a house and clothes for the needy. As a matter of fact, one should be more mindful towards Zikr than any of these material necessities which if lost, are a small loss as compared to the spiritual death of the heart.
Allah says in Surah Taha, V124:
And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.
Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (RA), a well-known Muhadith, has written an authentic book, ‘Al-Waabilus Sayyib’, on the virtues of Zikr, which are more than one hundred and he has listed seventy nine of these, which are briefly given in the following link. Head over and graze to your heart’s content.
https://www.islamicity.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31174&title=73-benefits-of-zikr-huge-list
.يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ ذِكۡرً۬ا كَثِيرً۬ا
//O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance.”
(33:41)
May Allah make us of those who remember him while standing, sitting and reclining. Aameen
Light Upon Light 