al-Aḥzāb

يَآ أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْراً كَثِيراً

وَسَبّـِحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً

41. “O You who have believed! Remember Allah with much remembrance,”
42. “And glorify Him morning and evening.”

The holy Prophet (S) said:

“Whoever remembers Allah constantly, the good of this world and the next has been given to him.” ¹

And Imam Sadiq (as) said that everything has a limit except the remembrance of Allah.² An Islamic tradition indicates that the heart and soul may rust like iron and the remembrance of Allah is a means to remove it and to make it bright. So, the Qur’an says:

Yes, since the factors of negligence are abundantly found in material life of man, and the arrows of the temptations of Satans are being thrown from every side to him, there is no way to defend save by ‘much remembrance’ in its real meaning, i.e., with full attention to Allah, not only by mere murmuring it. It must be a ‘much remembrance’ that affects on all one’s deeds and casts light on them. Thus, in this verse, the Holy Qur’an enjoins all the believers that they remember Allah in all cases. At the time of worship we must remember Him (s.w.t.) and have attention and sincerity.

At the time when we are in the scene of committing sin, we must remember Him and renounce, or if there happened a fault, we would immediately repent and return to the right way. At the time of affluence of bounties, we must remember Him ‘and thank Him’; and at the time of affliction and calamity we must remember Him and be patient and steadfast. In short, we must not forget His remembrance in any scene out of the scenes of life. In a tradition which has been recorded in ‘Sahih Tarmathi’ and ‘Musnad-i-Ahmad, Abu Sa‘id Khidri narrates from the Prophet of Islam (S) who said that once he (S) was asked:

“Which servants have the highest degree with Allah on the Hereafter Day?”

He answered:

“Those who remember Allah very much.”

However, we must note that the Qur’anic phrase: /ŏikran kaθira/ (with much remembrance) has a vast meaning. If in some narrations it has been rendered into the hymns of Hadrat Zahra (as)³ and some commentators have commented it upon the mentioning the Exulted Attributes, the Names Most Beautiful, and removal Allah from what is not correct for Him, and the like, all of them are of the kind of stating the mentioning the clear example, not for limiting the concept of the verse, and these examples in particular.

Thus, much remembrance of Allah and His glorification every morning and evening will not be obtained but with constant regard to Allah, and permanent removal Him from any blemish and defections and we know that the remembrance of Allah for man’s soul and spirit is like food and water for the body. Surah Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, verse 28 says:

The peace and certainty of the hearts are also the consequence of that which had been stated in Surah Al-Fajr, No. 90, verses 27-30 saying:

A Few Traditions Upon ‘Much Remembrance’

1- The Qur’an has stated some effects and favours for the remembrance of Allah and it has mentioned it as one of the reasons of ‘prayer’. It says:

2- Turning away from the remembrance of Allah, will consequence a straitened life. Allah in the Qur’an says:

3- The holy Prophet (S) said:

“He who has a tongue busy reciting Thikr (the Name of Allah) the good of (both) this world and the next has been given to him.”

And Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Everything has a limit except the remembrance of Allah.” ⁶

4- It has been narrated from Jabir-ibn-‘Abdillah (May Allah be pleased with him) who said that he has heard the Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“The best Thikr (remembrance of Allah) is /la’ilaha’illalah/ (there is no god but Allah).” ⁷

5- Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) said: “A great bliss shall be his whose tongue is busy reciting Thikr (the Name of Allah).”⁸ 6- The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“Do recite much /la houl-a-wala-quwwata-’illa-billah/ (There is neither might nor strength but in Allah) for verily it is (one) of the treasures of the Heaven.” ⁹

7- The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

“Whoever whose last word is /la-’ilaha-’illalah/ (there is no god but Allah) will enter Paradise.” ¹⁰

8- Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) said:

“The pleasure of the lovers (of Allah) is the remembrance (of Allah).” ¹¹

9- Imam Ali-ibn-’Abitalib (as) said:

“Do remember Allah everywhere because He is surely with you (everywhere and in any case).” ¹²

10- Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“The hymns of Fatimat-uz-Zahra (as) is of (the kind of) ‘much remembrance’ that Allah, Almighty and Glorious, said:

11- Some authentic Islamic narrations indicate that ‘the remembrance of Allah’ is not done only by the tongue, but the real remembrance of Allah is in that that at the time of encountering the lawful and unlawful (things) of Allah we remember Him and desist from committing sin.¹⁴