O you who have attained faith,
Remember Allah with much Remembrance.
- The Final Testament, 33:41
Much Remembrance is not about Quantity
but about forgetting everything other than the Real Alone
A servant of Allah once asked his spiritual master about the Quranic term, "Zikran katheera" which translates as "Remember much," a command of the Quran. The questioner expected that his teacher may specify some number of recitation to be done.
Instead, the teacher replied that "Remembering Allah much" is not a matter of quantity when it comes to its reality; it is a matter of forgetting everything other than Allah, most exalted is He.
Remembrance or Zikr is the basis of the reason of our existence. It is the adab, the attention, the consciousness. It is how we treat people, how we think, how we act, how we shape and pursue our expectations, how we approach Allah in our prayers.
The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
"The one who remembers Allah among those who forget Him is like
a warrior behind those who run away.The one who remembers Allah among those who forget Him is like
a green tree in the midst of dry ones.The one who remembers Allah among those who forget Him is like
a light in a dark house.The one who remembers Allah among those who forget Him is shown
by Allah his seat in Paradise while he,she is still alive.One who remembers Allah among those who forget Him is forgiven
as many sins as the number of eloquent and non-eloquent speakers."
And may our supplication be such and may they be accepted. So be it.
O Allah, may we turn to You continually in remembrance, properly, humbly, longingly, and with right etiquette (adab).
O Allah reduce our hearts' attachments to all that is transient in this world, and increase our attachment to that which is Eternal.
O Allah, make forgetting difficult for us and remembering easy for us.
O Allah, make each of us one "who remembers God in seclusion and whose eyes become flooded with tears." so that we might be among the seven group of people who are "shaded by Allah on the awesome day when there will be no shade except Allah's."
O Allah, keep us conscious of our misdeeds and of our need to repent; grateful for Your forgiveness; mindful of the gifts You have bestowed upon us; and humble before the bounties of Existence.
O Allah, help us so that we may pray and worship You in the correct way, as the Messenger guided, so that our worship may be accepted, especially our supplications for those who are in need and who are suffering.
Indeed Truth belongs to Allah; it is He who shows the way. Allah, alone, suffice us, and what a fine guardian is He! Blessings be upon our master Muhammad and his holy family and blessed companions altogether, and praise is due to Allah, Originator and Sustainer Lord of the Worlds.
~ adopted from Applied Sufism by Shaykh Ahmed Abdur Rashid, may Allah increase baraka for him
COMMENTS