What Is the Effect of Remembrance of Allah on Man?
ما أثر ذكر الله على الإنسان؟
The word remembrance (dhikr) appears in the Quran in more than three hundred verses. Taken together, these verses stress that remembrance should accompany a person in all his affairs, his conditions and the stages of his life, because it is the worship of the heart, the mind and the tongue.
The root of remembrance is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, made it nourishment for the heart. Allah says: (those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.) [Ar-Ra’d 13:28]
Remembrance is life for the heart of the one who remembers: when he remembers Allah with his tongue, and his heart and his tongue agree, the soul settles and the spirit is calmed by His remembrance.
(Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do.) [Al-’Ankabut 29:45]
The Messenger of Allah said: (The example of the one who remembers Allah and the one who does not remember Allah is like that of the living and the dead.)
ورد في القرآن كلمة الذكر في أكثر من ثلاثمئة آية، تؤكد هذه الآيات في مجموعها أن الذكر ينبغي أن يدور مع الإنسان في كل شؤونه، وأحواله، وأطواره، لأنه عبادة القلب، والفكر، واللسان.
أصل الذكر أن الله سبحانه وتعالى جعله غذاءً للقلب قال تعالى: (الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ) [الرعد 13: 28]
الذكر حياة لقلب الذاكر لأنه إن ذكر الله بلسانه وتواطأ ذلك قلبه ولسانه فتسكن النفس وتهدأ الروح بذكره.
(اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ) [العنكبوت 29: 45]
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (( مَثَلُ الذي يُذكَرُ اللهُ والذي لا يذكرُ الله كمَثَلُ الحيِّ والميِّت ))
1. Hearts Find Comfort | ألا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب
Those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort (13:28). Ibn Kathir explains: their hearts become good and lean on Allah, find rest at His remembrance, and are content with Him as their Protector and Helper; and He is truly worthy of that.
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ (سورة الرعد: 28)
قال تعالى: (الذين آمنوا وتطمئن قلوبهم بذكر الله ألا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب) (الرعد 13: 28)، قال ابن كثير: أي: تطيب وتركن إلى جانب الله، وتسكن عند ذكره، وترضى به مولى ونصيرا، ولهذا قال: (ألا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب) أي: هو حقيق بذلك.
2. The Living and the Dead | مثل الحي والميت
The Prophet said: The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is that of the living and the dead (Sahih al-Bukhari 6407). And in another wording: The example of the house in which Allah is remembered and the house in which Allah is not remembered is that of the living and the dead (Sahih Muslim 779). This is the hadith the scholar quotes; how a Muslim remembers Allah is explained in how a Muslim remembers Allah and glorifies Him.
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "مثل الذي يذكر ربه والذي لا يذكر مثل الحي والميت" (صحيح البخاري 6407)، وفي رواية: "مثل البيت الذي يذكر الله فيه والبيت الذي لا يذكر الله فيه مثل الحي والميت" (صحيح مسلم 779).
3. The Remembrance of Allah Is Greater | ولذكر الله أكبر
Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, genuine prayer should deter one from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is an even greater deterrent (29:45). Ibn Kathir explains that the prayer holds two things: the leaving of indecencies and wrongs, for keeping to it leads one to leave them, and the remembrance of Allah, which is the greater aim; so “greater” means greater than the first. Humility in prayer is explained in what helps us pray with humility.
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ (سورة العنكبوت: 45)
قال تعالى: (اتل ما أوحي إليك من الكتاب وأقم الصلاة إن الصلاة تنهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر ولذكر الله أكبر والله يعلم ما تصنعون) (العنكبوت 29: 45)، قال ابن كثير: يعني: أن الصلاة تشتمل على شيئين: على ترك الفواحش والمنكرات، أي: إن مواظبتها تحمل على ترك ذلك، وتشتمل الصلاة أيضا على ذكر الله تعالى، وهو المطلوب الأكبر، ولهذا قال تعالى: (ولذكر الله أكبر) أي: أعظم من الأول.
4. The Best of Your Deeds | ألا أنبئكم بخير أعمالكم
The Prophet said: Shall I not tell you of the best of your deeds, the purest of them with your Master, the highest of them in raising your ranks, better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks while they strike yours? They said: Yes. He said: The remembrance of Allah, Exalted is He (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3377, graded sahih by al-Albani); Ibn Kathir cites it under 33:41.
قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "ألا أنبئكم بخير أعمالكم وأزكاها عند مليككم وأرفعها في درجاتكم وخير لكم من إنفاق الذهب والورق وخير لكم من أن تلقوا عدوكم فتضربوا أعناقهم ويضربوا أعناقكم"، قالوا: بلى، قال: "ذكر الله تعالى" (جامع الترمذي 3377، وصححه الألباني).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What is the effect of remembering Allah on the heart?
It gives the heart comfort and rest: Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort (13:28).
How did the Prophet describe the one who does not remember Allah?
The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is that of the living and the dead (Sahih al-Bukhari 6407).
Why is the remembrance of Allah called greater in 29:45?
Ibn Kathir explains that the prayer both keeps one from indecencies and holds the remembrance of Allah, which is the greater aim.
Is remembrance better than spending in charity?
The Prophet called the remembrance of Allah better for us than spending gold and silver (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3377, graded sahih by al-Albani).