Reports on the virtue of remembering Allah

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No deed of the son of Adam saves him from the Fire more than the remembrance of Allah." The people said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), not even jihad in the path of Allah?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Not even jihad in the path of Allah, (even if) you strike with your sword until it breaks, then strike with it until it breaks." He said this three times.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Remembering Allah morning and evening is better than breaking swords in the path of Allah and giving wealth in heaps.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: That I remember Allah from early morning until sunrise is dearer to me than that I keep charging on fine horses in the path of Allah from early morning until sunrise.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: If one man were to spend the night giving away prized white possessions, and another man were to spend the night reciting the Qur'an and remembering Allah, my view is that the one who remembers Allah is superior.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: If of two men, one had dinars in his lap and was giving them away, and the other was remembering Allah, the one remembering Allah would be superior.

It is narrated from Abu Ja'far that he said: No habit is more beloved to Allah Almighty than gratitude and remembrance.

It is narrated concerning Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Those whose tongues remain moist with the remembrance of Allah will enter Paradise smiling.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) that a Bedouin submitted: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the injunctions of Islam are indeed very many. Tell me something to which I may cling." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Your tongue should always remain moist with the remembrance of Allah."

It is narrated from Ibn Sabit that he said: Take light from the remembrance of Allah, and set aside for your homes a share of your prayers.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Indeed, to the people of the heaven the houses of the people of remembrance shine just as the stars shine to the people of the earth.

It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib that he said: Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If there were two men, one of them charging on horseback in the path of Allah and the other remembering Allah, this one who remembers would be superior and greater in reward.

It is narrated from Salim bin Abi al-Ja'd that he said: It was said to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abu Sa'd bin Munabbih had freed 100 slaves from his wealth. He said: "Indeed, 100 freed slaves from the wealth of one man is a great thing. But shall I not tell you of something better than that? Cling to faith night and day, and let your tongue remain constantly moist with the remembrance of Allah."

It is narrated from Abu Ubaydah that he said: As long as a man's heart is engaged in remembrance, he is in prayer, even if he is in the marketplace, and if his lips move as well, that is even better.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever would love to graze in the gardens of Paradise, let him remember Allah abundantly."

It is narrated from Masruq that he said: As long as a man's heart remembers Allah, he is in prayer, even if he is in the marketplace.

It is narrated from Abu Ubaydah that he said: As long as the servant engages in remembrance, he is in prayer.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Whoever says these words ten times: 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir' (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, He has no partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things), this is for him equal to freeing four slaves. The narrator thinks he also said: From the descendants of Isma'il (peace be upon him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says: 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir' (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, He has no partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things), saying these words is like freeing one slave."

Hilal narrates from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Whoever says a hundred times in the morning and a hundred times in the evening: 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir' (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, He has no partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things), no one will come on the Day of Resurrection with the equal of his deed, except one who said these words or more.

It is narrated from Suwayd bin Juhayl that he said: Whoever says after Asr: 'La ilaha illallah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir' (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah; His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things), these words will keep contending on behalf of the one who said them until tomorrow.

Something similar is reported from Muslim, the freed slave of Suwayd bin Juhayl, from Suwayd, who was one of the companions of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says ten times: 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu biyadihil-khayru wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir' (None has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, He has no partner; His is the dominion and His is the praise, in His hand is all good, and He has power over all things), these will be equal to freeing ten slaves," or: "equal to freeing one slave."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: Suppose there are two men, one of them coming from the east and the other from the west. One of them has gold, which he comes spending in the rightful places, and the other keeps remembering Allah, until the two of them meet on the road. The better of the two will be the one who is remembering Allah.

It is narrated from Abd al-Rahman bin Sabit that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was brought to a circle of people who were remembering Allah. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty is boasting of your gathering before the people of heaven."

It is narrated from Muhammad bin Ibrahim that he said: Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) says: That I should be among people who remember Allah from when they pray the morning prayer until sunrise is dearer to me than being on the backs of horses, fighting in jihad in the path of Allah until sunrise. And that I should be among people who remember Allah from when they pray Asr until sunset is more beloved to me than riding on the backs of horses and fighting in jihad in the path of Allah until sunset.