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مسند اسحاق بن راهويه
Musnad Ishaq
كتاب الدعواتBook of Supplications
Virtue of those who remember Allah
Hadith 824
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: ((مَنْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ، وَمَنْ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ فِي مَلَإِ ذَكَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي مَلَإِ هُمْ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَلَإِ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ فِيهِمْ، وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْهِ شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعَا، وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعَا تَقَرَّبَ مِنْهُ بَاعَا، وَمَنْ أَتَاهُ يَمْشِي أَتَاهُ هَرْوَلَةً، وَمَنْ أَتَاهُ هَرْوَلَةً أَتَاهُ سَعْيًا)) .
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: "Whoever remembers Allah within himself, Allah remembers him within Himself. Whoever remembers Allah in an assembly, Allah remembers him in an assembly better than the one in which he remembered Him. Whoever draws near to Him by a span, He draws near to him by a cubit. Whoever draws near to Him by a cubit, He draws near to him by two arm-lengths. Whoever comes to Him walking, He comes to him running. And whoever comes to Him running, He comes to him at speed."
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Abdush Shakoor Tirmidhi
Benefits:
➊ ... From the mentioned hadith, the virtue of those who engage in the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) is clear: such people are remembered by Allah, the Possessor of Majesty, as is stated in the Word of Allah: ﴿فَاذْکُرُوْنِیْٓ اَذْکُرْکُمْ﴾ (, al-Baqarah: 152) ... “Remember Me, I will remember you.”
The meaning of engaging in dhikr in congregation is that, after the prayer, the prescribed supplications (adhkar) are recited, or one person gives an admonition or advice and others listen—not the customary gatherings of dhikr that some people have popularized nowadays, where people form a circle and are instructed to recite “Subhan Allah” a certain number of times and a particular phrase a certain number of times. This is not correct.
As is mentioned in a narration: Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu entered the mosque and saw a man (as a leader) and in their hands were pebbles. (He would say to those present in each circle:) “Say ‘La ilaha illallah’ one hundred times,” so they would say “La ilaha illallah” one hundred times. And he would say: “Say ‘Subhan Allah’ one hundred times,” so they would say “Subhan Allah” one hundred times. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu asked a man: “What is this that I see you doing?” He replied: “O Abu Abdur Rahman! These are pebbles with which we count takbir, tahlil, and tasbih.” He said: “Rather, count your sins. I guarantee that nothing from your good deeds will be lost.” (Sunan al-Darimi, Chapter on the Dislike of Taking Opinion, no. 204)
➋ ... Qadi ‘Iyad rahimahullah says: The action of all is the same, but the increase in acceptance is according to the sincerity of the believer’s intention. Also, while explaining the meaning of ((مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ اِلَیْهِ شِبْرًا)), he says: Whoever, in terms of intention, comes a handspan closer to Me, I will grant him the ability to come a cubit closer. And if, through resolve and striving, he comes a cubit closer to Me, I will bring him two cubits closer through guidance and care. And if he turns away from everything and comes towards Me, I will remove every obstacle from his path to the truth—this is the meaning of the Lord coming to His servant running. As is mentioned in some narrations: ((وَمَنْ اَتَانِیْ یَمْشِیْ اَتَیْتُهٗ هَرْوَلَةً)) (Muslim, Book of Supplications and Remembrances, no. 6833) ... “When My servant comes to Me walking, I come to him running.” One meaning of the final words of this hadith could also be that Allah grants His servant the ability to perform such deeds by which nearness to Him is attained. (Tuhfat al-Tathrib: 8/225)
➊ ... From the mentioned hadith, the virtue of those who engage in the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) is clear: such people are remembered by Allah, the Possessor of Majesty, as is stated in the Word of Allah: ﴿فَاذْکُرُوْنِیْٓ اَذْکُرْکُمْ﴾ (, al-Baqarah: 152) ... “Remember Me, I will remember you.”
The meaning of engaging in dhikr in congregation is that, after the prayer, the prescribed supplications (adhkar) are recited, or one person gives an admonition or advice and others listen—not the customary gatherings of dhikr that some people have popularized nowadays, where people form a circle and are instructed to recite “Subhan Allah” a certain number of times and a particular phrase a certain number of times. This is not correct.
As is mentioned in a narration: Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu entered the mosque and saw a man (as a leader) and in their hands were pebbles. (He would say to those present in each circle:) “Say ‘La ilaha illallah’ one hundred times,” so they would say “La ilaha illallah” one hundred times. And he would say: “Say ‘Subhan Allah’ one hundred times,” so they would say “Subhan Allah” one hundred times. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu asked a man: “What is this that I see you doing?” He replied: “O Abu Abdur Rahman! These are pebbles with which we count takbir, tahlil, and tasbih.” He said: “Rather, count your sins. I guarantee that nothing from your good deeds will be lost.” (Sunan al-Darimi, Chapter on the Dislike of Taking Opinion, no. 204)
➋ ... Qadi ‘Iyad rahimahullah says: The action of all is the same, but the increase in acceptance is according to the sincerity of the believer’s intention. Also, while explaining the meaning of ((مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ اِلَیْهِ شِبْرًا)), he says: Whoever, in terms of intention, comes a handspan closer to Me, I will grant him the ability to come a cubit closer. And if, through resolve and striving, he comes a cubit closer to Me, I will bring him two cubits closer through guidance and care. And if he turns away from everything and comes towards Me, I will remove every obstacle from his path to the truth—this is the meaning of the Lord coming to His servant running. As is mentioned in some narrations: ((وَمَنْ اَتَانِیْ یَمْشِیْ اَتَیْتُهٗ هَرْوَلَةً)) (Muslim, Book of Supplications and Remembrances, no. 6833) ... “When My servant comes to Me walking, I come to him running.” One meaning of the final words of this hadith could also be that Allah grants His servant the ability to perform such deeds by which nearness to Him is attained. (Tuhfat al-Tathrib: 8/225)
Source: Musnad Ishaq bin Rahwayh, Page: 824
