´`Abdullah bin Busr (ra) narrated that:` A man said: “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), indeed, the legislated acts of Islam have become too much for me, so inform me of a thing that I should stick to.” He (ﷺ) said: “Let not your tongue cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah.”
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation:
1:
The meaning of this man's statement was that there is a great abundance of good deeds in the form of obligatory acts (fara'id), Sunnah practices, and supererogatory acts (nawafil). He was asking for a comprehensive prescription such that if he were to act only upon the obligatory and Sunnah acts, and the supererogatory and recommended acts (mustahabbat) were left out, even then his good deeds would not be diminished. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and make it a constant habit of your life. In doing so, even if you are unable to act upon the supererogatory and recommended acts, their deficiency will be compensated by the abundance of the remembrance of Allah. For the essence of supererogatory and recommended acts of worship is that the servant presents an offering of his humility and lowliness in the court of Allah, and this objective is also achieved through abundant remembrance (dhikr)."
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 3375
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊ By "Shara’i" (plural of Shari’ah) is meant the rulings prescribed by Allah, which include obligatory acts (fara’id), supererogatory acts (nawafil), and recommended acts (mustahabbat).
➋ The fulfillment of obligatory acts (fara’id) is necessary in every circumstance, but the recommended acts (mustahabbat) also have their own importance, and supererogatory acts (nawafil) are also a means of attaining closeness to Allah. Some people become anxious upon seeing the abundance of these deeds, just as this companion expressed the desire that he could attain ample reward through an easy good deed.
➌ By making the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) a regular practice, any deficiency in supererogatory acts (nawafil) is compensated.
➍ The meaning of engaging abundantly in dhikr is also that one should adhere to the specific remembrances (adhkar) prescribed for different times, such as: the morning and evening adhkar, the adhkar for eating and drinking, etc. And it also means that general adhkar should be recited in abundance, such as: (Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah, La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah), and so on.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 3793