This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail Amaal.
Do not consider a person victorious merely because he is intelligent and wise.
One who forgets God in times of pleasure,
One who has no fear of God in moments of anger.
Allah Almighty says: ﴿فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ﴾
"Remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me and do not be ungrateful."
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:152)
Allah Almighty commanded the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to remember:
﴿وَاذْكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْغَافِلِينَ﴾
"And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and with fear and without loudness in words, in the mornings and the evenings, and do not be among the heedless."
Reference: (7-Al-A'raf:205)
Further He said:
﴿وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ ۗ فَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَلَهُ أَسْلِمُوا ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُخْبِتِينَ . الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ عَلَىٰ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِي الصَّلَاةِ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ.﴾
"And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies that they may mention the name of Allah over the livestock He has provided for them. So your God is One God, so submit to Him alone. And give good tidings to the humble (those who bow down). Those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and who endure patiently whatever afflicts them, and who establish prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them."
Reference: (22-Al-Hajj:34,35)
"In this verse, Allah Almighty commanded the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to give glad tidings from his Lord to the sincere servants of Allah who adopt humility and submissiveness. Their qualities are that when Allah's mention is made before them, their hearts tremble due to their servitude and awareness of negligence in His remembrance. When they face any calamity, they do not panic nor utter words of complaint, but rather exercise patience and perseverance. They perform the five daily prayers in the mosque with the Muslims, observing all conditions and possibilities. And from what Allah has provided them, they spend in His way for their family, the poor, the needy, and the servants of Allah."
Reference: (Taysir ar-Rahman: 2/956)
﴿ وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ . قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِي أَعْمَىٰ وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيرًا . قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَاتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنسَىٰ.﴾
"Whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind."
He will say, 'My Lord, why have You raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?'
[Allah] will say, 'Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.'"
Reference: (20-Taha:124-126)
From this verse, it is understood that the one who remembers Allah has a strong livelihood. Allah blesses his wealth and protects him from disgrace on the Day of Judgment.
﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ﴾
"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured."
Reference: (13-Ar-Ra'd:28)
It is fitting and appropriate for hearts to be satisfied with nothing but the remembrance of Allah Almighty, because for hearts, the love of Allah, His closeness, and His knowledge are the most delightful and sweet things. According to the extent of knowledge and love of Allah Almighty, hearts remember Him. According to this statement, remembrance here means the servant's remembrance of his Lord, such as glorification, magnification, and praise. One opinion is that it refers to the Book of Allah, which Allah revealed as a reminder for the believers. Thus, the meaning of reassurance of the heart through divine remembrance is that when the heart comprehends the meanings and commands of the Quran, it becomes reassured because the meanings of the Quran indicate clear truth, supported by proofs and evidences. Hearts are reassured by it because without knowledge and certainty, hearts do not find peace. The Book of Allah contains knowledge and certainty with the most perfect reasons. Other books do not lead to knowledge and certainty. Therefore, hearts are not reassured by them; rather, due to conflicting proofs and contradictory rulings, they remain in distress.
Reference: (Tafsir as-Sa'di: 2/1323)
The tongue should always be moist with the remembrance of Allah. The pride of the children of Adam, the Prophet of Mercy (peace be upon him), said:
لا يزال لسانك رطبا من ذكر الله
"Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah."
Reference: Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications, Chapter on the Virtue of Remembrance, No: 3375.
Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it "Sahih."عن أبى موسى الأشعري رضى الله عنه عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:مثل الذى يذكر ربه والذي لا يذكره، مثل الحي والميت
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not remember is like the example of the living and the dead."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Supplications, Chapter on the Virtue of the Remembrance of Allah, No: 6407 - Sahih Muslim, Book of Traveler's Prayer, Chapter on the Recommendation of Voluntary Prayer at Home, No: 779
عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: يقول الله تعالى: أنا عند ظن عبدي بي، وأنا معه إذا ذكرني، فإن ذكرني فى نفسه، ذكرته فى نفسي، وإن ذكرني فى ملإ، ذكرته فى ملإ خير منهم
Narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah says: I am as My servant thinks of Me. If he thinks good of Me, he will have it. When he remembers Me, I am with him. If he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself. If he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better gathering."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Tawheed, Chapter on the Saying of Allah Almighty: And Allah warns you about Himself, No: 7405 - Sahih Muslim, Book of Remembrance and Supplication, No: 2675.
