This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hussain bin Mubarak Al-Mawsili's Arabic book Al-Awamer wal-Nawahi, whose Urdu translation has been done by Muhammad Sarwar Gohar Sahib under the title Ahkamat o Mamnoaat.
① Sayyiduna Abu Muslim Aghar narrates, I met Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه and Sayyiduna Abu Saeed رضي الله عنه and both narrated from the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم that he said:
لا يقعد قوم يذكرون الله تعالى إلا حفتهم الملائكة وغشيتهم الرحمة ونزلت عليهم السكينة وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده
"When some people sit to remember Allah Almighty, the angels surround them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them among the angels near Him."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Remembrance, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness 2700; Tirmidhi, Book of Recitations 3378.
② Sayyiduna Abu Musa رضي الله عنه narrates, it was asked from the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم: On the Day of Resurrection, which act of worship will be the best and highest in rank before Allah? He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
ذكر الله
"The remembrance of Allah."
Reference: The author of the book referred to Sahihain. However, the investigator of the book declared it weak and said that he did not find this hadith in Sahihain. Rather, it is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri رضي الله عنه in Musnad Ahmad 3/75 and Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3436.
③ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
قال 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 ، وإن تقرب إلى شبرا تقربت إليه ذراعا ، وإن تقرب إلى ذراعا تقربت إليه باعا ، وإن أتاني يمشي أتيته هرولة
"Allah Almighty says: I am as My servant thinks of Me. If he remembers Me, I remember him; if he remembers Me in himself, I remember him in Myself; if he remembers Me in a group, I remember him in a better group. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Monotheism 7405; Muslim, Book of Remembrance, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness 2675.
④ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إن لله تعالى ملائكة يطوفون فى الطريق يلتمسون أهل الذكر ، فإذا وجدوا قوما يذكرون الله عز وجل تنادوا : هلموا إلى حاجتكم . قال : فيحفونهم بأجنحتهم إلى السماء الدنيا . قال : فيسألهم ربهم وهو أعلم بهم : ما يقول عبادي؟ قال : يقولون : يسبحونك ويكبرونك ويحمدونك ويمجدونك . قال : فيقول : هل رأوني؟ قال : فيقولون : لا والله ما رأوك . قال : فيقول : كيف لو رأوني؟ قال : يقولون : لو رأوك كانوا أشد لك عبادة وأشد تمجيدا وأكثر لك تسبيحا . قال : فيقول : فماذا يسألون؟ قال : يقولون : يسألونك الجنة . قال : فيقول : وهل رأوها؟ قال : فيقولون : لا والله يا رب ما رأوها . قال : فيقول : كيف لو رأوها؟ قال : يقولون : لو أنهم رأوها كانوا أشد عليها حرصا وأشد لها طلبا وأعظم فيها رغبة . قال : فمم يتعوذون؟ قال : يقولون : يتعوذون من النار . قال : فيقول : وهل رأوها؟ قال : فيقولون : لا والله ما رأوها . قال : فيقول : كيف لو رأوها؟ قال : يقولون : لو رأوها كانوا أشد منها فرارا وأشد لها مخافة . قال : فيقول : فأشهدكم أني قد غفرت لهم . قال : يقول ملك من الملائكة : فيهم فلان ليس منهم إنما جاء لحاجة . قال : هم الجلساء لا يشقى منهم جليسهم
"Some angels of Allah roam the roads seeking those who remember Allah. When they find people engaged in the remembrance of Allah, they call their companions: Come here, your seekers have been found. The Lord then asks them, although He is more aware than they of what His servants were saying: What were My servants saying? They say: They were engaged in Your glorification, magnification, praise, and commendation. He asks: Did they see Me? They say: No, by Allah! They did not see You. Allah says: If they had seen Me, what would their condition have been? They say: If they had seen You, they would have worshipped You even more and praised and glorified You more. Then Allah asks: What were they asking for? The angels say: They were asking You for Paradise. Allah asks: Did they see it? They say: No, by Allah! O Lord! They did not see it. Allah says: If they had seen it, what would their condition have been? They say: If they had seen it, they would have desired it even more and would have been more determined to attain it. Then Allah asks: From what were they seeking refuge? They say: From the Fire. He asks: Did they see it? They say: No, by Allah! They did not see it. He asks again: If they had seen it, what would their condition have been? They say: If they had seen it, they would have fled from it and feared it even more. Allah says: I bear witness that I have forgiven them. One of the angels says: Among them is a person who was not part of them; he came there out of some necessity. Allah says: It is such a gathering that no one who participates and sits in it can be deprived."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Supplications 6708; Muslim, Book of Remembrance, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness 2689.
⑤ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
سبق المفردون
"The single ones have gone ahead."
The Companions رضي الله عنهم asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Who are the single ones?"
He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
الذاكرون الله كثيرا والذاكرات
"Men and women who frequently remember Allah."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Remembrance and Supplication 2676; Musnad Ahmad, Remaining Musnad of the Frequent Remembrancers 323/2.
⑥ Sayyiduna Abu Musa رضي الله عنه narrates from the Noble Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, he said:
مثل الذى يذكر ربه والذي لا يذكر ربه مثل الحي والميت
"The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the living and the dead."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Supplications 6407; Muslim, Book of Travelers' Prayer and Shortening It 779.
⑦ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Bisar رضي الله عنه narrates that a man said:
"O Messenger of Allah! The laws of Islam have become too many for me; tell me something by which I may act."
The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
لا يزال لسانك رطبا من ذكر الله
"Your tongue should remain moist with the remembrance of Allah."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3375; Ibn Majah, Book of Supplications 3793, the narration is authentic.
⑧ Sayyiduna Abu Darda رضي الله عنه narrates, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
ألا أنبئكم بخير أعمالكم وأزكاها عند مليككم وأرفعها فى درجاتكم وخير لكم من إنفاق الذهب والفضة وخير لكم من أن تلقوا عدوكم فتضربوا أعناقهم ويضربوا أعناقكم
"Shall I not tell you about the best of you, the purest in the sight of your King, the highest in your ranks, better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than fighting your enemy and killing them or being killed by them?"
The Companions رضي الله عنهم said: "Why not! Please tell us."
He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
ذكر الله تعالى
"The remembrance of Allah Almighty."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3377; Ibn Majah, Book of Manners 3790, the narration is Hasan.
① Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (RA) narrates, I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:
قال الله تعالى : يا ابن آدم إنك ما دعوتني ورجوتني غفرت لك على ما كان منك ولا أبالي ، يا ابن آدم لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السماء ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك ولا أبالي ، يا ابن آدم إنك لو أتيتني بقراب الأرض خطايا ثم لقيتني لا تشرك بي شيئا لأتيتك بقرابها مغفرة
"Allah Almighty says: O son of Adam! As long as you keep praying to Me and maintain hope in Me, I will continue to forgive your sins no matter how many your sins are, and I do not care about that. O son of Adam! If your sins reach up to the height of the sky, then you ask Me for forgiveness, I will forgive you and I do not care. O son of Adam! If you come to Me with sins covering the earth, then meet Me in a state where you have not associated partners with Me, I will come to you with so much forgiveness."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3540, the narration is Hasan.
① Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
سلوا الله من فضله فإن الله يحب أن يسأل ، وأفضل العبادة انتظار الفرج
"Ask Allah for His bounty, for Allah loves to be asked, and waiting for generosity and abundance is the best worship."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3571, the narration is weak. In its chain, Hammad bin Waqid is weak in hadith. See Al-Kamil 248/6, 249.
② Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ليسأل أحدكم ربه حاجته كلها حتى يسأل شسع نعله إذا انقطع
"You should ask your Lord for all your needs and necessities, even if the strap of someone's shoe breaks, he should ask Him for it."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3604, the narration is weak. See Silsilat al-Da'ifah by Al-Albani 1362.
③ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
من لم يسأل الله يغضب عليه
"Whoever does not ask from Allah, He becomes displeased with him."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3373.
④ Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say to a man يا ذا الجلال والإكرام, then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
قد استجيب لك فسل
"Your supplication has been accepted, so ask."
And he heard a man saying: "O Allah! I ask You for patience."
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
سألت البلاء فسله العافية
"You have asked for affliction, so ask for well-being from it."
Reference: Tirmidhi, Sahih and Da'if Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications 3650; Musnad Ahmad 231/5, the narration is Hasan.
⑤ Sayyiduna Malik bin Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إذا سألتم الله عز وجل فاسألوه ببطون أكفكم ولا تسألوه بظهورها
"When you supplicate to Allah, do so with your right hands, and do not ask with your left hands."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer 1486, the narration is Hasan.
