[vanillawafer]

Our living in this world will inevitably bring us tests. Those tests are subtle and open, they occur in great and small things. Through these tests, God shows which of us truly believe, and which of us are empty claimants. [Imam Zaid Shakir]

[vanillawafer]

If you do not believe that God can take you at this moment and make you one of His saintly believers (awliya), then you are ignorant of His power. [Ibn Ataillah]

[Rida]

Bismillah was salaatu was salaamu `ala rasullillah

Abu Dawud in his Sunan records the following hadith from Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (radhiya Allahu ‘anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allah (’alayhis salaam) said,

“Whoever says:
رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا ‏ ‏وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ ‏ ‏رَسُولًا
Radeetu billahi rabban, wa bil-Islaami deenan, wa bi-Muhammadin rasoolan
“I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my Deen, and Muhammad as a Messenger”
Jannah becomes obligatory for him [to enter].

Imam At-Tirmidhi records from Thawbaan (radhiya Allahu ‘anhu) that the Nabi Muhammad (’alayhis salaam) said, “Whoever says at evening time,

رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا ‏ ‏وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ ‏ ‏نَبِيًّا

“I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as our Deen, and Muhammad as our Prophet”
in effect Allah will become pleased with them.” (3389 book of Du’aa’)

In the Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah, At-Tabarani’s Mu’jam, Imam Ahmad’s Musnad the words, “Whoever says in the morning time or the evening time…” Al-Haythami stated, “And the narrators of Imam Ahmad and Tabarani are impeccably trustworthy (thiqaat).” Ibn Abdul-Barr states in his “Al-Isti’aab”, “This hadith is Sahih.”
Two words are mentioned within these different narrations: Rasulan رسولاً and Nabiyan نبياً . Imam An-Nawawi stated about the usage of these two words in the dhikr, “And it is recommended to combine the two [wordings], so it is said, “Nabiyan wa Rasoolan (Prophet and Messenger)”, and if one were to shorten [the dhikr] to only one of the words then they would only be acting upon one of the narrations.”

It is the Sunnah of the last of the Prophets (’alayhim salaam) to repeat these words in the morning and in the evening. It is a testament of faith, a reminder for the soul, and a litany of spiritual strength. Such a short phrase yet resulting in incredible rewards; the pleasure of Allah and thus His blessing upon one to enter the eternal garden, bliss - Jannah.

Source: Dhikr in the evening and morning: “We’re pleased with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our Deen, and Muhammad as Our Messenger”: Seeking Ilm (Knowledge)

[vanillawafer]

The strongest tie of iman (bond of faith) is having loyalty for the sake of Allah, disassociating from others for the sake of Allah, love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah. [al Hakim, al Tabrani]

[vanillawafer]

Travel to Allah is done through three things: high aspiration (himmah), returning to Allah in obedience, and relying and taking refuge in Him all the time. [Ibn Ataillah]

[vanillawafer]

You must thank God for all that He has favored you with, you have no good thing, whether outward or inward, religious or worldly, but it comes from Him. [Imam al Haddad]

[UmarOMC]

2:195 And spend [freely] in God's cause, and let not your own hands throw you into destruction; and persevere in doing good: behold, God loves the doers of good.

وَأَنفِقُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَلاَ تُلْقُواْ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ وَأَحْسِنُوَاْ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

[bravotwozero]

This thread is dedicated to the ways of practising dhikr, or the remembrance of the Almighty. Feel free to post relevant info here.

Question:
What dhikr is appropriate after the 5 daily prayers?
Answer:

Al-Salam `alaykum

The fuqaha have stated that, based on the Prophetic hadiths, after the five daily prayers it is recommended to seek the forgiveness of Allah Ta`ala by reciting Astaghfirullahthrice.

Is also recommended to recite 33 times Subhanallah, 33 times Alhamduilllah, 33 times Allahu akbar and once la ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay in qadir.

It is mentioned in a hadith that whoever recites the above after every salah his sins will be forgiven if they are as much as the foam of the ocean. (Recorded in Sahih Muslim)

Besides the above it is also recommended to recite Sura al-Ikhlas (112), Sura al-Falaq (113) and al-Nas (114) (reported by al-Tirmidhi) and Ayat al-Kursi. (Reported by Al-Nasa`i)

There are also many other dhikrs and invocations that may be recited. It is best to do that which one can do consistently, because, as the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) told us, “The most beloved of actions to Allah are those its performer is constant on, even if little.” This is because such actions transform a person’s life.

The time after the five daily salah is also a time when du`as are accepted. Hence this opportunity to seek from Allah should be realized.


[Based on Durr al-Mukhtar, Radd al-Muhtar]

May Allah grant us all the ability.

Abu Usamah

Sunnipath

[bravotwozero]

Dhikr by Word and by Action
Answer:

Dhikr by Word and by Action
from Imam Ahmad Sirhindi (Allah be pleased with him)

(famous as ‘Imam Rabbani’ and ‘Mujaddid Alf Thani’)

There are many different ways of dhikr (remembrance of Allah), both through obeying Allah's Laws, and through repeating certain phrases. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi helps to clarify the relationship between the different ways of dhikr in the following passage. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi says:

Remember that dhikr means to avoid forgetting Allah in any way that is possible. Contrary to what people think it is not confined to repeating the formula of nafi wa ithbat (i.e.la ilaha illa Allah) or repeating the ism dhat(i.e. Allah). In fact every act in compliance to the commands of Allah, whether positive or negative, is to remember Allah. Even the buying and selling in which you observe the regulations of the Shar` is dhikr; similarly, the marriage and divorce which is carried out according to the laws of the Shari`ah is dhikr. For one who performs these acts according to the Shar` is conscious of the Giver of theShar` and does not forget Him.

To be sure, the dhikr which consists in saying the names and attributes of Allah is more effective and more helpful in generating the love of Allah, and winning His nearness; and thedhikr which consists in submitting to Allah's commands, in carrying out His orders or abstaining from His prohibitions, is less effective in producing these qualities. However, some people have acquired these qualities as a result of practisingdhikr in the sense of obeying Allah's commands and avoiding His prohibitions. But such cases are few. Khwajah Naqshband has said about Zain 'l-Din Tabyadi that he reached Allah by way of knowledge.

On the other hand, the dhikr which is saying the names and attributes of Allah, is a means (wasilah) to thedhikr which is obeying the rules of the Shar` in life. For it is impossible to observe the rules of theShar` in all matters unless one has a strong love for the Giver of the Shar`, and the strong love of Allah depends upon the dhikr of Allah by saying His names and attributes. Hence one has to say dhikr in order to do this noble dhikr.

[Quoted from "Sufism and Shari`ah: A study of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's Effort to Reform Sufism," by Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari (The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, UK, 1986), pp. 232-3. Originally from Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's letters, Vol. II:46. I have replaced the word "God" in the translation with the word "Allah".]


Dhikr by Word and by Action, from Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi

[Rida]

i think vanilla created a thread like this already bro.

edit yeah here it is http://www.islamicaweb.com/forums/re...ikr-allah.html


Wassalaam

[bravotwozero]

My bad [again]. Threads merged.

[vanillawafer]

Love of God is to see what is good and beautiful in everything. It is to learn from everything, to see the gifts of God and the generosity of God in everything. It is to be thankful for all God's bounties. [Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak]

[vanillawafer]

The heart has no more than one aspect (at a time), such that when it is occupied with (a particular aspect), it is veiled from another. So take care that you are not drawn toward anything but God, lest He deprive you of the delights of intimate converse with Him. [Shaykh Abu Madyan]

[vanillawafer]

A reward is not a payment but a gift, a sign of Allah's generosity. Punishment is not a necessity, but a manifestation of justice. Allah is not obliged either to reward or to punish His creation, which has no right to demand anything from Him. [Imam Birgivi]