In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Advice of Habib Husayn al-Saqqaf (may Allah preserve him and benefit us by him):
In these blessed days of remembrance, you should focus on two things:
1. Realizing the greatness of Allah and His remembrance. Allah says: “Truly Allah’s remembrance is greater [Qur'an, Al-Ankabut 29:45].” When you say “Allahu Akbar” you must realize in your heart that Allah is greater than everything else that you hold in high esteem. Then everything in creation will dwindle into insignificance and only Allah will remain in your heart. Realize that Allah is greater than yourself and all the things that your heart is attached to. Realize that Allah is the greatest, for if your heart is overcome with veneration for Him, that feeling will settle in your inner being and your heart will be in a state of submissiveness to Him. This will then lead to another type of remembrance which is:
2. Remembering Allah with more fervor, as indicated in the verse (referring to those performing hajj): “Remember Allah as you used to remember your forefathers, but with more fervor [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:200].”
Imagine how you remember your family when you are apart from them or how you remember someone who was very dear to you who has passed away. How do you remember someone you yearn for? You need to remember Allah with a greater yearning. Remembering Allah with fervor does not mean articulating the words with fervor. Rather it means remembering Him with intense love. Allah says: “Those who believe are more fervent in their love for Allah (2:165).” You must remember Allah with intense passion, yearning and fervor. Say the Divine Name “Allah” with every atom of your body and with all your emotions. This is what is intended.
Every time you remember Allah, He remembers you – as expressed in a Hadith Qudsi: “I am as My servant believes Me to be, and I am present with him when he remembers Me”. Experience being “with Him.” Taste the sweetness of your Lord’s words when He says “I am with him.” Imagine how you would feel, you weak, needy and negligent slave, if He says to you, “I am with you”? Allah is your constant Companion – so reflect upon this.
Counsels on Remembrance
Know that remembrance is, as a gnostic once said, the pillar of the Path, the key to realization, the weapon of the seekers, and the unfolding of sainthood.
Allah the Exalted has said:
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
Remember Me and I shall remember you, [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:152] and:
فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ
...Remember Allah while standing, sitting, and on your sides, [Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:103] and:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ذِكْرًۭا كَثِيرًۭا
O you who believe! Remember Allah abundantly. [Qur'an, Al-Ahzab 33:41]
The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Allah the Exalted says: "I am as My servant thinks Me to be, and am with him when he remembers Me: when he remembers Me within himself I remember him within Myself, and when he remembers Me in a company I remember him in a better company."' And: 'Allah says: "I am the companion of him who remembers Me.'" And: 'Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions, the purest in the sight of your Lord, and the most elevating to your degrees, which is better for you than spending gold and silver, and than meeting your enemy so that you strike at their necks and they strike at yours?' They said: 'Yes,' And he said: 'The remembrance of Allah.'
Remembrance has fruits and consequences which those who persevere in it with good manners and attentiveness find. The least of these is to find it so sweet and pleasurable that every worldly pleasure that one knows becomes insignificant. The highest is to become extinct in the Remembered, to the remembrance, and to all else.
The one who sits in a secluded place, in a state of purity, facing the Qibla, keeping his limbs still and his head down, and then remembers Allah with an attentive heart and complete courtesy, will see in his heart a manifest influence of the remembrance. If he perseveres, the lights of proximity will descend upon his heart, and the secrets of the unseen will become unveiled for him.
The best remembrance is that which involves both the tongue and the heart. The remembrance of the heart is to be fully aware of the meaning of that which flows from the tongue, for example the meaning of transcendence and unification when one utters the words of glorification and unification [tasbih and tahlil].
Out of remembering and reciting aloud or silently, what is most useful for the invoker is that which is better for his heart. Remembrance is the continual, permanent wird, so strive to keep your tongue moist with it in all circumstances, except at times where another wird, for example recitation or reflection, is due which cannot be done at the same time as dhikr. These and other devotions are, however, included in the more general sense of remembrance.
Do not confine yourself to only one kind of dhikr, you should rather have a wird of every variety.
Be careful to keep to the textually transmitted invocations and prayers which follow the ritual prayers, and morning and evening, before going to sleep and on waking, and at all other specified times and recurrent occasions. The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, made them sunnas only so that his nation would find in them the means for obtaining the goodness and escaping the evil which occur at these times and occasions. The one who, having neglected them, suffers something he dislikes, and is separated from his Beloved, should blame only himself. Anyone who wishes to practice that which we have mentioned should consult the imam al-Nawawi's book, al-Adhkar (The Invocations), may Allah have mercy on him and reward him well on behalf of all Muslims.
The most emphasized of that which is reported as following the ritual prayers is to say after each prescribed prayer: 'Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibddatika. [O Allah, Help me to remember You, thank You, and worship You well.] and to recite the tasbih, tahmid, and takbir thirty three times each, and to complete the count to a hundred by saying: 'La ilaha illa'llahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu'l mulku wa lahul hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir.' [There is no Allah save Allah alone, He has no partners, His is sovereignty, and His is all praise, and He has power to do all things.] Repeat this sentence ten times after the dawn, afternoon and sunset prayers, before moving your legs and before talking, and add to it: 'yuhyi wa-yumit,' [He gives life and He gives death] after lahul-hamdu. Say also morning and evening: 'Subhan Allahi, wa'l-hamdu lil'llahi, wa-la ilaha illa'llahu, wa'l llahu akbar,' [Transcendent is Allah, all praise belongs to Allah, there is no Allah but Allah, and Allah is Greater], one hundred times, and: 'La ilaha illa'llahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahu'l-mulku, wa lahu'l-hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir one hundred times each day.
Adopt a wird of prayers for the Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, for this will be a connection between you and the Prophet, and a door through which assistance from his presence flows in abundance to you. He has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'The one who prays on me once, upon him Allah prays ten times.' And: 'The most beloved to me and the nearest in sitting to me on the Day of Rising are those of you who pray on me the most.' Allah has exhorted you to do this, so obey, do it abundantly if you wish, add salutations [salaam], and include his family. In particular, repeat it frequently on Thursday night and on Friday, for he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Increase the number of your prayers on me in the White Night and the Bright Day.' May Allah bless him and his family, and grant them peace. And praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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