Methods of Remembering Allah

Today’s reminder is on the methods of remembering Allah SWT

Dear brothers and sisters, we follow on from last week’s reminder on remembering Allah SWT. Today the focus moves onto methods of remembrance.

The imam reminded us of a number of these today and we will begin with the first one that is mentioned through a hadith of the Prophet SAWS. It is translated to say:

The prophet peace and blessings be upon him said ‘The best of words after the Quran, and it is from the Quran, is four,  you will not suffer if you say it, ‘Subhan Allah wal Hamdulilah wa la Illah Ila Allah Wa Allaho Akbar’

Dear brothers and sisters, the four words are mentioned here. And of these the scholars state that the one that is highest in rank is the Tawheed, i.e. la Illah Ila Allah

But alongside this there are many other forms of remembering Allah SWT. And to remember Allah SWT is absolutely key to our success in the next life and for peace in this one.

The imam reminded us of a number of references from the Glorious Quran in relation to today’s reminder. They are as follows:

Firstly, verse 28 from Sura Al-Kahf is translated to say:

And patiently stick with those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His pleasure. Do not let your eyes look beyond them, desiring the luxuries of this worldly life. And do not obey those whose hearts We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who follow ˹only˺ their desires and whose state is ˹total˺ loss.

And then the timing is mentioned in Sura Al-Ahzab, ayat 41 and 42 which are translated to say:

O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance. And exalt Him morning and afternoon.

And finally the imam mentioned Sura Taha, ayat 130 which is translated to say:

So be patient ˹O Prophet˺ with what they say. And glorify the praises of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset, and glorify Him in the hours of the night and at both ends of the day, so that you may be pleased ˹with the reward˺.

Dear brothers and sisters, we are being given in these references, times in which we should remember Allah SWT. We ought to be making it part of our morning and evening routines as by adding it to an existing routine, we stand the best chance of keeping the remembrance a habit.

And unlike, salat, remembrance of Allah SWT can be done anywhere. It can be performed during a walk, driving a car or any other routine that is performed in the day.

In fact, Allah SWT explicitly states that you can remember Him in many forms. This was mentioned by the imam today and it’s from 191th verse of sura Imran.

It is translated to say:

˹They are˺ those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth ˹and pray˺, “Our Lord! You have not created ˹all of˺ this without purpose. Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire.

And dear brothers and sisters, for those of us that are not in the habit already but want to be able to obtain a significant reward, the following hadith of the Prophet SAWS will equip us with the means to benefit greatly from just two words. It is translated to say:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Two words are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance, and are loved by the Most Merciful One: Subḥānallāhi wa biḥamdih, Subḥānallāhi ‘l-`Aẓīm. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Two words are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance, and are loved by the Most Merciful One: Glorified is Allah and praised is He, Glorified is Allah the Most Great. Dear brothers and sisters, todays reminder should serve to jolt us into incorporating the remembrance of Allah SWT in our daily habits. The key is consistency so start small and insha’Allah the remberance of Allah SWT will become part of the daily routine for us all.