The Prophet's Dhikr- A Thought shared with Sister Umm Zaid
Sister Umm Zaid:
It's pretty scary, if you think about it, how far we've come, generallyspeaking, from the level of adab and knowledge and reverence that the Muslimstrad'lly had for the Prophet (peace be upon him). After we had a mawlid in NYseveral years ago, one brother approached me very angrily and said "The sheikhtalked too much about the Prophet (peace be upon him), and that is a very Sufithing to do. The Sufis love him too much." I mean, subhan'Allah. People willgo on and on about their spouse or their computer hobby or whatever, but in theUmmah we are at the point where people only give lip service to "loving him morethan we love ourselves," and they get uncomfortable if you "talk about him toomuch" or talk about the blessed hair or the urine hadith.
Munawwar:
It’s really surprising to know that some ‘Muslim’s’ say such things about His noble dhikr or remembrance when Allah has named the Prophet ‘Dhikr’! (May Allah shower peace and blessings on Him).
Allah says, ‘He is no less than a dhikr for all worlds’ (12:104)
Many scholars have upheld that the meaning of dhikr in the following verse ‘Verily with the dhirk of Allah do hearts find rest’ is the Prophet (May Allah shower abundant peace and blessings on Him), as mentioned by Mulla Ali Qari in Sharh al-Shifa and others. Mujahid is the earliest source to this explanation.
Hence the remembrance, praise, and discussion about Him (May Allah shower abundant peace and blessings on Him) is full of plentiful peace and tranquilly for the believer. If one does not feel this when talking about Him, or experience it when hearing something about Him, he has a major concern and should consult somebody about it to put it right.
The Prophet’s dhikr is raised to such an extent, that in a hadith Qudsi, Allah said to the Prophet: ‘I am not remembered except that you are remembered with me’. Many exegetes have narrated this in their commentaries of the following verse, ‘And we have raised for you your dhikr’. (94:4)
Let me ask, what in the earths and skies lives without Allah’s dhikr? Allah says, ‘Whatever is in the heavens and the earth- let it declare the praises and glory of Allah’ (57:1, 59:1, 61:1) thus in light of the foregoing hadith, the Prophet is remembered at all times and in every moment.
Moreover, the following verse is explicit on the continuity of His Dhikr, Allah says, ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you who believe! Send blessings on Him and salute Him’ (33:56). An interesting point here is what we find in many commentaries of this verse. The linguists say this verse is special since it commences with a nominal sentence and finishes with a verbal sentence signifying the continuity ‘dawam’ of His dhikr and its different forms ‘tajaddud wa huduth’ in beauty every time it is made by Allah and His angels!
The believer is ordered to praise Him (May Allah shower abundant peace and blessings on Him), as made obligatory by Allah Almighty. Allah says, ‘In order that you may believe in Allah and His messenger, that you may assist and Honour Him, and celebrate His praises morning and night’ (48:9)
The verbs 'wa tu'azziruhu wa tuwaqqiruhu' used in this verse are from the Mufa’alah form, both of which imply emphasis or mubalghah. Mubarrid, a famous linguist, says: ‘Honour Him intensively bi al-mubalghah’ as recorded in al-Shifa of Qadhi Ayyadh and its commentaries.
This is why Imam Busayri said,
‘Ascribe to Him all reverence, and all honour as you like,
As much as you wish assert His eminence!
Because the boundless merits of the Messenger of God are such,
That none can speak of them with all eloquent tongues’
(Burdah)
Our salah is incomplete without the recitation of the Qur’an, and the Qur’an is incomplete if you exclude the following verses:
His face
(Surah 93: 1) ‘By the glowing brightness of the rising morning’
(surah 2: 144) ‘surely, we have been watching you repeatedly turning your face towards the heaven’
His hair
(Surah 93: 2) ‘and by the night when it covers everything in calm’
His chest & back
(surah 94: 1-3) ‘Have we not expanded for you your chest? And we have taken back the burden which weighed your back’
His Eyes
(Surah 15: 88) ‘And do not lift your eyes towards the wealth which we have given to certain classes’
His tongue
(Surah 75: 16)
(surah 19: 97) ‘So we have made the quran easy by revealing it on/in your tongue’
(Surah 44: 58) ‘Verily we have made the Qur’an easy on/in your tongue’
His speech
(Surah 53: 3-4) ‘And he speaks not of His own desire; this is not but a revelation which is revealed to Him’
His heart
(Surah 53: 11) ‘The heart lied not in what He saw’
(Surah 11: 120) ‘And all that which we relate to you of the tidings of the apostles is to strengthen your heart’ (also 25:32)
His life
(surah 15: 72) ‘O my apostle! By your life!’
Character
(Surah 68:4) ‘And surely you stand on the greatest of character’
Mantle (74:1), garments (74:4), cloak (73:1)
Conduct & example
(Surah 33:21) ‘You have indeed in the messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct’.
His Dhikr
(Surah 94: 4) ‘And we have exalted for you your remembrance’
His light
(Surah 5: 15) ‘There has come to you from Allah a Light and a clear book’
(Surah 33: 45-46, 48: 8) ‘A spreading light’.
Him as a bounty
(Surah 33:47) ‘Then give the glad tidings to believers that they should have from Allah a great bounty’
Him as a mercy
(Surah 21:107) ‘We sent you not, but as a mercy for mankind’.
(Surah 15: 88) ‘and lower your wings of mercy to the beleivers’.
His knowledge
(Surah 4:113) ‘For Allah has sent down to you the book and wisdom and taught you what you knew not, and great is the grace of Allah to you’
His Happiness
(Surah 93: 5) ‘and soon your lord will bestow to you so much that you will be pleased’.
(Surah 2: 144) ‘So shall for sure cause you to turn to the qibla which you desire’
(Surah 20: 130) ‘So that you are pleased’ times of salah.
His city
(Surah 90: 1-2) ‘I swear by this holy city of Makkah, while you are dwelling in this city’
Qualities of His messenger hood
(Surah 33: 45-46, 48: 8) ‘O Prophet! Truly we have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner- and as one who invites to Allah by his permission, and as a lamp spreading light’
Hence, Rasulullah's Dhikr is made in the heavens and the earth, in prayer and outside prayer and at all times. None can be a hindrance for it and it shall continue untill Allah lives, as Allah says, 'Verily Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet...'
Sallalahu Alaiyhi wa sallam
Wassalamu alaiyki
Make dua for their guidance, and ours.
It's pretty scary, if you think about it, how far we've come, generallyspeaking, from the level of adab and knowledge and reverence that the Muslimstrad'lly had for the Prophet (peace be upon him). After we had a mawlid in NYseveral years ago, one brother approached me very angrily and said "The sheikhtalked too much about the Prophet (peace be upon him), and that is a very Sufithing to do. The Sufis love him too much." I mean, subhan'Allah. People willgo on and on about their spouse or their computer hobby or whatever, but in theUmmah we are at the point where people only give lip service to "loving him morethan we love ourselves," and they get uncomfortable if you "talk about him toomuch" or talk about the blessed hair or the urine hadith.
Munawwar:
It’s really surprising to know that some ‘Muslim’s’ say such things about His noble dhikr or remembrance when Allah has named the Prophet ‘Dhikr’! (May Allah shower peace and blessings on Him).
Allah says, ‘He is no less than a dhikr for all worlds’ (12:104)
Many scholars have upheld that the meaning of dhikr in the following verse ‘Verily with the dhirk of Allah do hearts find rest’ is the Prophet (May Allah shower abundant peace and blessings on Him), as mentioned by Mulla Ali Qari in Sharh al-Shifa and others. Mujahid is the earliest source to this explanation.
Hence the remembrance, praise, and discussion about Him (May Allah shower abundant peace and blessings on Him) is full of plentiful peace and tranquilly for the believer. If one does not feel this when talking about Him, or experience it when hearing something about Him, he has a major concern and should consult somebody about it to put it right.
The Prophet’s dhikr is raised to such an extent, that in a hadith Qudsi, Allah said to the Prophet: ‘I am not remembered except that you are remembered with me’. Many exegetes have narrated this in their commentaries of the following verse, ‘And we have raised for you your dhikr’. (94:4)
Let me ask, what in the earths and skies lives without Allah’s dhikr? Allah says, ‘Whatever is in the heavens and the earth- let it declare the praises and glory of Allah’ (57:1, 59:1, 61:1) thus in light of the foregoing hadith, the Prophet is remembered at all times and in every moment.
Moreover, the following verse is explicit on the continuity of His Dhikr, Allah says, ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you who believe! Send blessings on Him and salute Him’ (33:56). An interesting point here is what we find in many commentaries of this verse. The linguists say this verse is special since it commences with a nominal sentence and finishes with a verbal sentence signifying the continuity ‘dawam’ of His dhikr and its different forms ‘tajaddud wa huduth’ in beauty every time it is made by Allah and His angels!
The believer is ordered to praise Him (May Allah shower abundant peace and blessings on Him), as made obligatory by Allah Almighty. Allah says, ‘In order that you may believe in Allah and His messenger, that you may assist and Honour Him, and celebrate His praises morning and night’ (48:9)
The verbs 'wa tu'azziruhu wa tuwaqqiruhu' used in this verse are from the Mufa’alah form, both of which imply emphasis or mubalghah. Mubarrid, a famous linguist, says: ‘Honour Him intensively bi al-mubalghah’ as recorded in al-Shifa of Qadhi Ayyadh and its commentaries.
This is why Imam Busayri said,
‘Ascribe to Him all reverence, and all honour as you like,
As much as you wish assert His eminence!
Because the boundless merits of the Messenger of God are such,
That none can speak of them with all eloquent tongues’
(Burdah)
Our salah is incomplete without the recitation of the Qur’an, and the Qur’an is incomplete if you exclude the following verses:
His face
(Surah 93: 1) ‘By the glowing brightness of the rising morning’
(surah 2: 144) ‘surely, we have been watching you repeatedly turning your face towards the heaven’
His hair
(Surah 93: 2) ‘and by the night when it covers everything in calm’
His chest & back
(surah 94: 1-3) ‘Have we not expanded for you your chest? And we have taken back the burden which weighed your back’
His Eyes
(Surah 15: 88) ‘And do not lift your eyes towards the wealth which we have given to certain classes’
His tongue
(Surah 75: 16)
(surah 19: 97) ‘So we have made the quran easy by revealing it on/in your tongue’
(Surah 44: 58) ‘Verily we have made the Qur’an easy on/in your tongue’
His speech
(Surah 53: 3-4) ‘And he speaks not of His own desire; this is not but a revelation which is revealed to Him’
His heart
(Surah 53: 11) ‘The heart lied not in what He saw’
(Surah 11: 120) ‘And all that which we relate to you of the tidings of the apostles is to strengthen your heart’ (also 25:32)
His life
(surah 15: 72) ‘O my apostle! By your life!’
Character
(Surah 68:4) ‘And surely you stand on the greatest of character’
Mantle (74:1), garments (74:4), cloak (73:1)
Conduct & example
(Surah 33:21) ‘You have indeed in the messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern of conduct’.
His Dhikr
(Surah 94: 4) ‘And we have exalted for you your remembrance’
His light
(Surah 5: 15) ‘There has come to you from Allah a Light and a clear book’
(Surah 33: 45-46, 48: 8) ‘A spreading light’.
Him as a bounty
(Surah 33:47) ‘Then give the glad tidings to believers that they should have from Allah a great bounty’
Him as a mercy
(Surah 21:107) ‘We sent you not, but as a mercy for mankind’.
(Surah 15: 88) ‘and lower your wings of mercy to the beleivers’.
His knowledge
(Surah 4:113) ‘For Allah has sent down to you the book and wisdom and taught you what you knew not, and great is the grace of Allah to you’
His Happiness
(Surah 93: 5) ‘and soon your lord will bestow to you so much that you will be pleased’.
(Surah 2: 144) ‘So shall for sure cause you to turn to the qibla which you desire’
(Surah 20: 130) ‘So that you are pleased’ times of salah.
His city
(Surah 90: 1-2) ‘I swear by this holy city of Makkah, while you are dwelling in this city’
Qualities of His messenger hood
(Surah 33: 45-46, 48: 8) ‘O Prophet! Truly we have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner- and as one who invites to Allah by his permission, and as a lamp spreading light’
Hence, Rasulullah's Dhikr is made in the heavens and the earth, in prayer and outside prayer and at all times. None can be a hindrance for it and it shall continue untill Allah lives, as Allah says, 'Verily Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet...'
Sallalahu Alaiyhi wa sallam
Wassalamu alaiyki
Make dua for their guidance, and ours.
posted by Munawwar at Tuesday, May 10, 2005
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