Treasures of dua, dhikr and more...

  وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ

And the remembrance of Allah is greater... (Quran 29:45)

Dhikr, plural Adhkar, means remembrance, reminder or mention of God. It is a form of Islamic worship in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited for the purpose of remembering God. Several adhkaar have been taught to us which include words that are beloved to Allah SWT and carry a great reward for the person reciting them. Dhikr is uttered through the mouth (Dhikr-e-lisani) and in the heart (Dhikr-e-Qalbi).

Dhikr is mentioned in the hadith (sayings of the Prophet SAW) that these things are lightest on the tongue but the heaviest on the scales of good deeds on the Day of Judgement. Uttering these words takes only seconds or minutes, and yet despite the lack of time and struggle, they carry immense reward.

Although the best or the most rewarding way of doing Dhikr would be to be in a state of wudu, facing the qibla and being covered in modest clothes; these things are not a prerequisite condition for doing dhikr. Dhikr can be done in any way, shape or form. For instance, you can remember Allah SWT and do His dhikr while you are walking, while you are driving, while you are cooking or other chores, while you are waiting at the doctor's office for your appointment, while you are waiting in between classes or work meetings,  while you are lying down to sleep, or while you wake up at night. 

Unlike other acts of worship, Dhikr has no prescribed time. There are times that are more rewarding than others, but there are no times when Dhikr is not permissible. Hajj happens in the special days of Hajj once a year, fasting of Ramadan has its time, there is a time for starting your fast and for breaking your fast, there are set prescribed timings for the daily prayers, there are certain times during the day when we cannot even do the voluntary additional prayers. But there is no time when doing dhikr of Allah SWT is prohibited.  Allah SWT has mentioned in the Quran that “do Dhikr of Allah in abundance!” There is no limit to it. You can do it again and again, all the time, 24x7, throughout the day, throughout the week and throughout the year. It is always permissible, allowed, and highly recommended. 

ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

Call upon Me; I will respond to you. (Quran 40:60)

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.  (Quran 2:186)

Dua is a direct line of communication between a believer and Allah SWT. It is a prayer, an invocation, supplication or request, and asking help or assistance from God. Similar to dhikr, there are times that are recommended and more blessed for making dua, but dua can be made at any time and in any place or condition. Through dua, we affirm our dependence on Allah SWT, and our trust in His wisdom and mercy.

Allah SWT loves it when we call upon Him, when we ask Him for things, when we ask Him for help and support, when we make dua to Him. At one place in the Quran, Allah SWT has even mentioned that He does not like the one that does not make dua to Him. 

Dua is for all kinds of needs – spiritual, physical, health related, relationship related, social, emotional, mental, financial, halal rizq, for our children, for our parents and more. We can ask dua for anything good for ourselves or another person. 

Through the various places in the Quran, Allah SWT has taught the Prophets AS and through the Prophets AS, He has taught us, asked us and encouraged us to make dua to Him for this dunya as well as for the Akhirah (Hereafter). Dua has been the sunnah of the Prophet SAW, and of all the Prophets AS and all our pious predecessors, may Allah have mercy on them all. One of the favourite duas of our beloved Prophet SAW was:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (Quran 2:201)

In case you print any of the documents below, or have any other sacred text with names of Allah SWT or the Prophets AS or ayat of Quran and hadith, or any dua or dhikr written on them, it is important to know how to take care of these printed materials. For disposing off the pages or the papers that have sacred text in them but get torn or if they are not needed any more, the best way that has been prescribed is to bury them under the earth – at a place that is clean. However, if we are not able to do that, we can make a bundle of them so that it becomes heavy enough and we can then throw it in a water body. 

In cases where none of this method is practically possible, then a way out could be putting them together and burning them.