Tafsir of Surah Al-Ahzab - Verse 41

The Virtue of remembering Allah much

Allah commands His believing servants to remember their Lord much, Who has bestowed upon them all kinds of blessings and favors, because this will bring them a great reward and a wonderful destiny. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Busr said: "Two bedouins came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and one of them said: `O Messenger of Allah, which of the people is best' He said:

«مَنْ طَالَ عُمْرُهُ وَحَسُنَ عَمَلُه»

(The one whose life is long and whose deeds are good.) The other one said: `O Messenger of Allah, the laws of Islam are too much for us. Teach me something that I can adhere to.' He said,

«لَايَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا بِذِكْرِ اللهِ تَعَالَى»

(Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah, may He be exalted.) At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah recorded the second part of this report. At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Gharib". Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ جَلَسُوا مَجْلِسًا لَمْ يَذْكُرُوا اللهَ تَعَالَى فِيهِ إِلَّا رَأَوْهُ حَسْرَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»

(No people sit together without mentioning Allah, but they will see that as regret on the Day of Resurrection.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah:

اذْكُرُواْ اللَّهَ ذِكْراً كَثِيراً

(Remember Allah with much remembrance. ) "Allah did not enjoin any duty upon His servants without setting known limits and accepting the excuses of those who have a valid excuse -- apart from Dhikr, for Allah has not set any limits for it, and no one has any excuse for not remembering Allah unless he is oppressed and forced to neglect it. Allah says:

فَاذْكُرُواْ اللَّهَ قِيَـماً وَقُعُوداً وَعَلَى جُنُوبِكُمْ

(Remember Allah standing, sitting down, and (lying down) on your sides) (4:103). By night and by day, on land and on sea, when traveling and when staying home, in richness and in poverty, in sickness and in health, in secret and openly, in all situations and circumstances. And Allah says:

وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً

(And glorify His praises morning and Asila.) If you do this, He and His angels will send blessings upon you." There are very many Ayat, Hadiths and reports which encourage the remembrance of Allah, and this Ayah urges us to remember Him much. People such as An-Nasa'i and Al-Ma`mari and others have written books about the Adhkar to be recited at different times of the night and day.

وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً

(And glorify His praises morning and Asila) in the morning and in the evening. This is like the Ayah:

فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ - وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَعَشِيّاً وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ

(So glorify Allah, when you come up to the evening, and when you enter the morning. And His are all the praises and thanks in the heavens and the earth; and in the afternoon and when you come up to the time, when the day begins to decline.) (30:17-18).

هُوَ الَّذِى يُصَلِّى عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَـئِكَتُهُ

(He it is Who sends Salah on you, and His angels too,) This is encouragement to remember Allah, i.e., He will remember you, so remember Him. This is like the Ayah:

كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْكُمْ يَتْلُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَـتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُواْ تَعْلَمُونَ - فَاذْكُرُونِى أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ

(Similarly, We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, reciting to you Our Ayat and purifying you, and teaching you the Book and the Hikmah, and teaching you that which you used not to know. Therefore remember Me. I will remember you, and be grateful to Me and never be ungrateful to Me) (2:151-152) The Prophet said:

«يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى: مَنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِييَنفْسِي، وَمَنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلَإٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْه»

(Allah says: "Whoever remembers Me to himself, I will remember him to Myself, and whoever remembers Me in a gathering, I will remember him in a better gathering.")

The Meaning of Salah

Allah's Salah means that He praises His servant before the angels, as Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Al-`Aliyah. This was recorded by Abu Ja`far Ar-Razi from Ar-Rabi` bin Anas from Anas. Others said: "Allah's Salah means mercy." It may be said that there is no contradiction between these two views. And Allah knows best. Salah from the angels means their supplication and seeking forgiveness for people, as Allah says:

الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُـلَّ شَىْءٍ رَّحْمَةً وَعِلْماً فَاغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَاتَّبَعُواْ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ - رَبَّنَا وَأَدْخِلْهُمْ جَنَّـتِ عَدْنٍ الَّتِى وَعَدْتَّهُمْ وَمَن صَـلَحَ مِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَأَزْوَجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـتِهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

وَقِهِمُ السَّيّئَـتِ

(Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (saying): "Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your way, and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire! Our Lord! And make them enter the `Adn Garden which you have promised them -- and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their offspring! Verily, You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. And save them from the sins.") (40:7-9)

لِيُخْرِجَكُمْ مِّنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ

(that He may bring you out from darkness into light. ) means, by means of His mercy towards you, His praise of you and the supplication of His angels for you, He brings you forth from the darkness of ignorance and misguidance into the light of guidance and certain faith.

وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيماً

(And He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers.) means, in this world and in the Hereafter: in this world He guides them to the truth of which others are ignorant, and He shows them the path from which others have gone astray, those who call for disbelief and innovation, and their followers among the wrongdoers. His mercy towards them in the Hereafter means that He will save them from the greater terror (of the Day of Resurrection) and will command His angels to greet them with the glad tidings of Paradise and salvation from the Fire, which will only be because of His love for them and His kindness towards them. Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and a group of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, passed by a young child in the road. When his mother saw the people, she feared that her child may be crushed by the crowd, so she rushed forward, crying, `My son, my son!' She ran and picked him up, and the people said, `O Messenger of Allah, she would never throw her child in the Fire.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ convincingly said:

«لَا، وَاللهِ لَايُلْقِي حَبِيبَهُ فِي النَّار»

(No, and Allah will not throw His beloved in the Fire.) Its chain of narrators meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs, although none of the authors of the Six Books recorded it. But in Sahih Al-Bukhari it is recorded from the Commander of the faithful `Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a woman among the prisoners of war picking up her child, clasping the child to her breast and nursing him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«أَتُرَوْنَ هَذِهِ تُلْقِي وَلَدَهَا فِي النَّارِ وَهِيَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ؟»

(Do you think that this woman would throw her child into the Fire even though she is (physically) able to do so) They said, "No." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«فَوَاللهِ للهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا»

(By Allah, Allah is more merciful towards His servants than this woman is to her child.)

تَحِيَّتُهُمْ يَوْمَ يَلْقَوْنَهُ سَلَـمٌ

(Their greeting on the Day they shall meet Him will be "Salam!") The apparent meaning -- and Allah knows best -- is that their greeting, from Allah on the Day that they meet Him, will be Salam, i.e., He will greet them with Salam, as He says elsewhere:

سَلاَمٌ قَوْلاً مِّن رَّبٍّ رَّحِيمٍ

((It will be said to them): Salam -- a Word from the Lord, Most Merciful.) (36:58) Qatadah claimed that the meaning was that they would greet one another with Salam on the Day when they meet Allah in the Hereafter. This is like the Ayah:

دَعْوَهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَـنَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلاَمٌ وَءَاخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنِ الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(Their way of request therein will be `Glory to You, O Allah,' and `Salam' will be their greetings therein! and the close of their request will be `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all that exits.') (10:10)

وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ أَجْراً كَرِيماً

(And He has prepared for them a generous reward.) means Paradise and everything in it of food, drink, clothing, dwellings, physical pleasure, luxuries and delightful scenes, such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard and has never entered the mind of man.

Commentary

Mentioned in the preceding verse was the incident of Sayyidna Zaid ؓ and Sayyidah Zainab ؓ and in relation to it the Holy Prophet's ﷺ being the last of the prophets has been stated in the context of directions for the respect and reverence of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and saving oneself from causing any pain to him.

Further on also, the perfect attributes of the Holy Prophet ﷺ are going to be stated; his person and attributes are the greatest blessings for Muslims in this world. The instruction of remembering Allah in abundance is given in the above verse to show gratitude for those blessings.

Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has stated that there is no form of worship except ذِکرُ اللہ dhikrullah (remembrance of Allah) for which Allah has not fixed a limit; for example, Salah is prescribed five times a day and the number of rak’ at are determined for each Salah; fasting throughout the month of Ramadan is determined, Hajj can be performed only at a particular place and at a particular time, Zakah is prescribed once a year at a particular rate. But dhikrullah is a form of worship for which there is no limit or defined quantity, no particular time or period, no defined posture or position, nor even the state of purity through ablution is required. Dhikrullah is required all the time, in all circumstances, whether one is traveling or is at home, whether one is healthy or ill, whether one is on land or at sea, whether it is day or night - dhikrullah is required all the time.

Therefore no excuse is acceptable for neglecting dhikrullah except that one may have lost his senses and become unconscious. In case of all forms of worship, other than dhikrullah, if one becomes unable due to illness or compelling circumstances, one is allowed reduction, brevity or exemption altogether, but in case of dhikrullah there are no extenuating circumstances. Therefore, no excuse is considered valid for omitting it and the merits, blessings and rewards for doing it are also numerous.

Imam Ahmad (رح) has reported from Sayyidna Abu ad-Darda' ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said to the noble companions ؓ 'Should I not tell you a thing that is better than all your deeds and is most acceptable to your Lord, and which would raise your grades, and is better than giving silver and gold in charity and alms and is also better than your embarking for Jihad wherein you face and kill the enemy and the enemy kills you? The noble companions ؓ asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ about that thing. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, ذِکرُ اللہِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ that is, remembrance of Allah, the Mightiest the Most Glorious". (Ibn Kathir)

Imam Ahmad and Tirmidhi رحمۃ اللہ علیہما also have reported that Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ said that he had heard a prayer from the Holy Prophet ﷺ which he does never miss. It is the following:

اللَّھُمَّ اَجعَلنِی اُعَظِّمُ شُکرِکَ وَ اَتَّبِعُ نَصِیحَتَکَ وَ اُکثِرُ ذِکرِکَ وَ احفَظُ وَصِیَّتِکَ

"0 Allah make me so that I keep thanking You profusely, I keep obeying your instructions, I keep remembering You abundantly and I safeguard (to follow) your advice." (Ibn Kathir)

Here the Holy Prophet ﷺ has supplicated to Allah Ta’ ala for ability to engage in dhikrullah abundantly.

A Beduin said to the Holy Prophet ﷺ that the number of good deeds, obligations in Islam are many; so please tell me something concise and comprehensive which I could hold on to firmly. The Holy Prophet ﷺ told him,

لَا یَزَالُ لِسَانُکَ رَطباً بِذِکرِ اللہِ تعالیٰ

That your tongue remains always wet with the dhikr of Allah. (Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Kathir)

Sayyidna Abu Said ؓ has narrated that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said اُذکُرُو اللہَ تَعَالٰی حَتّٰی یقُولُوا مَجنُونُ "Remember Allah, the Almighty so much so that people start calling you crazy." (Ibn Kathir from Musnad Ahmad)

And Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ has narrated that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that a gathering of people wherein Allah is not mentioned would prove to be a matter of remorse on the Doomsday for those sitting therein. (Ahmad, Ibn Kathir)

When an adulterated religion is dominant, the adoption of true religion is always the most difficult task. Under such circumstances, the hearts of the faithful sometimes harbour feelings of dejection and disappointment. There is one certain method of saving oneself from this and that is to keep looking for the silver lining in the dark clouds. Common people live on the strength of materialism, while the Faithful live on the strength of ideas. To live on the level of ideas means that a man lives for the remembrance of God. The angels’ inaudible discourse should be audible to him. He should give the utmost importance to his intellectual and spiritual development.