Nabi ﷺ was once questioned by the Sahabah. "Which is the greatest prayer in the eyes of Allah ta'ala? Which is the highest level of fasting? What is the greatest tussle in the eyes of Allah through which He grants us the highest reward? To all these questions, Nabi ﷺ responded, "The Dhikr of Allah."
The greater an action is, the more accepted it is in the eyes of Allah ta'ala and its status and reward would also be much more. Whenever we desire to perform a good deed, we should intend to practice it in the best manner possible.
Hadhrat Mu'awiyah رضي الله عنه narrates that Nabi ﷺ went to a circle of his Companions and asked them, ‘What has made you sit there?’ When they replied that they were sitting together to remember Allah, to praise Him for guiding them to Islam, and bestowing favours on them, he ﷺ said, “I adjure you by Allah to tell me that nothing else has made you sit together.” When they replied that indeed there was no other purpose, he said, “I did not adjure you because I suspected you, but Jibril عليه السلام came to me and told me that Allah was talking proudly of you to the angels.” [Muslim]
Nabi ﷺ mentioned that if a person performs Allah ta'ala's Dhikr alongside an action, it is accepted by Allah ta'ala. This means, a person's good deeds are accepted via his Dhikr. This is a guarantee from the Prophet ﷺ and a confirmation by Allah ta'ala!
If we want our good deeds and our worship to be accepted and elevated by Allah ta'ala, we should perform Dhikr in parallel. This is why we are commanded to remember Allah ta'ala in abundance, so that we may become successful.
Allah ta'ala is not in need of our abundant remembrance. He is not benefitting in any way. Allah ta'ala already has millions of special angels who remember Him, therefore, Dhikr only benefits us.
The good deeds that we perform are contaminated by our mistakes and our desires. Our worship is full of defects and lacks sincerity. Thus, our deeds don't reach Allah ta'ala as we do not worship Him according to His due right.
Allah ta'ala has given us a solution for our worship to be accepted free of charge! It doesn't matter how impure we are and how many sins we have committed, it should not prevent us from worshipping Allah ta'ala. If we engage in the Dhikr of Allah ta'ala alongside our worship, then our deeds are accepted regardless of its quality and Allah ta'ala also instils blessings within that action. Furthermore, his needs will become fulfilled through that which Allah ta'ala has bestowed him and his sicknesses will evaporate.
The Awliyah Allah are the deputies of the Prophet upon the earth. They are given divine inspiration by Allah ta'ala and the duty of rectifying the Ummah. They don't give big speeches for fame or recognition. In their words, there are fantastic learnings and solutions. Whoever takes hold of those solutions, succeeds. This is why we should listen to the pious people carefully and take heed from their teachings.
Many of us are distant from Deen as we have abandoned the ways of the Sunnah. We commit major sins like adultery and drinking and we consider them insignificant. Thus, we become habitual in our sins. Similarly, we abandon the Sunnah and that becomes our lifestyle because we consider it nothing.
Obedience to the Prophet ﷺ and demonstrating his actions are essential. We shouldn’t seek excuses to avoid implementing the Sunnah as the Sunnah will weigh heavy upon our scales in the Hereafter. Due to the Fitna today, we leave his Sunnah and follow the modern society we are in. We do not respect the Sunnah and nor do we feel ashamed for abandoning it, yet, we wonder why we fall into problems!
Ups and downs will come in a person's life, but those people who stick to the Deen Allah ta'ala has prescribed, will never fall into deceit and will leave this world successful.
Hadhrat Sheikh Zakariyyah Rahmatullahi alayh mentioned, that the reason we are misguided and surrounded by corruption today, is because we have left the Dhikr of Allah ta'ala. Those people who abandon Dhikr, Allah ta'ala breaks His connection with them. The more a person abandons Dhikr, the further he becomes from Allah ta'ala. The more a person engages in Dhikr, the closer he becomes to Allah ta'ala. If we forget Allah ta'ala, He will forget us.
If we desire our Deen and our children to be improved and if we desire our businesses to flourish and our distresses to be removed, then we should strengthen our connection with Allah ta'ala and become closer to Him. When we become closer to Him, we attain His nearness, otherwise Shaytan becomes our companion.
You have not come to these Gatherings for me. I have thousands of issues to tend to. Rather, these Gatherings are due to the mercy of Allah ta'ala upon us. He has assembled us together so that fear and concern can be instilled within us and so that we can take heed and attain Paradise. We should be extremely thankful to Allah ta'ala for this very great blessing!
All solutions lie in His remembrance. We run after materialism in order to succeed, but we avoid running to Allah ta'ala and praying to Him. For the sake of Allah, attend Fajr in congregation and ask from Allah ta'ala in His house and you will receive everything! We are so foolish for missing out on attaining the treasures and jewels from the great host of these Gatherings whom Allah ta'ala has selected for us. We should take the blessings of Allah from these Gatherings, otherwise it is only us who are in loss.
Only a few people attend the Dhikr Gathering, whilst majority of us, deprive ourselves from Dhikr. How fortunate are those people who engage in Dhikr from many years ago due to the blessings of the pious predecessors. It is due to their blessings we are enabled to sit and remember Allah, yet, we have no appreciation, no passion, nor desire for Dhikr.
Most of us fail to attend the morning Dhikr Gathering while Allah ta'ala is distributing His blessings and treasures. Allah ta'ala has opened a great door for us. Through Dhikr, the negative thoughts of Shaytan are removed and a person no longer gives up all hope.
Hadhrat Sheikh Zakariyyah Rahmatullahi alayh stated, that if a person adopts the Dhikr of Allah ta'ala in his life, then all the negative things will be removed from his life. This was his teaching.
It doesn't matter how sinful you are. Allah ta'ala has promised that if you partake in the Dhikr Gathering, then He is pleased with you and all your actions will be accepted. For this reason, the worship of the Dhaakireen and the Awliyah Allah are unique and their supplications are accepted because they are connected to Dhikr.
May Allah ta'ala unlock our hearts and grant us the understanding and love for the words of Nabi ﷺ.
