Remembering Allah

Narrated by ‘Abdullaah bin Busr [he] said that a man came to the Prophet and said “O Messenger of Allah! Verily, the sanctions of Islam have become too numerous for me [to perform them all]. Inform me of something (simple) that I may adhere to.” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Let your tongue always be moist with the rememberance of Allah.” [Reported by al-Tirmidhee no. 3375 and Ibn Maajah no. 3793 and Ibn Hibbaan no. 814]

‘Abdullaah bin Mas’uud said:

Muusa – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – said, My Lord! Which deed is the most beloved to You? He [the Most High] replied:

The one amongst them that remembers Me the most

Ibn ‘Abbas said:

Increase in Dhikr [remembrance of Allah] so much so that the hypocrites say you are showing off.

Mu’aadh bin Jabal said:

For me to remember Allah [do dhikr] from morning to evening is more beloved to me then fighting with horses for the sake of Allah from morning to evening.

al-Hasan al-Basri said:

The most beloved slaves to Allah are the ones that remember Him the most [doing dhikr].

Aboo Hurairah used to have a string with 1000 knots, he never used to go to sleep except glorifying Allah [using it]

Khaalid bin Mi’daan used to glorify Allah [tasbeeh] 40,000 [forty thousand] every day not including that which he used to read from the Qur’aan. When he passed away he was placed on his bed to be giving a ghusl, his finger started to move glorifying Allah.

It was said to ‘Umair bin Haani we do not see your tongue getting tired, how many times a day do you glorify Allah? He replied 100, 000 [one hundered thousand] times a day.

Ka’b said:

Whoever increases in his remembrance of Allah [dhikr] will be saved from hypocrisy

[Translation from al-Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam by Imaam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali]