How to Become One of the Frequent Remembrers of God? 4 Narrative Strategies for Constant Remembrance

How Can One Be Counted Among Those the Quran Urges to Remember God Often? Narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) offer clear, practical methods for frequent dhikr, from Lady Fatima al-Zahra's (SA) tasbih and dhikr after obligatory prayers to daily remembrance of the Lord and dhikr in solitude. These practices show that remembering God is not limited to repeating words, and that sincerity and consistency hold a special place in it.

According to the Missionary's Thought and Culture Base, dhikr in Islamic teachings is not only limited to frequent repetition of adhkar, but the continuous remembrance of God, the presence of the heart and sincerity also play an essential role in the realization of this virtue. The traditions of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) introduce four practical ways to benefit from this virtue; From glorifying Hazrat Zahra (pbuh) and dhikr after obligatory prayers to daily remembrance of God and prayers in solitude; Actions that can make the remembrance of God a continuous part of daily life.

Many mentions in hadiths; Beyond repeating words

According to the narrative of the field, many believers seek to know ways to reach the position of "many rememberers" and benefit from the spiritual works of God's remembrance. Examining the narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) shows that frequent dhikr is not only dependent on the number of times it is recited, but also the persistence in remembering God and paying attention to the intention and quality of dhikr are also important in realizing this virtue.

In the Holy Qur'an, God has ordered the believers to remember him abundantly. In the hadiths of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), there are many examples of this Quranic order, some of which refer to simple and applicable actions in the daily schedule.

Question: According to hadiths, what is the example of dhikr kathir and when should it be addressed?

Answer: By examining the hadiths, it is possible to introduce some specific examples of multiple mentions, which will be discussed below.

1. The rosary of Hazrat Zahra (pbuh); One of the most prominent examples of multiple mentions

One of the most prominent examples of mention in hadiths is the glorification of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (peace be upon them). This zikr includes 34 times "Allah Akbar", 33 times "Alhamdulillah" and 33 times "Subhan Allah", which makes up a hundred zikrs in total.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says about this:

"Glory to Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her, from the remembrance of Allah, who said, "Glory be to Allah, remember Allah much."

In another narration of Imam Sadiq (a.s.) it has been narrated that whoever recites this tasbih once in the day and night, he will be among those who remember many times. (2)

This narration does not mean that the glorification of Hazrat Zahra (PBUH) is limited to two times a day, but rather it expresses a limit that, by observing it, the title of dhikr is fulfilled. Therefore, this tasbih can be performed after obligatory prayers, before sleep or at other times when the field of attention and presence of the heart is more available.

2. Thirty times "Subhan Allah" after every obligatory prayer

Another example of frequent dhikr is saying "Subhan Allah" thirty times after every obligatory prayer. In a narration, Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says in response to a question about the meaning of zikr Kathir:

"... that he glorifies him in the book of writings thirty times"

The expression "Dubur-e-ul-Maktubah" means after the obligatory prayer. Based on this, the worshiper can perform one of the examples of multiple dhikr in his daily life by adding thirty times the tasbih to the program after each obligatory prayer.

According to the five obligatory daily prayers, performing this act reaches a total of 150 times of tasbih in a day and night. This method provides a regular schedule for continuing the remembrance of God throughout the day.

3. remember God a hundred times a day; A solution for continuous mention

Some hadiths have explained the multiple dhikr by the criterion of remembering God 100 times a day. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says about this:

"If the servant remembers his Lord many times on this day"

In this narration, a lot of dhikr is linked to remembering God a hundred times a day; However, no specific word has been determined for all these times. Therefore, the principle of God's remembrance can be realized with remembrances such as "Glory be to God", "Alhamdulillah", "Allah Akbar", "La ilaha ila Allah", asking for forgiveness, salawat and other proverbial dhikrs.

This narrative can also be the basis for setting up the daily schedule of Zikr. For example, a person can perform a part of his azkar after the morning prayer, a part during commuting, a part after other daily prayers, and a part in the late hours of the night.

Dividing the remembrances throughout the day prevents the remembrance of God from being limited to a specific time and provides the basis for its continuation in different situations of life.

4. Remembrance of God in solitude; The importance of sincerity in dhikr

Another point that has been noted in the hadiths about dhikr katheer is to remember God secretly and away from the eyes of others.

"Whoever remembers Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, in secret, remembers Allah often, indeed the hypocrites used to remember Allah publicly and not They remember Him in the secret, and Allah Almighty said: They see people and do not remember Allah except a little.

This narration shows that in examining the truth of zikr, it is not only the number of times that is important; Rather, the position of mention and the motivation of the person are also important. A dhikr that is done with the aim of attracting the attention of others may be abundant in appearance, but it does not have the expected spiritual value.

On the other hand, the remembrance of God in solitude and with pure intention is a sign of the inner bond between man and God. Based on this, paying attention to sincerity along with continuous remembrance is one of the most important points in benefiting from the spiritual works of Allah's remembrance.

summary; How is Zikr Kathir realized in everyday life?

The narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) introduce various examples of frequent dhikr, which include glorifying Hazrat Zahra (pbuh), saying "Glory be to Allah" thirty times after obligatory prayers, and remembering God one hundred times a day. Also, remembering God in solitude and paying attention to sincerity is of special importance in explaining the place and spiritual value of zikr.

Based on this, by allocating certain times during the day to zikr, you can take advantage of the opportunities after the obligatory prayers, and besides, remember God in solitude and in other situations of life.

Finally, dhikr katheer is not limited to the frequency of words; Rather, continuous remembrance of the Lord, heart attention and avoiding hypocrisy are important aspects of this virtue. Such an approach can provide the basis for the presence of the remembrance of God in everyday life.

1. Muhammad bin Yaqub Kilini, Al-Kafi, edited by Ali Akbar Ghafari and Muhammad Akhundi, Tehran: Darul-Kutb al-Islamiyya, 1407 AH, vol. 2, p. 500, h 4.

2. Ali Estrabadi, Taweel al-Ayat al-Zahira fi Fadael al-Utrah al-Tahirah, corrected by Hossein Estadouli, Qom: Al-Nashar al-Islami Institute, 1409 AH, p. 446.

3. Mohammad bin Al-Hassan Tusi, Tahdhib al-Ahkam, corrected by Hasan al-Mousavi Khorsan, Tehran: Dar al-Kitab al-Islamiyya, 1407 AH, vol. 2, p. 107, h 405.

4. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa Ash'ari Qomi, Al-Nawader, Qom: Madrasa al-Imam al-Mahdi (Aj), 1408 AH, p. 137, h 357.