Glorify Allah's Name!
Thank The Most Merciful,
The Praiseworthy!
(M. Javed Naseem)
“They remember Allah, standing, sitting,
and reclining, and consider the creation
of the heavens and the earth, (and say):
Our Lord! You created not this in vain.
Glory be to You! Preserve us
from the doom of Fire.”
(al-Quran 3:191)
Allah the Almighty created us and before that He created the universe with all things in it. To Him belong the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. Being His creation, it is only natural that we pay thanks to Him because He keeps bestowing upon us His blessings and bounties. He is the Best Provider. Praising the Almighty and thanking Him for all the blessings is due upon us without any argument. In the Quran, Allah promises us that if we thank Him, He will give us more. Therefore, it is only logical and reasonable that we glorify His name day in and day out. We need Him in our lives all the time, seven days a week. Without His mercy, we would be ruined and without His guidance, we would be lost.
“Lo! In the creation of the heavens and
the earth and (in) the difference of night
and day are tokens (of His Sovereignty)
for men of understanding.”
(al-Quran 3:190)
Once, the army of the Prophet of Allah, Sulaiman – or Solomon – (a.s.), was passing through a valley. There were Jinns and Humans in his flanks, and the birds in the air were casting their shadows to protect them from the heat of the sun. A pious man was passing by and saw that magnificent view of Solomon's grandeur and majesty. He stopped and said to Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.):
“Vow! Allah has blessed you with such a big kingdom and you even rule over Jinns, humans, beasts and cattle, animals and birds.”
Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.) smiled and replied: “One word of “Subhan-Allah” in the Record of Deeds of a Muslim, is better than this whole kingdom of Sulaiman. Because this kingdom is going to perish one day, but the reward of “Subhan-Allah” is going to stay for ever.”
Allah-o-Akber! What an assessment! All glory be to Allah! There is nothing better and bigger in the entire universe than the glory and praise of the Almighty Allah.
“So glorify Allah when you reach the evening
and when you reach the morning. And to Him
is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and
the earth and (glorify Him) in the afternoon
and when you reach noon.”
(al-Quran 3):17-18)
“They glorify Him night and day and do not slacken.”
(al-Quran 21:20)
“So glorify the name of your Lord, the Most Great.”
(al-Quran 56:74)
The angels glorify their Lord day and night and do not get tired of it. Similarly, the humans and jinn should also glorify their Lord Creator day and night and should not get tired of it. It is rightly due on our part that we praise and acknowledge the mercy and blessings of our Lord God. All prayer and prostration is due to Allah, the Almighty Who is also our Provider.
“Indeed, those who were given knowledge before
it – when it is recited to them, they fall upon their
faces in prostration; and they say: “Glory be to our
Lord. Truly, the Promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.”
(al-Quran 17:107-108)
“Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever
is on the earth glorifies Allah. To Him belongs
dominion, and to Him belongs [all] praise, and
He is over all things competent.”
(al-Quran 64:1)
Scholars have quoted many references from the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
and concluded that the best words to utter (Kalima) as “Zikr” (or Dhikr) are “Subhan- Allah”, “Alhamdo-lillah” and “Allaho-Akber”. The scholars of all four schools of thoughts also unanimously agree on the following:
That the best Kalima (word or phrase) for Zikr (Dhikr) during the day or night, which is very easy and light on the tongue, but would be heavier in the scale of good deeds on the Day of Judgment, is:
“Subhan-Allah wa-behamdeh,
Subhan-Allah il-Azeem.”
The more you recite, the more rewards you get for your Hereafter. It is recommended that you recite it at least 100 times everyday, if not more. Some people recite it 100 times after each prayer (Salaat). If you cannot do that, then at least recite it after Fajr and Isha prayers. This phrase is considered very dear and favorite to Allah the Almighty. Allah will shower His mercy upon you, Insha-Allah.
“Establish worship at the going down of the sun
until the dark of night, and (the recital of) the
Quran at dawn. Lo! (the recital of) the Quran
at dawn is ever witnessed.”
(al-Quran 17:78)
Allah tells us in the Quran that we should always be 'mindful' of Him; fear His wrath and anger; and be grateful to Him in all situations, under all circumstances. Sometimes, it is very hard to do that but we have no choice. You can take or bear something with a smile or with a frown. Only smile looks not only better on our face but it also earns rewards for us in the Hereafter. It is a 'Hasanah' or 'Sadaqah'.
We are created weak and cannot change our situation but Allah alone can, as He is able to do everything. Our job is to do good, and He will reward us with a great prize or compensation.
“Is the reward of good anything but good?”
(al-Quran 55:60)
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