The Importance of Dhikr in Islam, Benefits, meanings and Explanation.

Adhkār is the plural of dhikr and refers to remembrances. The morning and evening adhkār are a collection of duʿās and remembrances prescribed by the Messenger ﷺ which a Muslim should read on a daily basis in the morning and evening.

Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) instructed the Prophets (ʿalayhimu-salām) and the believers to remember Him in the morning and the evening in over 15 āyāt of the Qur’ān. Allah says:

يٰٓأَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيْرًا. وَسَبِّحُوْهُ بُكْرَةً وَّأَصِيْلًا

“Believers, remember Allah often and glorify Him morning and evening” (33:41-42).

The benefits of Adkhar

• Engaging your heart and tongue to Dhikr gives the heart peace and tranquility. {الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ} (سورة الرعد: 28) (28:13) “Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
  

• Those who remember Allah SWT a lot and do Dhikr are promised forgiveness and great reward. {وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا} (سورة الأحزاب:35) (35:33) “… and for men and women who engage much in Allah’s praise,- for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.”
  

• Dhikr makes the Muslim closer to Allah SWT and gains the honor that Allah SWT mentions him. عن أبي هريرة، رضي الله عنه، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال‏:‏ ‏”‏يقول الله تعالى‏:‏ أنا عند ظن عبدي بي، وأنا معه إذا ذكرني، فإن ذكرني في نفسه، ذكرته في نفسي وإن ذكرني في ملإٍ ذكرته في ملإٍ خير منهم‏”‏ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah the Exalted says: ‘I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly (i.e., in the assembly of angels).”
  

• Dhikr keeps the Muslim’s tongue and heart busy with the good of remembrance of Allah so it helps to prevent the Muslim from making sins or speaking bad.
  

• Dhikr also brings blessings to the Muslim’s life, protects him from Satan and other evils, and enlightens his heart to clearly distinguish right and wrong.
  

• Making Dhikr a lot keeps the Muslim away from hypocrisy; as hypocrites rarely mention or remember Allah.

• Sentences you may have heard a lot such as; SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Masha’Allah are Dhikr, each of them has its meaning, but you can just repeat them anytime for any number of times and gain the great rewards. There is also the specified Dhikr (or Adhkar) for certain situations, events and occasions. 

• There are specified Adhkar for 

• morning

• evening

• going to bed

• Before and after eating

• Waking up, after prayers (Salah)

• Enter and exit of the house, t he mosque and the market.