by Ayesha Zaka
There are many ways in which we can keep our hearts filled with the remembrance of Allah, and many words to keep our tongues moist with His remembrance. The best of these words are, undoubtedly, the ones taught in the Quran and Hadith. We observe that many of the azkaar mentioned in ahadith focus on the Tauheed (Oneness) of Allah. After all, to acknowledge Allah’s tauheed and to worship Him alone is the greatest right that Allah has on His slaves. Shirk on the other hand is The Unforgivable Sin, if a person dies without repenting. Embedding true tauheed in the heart is the one thing that can sets a person’s heart, and thereby all his affairs, straight. It is the one thing that can decide a person’s fate: Jannah or Jahannum.
From the perfect and comprehensive words that we have been taught to mention Allah’s Oneness and His Dominion, and to praise Him, and also mention His Absolute Power and Ability are:
“لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ”.
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, who has no partner. His is the Kingdom and His is the Praise and He is Able to do all things. (Recite ten times morning and evening)
Abu Hurayrah (radhi Allah ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallalahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:
“Allah will write one hundred rewards for whoever says this ten times in the morning,
and forgive him one hundred misdeeds.
He will have the reward of freeing a slave
and will be protected from Shaytan throughout the day unto dusk.
Whoever says it in the evening will have the same reward.”
Ahmad 8/704, 16/293. Its chain of transmission is good (Hasan).
So, we see the amazing benefits for reciting these words ten times morning and evening: 100 rewards, forgiveness for 100 sins, freeing a slave, and protection from Shaytan!
With Ramadan over in a few days, we will all need the extra protection from Shaytan to be able to stay steadfast. And imagine having the reward of freeing a slave every single day! This sounds all the more lucrative as this particular avenue of spending is no longer available in our times.
Another amazing thing about these words is that these same words were taught to the previous prophets as well. Rasulullah (sallalahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:
“The best supplication is the one made on the Day of ‘Arafah.
The best thing ever said by me and the previous prophets is:
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, who has no partner.
His is the Kingdom and His is the Praise and He is Able to do all things.”
Jaami’ Tirmidhi (#3585), Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (#1503)
And today, the men and women of this Ummah stand as the sole guardians and flag-bearers of true Tauheed and the legacy of all the prophets. Yes, that’s you and me! This brings with it great honour coupled with a very heavy burden of responsibility. May Allah enable us to live our lives free from all forms of major and minor shirk, and to die with la ilaha illallah on our lips. Ameen.
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