Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #40

The heart should accompany the tongue while doing the Adhkaar

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (5/460) of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله]

Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

And know that the (real) remembrance of Allaah تبارك وتعالى is the remembrance with the heart. As for the remembrance with the tongue which is void of remembrance with the heart is incomplete. The proof of this is the saying of Allaah تعالى:

{ولا تطع من أغفلنا قلبه عن ذكرنا واتبع هواه}

{and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his own lusts} [Surah al-Kahf (18): 28]

And He تعالى did not say: “the one whose tongue we have silenced from Our remembrance”. The (most) beneficial remembrance is the remembrance of the heart. And the remembrance of the heart should be in everything, meaning: the person recalls the Aayaat (the signs, Verses) of Allaah while walking, while sitting and while lying down then this is from the remembrance of Allaah.

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[Note of clarification: The remembrance is of 3 types:

1. Remembrance of the heart.

2. Remembrance of the tongue.

3. Remembrance of the limbs.

1. Remembrance of the heart which includes pondering (thinking deeply) over the Verses of Allaah with devout concentration, as Allaah تعالى says:

{الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّـهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ}

{Those who remember Allaah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted are You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.} [Surah aal-`Imraan (3): 191]

Fearing Allaah, having hope in Him and relying upon Him are also some of the actions of the heart.

2. Remembrance of the tongue: This where the remembrance of the heart is accompanied with the movement of the tongue, and the articulation of the words are necessary (and in certain circumstances it becomes compulsory). For example: Giving the Shahaadah by a new Muslim, saying al-Hamdulillaah upon sneezing:

Narrated Anas bin Maalik رضي الله عنه: Two men sneezed before the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to one of them: “Allaah bestow His Mercy on you,” but he did not say that to the other. On being asked (why), the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “That one praised Allaah (at the time of sneezing), while the other did not praise Allaah.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]

Abu Burdah said: When I visited Abu Musa who was in the house of the daughter of Fadhl ibn `Abbaas I sneezed but he did not respond to it (by saying): “Allaah have mercy upon you”. Then she sneezed and he (Fadhl ibn `Abbaas) said: “Allaah have mercy upon you”. I came back to my mother and informed her about it, and when he came to her she said: My son sneezed in your presence and you did not say: “Allaah may have mercy upon you”, but she sneezed and you said to her: “Allaah have mercy upon you”. Hereupon he said: Your son sneezed but he did not praise Allaah so I did not beg the mercy of Allaah for him. When she sneezed, she praised Allaah and so I said: “Allaah have mercy upon you”, as I heard Allaah's Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم saying: “When any of you sneezes he should praise Allaah and the other should say: May Allaah have mercy upon you, and if he does not praise Allaah, no mercy should be begged for him.” [Saheeh Muslim]

And from this is saying the Adhaan (call to prayer) out loud, and the other Adhkaar like Subhaan-Allaah, Alhamdulillaah, Allaahu Akbar etc.

The clarification was needed to bring out the mistakes some of the people do. Their fingers will be moving the prayer beads (or pressing the button on the electronic counter), while they busy themselves in talking with someone else. And on being confronted, they will say: “our hearts are making the Adhkaar”. Subhaan-Allaah, their hearts and their tongues are engaged in worldly matters and they still claim to be doing the Adhkaar!

3. Remembrance of the limbs: This where the remembrance of the heart and the movement of the tongue are accompanied with the movement of the limbs. For example the Salaah (prayer) as Allaah تعالى says:

{إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي}

{Verily! I am Allaah! La ilaaha illaa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so worship Me, and perform As-Salaah for My Remembrance.} [Surah Taahaa (20):14]

Subhaan-Allaah! And again we have those who might be sitting in one corner of the world, but will claim that they are performing their prayers in Makkah. The prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had to travel from Madeenah to Makkah to perform Hajj, where as these deviants claim that they don’t even have to move from their place to do so.

We ask Allaah for our well being, for Allaah alone is the One Who grants success.