That is why Allah advises us in Qur'an: "You remember me and I will remember you."
It is thus incumbent upon us to remember Allah whether alone or in a company. In fact, when in a company, instead of indulging in gossips and fruitless discussions, it is far better to remember Allah and teach others what He tells us to do through Qur'an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This is the subject of our post today based on a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
This Hadith is mentioned in Sahih Muslim (Book 48: he Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness / كتاب الذكر والدعاء والتوبة والاستغفار / Chapter 11: The Virtue Of Gathering To Read Quran And To Remember Allah / باب فَضْلِ الاِجْتِمَاعِ عَلَى تِلاَوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَعَلَى الذِّكْرِ / as Hadith 2701, given herein under:
Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that Mu'awiya went to a circle in the mosque and said:
What makes you sit here? They said: We are sitting here in order to remember Allah. He said: I adjure you by Allah (to tell me whether you are sitting here for this very purpose)? They said: By Allah, we are sitting here for this very purpose. Thereupon, he said: I have not demanded you to take an oath, because of any allegation against you and none of my rank in the eye of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) is the narrator of so few ahadith as I am. The fact is that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the circle of his Companions and said: What makes you sit? They said: We are sitting here in order to remember Allah and to praise Him for He guided us to the path of Islam and He conferred favours upon us. Thereupon he adjured by Allah and asked if that only was the purpose of their sitting there. They said: By Allah, we are not sitting here but for this very purpose, whereupon he (the Messenger) said: I am not asking you to take an oath because of any allegation against you but for the fact that Gabriel came to me and he informed me that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, was talking to the angels about your magnificence.
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْحُومُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ أَبِي نَعَامَةَ السَّعْدِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ خَرَجَ مُعَاوِيَةُ عَلَى حَلْقَةٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ قَالُوا جَلَسْنَا نَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ . قَالَ آللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ إِلاَّ ذَاكَ قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَنَا إِلاَّ ذَاكَ . قَالَ أَمَا إِنِّي لَمْ أَسْتَحْلِفْكُمْ تُهْمَةً لَكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ أَحَدٌ بِمَنْزِلَتِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَقَلَّ عَنْهُ حَدِيثًا مِنِّي وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَرَجَ عَلَى حَلْقَةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ " مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ " . قَالُوا جَلَسْنَا نَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَنَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا هَدَانَا لِلإِسْلاَمِ وَمَنَّ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا . قَالَ " آللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ إِلاَّ ذَاكَ " . قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَنَا إِلاَّ ذَاكَ . قَالَ " أَمَا إِنِّي لَمْ أَسْتَحْلِفْكُمْ تُهْمَةً لَكُمْ وَلَكِنَّهُ أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُبَاهِي بِكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ " .
The hadith referred above involves a conversation between Mu'awiya and a group of people sitting in a circle to remember and praise Allah. Mu'awiya, questioning their intentions, urges them to swear that they are indeed gathered for the purpose of remembering Allah. He explains that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) had asked a similar question of his companions, and that upon confirming their purpose, the Prophet revealed a remarkable response: the angel Gabriel had informed him that Allah was speaking to the angels about the great status of those sitting in that circle.
To understand the significance of this hadith in light of the Qur'an, let's break it down in relation to key Qur'anic principles:
1. Intention (Niyyah) and Sincerity in Worship:
The hadith highlights the importance of sincerity in one's actions, especially when it comes to worship. The companions were questioned about their intention to ensure that their gathering was solely for the remembrance of Allah, and not for any other reason. This is consistent with the Qur'an, which emphasizes that all acts of worship must be performed with pure intention for the sake of Allah:
"And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion..." (Qur'an, 98:5)
The purpose of remembering Allah (dhikr) is to purify one's heart and actions, which is why the Prophet (ﷺ) emphasized the necessity of sincerity in such gatherings.
2. The Virtue of Remembering Allah (Dhikr):
The gathering in the hadith was for the purpose of remembering Allah, which is a highly praised act in Islam. The Qur'an speaks about the importance and reward of dhikr:
"Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of Allah is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And Allah ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do.." (Qur'an, 29:45)
The hadith shows that when the companions gathered for this noble purpose, Allah acknowledged their sincerity and honored them by informing the angels about their significance. This aligns with the Qur'anic teaching that those who remember Allah are honored by Him.
3. Angelic Intercession and Divine Praise:
In the hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) reveals that Gabriel had informed him of Allah’s praise for those who were engaged in dhikr. The Qur'an similarly describes how angels speak about the believers and invoke blessings upon them:
"Those who believe and do righteous deeds – the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection." (Qur'an, 19:96)
Additionally, the angels are described as praising the believers:
"The ones who say, 'Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and do not place in our hearts any resentment toward those who have believed.'" (Qur'an, 59:10)
The Qur'an teaches that Allah and His angels take notice of those who engage in acts of worship, especially when they do so with sincerity.
4. Allah's Awareness of the Believers' Actions:
The fact that Allah informed the Prophet (ﷺ) through Gabriel about the status of those who were sitting in the circle for dhikr further emphasizes the idea that Allah is aware of all actions, even the ones done in private. The Qur'an often reminds believers of Allah's omnipresence and His knowledge of their inner thoughts:
"And Allah knows what you conceal and what you declare." (Qur'an, 2:77)
The hadith underscores that Allah’s attention is not limited to outward actions but extends to the sincerity and intention behind them.
5. The Significance of Community and Gathering in Islam:
The hadith also highlights the value of gatherings for religious purposes, especially those that aim to remember and praise Allah. Such gatherings are a means of strengthening the bonds of the Muslim community and benefiting from collective worship. The Qur'an encourages believers to come together for righteous purposes:
"And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." (Qur'an, 3:103)
These types of gatherings, when done with sincerity, help to foster a sense of unity and collective spirituality among the believers.
This hadith, thus, illustrates the profound significance of sincere worship and the remembrance of Allah. It shows that acts of devotion, like sitting together to remember Allah, are not only observed by the believers but also acknowledged and praised by Allah Himself. The Qur'anic themes of sincerity, the importance of intention in worship, Allah’s knowledge of human actions, and the rewards for collective remembrance are all reflected in this hadith.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Collections of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Rewards for more Hadiths on the subject
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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