Dhikr and Its Benefits: Words of Remembrance of Allah

📖 18 min read

Your phone vibrates: another notification. A deadline at work, a message you have not answered, a worry going round and round as you try to fall asleep. Our days are full, and our hearts are often fuller still: full of noise, distraction and a quiet restlessness we eventually stop noticing. We look for calm in a break, a screen or a distraction, yet it always seems to slip further away.

The Quran offers an answer of disarming simplicity, one we all know without always putting it into practice: dhikr, the remembrance of Allah. A few words, within everyone’s reach, with no prescribed place or time, yet described as one of the greatest acts of worship. This article explores what dhikr means, its benefits according to authentic texts, the main phrases and their rewards, and practical ways to make it part of a busy life. For the remembrances specific to the beginning and end of the day, our article on morning and evening adhkar explains them one by one.

1. What is dhikr?

The Arabic word dhikr (ذِكْر) means ‘remembrance’, ‘mention’ or ‘recollection’. It refers to remembering Allah and mentioning Him: with the tongue, by saying words of glorification and praise; with the heart, by being mindful of His presence; and through actions, by obeying Him. In everyday usage, dhikr mainly refers to spoken phrases such as Subhan Allah, Al-hamdu lillah, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu akbar, and others.

Dhikr differs from du’a (supplication), although the two often overlap. Dhikr involves glorifying and praising Allah; du’a involves asking Him for something. Both are acts of worship, and our article on daily supplications for Muslims focuses on the latter. What makes dhikr so special is the reciprocal promise Allah attaches to it:

What this verse means in practice: every time you mention Allah, however briefly, even in the middle of an ordinary day, Allah mentions you in return. It is hard to imagine a greater return for such a small effort: a few words from you, answered by the remembrance of the Lord of all worlds.

2. Dhikr in the Quran

The Quran returns to dhikr frequently, and one feature stands out: whereas most acts of worship have a prescribed measure—five prayers, a month of fasting or a zakat rate—dhikr is most often commanded in abundance, without a set limit:

In the same surah, men and women ‘who remember Allah often’ are listed among the believers for whom Allah has prepared forgiveness and a tremendous reward (33:35). Elsewhere, the Quran states that ‘the remembrance of Allah is surely greater’ (29:45). And the verse quoted at the beginning describes its most immediate fruit: peace of heart (13:28).

What these verses mean in practice: the verb used in 13:28, tatma’innu, conveys calm, stability and finally coming to rest. The Quran does not say that dhikr removes trials, but that it gives the heart an anchor in the midst of them. This is a precious promise for anyone living with worry, stress or inner exhaustion.

3. The benefits of dhikr according to the Sunnah

The Prophet ﷺ used a striking image to describe the difference dhikr makes in a person’s life:

‘The example of someone who remembers his Lord and someone who does not is that of the living and the dead.’

— Narrated by Al-Bukhari (no. 6407), from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari رضي الله عنه

What this hadith means in practice: a person can be healthy, active and surrounded by others, yet spiritually lifeless. Dhikr keeps the heart alive. In a version narrated by Muslim (no. 779), the Prophet ﷺ applies the same image to homes: a home in which Allah is remembered and one in which He is not remembered are like the living and the dead. A home can be beautiful and comfortable, yet still feel empty.

Dhikr is also a direct connection with Allah. In a hadith qudsi, Allah says: ‘I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly better than it’ (narrated by Al-Bukhari, no. 7405, and Muslim, no. 2675, from Abu Hurayra رضي الله عنه).

The Prophet ﷺ also placed dhikr among the highest deeds. One day he asked his Companions: ‘Shall I tell you the best of your deeds, the purest before your Master, the highest in raising your ranks, better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than confronting your enemy?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ He answered: ‘The remembrance of Allah’ (narrated by At-Tirmidhi, no. 3377, from Abu ad-Darda’ رضي الله عنه—graded hasan; At-Tirmidhi notes that some transmitters relate it without mentioning the Companion). He also said: ‘The mufarridun have gone ahead [of others].’ When asked who they were, he replied: ‘The men and women who remember Allah often’ (narrated by Muslim, no. 2676, from Abu Hurayra رضي الله عنه).

4. The main phrases of remembrance and their rewards

Here are the main phrases of dhikr taught by the Prophet ﷺ, together with the rewards attributed to them in authentic hadiths. They are all short, and each can be said at any time of day.

What these hadiths mean in practice: saying Subhan Allahi wa bi-hamdihi one hundred times takes around two minutes. Scholars explain, however, that according to the most widely held view, the forgiveness promised in these hadiths concerns minor sins; major sins require sincere repentance. Dhikr is therefore no magic formula that removes the need to change, but an immense door of mercy, open to everyone at every moment.

5. Recommended times for dhikr

Dhikr is not restricted to a required place or time. ‘A’isha رضي الله عنها reported that the Prophet ﷺ remembered Allah at all times (narrated by Muslim, no. 373). He also advised a man: ‘Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah’ (narrated by At-Tirmidhi, no. 3375, from ‘Abdullah ibn Busr رضي الله عنه—graded hasan). Certain times have nevertheless been particularly recommended:

What the hadith of Fatima means in practice: the Prophet ﷺ did not give her a servant; he gave her inner strength. Scholars have drawn from it a valuable lesson for everyone worn out by their responsibilities: dhikr before sleep does not remove tiredness, but gives the heart and body an energy that rest alone does not provide.

6. Fingers, prayer beads and voice: how to practise

Several practical questions arise frequently, and scholars differ on some of them. Here is what the texts say and where the different views stand.

Counting on your fingers: the Sunnah

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr رضي الله عنهما reported: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ counting tasbih on his fingers’ (narrated by Abu Dawud, no. 1502—authenticated by Al-Albani). The Prophet ﷺ also advised the women emigrants to count their phrases on their fingers, ‘for they will be questioned and made to speak’ on the Day of Judgement (narrated by Abu Dawud, no. 1501, from Yusayra رضي الله عنها—graded hasan by Al-Albani). Scholars broadly agree that counting on the fingers is the practice most in keeping with the Sunnah.

Prayer beads (subha or misbaha): a difference of opinion

Aloud or quietly? Alone or in a group?

The Quran recommends discretion: ‘Remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and fearfully, in a low voice’ (7:205). During a journey when the Companions were glorifying Allah loudly, the Prophet ﷺ told them: ‘O people, be gentle with yourselves, for you are not calling upon one who is deaf or absent’ (narrated by Al-Bukhari, no. 6384, and Muslim, no. 2704, from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari رضي الله عنه). Ibn ‘Abbas رضي الله عنهما nevertheless reported that in the Prophet’s ﷺ time, voices were raised in dhikr after the obligatory prayers (narrated by Al-Bukhari, no. 841). An-Nawawi reconciled these texts as follows: a low voice is preferable when there is a risk of showing off or disturbing others, while a raised voice may be preferable otherwise.

Gathering to remember Allah is clearly encouraged: ‘No people sit remembering Allah without the angels surrounding them, mercy covering them, tranquillity descending upon them, and Allah mentioning them to those who are with Him’ (narrated by Muslim, no. 2700, from Abu Hurayra and Abu Sa’id al-Khudri رضي الله عنهما). The disagreement concerns a particular form: dhikr recited in unison, with one voice. As-Suyuti defended it in Natijat al-Fikr fi al-Jahr bi adh-Dhikr, and this is also the position of Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta. Ash-Shatibi, however, classified it as an innovation in the form of worship (Al-I’tisam), a position followed by many contemporary scholars. There is agreement on the essential point: gathering to remember Allah, learn and recite is a source of great mercy.

7. Dhikr of the heart: presence before numbers

It is easy to turn dhikr into simple arithmetic: one hundred of this, thirty-three of that, while thinking about something else entirely. The numbers transmitted in the Sunnah have their value and should be respected, but they are not the ultimate aim. Verse 7:205 reminds us: ‘Remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and fearfully.’ The most complete dhikr is that in which the tongue and heart are present together.

This does not mean waiting until you are perfectly focused before beginning. Scholars point out that remembrance with the tongue, even when distracted, is still better than the silence of forgetfulness, and gradually opens the door to remembrance with the heart. You begin with the words; over time, their meaning comes to fill them. A simple tip: choose one phrase, reflect for a few moments on its meaning—‘glory be to Allah’: He is free of every imperfection; ‘praise be to Allah’: all good comes from Him—then repeat it while keeping that meaning in mind.

8. A simple way to begin

Dhikr is one of the easiest acts of worship, yet also one of the most neglected. Here is a minimal routine that is realistic even for a very busy life:

Start small, but start today. Steady remembrance, however modest, is better than a burst of enthusiasm that does not last. And remember the promise: ‘Remember Me; I will remember you.’

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