Muslim Superhero's

Dhikir

Sometimes life can feel like a never-ending merry-go-round, from going to work, coming home dealing with chores and taking care of the family, to spending weekends running errands and visiting relatives. Don't get me wrong. All of these are valuable activities; however, sometimes we can end up neglecting our spiritual side in the daily pursuit of the material world.

This can be especially true of women who are often unfairly left with the brunt of chores and family responsibilities, despite holding down careers of their own. It can sometimes be hard to achieve the right balance between deen and dunya, and it can be hard to find the time to reflect on our religion and spiritually to gain the most from it.

We may intend and want to read more Quran every day, or gain more knowledge about our deen, or do nafil prayers but due to our hectic lives we are unable to do so. This is where dhikr, the Remembrance of Allah (God), can become a vital part of your day. Dhikr is a very powerful and simple way to worship Allah when we have a lack of time, which carries many benefits and virtues. I thought I would write on this topic as some people might not be that familiar with this form of worship.

Most of us after the obligatory salaah usually recite 'Subhanallah' (Glory be to God) or longer translation (High is Allah above every imperfection and need: He is pure and perfect), 'Alhamdulillah' (All Praise be to God) and 'Allah Akbar' (God is the Greatest) thirty three times each. Although we may recite these words regularly after salaah, we may do it absent-mindedly and without really contemplating on the actual words.

Allah has made Islam so easy for the believers that even the shortest Surahs and words/phrases can receive the greatest reward. For example, the reward of reciting 'Alhamdulillah' is that it will fill the scales on the Day of Judgement with good deeds. As dhikr is so easy and carries great reward, this is a form of worship that we should strive to increase in our daily lives.

"O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance" [Quran 33:4