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The Holy Quran reads:

“O ye who believe! Celebrate the Praises of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa), and do this often; and glorify Him morning and evening.”

“And celebrate the Praises of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) much and often: that ye may prosper.”

There are two things, which lead one to forget Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) when one gets absorbed in them. These are wealth and family. So the Quran names them specifically and warns Muslims against becoming a prisoner to them.

“O ye who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa). If any act thus, the loss is their own.”

The five daily prayers (Namaz) are obligatory for Muslims. These prayers, certainly, are a means of remembering Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and a very good one too. But it would not be proper for a Muslim to stop at them considering that if he had offered the Namaz he had done all that was required of him by way of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) remembrance and there was no need to do anything further. It is a clear commandment of Islam that, in addition to Namaz, one should also not neglect Zikr in whatever state one may be. It is said in Surah-Nissa:

When ye pass (congregational) prayers, celebrate Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa)’s Praises standing, sitting down or lying down.

Thus, even those engaged in Jihad are enjoined to carry out the Zikr of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) keenly and enthusiastically. Says Surah Anfal:

O ye who believe! When ye meet a force, be firm and call Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) in remembrance much (and often); that ye may prosper.

This verse, as the verse from Surah Jum’a we have quoted earlier, “And celebrate the Praises of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) much and often: that ye may prosper”, shows that Zikr, by no means, constitutes an unimportant factor in the success and felicity of the believers. As against it, the verse from Surah Munafiqoon we mentioned a few lines ago candidly declares that those who neglect the Zikr do a very wrong thing. They are at a great loss. In Surah Ra’ad, further, it is stated as a characteristic of Zikr that it imparts peace and tranquility to the mind and the soul.

For without a doubt in the remembrance of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) do hearts find satisfaction?

It is related that once the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was asked who would be the most exalted among the servants of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) on the Last Day. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied, “Those who do the Zikr of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) be they men or women”.

Hazrat Abu Moosa relates from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that, “Those who remember Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and those who do not are like those who are alive and those who are dead (i.e. those who remember Allah (Subhaanahu Wata’aalaa) and celebrate His praises are alive while those who don’t are dead)”.