Twenty-second Ramadan Lecture Presented by Al-Sayyid Abdul Malik Badruddin Al-Houthi, 1444 A.H.

The blessing of expression (2)
the importance of using it in mentioning Allah

I seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.

O Allah, confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad's good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.

O Allah, guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are All-Hearing, All-Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.

Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

We continue speaking about the great divine blessing that Allah has bestowed upon us as humans: the blessing of expression and speech, which also includes writing—a tremendous blessing that has a wide impact on human life and all its affairs and various fields. It holds great importance and has a significant impact in reality.

We discussed how vast this blessing is and the responsibility that comes with it. Considering its importance, impact, and significant role in human life, this blessing is associated with responsibilities and values.

In this lecture, we address some areas of proper utilization of this blessing, the beneficial utilization that serves and benefits the person, and its positive impact on one's soul and life.

One of the most important areas of utilizing and benefiting from this great blessing is in one's relationship with Allah: You can speak to Him and use this blessing of speech and expression to communicate with Allah from the position of servitude to Him (the Almighty), mentioning Him and turning to Him with various kinds of dhikr that are highly important. Mentioning Allah (Glory be to Him) is one of the important areas for benefiting from this blessing, and it is also one of the essential aspects of worshiping Allah (Glory be to Him). It is one of the significant needs of humans.

One of the greatest manifestations of Allah's mercy towards His servants!

One of the greatest manifestations of Allah's mercy and grace upon His servants is granting them the ability to speak to Him, to address Him, and to communicate with Him. However, this should be done from the perspective of being His servants. One should turn to Allah by mentioning Him in various forms, as mentioning Him can take various forms:

  • mentioning Him through Salat,
  • mentioning Him through the recitation of the Quran,
  • mentioning Him through glorifying Him,
  • mentioning Him through seeking forgiveness,
  • mentioning Him through various types of supplication,
  • and mentioning Him through praising Him.

There are many forms for mentioning Allah, but in all of them, you turn to Allah (Glory be to Him) and speak to Him, and He hears you in all circumstances and conditions. No matter what reality you experience and wherever you are, He knows when you mention Him. Allah (the Almighty) says in His holy book: {'So remember Me; I will remember you'}. When you mention Him (the Almighty), He hears you, knows about you, and rewards you with the best rewards: He remembers you with His mercy, His vast care, and His immense favour. That is why—in referring to Allah's saying, {'So remember Me; I will remember you'}—Imam Zain Al-Abidin (PBUH) said, 'With your saying that serves as encouragement and reveals the hidden, You are the one who guided them to what ensures their well-being and reveals to them what they cannot grasp with their eyes, comprehend with their ears, or reach by their imagination if You had concealed it from them. So You said, {"So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me."}'

It is a blessing upon you and reveals Allah's mercy and immense bounty that He opens for you—O weak and helpless human being—the door to mention Him, to communicate with Him, to speak to Him in all your conditions and different circumstances. This is often not available with a lot of humans. Some, for example, may hold positions of responsibility (as kings, princes, leaders, or officials), and many seek to reach out to them but cannot! As for Allah (Glory be to Him), He has opened the door for you, even though He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of all worlds, the King of the heavens and the earth, the Creator, the Provider, the Owner, the Living, the Sustainer, the Powerful, the Almighty: {'Say, "In Whose Hands is the authority over all things, protecting while none can protect against Him?"'}. And He is Most Capable of everything, and He is the Most Merciful, the Most Generous, the Possessor of vast and immense favour, your Lord, your God, your Creator, your Provider, in whose hand is your life and death, and to Him is your destiny. He has opened the door for you to turn to Him and mention Him, and He hears your words.

The importance of mentioning Allah and its impact on one's life

Mentioning Allah is one of the most important acts of worship, and it has great significance in human life, since Allah stands in need of no one of us, all our actions, including mentioning Him and other acts of worship. Mentioning Allah is one of the acts of worship whose benefits, fruits, and positive and significant results are directed towards us. Along with mentioning Him with the tongue, one should turn to Him with the heart and from within the depth of his own soul and focus on the meanings of what he mentions Him with. Do not be heedless of them because one of the most beneficial aspects of mentioning Allah is to establish those meanings within yourself. When you proclaim the greatness of Allah, you should establish this meaning within yourself. When you exalt Allah, you should establish the meaning of exaltation and sanctification within yourself. And the same goes for other athkar. At the same time, you should align your beliefs and perceptions with what you mention Allah with from the great, important, and beneficial prescribed ways for mentioning Him. For example, in mentioning Allah through praising Him, do not hold beliefs that disparage Allah or have in your culture or belief or perceptions anything that is insulting to Him, for this contradicts with your glorification of Allah. Instead, make your glorification of Him a foundation in your belief and in your culture, and so on.

In the Holy Quran, there is an emphasis on increasing the mentioning of Allah (the Almighty) due to its great importance and profound impact on the human soul and life. There is also praise for those who mention Allah abundantly, whether they are men or women.

Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'O believers! Always remember Allah often, and glorify Him morning and evening. He is the One Who sends salat upon you, and His angels too, so that He may bring you out of darkness and into light. For He is ever Merciful to the believers. Their greeting on the Day they meet Him will be, "Peace!" And He has prepared for them an honourable reward'}. Allah says, {'O believers! Always remember Allah often.'} Mentioning Allah should occur at various times, in different situations, and at different moments. A person should not live for long periods heedless of Allah, neither mentioning Him with his tongue nor with his heart. {'And glorify Him morning and evening'}—at different times: in the early morning and in the latter part of the day.

Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'He is the One Who sends salat upon you, and His angels too, so that He may bring you out of darkness and into light.'} And this is also one of the ways that bring you out of darkness into the light: to mention Allah abundantly.

He also says, {'Remember your Lord inwardly with humility and reverence and in a moderate tone of voice, both morning and evening. And do not be one of the heedless'}. So mentioning Allah within oneself, with a state of awe and reverence, and also supplicating to Him {'in a moderate tone of voice'}—in other words, mentioning Allah (Glory be to Him) does not require one to raise his voice in certain athkar.

When Allah's Prophet Musa (PBUH) asked Allah to assign Harun a prophet with him, an assistant for him, a vizier for him, and a supporter to him in his greatest duty, the Divine Message, he said in the context of that request, {'so that we may glorify You much and mention you much. You are certainly watchful over us'}. That is because of the importance of mentioning Allah (Glory be to Him) and glorifying Him a lot.

With regard to praising His servants who mention Him a lot, Allah (the Almighty) says, {' those who mention Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth , "Our Lord! You have not created this without purpose. Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire"'}. Indeed, they mention Allah in their different positions and situations: {'standing, sitting, and lying on their sides'}.

After He mentioned a group of important faith-based qualities in the blessed verse of Surah Al-Ahzab—{'Surely, male Muslims and Female Muslims'}—He concluded that by praising those who mention Him a lot: {'And males and females who mention Allah a lot—for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward'}. So among the important faith-based qualities of Allah's believing servants, males and females, is mentioning Allah (the Almighty) a lot: {'and males and females who mention Allah a lot'}.

Supplications for various situations, circumstances, and deeds

Mentioning Allah also comes in various situations: In regards to time, you start your day since dawn by mentioning Allah (Glory be to Him), by Salat, dhikr, and supplication; receive the time of sunrise by mentioning Allah (Glory be to Him); receive the time of midday by dhikr, worship, and Salat; and start your night by turning to Allah (Glory be to Him), performing Salat, and reciting the Holy Quran. The same applies to all different times so you do not waste a lot of time in a state of heedlessness, forgetting Allah and neglecting mentioning Him.

And also in various situations, for humans, at the level of their life circumstances, activities, and different states, it is recommended for us to begin our actions and concerns with mentioning Allah:

  • Whether you are about to eat a meal, engage in any important task, or even have a talk, speech, or activity you are occupied with, you should start with Basmallah: {'In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.'}
  • After you finish your meal, praise Allah and express it aloud: 'All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.' If you wish, you can add, 'praise that is abundant, excellent, and blessed'. Or you can use any other athkar.

In the Holy Quran, as well as in what has been narrated from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F), there are various types of supplication and athkar for different situations. We will only provide examples, and a person can benefit from what is authentic, either from what is mentioned in the Holy Quran, as there is no doubt about its authenticity, or from authentic narrations attributed to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F). Some of the athkar in different situations become firmly established with regular practice when a person memorizes them and gets used to them.

Allah (the Almighty) says in the Holy Quran, {'In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.'} This phrase is the opening of every blessed surah and the beginning of His book. Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&F) taught us to start all our affairs with this: We mention Allah and begin with Basmallah.

Whenever we like something or find ourselves blessed and comfortable due to a certain blessing, we should say, 'Masha Allah' . In Surah Al-Kahf, Allah says, {'If only you had said, upon entering your garden, "This is what Allah has willed! There is no power except with Allah"'}. This is how a person should respond when he likes anything: acknowledging that it is by the will of Allah and that all power belongs to Him.

 

Regarding the state of anguish, Allah (Glory be to Him) mentions what happened to His slave and prophet Yunus (PBUH) when the whale swallowed him: {'Then in the darkness he cried out, "There is no god except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong"'}. Allah then said, {'So We answered his prayer and rescued him from anguish. And so do We save the believers'}. When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&F) was once asked, 'Is it only for Allah's Prophet Yunus?', he said it was for other believers, as well, and recited the last part of the verse, {'So We answered his prayer and rescued him from anguish. And so do We save the believers.'}

Whenever a believer experiences anguish, he should return to Allah, being aware of his shortcomings and exalting Allah from what he has committed. He considers that he himself is the reason behind any problems, shortcomings, or flaws and that Allah (Glory be to Him) is the source of good, mercy, and great bounty. So he appeals to Him to rescue him, acknowledging his own shortcomings. {'There is no god except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong.'} This is one of the important athkar.

In the state of grief or calamity, one must be patient, stick to patience, and return to Allah: {'Give good news to those who patiently endure—who, when faced with a disaster, say, "Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will return"'}. This is one of the significant athkar. In the event of calamity or grief, one must repeat this important dhikr, accompanying that with patience and recourse to Allah, the Almighty: {'They are the ones who will receive Allah's blessings and mercy. And it is they who are guided'}.

In times of distress and danger, one should seek refuge in Allah (Glory be to Him), who says: {'Say, "In Whose Hands is the authority over all things, protecting while none can protect against Him?"'}. This directs us to seek refuge in Allah, to seek His protection, and to turn to Him. Some important athkar are His saying, {'They replied, "Allah is sufficient for us and is the best Protector"'}, and His saying, {'Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god except Him. In Him I put my trust. And He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne'}.

When making promises. When making promises, always say 'Insha Allah' . When making promises about the future and what you intend to do, accompany that statement with the phrase 'Insha Allah'. Do not make definitive statements without considering what you may face in the future. It is also a way of seeking Allah's help.

 

On facing intimidation and discouragement in the context of Jihad, Allah says, {'Those to whom people said, "Your enemies have mobilized their forces against you, so fear them." But it only made them grow stronger in faith and they replied, "Allah is sufficient for us and is the best Protector"'}. This saying, {'Allah is sufficient for us and is the best Protector,'} is one of the most important athkar that express seeking refuge in Allah, having trust in Him, relying on Him, depending on Him, and being sure of His victory. That is why He said about them, {'So they returned with bounty from Allah, and grace, with no evil having even touched them, and submitted to the pleasure of Allah. Allah is the Lord of great bounty'}. Thus, it is one of the most important athkar. In facing danger, confronting enemies, and countering discouragement and intimidation, one should frequently focus on this supplication: {'Allah is sufficient for us and is the best Protector.'}

On the importance of mentioning Allah a lot when facing enemies in the field of Jihad, Allah says, {'O believers! When you face an enemy, stand firm and remember Allah often so you may triumph'}. This means to increase in remembering Allah in your hearts, in yourselves, and with your tongues. This has a great impact at the level of tranquility and steadfastness and at the level of enjoying divine care.

Another way to mention Allah is by saying, 'There is no power or strength except with Allah.' When facing grief, distress, significant issues, hardships, and difficulties, it is one the most important athkar that was greatly recommended by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F): 'There is no power or strength except with Allah.' It is also recommended when facing anguish and significant issues, as well.

When going anywhere, when you are traveling, sitting in a specific place, or in the battlefield—wherever you move to a certain place—say three times, 'I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created.' This is to seek Allah's protection from the harm of all insects, creatures, pests, and harmful things—you seek refuge in Allah and turn to Him. This supplication is mentioned in a well-known narration attributed to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F).

Regarding seeking refuge in Allah from the devils, their presence, whispers, and temptations,
Allah (Glory be to Him) says,{'And say, "My Lord! I seek refuge in You from the temptations of the devils. And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, that they come near me"'}. This is one of the most important athkar to seek refuge in Allah and seek His protection from the whispers and temptations of the devils, their presence, and their influence on one's soul.

Seeking refuge in Allah (the Almighty) in times of distress and illness, while doing what is necessary:
In the story of Ayub (PBUH), Allah says, {'And when Ayub cried out to his Lord, "I have been touched with adversity, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful. So We answered his prayer and removed his adversity, and gave him back his family, twice as many, as a mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers'}. {'And a reminder for the worshippers'}—so that they know that Allah (Glory be to Him), is merciful to His servants, and when they turn back to Him and seek refuge in Him, the relief comes from Him, the Almighty.

Before sleeping, there are many narrated athkar to recite before you sleep, as part of your preparation for sleep. One of these narrated athkar is this: 'I have turned to You with my back'—you are addressing Allah with this—'submitted myself to You, turned my face towards You, and entrusted my affairs to You out of fear and hope in You. There is no refuge or escape from You except to You. I believe in Your Book that You have revealed and in Your Prophet whom You have sent.' There are also many other well-known athkar. These are just examples.

Similarly, in various situations of a person's life, he should develop the habit of mentioning Allah in all circumstances and not neglecting Him, the Almighty. As we mentioned earlier, a person can benefit from some concise and well-known athkar for various situations and occasions. However, it is not necessary to mention all of them here. These are just examples related to our topic.

Some of the significant and essential athkar

 The athkar in Salat are of the most important athkar. Allah (Glory be to Him) says, {'Indeed, I am Allah! There is no god except Me. So worship Me , and establish Salat for My remembrance'}. One of the most important aspects of Salat is mentioning Allah. Salat is rich with athkar. It includes takbir , tahleel , tahmid , tasbih , the recitation of the Quran, and many other athkar. Salat is a very important means of mentioning Allah. It is important for a person to perform it wholeheartedly, with his mind, soul, and feelings, and to focus on the athkar.

The obligatory Salats, which are essential and among the pillars of Islam, are also important and among the pillars of Islam. It is also highly beneficial to perform the voluntary Salat, such as the night Salat, which contains eight rakahs , prayed in sets of two rakahs—you pray two rakahs, then make salaam , then pray two rakahs, and so on, excluding the Witr Salat. The night Salat is one of the most important acts of worship and remembrance, with significant impact on faith, spiritual well-being, closeness to Allah, and immense reward and divine care.

 

Similarly, one of the most important athkar is the recitation of the Quran: {'So recite what is easy of the Quran'}. {'Verily, those who recite the book of Allah and perform Salat and spend out of what We have provided for them secretly and openly, hope for a trade that will never fail. He will reward them in full and increase them out of His grace. He is truly All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative'}.

Glorification of Allah is one of the important ways of mentioning Allah: In the words of Prophet Musa, {'so that we may glorify You much and mention you much. You are certainly watchful over us'}, glorification is mentioned first on its own, then followed by other athkar, highlighting its importance. It is the fundamental and main way of angels in mentioning Allah: {'They glorify day and night, never wavering'}. Glorification is of the significant athkar, and the glorification that is recited in the final part of Salat—which states, 'Allah is exalted, Praise is to Allah, There is no god but Allah, Allah is Greater'—is highly recommended, with an extensive discussion about its virtues, its impact, and what role it plays in helping protect humans from evils by the will of Allah.

Seeking forgiveness is one of the important athkar: Allah says, {'and who seek forgiveness before dawn'}. Seeking forgiveness is among the important athkar, and a person needs to engage in it frequently. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&F) greatly emphasized on abundantly seeking forgiveness in various times, situations, and occasions. It is a very important matter and should be accompanied with turning to Allah with repentance for shortcomings, sins, and mistakes and earnestly striving to obey Allah and remain steadfast on His path.

The reward of mentioning Allah and its impact on one's faith, conscience, and discipline

Also among the important athkar is praising and extolling Allah: There are numerous instances of this in the Quran and many narrations. It is one of the most important acts of worship, and it is not difficult. When you, for example, say, 'Glory is to Allah,' this is an act of mentioning and worshiping Allah that draws you closer to Allah (the Almighty) and grants you a reward that is ten times multiplied in ordinary cases and even much more in special cases where the reward is multiplied. The more you mention Allah, the greater reward you get and the closer you get to Allah. So it is an act of worship that draws you closer to Allah and grants great reward—you do get a reward even though this act of worship is easy on you and can be done in all your situations.

Mentioning Allah has an impact on the faith, conscience, and discipline of the soul: Mentioning Allah a lot has an impact on your soul, your feelings, and your conscience. You feel a sense of closeness to Allah, a sense of intimacy with Allah, the Almighty. At the same time, it holds great importance in purifying the soul: The more you remember Allah within yourself, with your tongue, and in your heart, the more you purify yourself and your emotions and have a positive impact on your psychological well-being. Simultaneously, it solidifies the meanings of what you mention Allah with. This is a crucial matter in the realm of faith. As you glorify Allah a lot, you firmly establish within yourself the meaning of glorifying and magnifying Allah, and likewise with the other athkar, according to their significance and what they convey. This is true if the person is focused and conscious of what he says and pays attention to it.

Mentioning Allah has tremendous and significant importance (which humans greatly need) in reducing tension, calming emotions, and alleviating anxiety. Stress, anxiety, and psychological agony are among the most influential factors on people in their lives in which some reach, as a result of the severe influence of these factors, to the level that they suffer psychological illness or their conduct gets affected. Their conduct, dealings, and speech become imprinted with a sense of stress. This stress can often be observed in their way of conversing with others and their interactions with people in general. People are in need of mentioning Allah a lot because it grants them tranquility, hope in Allah, and confidence, as well as alleviating them from states of distress and anxiety, which is a very important matter.

Also, in moments of emotional outbursts, when a person is angry or upset, he is in need of mentioning Allah, resorting to Him (the Almighty), and mentioning Him abundantly to find tranquility.

 

That is why Allah (Glory be to Him) says in the Holy Quran, {'Those who believe, and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah, verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace'}. The believing person feels tranquility when he increases in mentioning Allah (Glory be to Him) and resorts to Him, the Almighty.

Mentioning Allah is one of the causes of His care, as it diverts harm away from humans: When you turn to athkar in mentioning Allah within your soul and heart and seek Allah's help, then Allah will ward off many evils, calamities, afflictions, and accidents from you, and He will encompass you with His wide care. When Allah (the Almighty) said, {'So remember Me; I will remember you,'} what is it that Allah will remember us with? He will remember us with His care, His guidance, His facilitation, His assistance, and all that He bestows upon people and diverts from them. So it is the kind of remembrance that ensures divine care, gets deeds accepted, grants reward for goodness, among other things. Thus, mentioning Allah is a highly important act of worship.

And invoking Allah with athkar should always be accompanied with remaining on a right course and turning to Allah (the Almighty) in a practical way. This means it is not substitute for actions and to taking practical steps. So along with mentioning Allah (Glory be to Him) abundantly in in your life, concerns, and reality, you should exercise effort. This also protects you from the dangers of heedlessness, forgetfulness, and psychological whispers:

Some of the most dangerous things for humans are excessive doubts, worries, and fears, which invade a person's mind through the influence of Shaytan and his followers (human and jinn devils). However, you can protect yourself against all of that by frequently mentioning Allah.

The Holy Quran also criticizes the munafiqin for their frequent negligence of Allah in themselves, in their actions, in their understanding of life, and even in mentioning Allah with the tongue. Allah describes them by saying, {'Shaytan has taken hold of them, causing them to forget the remembrance of Allah'}. Allah further states about them, {'And they do not remember Allah except a little'}.

Mentioning Allah (the Almighty) abundantly in various circumstances and situations holds great importance. It is also a facilitated form of worship that is beneficial and rewarding, and it has a positive impact and yields highly significant results. It is also among the best ways to use this blessing bestowed upon you: the tongue and the ability to speak. Through it, you turn to Allah and engage in supplication.

How beautiful is the supplication mentioned by the Commander of the Believers Ali (PBUH). It is a supplication that is about remembering Allah and turning to Him and that clarifies the states of those who remember Allah (Glory be to Him) and the states of His close servants in their remembrance of Allah and their recourse to Him. He (PBUH) said:

O Allah, You are the most attached to your lovers and the most ready to assist those who trust in you. You see them in their concealments, know whatever is in their consciences, and are aware of the extent of their intelligence. Consequently, their secrets are open to You and their hearts are eager for You. If loneliness makes them desolate, Your remembrance gives them solace. If distresses befall them, they beseech Your protection, because they know that the reins of affairs are in Your hands and never go beyond what you have ordained. O Allah, if I have become unable to express my request or cannot see my needs, then guide me towards my betterment and take my heart towards the correct goal, for this is not against Your guidance nor anything new against Your ways of support. O Allah, deal with me through Your forgiveness and do not deal with me according to Your justice.

 

Mentioning Allah brings solace, tranquility, confidence, and purification of the soul and feelings and reinforces the aspects of faith. Instead of wasting numerous hours, one should make it a habit to mention Allah abundantly and in all situations, activities, occasions, and circumstances until his tongue becomes constantly moist with the mentioning of Allah. We should follow what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&F) commanded us when he said, 'Let your tongue be constantly moist with the remembrance of Allah.'

We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah (Glory be to You), have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory, for You are All-Hearing!

O Allah, accept our fasting, nights of worship, and good deeds.

It is also important during these blessed nights to mention Allah more. A person should strive to make the most of his time instead of indulging in an idle talk that brings no benefit or advantage and may even incur sin.

Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.