Dhikr, Idul Adha

Q 1. I am a regular reader of your column. May Allah bless you for clearly explaining Islam to us. In Surah Al-Ra’d 13:28 Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says: “Those who believe, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” What does the word ‘remembrance’ refer to? Is it Qur’an, prayer, or merely remembering Allah’s name/attributes by tongue?

A 1. The word used in the Qur’an is “dhikr” and it has many meanings. Linguistically it means both “to remember” and “to mention”. It is said that “dhikr” is by the heart and by the tongue. When you remember someone in your heart it is “dhikr al-qalb”; and when you mention someone by your tongue it is “dhikr al-lisan”.

There is a great emphasis in the Qur’an and Sunnah on Dhikr. Believers are told again and again to remember Allah and not to forget Him (Al-Ahzab 33:41-42; al-A’raf 7:205). The success and salvation in this life and in the hereafter depend on Dhikr (al-Jumu’ah 62:10). Allah has praised those who do Dhikr and has promised them forgiveness and a great reward (al-Ahzab 33:35). Allah has promised that He will remember those who will do His Dhikr (al-Baqarah 2:152). Allah has mentioned that all good deeds and all acts of worship should begin and end with Dhikr (al-Baqarah 2:200). Allah has called

His Dhikr the greatest thing (al-’Ankabut 29:45). However, it is wrong to think that Dhikr only means to recite Allah’s name and His attributes. In the Qur’an Dhikr is mentioned to mean:

1. Mention of Allah by the tongue, see for example al-Baqarah 2:200.

2. Remembrance of Allah in the heart, see for example Al ‘Imran 3:135.

3. Advice, see al-An’am 6:44

4. Revelation (al-Wahy) in general, see al-Saffat 37:3

5. The Qur’an, al-Anbiya’ 21:50

6. Earlier Scriptures such as Tawrat and Injil, see al-Nahl 16:43 (These scriptures were originally sent by Allah to remind earlier people, but they do not exist now in their original form)

7. Regular prayers (Salah), see al-Baqarah 2:239

8. Friday prayer (Salah al-Jumu’ah), see al-Jumu’ah 62:9.

9. Obedience to Allah, see al-Baqarah 2:152

10. Explaining and mentioning something, see Maryam 19:16 All these meaning are inter-related. Thus when Allah says in the Qur’an, “Behold, in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest” (al- Ra’d 13:28), it means in Salah, in Du’a, in Allah’s obedience. It also means in the Tasbih (saying Subhanallah, Glory be to Allah), in the Tahmid (saying Alhamdulillah, Thanks be to Allah), in the Takbir (saying Allah Akbar, Allah is Great), in the Tahlil (saying La ilaha illa Allah, There is no god except Allah). It also means in reading the Qur’an, in understanding its meaning and message. It means in living according to the rules of Allah, in giving the message of Allah to others and in establishing truth, justice and peace in the world. All of these are Dhikr; and in every kind of Dhikr there is comfort, peace, harmony and tranquility for the hearts and souls of the Believers.

It is wrong to limit Dhikr to one meaning. The classical interpreters of the Qur’an such al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, al-Qurtubi etc. have all explained this ayah (al-Ra’d 13:28) to mean Dhikr in its wide and comprehensive meaning. It is also important that Muslims do Dhikr according to the Sunnah of the Prophet -peace be upon him. The Prophet -peace be upon him- was the best person who remembered Allah and his Dhikr was the best Dhikr. The books of Sunnah give us ample guidance as to what to say in Dhikr and how to say it. There is no need to invent any new methods or to follow any person or persons who give a new style of Dhikr. May Allah keep us on the right path.

Q 2. As the Idul Adha is approaching I have a few questions about sacrifice (Qurbani). What is the best time for offering sacrifice (Qurbani)? Do we have to offer a separate sacrifice on behalf of every one in our family or one sacrifice is sufficient for the whole family? Is it better to offer sacrifice or can we give money as charity instead?

A 2. Offering sacrifice during Idul Adha is Wajib according to Imam Abu Hanifah and it is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah according to other jurists. All those people who have the Nisab of Zakat should offer a sacrifice. The time for sacrifice begins after the Idul Adha prayer. According to a Hadith, the Prophet -peace be upon him- said that whosoever offered a sacrifice before the Id prayer, he just slaughtered an animal for meat, but whosoever made sacrifice after the Id prayer, that person offered a sacrifice. (al-Bukhari, Hadith 902). Sacrifice is an act of worship (‘ibadah). As we have the times of prayers so we also have time for making a sacrifice during Idul Adha. The time of sacrifice remains until sunset on the 12th day Dhul Hijjah. It is not required for the head of the household to offer a separate Qurbani for every member of the house. One Qurbani is sufficient for the whole family. However, if other members of family own the Nisab of Zakat then they must offer their own Qurbani. One goat, lamb or sheep is on behalf of one person, but seven people can share in offering one cow or camel.

The Qurbani is the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Ismail and Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon them. It has a meaning and significance. It reminds us the great act of sacrifice that Prophet Ibrahim and Ismail were willing to do for the sake of Allah. Allah spared the life of Prophet Ismail, but He told us that “We substituted it with a momentous sacrifice.” (al-Saffat 37:107). The “momentous sacrifice (dhibh ‘azim) is the sacrifice of the billions of people who have been remembering this tradition for the last four thousand years. Other people who claim to follow Prophet Ibrahim have forgotten this tradition, but we Muslims have kept it alive without any interruption. We must keep this Sunnah and should not forget it. There is no substitute for Qurbani. However, if one wants to offer a nafl (non-obligatory) sacrifice on behalf of oneself or one’s deceased parents or some other relatives, one has a choice either to make a Qurbani or give the price of the animal in charity.

The meat of the Qurbani should be divided in three equal portions, one for oneself and the family, one for friends and one for the poor and needy. If there are more poor people, then it is good to give all of it in charity to the poor and needy. Here in US and Canada we may not need the meat that much, but there are many other places where people do not get meat. It is, perhaps, better for us here in America if we give the money to some dependable relief organizations in order to make Qurbani on our behalf; and to distribute the meat among the poor and needy in poor countries and in countries where people are suffering due to wars, economic sanctions or natural disasters.