Recommended Adhkar in Ramadan

Assalamu Alaikum! This week, inshaAllah, Ramadan Talk discusses Adhkar (glorifying and praising Allah) recommended for a fasting person in the month of Ramadan and beyond. Thereafter, we would discuss the voluntary prayers of Tarawih, Tahajjud and Al-Iitikaf.

Adhkar is the plural of Dhikr (glorification of Allah). Adhkar purify the soul of believers. It also takes away all sadness and gives rest to the soul of man. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “Those who believe in the oneness of Allah, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Qur’an 13:28).

In a Hadith reported by Abu Musa (ra), the Prophet (pbuh) said: “the example of one who glorifies Allah in comparison to the one who does not remember Allah is that of living creature compared to a dead one.” (Bukhari).

Based on the foregoing, the first and best form of Dhikr (glorification of Allah) for a fasting person is recitation of the Holy Qur’an. This is because the Holy Qur’an was revealed in the month of Ramadan. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion between the right and wrong………”(Qur’an 2:185).

This makes the month of Ramadan the month of Qur’an, therefore recitation of the Holy Qur’an attracts more reward. It brings pleasure to the heart and takes away sadness.

The next Dhikr is recitation of ‘Allahumma innaka afuwun tuhibbul afuwa fa’afu anni’ (Or Allah mercy is with you, and you love forgiveness, forgive me - all my sins.), especially in the last ten days of Ramadan.

Other Adhkar are Allahumma salli alaa Muhammadin wa alaa aali Muhammadin (O Allah, bestow Your favour on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad). Laa ilaaha illallaah (there is none worthy of worship but Allah). Subhaanallaah (glorified is Allah). Allaahu Akbar (Allah is the Most Great). Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah (There is no power and no might except by Allah). Alhamdu Lillaah (Praise is for Allah). Laa ilaaha illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, Allahu Akbaru kabeeran, walhamdu lillahi katheeran, subhaanallahi rabbil aalameen, laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa billahil-azeezil-hakeem (there is none worthy of worship but Allah, who has no partner, Allah is the Great, the most Great, and praise is to Allah, lord of the worlds. There is no power and no might but by Allah the Mighty, the Wise.

The above adhkar were reported in different authentic hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The above Adhkar are by no means exhaustive. A fasting person can recite any or all of the above Adhkar as many times as he can.

We are already in the last ten days of Ramadan, which the Prophet (pbuh) described as the most blissful of all Ramadan days. It is in these days that Allah blesses mankind with a night called Lailatul-Qadr (Night of decree), which Allah (saw) described as a night that is better than a thousand months. That is to say that worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him for a thousand months or 83 years and four months. (Qur’an 97:3).

In these days, one is required to intensify his ibadat (worships). One of the ways of observing the last ten days of Ramadan is performing the voluntary prayers of Tarawih and Tahajjud.

The importance and blessings that Allah grants to those that stand to perform voluntary prayers of Tarawih or Tahajjud cannot be overemphasised. On account of these prayers one’s previous sins are absolved and forgiven, provided that in performing them one has complete and absolute faith in Allah’s reward.

The Prophet (pbuh) is reported by Bukhari and Muslim in a hadith as saying: “He who prays during the