Lessons

Faith

Remembering Allah through the day

Learn how daily remembrance brings peace to your heart from morning until night.

3 short lessons · about 4 min · every point has its source

1. Finding peace in remembering Allah

Learning new practices as a new Muslim can sometimes feel overwhelming. In the midst of daily worries, your heart naturally searches for stillness. Allah tells us in the Quran that the hearts of those who believe find true reassurance through the remembrance of Allah.¹

The Arabic word for remembering Allah is dhikr. This remembrance can be as simple as pausing quietly in your thoughts. The Prophet ﷺ shared that Allah is with His servant whenever that person remembers Him. If you draw near to Allah by the span of a hand, He draws near to you by an arm length, rushing toward you when you walk toward Him.² The Prophet ﷺ also explained that a home where remembrance takes place is like the living, while a home without remembrance is like the dead.³

Gathering with others to remember Allah brings special blessings to your life. When a group sits together in remembrance, angels surround them, mercy covers them, and tranquility descends upon them. When people sit together to remember Allah, Allah remembers them before those who are with Him.⁴ Turning your heart to Allah throughout the day gradually softens it and fills your spirit with quiet comfort.

2. Remembering Allah with your meals

Everyday routines can become meaningful acts of worship when you turn your heart to your Creator. Allah commands believers to eat of what He has provided that is lawful and good, and to be grateful for His favors.⁵ When a meal is served, the Prophet ﷺ taught that a person should mention the name of Allah before eating.⁶

Saying Bismillah, which means in the name of Allah, would have made the food enough for everyone.⁷ Mentioning Allah's name when you eat also keeps Satan from sharing your meal.⁸ Along with mentioning Allah, the Prophet ﷺ guided believers to eat with the right hand and take food from what is closest to them.⁹

When building a new habit, it is natural to occasionally forget to say this remembrance before taking your first bite. You do not need to feel discouraged if this happens. The Prophet ﷺ taught a simple remedy whenever a person forgets to mention Allah at the start of eating.¹⁰

If you realize your mistake while eating, you say Bismillah fi awwalihi wa akhirih, which means in the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it.⁷ The Prophet ﷺ instructed that if you forget to mention Allah's name at the start, you should say in the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end.¹⁰ With time and gentle practice, this remembrance will become an effortless part of your daily table.

3. Daily words for waking and sleeping

The Quran directs you to mention the name of your Lord morning and evening.¹¹ Beginning and ending your day with remembrance wraps your hours of rest in awareness of your Creator. It brings peace to your heart as you settle into bed and sets a calm, hopeful tone when you awaken.

When preparing for sleep, the Prophet ﷺ taught believers to clean the bed and lie down on their right side.¹² Whenever the Prophet ﷺ intended to go to bed, he would say that in the name of Allah he dies and lives.¹³

Waking up is a fresh gift of life each morning. When the Prophet ﷺ arose from sleep, he praised Allah for reviving us and remembered the return to Him on the Day of Resurrection.¹³

Do not worry if Arabic does not feel easy right away. A supplication, known as a dua in Arabic, can be remembered in English as you begin learning. Taking a quiet moment to turn your heart toward Allah at night and at dawn will steadily bring comfort to your routine.

Sources

1. Quran 13:28 (Ar-Ra'd)
   Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured
2. Sahih Muslim 2675a Read it in full
   Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, thus stated: I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him
3. Sahih Muslim 779 Read it in full
   Abu Musa reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: The house in which remembrance of Allah is made and the house in which Allah is not remembered are like the living and the dead
4. Sunan Ibn Majah 3791
   It was narrated that Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'eed bore witness that the Prophet(ﷺ) said: "No people sit in a gathering remembering Allah, But the angels surround them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them and Allah remembers them before those who are with HimGrading: Al-Albani: Sahih; Muhammad Fouad Abd al-Baqi: Sahih; Shuaib Al Arnaut: Sahih; Zubair Ali Zai: Sahih Muslim
5. Quran 16:114 (An-Nahl)
   Then eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is [indeed] Him that you worship
6. Sahih al-Bukhari 5378 Read it in full
   Narrated Wahb bin Kaisan Abi Nu'aim: A meal was brought to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while his step-son, `Umar bin Abi Salama was with him. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him, "Mention the Name of Allah and eat of the dish what is nearer to you
7. Sunan Ibn Majah 3264
   It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was eating food with six of his Companions when a Bedouin came and ate it all in two bites. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘If he had said Bismillah, it would have sufficed you (all). When any one of you eats food, let him say Bismillah, and if he forgets to say Bismillah at the beginning, let him say Bismillah fi awwalihi wa akhirih (In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end).’”Grading: Al-Albani: Sahih; Muhammad Fouad Abd al-Baqi: Sahih; Shuaib Al Arnaut: Sahih Lighairihi; Zubair Ali Zai: Sahih
8. Sahih Muslim 2018a Read it in full
   Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When a person enters his house and mentions the name of Allah at the time of entering it and while eating the food, Satan says (addressing himself: You have no place to spend the night and no evening meal; but when he enters without mentioning the name of Allah, the Satan says: You have found a place to spend the night, and when he does not mention the name of Allah while eating food, he (the Satan) says: You have found a place to spend the night and evening meal
9. Sunan Abi Dawud 3777 Read it in full
   Narrated Umar ibn AbuSalamah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Come near, my son, mention Allah's name, eat with your right hand and eat from what is next to youGrading: Al-Albani: Sahih; Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid: Sahih; Shuaib Al Arnaut: Sahih; Zubair Ali Zai: Isnaad Sahih
10. Sunan Abi Dawud 3767 Read it in full
    Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you eats, he should mention Allah's name; if he forgets to mention Allah's name at the beginning, he should say: "In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of itGrading: Al-Albani: Sahih; Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul Hamid: Sahih; Shuaib Al Arnaut: Sahih Lighairihi; Zubair Ali Zai: Isnaad Sahih
11. Quran 76:25 (Al-Insan)
    And mention the name of your Lord [in prayer] morning and evening
12. Sahih Muslim 2714a Read it in full
    Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as say- ing: When any one of you goes to bed, he should take hold of the hem of his lower garment and then should clean (his bed) with the help of that and then should recite the name of Allah for he himself does tiot know what he left behind him on his bed, and when he intends to lie on bed, he should lie on his right side and utter these words: " Hallowed be Allah, my Lord. It is with Thine (grace) that I place my side (upon the bed) and it is with Thee that I take it up (after sleep), and in case Thou withholdst my being (if thou causest me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if Thou keepst (this process of breathing on), then protect it with that with which Thou protected Thine pious servants
13. Sahih al-Bukhari 6324 Read it in full
    Narrated Hudhaifa: Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to go to bed, he would recite: "Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya (With Your name, O Allah, I die and I live)." And when he woke up from his sleep, he would say: "Al-hamdu lil-lahil-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana; wa ilaihi an-nushur (All the Praises are for Allah Who has made us alive after He made us die (sleep) and unto Him is the Resurrection

Every point in this lesson rests on a verse of the Quran or a hadith, listed above. Hadith come from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, or from other collections only where every listed scholar graded them sahih or hasan. Found a mistake? Tell us.

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