Some people say that dhikr is better than the obligatory prayer, citing the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And the remembrance of Allah is greater). Is it true that dhikr is better than the prayer?
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The questioner : Some people say: Dhikr is better than the obligatory prayer, citing the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-'Ankabut 29:45] Is dhikr better than the prayer, as they say? We ask for information, may you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Indeed, the prayer is a remembrance of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and it is the greatest of the types of dhikr. It is the most emphatic of the pillars of Islam after the two testimonies, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2609Sahih (Darussalam) It contains types of dhikr; it is a garden among the gardens of dhikr.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : It contains the recitation of the Qur'an, it contains the takbir, it contains the praise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it contains types of glorification of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), it contains supplication. So it is a garden containing every beautiful variety. There is no doubt that the prayer, whether obligatory or voluntary, the obligatory being a pillar of Islam, is the best of the types of dhikr, as we said, after the two testimonies: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The bare dhikr is not better than it; rather, it is better than the bare dhikr. If a person were to ask us: Is it better for me to devote myself to the remembrance of Allah, such as tasbih, takbir, and tahlil, or to devote myself to the prayer? We would say: Devoting yourself to the prayer is better, because it combines between multiple types of dhikr. As for the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-'Ankabut 29:45], the verse indicates that the prayer restrains from indecency and evil, but the remembrance of Allah in it is greater than that, as becomes clear when reciting the noble verse: [Al-'Ankabut 29:45], meaning that the remembrance of Allah the Exalted in it is greater than the restraining from indecency and evil.
However, there is a note here: the dhikr that is restricted to its place is better than the general prayer. For example, if a person were to ask: Is it better, when I finish the obligatory prayer, to hasten to stand up and pray a voluntary prayer, or is it better to perform the prescribed dhikr after the prayer? We would tell him: It is better for you to perform the prescribed dhikr after the prayer, because it is dhikr restricted to a specific state. So dhikr in its place, if it is restricted, is better than the general prayer.
Therefore, if someone were to ask us: I am reciting the Qur'an and I hear the mu'adhdhin. Is it better for me to continue reciting the Qur'an and not follow the mu'adhdhin, or is it better for me to follow the mu'adhdhin? We say: It is better for you to follow the mu'adhdhin, because it is dhikr restricted to a specific state, so it is better than reciting the Qur'an, which does not have a fixed time, and you can recite the Qur'an at another time. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. The listener from Algeria has another question. He says:
and the remembrance of Allah is greater
وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُThe Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. Indeed, the prayer is a remembrance of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and it is the greatest of the types of dhikr. It is the most emphatic of the pillars of Islam after the two testimonies, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Islam is based upon five: the testimony of La Ilaha Illallah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the establishment of the Salat, giving the Zakat, fasting (the month of) Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House.
بني الإسلام على خمس: شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن محمداً رسول الله، وإقام الصلاة، وإيتاء الزكاة، وصوم رمضان، وحج بيت الله الحرامThe questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : It contains the recitation of the Qur'an, it contains the takbir, it contains the praise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), it contains types of glorification of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), it contains supplication. So it is a garden containing every beautiful variety. There is no doubt that the prayer, whether obligatory or voluntary, the obligatory being a pillar of Islam, is the best of the types of dhikr, as we said, after the two testimonies: the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The bare dhikr is not better than it; rather, it is better than the bare dhikr. If a person were to ask us: Is it better for me to devote myself to the remembrance of Allah, such as tasbih, takbir, and tahlil, or to devote myself to the prayer? We would say: Devoting yourself to the prayer is better, because it combines between multiple types of dhikr. As for the saying of Allah the Exalted:
and the remembrance of Allah is greater
وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُRecite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ إن الصَّلاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُHowever, there is a note here: the dhikr that is restricted to its place is better than the general prayer. For example, if a person were to ask: Is it better, when I finish the obligatory prayer, to hasten to stand up and pray a voluntary prayer, or is it better to perform the prescribed dhikr after the prayer? We would tell him: It is better for you to perform the prescribed dhikr after the prayer, because it is dhikr restricted to a specific state. So dhikr in its place, if it is restricted, is better than the general prayer.
Therefore, if someone were to ask us: I am reciting the Qur'an and I hear the mu'adhdhin. Is it better for me to continue reciting the Qur'an and not follow the mu'adhdhin, or is it better for me to follow the mu'adhdhin? We say: It is better for you to follow the mu'adhdhin, because it is dhikr restricted to a specific state, so it is better than reciting the Qur'an, which does not have a fixed time, and you can recite the Qur'an at another time. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. The listener from Algeria has another question. He says: