This is the last part of this topic that addresses the benefits of mentioning Allah. The following highlights more of these benefits that the slave will harvest in this world as well as the Hereafter when mentioning Allah:
[39] It relieves the person during hardships and difficulties, turning them into ease. Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that on the day of the Battle of the Trench, the Prophet approached a rock which his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were unable to demolish; he had a stone tied around his stomach to alleviate the pangs of hunger that he was suffering from due to not having had anything to eat for the previous three days. He struck the rock three times and gave glad tidings with each strike of the rock; with each strike he mentioned Allah’s Name saying: “Allahu Akbar”, thus demolishing the rock into sand.
[40] It removes all fear from the heart and instils security in it; the more one mentions Allah, the more secure he will feel during hardships and times of terror.
[41] Mentioning Allah grants one the power and energy that enables him to do what he could otherwise never do. When Faatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, who was the daughter of the Messenger of Allah complained to him about the hardness of her hands and the pain in them due to her heavy housework, and therefore requested a maid, he instructed her and her husband `Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, with something better, which was: “When you go to bed, recite: Takbeer ('Allahu Akbar' (i.e., Allah is the greatest)) thirty-three times and Tasbeeh ('Subhaan-Allah' (i.e., Glory be to Allah)) thirty-three times and Tahmeed ('Al-Hamdu lillaah' (i.e., All praise is due to Allah)) thirty-three times.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]
[42] Righteous deeds are the field in which the honourable compete and race, and those who mention Allah are at the forefront of this race. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Apostle said: “The Mufarridoon have surpassed (the others) (i.e. in terms of reward).” The people asked: “Who are the Mufarridoon?” He replied: “Those men and women who frequently mention Allah.” [Muslim]
[43] The frequent mentioning of Allah safeguards the person from hypocrisy, because Allah describes the hypocrites saying (what means): “…And they do not mention Allah, except a little.” [Quran 4 : 142] Allah knows best, but perhaps this is why Allah concludes Chapter Al-Munaafiqoon (i.e. the hypocrites) with the following verse (which means): “O you who believe! Let not your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that – then those are the losers.” [Quran 63: 9] This is in order to warn people against being heedless of Allah and thereby fall into hypocrisy.
[44] Frequently mentioning Allah increases the number of witnesses that will testify in favour of the person. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah recited the saying of Allah (which means): “That Day it [the earth] will report its news.” [Quran 99: 4] Then he asked: “Do you know what its news is?” He was told: "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said: “Its news is that it shall bear witness about what every slave, male or female, did while on its surface. It will say: `You did this and this on such and such day.` That will be its news.” [At-Tirmithi]
[45] A slave can only guard himself against Satan through mentioning Allah the Almighty. Al-Haarith Al-Asha`ri, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Apostle said: “And I enjoin you to mention Allah. (Mentioning Allah) resembles a man who was fervently pursued by his enemies, then he came to a fortress in which he saved himself from them. Likewise, a slave (of Allah) does not guard himself against Satan except through the mentioning of Allah.” [At-Tirmithi]
Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “When a man goes out of his house, two angels accompany him, so when he utters: 'Bismillaah' (i.e., In the name of Allah) the two angels will say to him at that time: 'You are guided'; when he utters: 'Tawakkaltu ‘Alallaah' (i.e., I place my trust in Allah), the two angels will say: 'You are defended.' when he utters: 'Laa Hawla wa Laa Quwwaata Illaa Billaah' (i.e., there is no might and no power (to resist evil) but with Allah), the two angels will say to him: 'You are protected'; Thereupon, one devil will say to another: What can you do to a man who has been guided, protected and defended?” [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi]
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “If one utters a hundred times a day these words: `Laa Ilaaha Illallaahu Wahdahu Laa Shareeka Lahu Lahul-Mulk Wa Lahul-Hamd Wa Huwa ‘Alaa kulli Shay’in Qadeer` (i.e., There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, the One, having no partner with Him, His is the Kingdom and His is the praise and He is Omnipotent) he will have a reward equivalent to that of freeing ten slaves and there will be recorded a hundred virtues to his credit, and a hundred of his sins will be erased from his record of deeds, and he will be safeguarded against the devil for that day until the evening, and no one will surpass him in doing more excellent deeds except one who has recited these words more often than him.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, also narrated: “Allah’s Messenger put me in charge of guarding Al-Fitr (i.e., the charity foodstuff) of Ramadan. Then, someone came and snatched some of the food, so I took hold of him and said: `I swear by Allah! I will take you to Allah's Messenger'…" Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated the rest of the story in which this 'someone' said to him: 'Whenever you go to bed, recite Aayat Al-Kursi (the Verse of the Throne). (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Satan will come near you till morning.' Later, when the Prophet heard this story, he said: “He spoke the truth, although he is a liar - it was Satan.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Dear brothers! With this we conclude the series of lectures on the benefits of Thikr (i.e. mentioning Allah) during which we summarised forty five benefits from the words of Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim .