The Short Answer
No — not in a way that overrides the explicit prophetic evidence for gatherings of dhikr. The narration about Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) criticizing people counting dhikr with pebbles is a common polemical proof-text, but it has significant problems that traditional scholars have addressed in detail.
The Narration in Question
The account — narrated in Sunan al-Darimi and other sources — describes Ibn Mas'ud entering a mosque and finding groups of people sitting in circles with a leader saying "Say Allahu Akbar 100 times, say La ilaha ill'Allah 100 times" while they counted with pebbles. Ibn Mas'ud then reproached them.
This narration is used by opponents of group dhikr to argue that a major Companion condemned the practice. Here is why this argument fails:
Problem 1: The Chain of Transmission Is Questioned
“The narration is transmitted through chains that hadith scholars have questioned. Even those who accept it as a report from Ibn Mas'ud note that it does not meet the standard of Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim — the very collections that contain explicit prophetic hadiths praising group dhikr.”
The contrast in evidentiary strength is stark: the hadiths praising group dhikr are in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (the gold standard), while the narration used against group dhikr is in collections of lower authentication standards and with a questioned chain.
Problem 2: A Companion's Action Cannot Override the Prophet ﷺ
Even if the narration is accepted as historically accurate, a fundamental principle of Islamic jurisprudence applies: a Companion's personal opinion or action does not abrogate a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
The Prophetic evidence for group dhikr is explicit and undeniable:
مَا اجْتَمَعَ قَوْمٌ يَذْكُرُونَ اللهَ إِلَّا حَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَغَشِيَتْهُمُ الرَّحْمَةُ وَنَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةُ وَذَكَرَهُمُ اللهُ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَهُ
“No people gather to remember Allah but the angels surround them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him.”
إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَلَائِكَةً يَطُوفُونَ فِي الطُّرُقِ يَلْتَمِسُونَ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ
“Allah has angels who roam the roads seeking out the people of dhikr. When they find a group remembering Allah, they call out to each other: 'Come to what you are looking for!'”
These are the Prophet ﷺ describing gatherings of dhikr and attributing to them: angelic presence, divine mercy, tranquility from Allah, being mentioned by Allah to the angels, and complete forgiveness. If Ibn Mas'ud's action contradicts this, the Prophet ﷺ takes precedence — this is not a matter of opinion but a foundational principle of usul al-fiqh.
As Imam al-Shafi'i stated: "When a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ is sound, that is my madhab." A Companion's personal action, however great the Companion, cannot override the explicit words of the Prophet ﷺ.
Problem 3: What Ibn Mas'ud Actually Objected To
A careful reading of the narration suggests Ibn Mas'ud was not condemning dhikr in a group but rather specific problematic elements:
He objected to the counting method being treated as obligatory
The people were counting specific numbers with pebbles as though this was a required method. Ibn Mas'ud's objection may have been about treating a specific technique (counting with pebbles in a prescribed number) as if it were a binding prophetic sunnah — when it was not. This is consistent with the scholarly distinction between:
- The act of group dhikr — which is praiseworthy based on multiple prophetic hadiths
- A specific counting method claimed as sunnah — which, if falsely attributed to the Prophet ﷺ, would be blameworthy
He may have objected to an innovation in the modality, not the principle
Scholars who accept the narration and reconcile it with the prophetic hadiths typically conclude: Ibn Mas'ud objected to a novel organized format being treated as a specific sunnah, not to the underlying act of remembering Allah together. This reading is consistent with the broader principle that scholars distinguish between:
- Permissible innovation in format (like organizing tarawih into a congregation — which Umar did and called "an excellent bid'a")
- Falsely attributing a specific format to the Prophet ﷺ (claiming he prescribed that specific method — which he did not)
What the Classical Scholars Conclude
“Know that dhikr is recommended for groups, based on the well-known hadiths.”
Al-Nawawi — the greatest authority on hadith commentary in the Shafi'i school — affirms group dhikr without reservation. He cites the hadiths from Bukhari and Muslim as his basis. If the Ibn Mas'ud narration created a genuine prohibition, al-Nawawi would have addressed and reconciled it — instead, he affirms group dhikr as recommended (mustahabb).
The Principle SeekersGuidance Applies
SeekersGuidance's consistent position: group dhikr is permitted and in many contexts praiseworthy, based on multiple rigorously authenticated hadiths in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The conditions are:
- It should not be excessively loud to the point of disturbing others
- One must not treat a particular organized form as a specific prophetic sunnah binding on all Muslims
- The gathering should maintain proper Islamic decorum
- The content must be established words of dhikr, not invented formulas with false attributions
Common Claim
Ibn Mas'ud said the people in those circles would become the worst of this umma — doesn't that prove group dhikr leads to deviance?
What Scholars Actually Say
Even if this prediction is accepted as authentic, it describes those specific people and their trajectory — it does not establish a universal prohibition on group dhikr. The Prophet ﷺ himself described group dhikr in the highest terms (Sahih Muslim, no. 2700; Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6408). You cannot use a Companion's warning about one specific group to override the Prophet's ﷺ universal praise of dhikr gatherings.
For the full evidence, see our detailed topic page on Dhikr.
Is Group Dhikr Permissible?
SeekersGuidance
Full hadith evidence for collective remembrance with scholarly analysis.