What Is Dhikr?
Dhikr (ذكر) means "remembrance" or "mention." It is the practice of remembering Allah through specific phrases, supplications, recitations of the Quran, and litanies. Dhikr is not merely recommended — it is one of the most emphasized practices in the entire Quran:
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
“Remember Me, and I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not deny Me.”
Allah commands dhikr more than any other act of worship in the Quran. He describes the believers as "those who remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on their sides" (3:191), and He warns that "whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a life of hardship" (20:124).
The Virtue of Dhikr
The Prophet ﷺ described dhikr as the most beloved of deeds:
ألا أنبئكم بخير أعمالكم وأزكاها عند مليككم
“Shall I not tell you of the best of your deeds, the purest in the sight of your Lord, better than spending gold and silver, and better than meeting your enemy and striking their necks and they strike yours? They said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'The remembrance of Allah.'”
Individual Dhikr
Individual dhikr is the foundation of a Muslim's spiritual life. The Prophet ﷺ taught specific formulas for nearly every moment of the day:
- After every prayer: 33 times SubhanAllah, 33 times Alhamdulillah, 33 times Allahu Akbar
- Morning and evening: The adhkar al-sabah wa'l-masa — specific supplications for protection and blessing
- Before sleeping: Ayat al-Kursi, the last three surahs of the Quran
- Throughout the day: La ilaha illa'llah — the greatest dhikr, as confirmed in multiple hadiths
Imam al-Nawawi compiled the definitive guide to these practices in his work al-Adhkar, which remains one of the most widely read books in the Muslim world.
Collective Dhikr
Group dhikr — gathering to remember Allah together — is one of the most strongly supported practices in the Sunnah. Multiple authentic hadiths describe its extraordinary virtue:
لا يقعد قوم يذكرون الله عز وجل إلا حفتهم الملائكة وغشيتهم الرحمة ونزلت عليهم السكينة وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده
“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.”
And in another narration:
إن لله ملائكة يطوفون في الطرق يلتمسون أهل الذكر
“Allah has angels who roam the roads, seeking out gatherings of dhikr. When they find people remembering Allah, they call out to one another: 'Come to what you are looking for!' Then they enfold them with their wings, filling the space between them and the lowest heaven.”
These hadiths explicitly describe groups of people gathering for the remembrance of Allah — and describe the angels, mercy, and divine attention that attend such gatherings.
The Common Objection
Common Claim
Group dhikr is a forbidden innovation. The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions only did dhikr individually and silently.
What Scholars Actually Say
The hadiths in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim — the two most authenticated collections — explicitly describe gatherings of people remembering Allah and the extraordinary blessings that attend them. The Companions practiced dhikr individually and in groups. Imam al-Nawawi, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, and scholars across all four madhabs affirm the permissibility and merit of collective dhikr. The claim that it is forbidden directly contradicts the most authentic sources.
Forms of Dhikr
“Know that the excellence of dhikr is not restricted to tasbih, tahlil, tahmid, takbir, and the like. Rather, every person who acts in obedience to Allah, the Exalted, is engaged in the remembrance of Allah.”
Dhikr takes many forms:
- Recitation of the Quran — the highest form of dhikr
- Tasbih — SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah)
- Tahmid — Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah)
- Tahlil — La ilaha illa'llah (There is no god but Allah)
- Takbir — Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)
- Salawat — sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ
- Du'a — supplication and conversation with Allah
- Istighfar — seeking Allah's forgiveness
All of these are established in the Quran and Sunnah, whether performed individually or in gatherings.
The Specific Rewards
The Prophet ﷺ attached extraordinary rewards to specific formulas of dhikr:
من قال سبحان الله وبحمده في يوم مائة مرة حطت خطاياه وإن كانت مثل زبد البحر
“Whoever says 'SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi' (Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him) one hundred times a day will have his sins wiped away, even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.”
And regarding sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, the Companion Ubayy ibn Ka'b asked the Prophet ﷺ how much of his supplication time he should devote to salawat. Each time Ubayy suggested more — a quarter, then half, then two-thirds — the Prophet ﷺ said: "As much as you wish, and if you increase it, it will be better for you." Finally Ubayy asked: "Should I dedicate all of my prayers to you?" The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Then your worries will be taken care of, and your sins will be forgiven.”
The Ibn Mas'ud Narration
A common polemical proof-text against group dhikr is a narration about Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) criticizing people counting dhikr with pebbles. Three points are essential:
1. The narration's establishment is questioned. Hadith scholars have raised concerns about its chain of transmission. Even if accepted, a Companion's personal action cannot override explicit Prophetic hadiths in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
2. Prophetic evidence takes precedence. The hadiths above — describing angels surrounding gatherings of dhikr, mercy covering them, and Allah mentioning them — are rigorously authenticated in the most authoritative collections. A Companion report, however venerable, cannot cancel the Prophet's ﷺ own words.
3. What Ibn Mas'ud likely condemned. A coherent reading is that he objected to the belief that a specific counting method was divinely required — not to group dhikr itself. This aligns with the scholarly principle that the act of gathering for remembrance is permitted, but treating a particular organized form as an obligatory sunnah is blameworthy.
See our dedicated FAQ on the Ibn Mas'ud narration for full detail.
Hadra: Dhikr with Standing and Movement
Hadra (حضرة) — gatherings of dhikr that may include standing in a circle, singing devotional poetry, rhythmic swaying, and duff accompaniment — is evaluated element by element:
- Dhikr — permitted and praiseworthy
- Standing — permitted; no prohibition on standing during worship
- Duff — permitted with conditions (see our topic on Music & the Duff)
- Movement/swaying — classical Shafi'i authorities permitted movement during gatherings of remembrance, provided it avoids licentiousness
- Forbidden instruments or free-mixing — impermissible, and their presence makes the gathering impermissible
The principle is the same as elsewhere: the ruling follows the specific elements. Where those elements are individually lawful and the atmosphere maintains Islamic decorum, sweeping condemnation is not warranted. Where prohibited elements are present, they must be corrected regardless of the gathering's label.
See our FAQ on hadra for more.
Daily Dhikr Practice
The Prophet ﷺ taught specific adhkar for every part of the day — morning, evening, after prayer, before sleeping, and throughout the day. These prophetic supplications carry immense rewards and serve as spiritual protection.
See our complete Daily Dhikr Guide for the full collection of morning and evening adhkar with Arabic text, English translation, repetition counts, and hadith-sourced benefits — all sourced from SeekersGuidance.
Learn More
What Daily Adhkar Should Be Recited?
SeekersGuidance
The complete collection of daily morning, evening, and general adhkar with hadith sources.
Is Group Dhikr Permissible?
SeekersGuidance
Scholarly explanation of the evidence for collective remembrance of Allah.