There is a lot of chaos in the world – whether that be disorder at an international, national, communal, familial, or personal level. The natural consequence of external chaos is that it is internalized and leads to a perturbed heart, one that is overwhelmed and restless. Fortunately for the believer, Allah ﷻ has given us the solution, as He mentions: “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest/comfort” (13:28). Although remembrance of Allah ﷻ, or dhikr, is highlighted as a foundation of our deen repeatedly throughout the Quran, and although dhikr was so prevalent among the Sahabah and the pious of our past, it has become rare in this day and age. As a consequence, people are suffering, despite having the abundance of comfort and dunya. Dhikr is a means of finding peace and of empowering ourselves. This is elucidated in much detail in the text “Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim at-Tayyib” by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, which discusses 100 benefits of dhikr. The first eight benefits of dhikr covered in the text are introduced in this talk.
