Performing dhikr means to make mention of something and this can be done by the tongue, mind, or heart. Making mention of Allah ﷻ grants us nearness to Him. The more a believer remembers Allah ﷻ, the closer he draws to Him. The opposite is also true, meaning the more heedless a person is, the further they distance themselves from Allah ﷻ. However, Allah ﷻ is always very near to His servants, whether they are obedient or disobedient, but we often do not perceive this. All we have to do is turn ourselves back to Allah ﷻ through performing dhikr and we become closer to Him. The heart that is accustomed to remembering Allah ﷻ becomes awe-inspired when Allah ﷻ is remembered. Amazingly, the dhikr of Allah ﷻ also causes a person to be remembered by Allah ﷻ; if we mention Allah ﷻ in a gathering, He mentions us in a better gathering to the Angels. Just as our bodies require food to survive, dhikr is nourishment for the heart and soul. The best time to engage in dhikr is in the morning so we can use this energy to sustain ourselves throughout the day in our struggle against our desires and shaytaan. Lastly, when one intends to leave a state of dhikr, they should not do so without the intention to resume at some point soon afterwards. Just as we plan our meals for the day, we should plan times to engage in dhikr to provide nourishment for our soul.
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