What is the ruling on offering the remembrance of Allah in the mosques in congregation aloud right after the performance of obligatory prayers?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all of his family and companions.
Islam provokes offering the remembrance of Allah and set a great reward for it, as Allah, The Exalted said (What means):" and men who remember Allah much and women who remember – Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward." [Al-Mai'dah/35];in addition, the Prophet (PBUH) said (What means): "Shall I not inform you of the best of your actions which are the purest to your Rubb, which exalt you to the high ranks, which are more efficacious than spending gold and silver (in charity), and better for you than you should encounter your enemies whom you will smite their necks and they will smite your necks?" They said, "Certainly." He (PBUH) said, "Remembrance of Allah the Exalted." [Related by At-Tirmithi]. On the contrary, those who are heedless from Allah's remembrance, were slander by Him, whereas He says (What means):" Their reckoning draweth nigh for mankind, while they turn away in heedlessness." [Al-Anbiya/1].
In general, the holy Quran provokes people to offer remembrance of Allah with no need for a certain manner, occasion or utterance; rather, it is incumbent upon a Muslim as soon as the age of puberty is reached, since Allah, The most Exalted said (What means):" When ye have performed the act of worship, remember Allah, standing, sitting and reclining." [An-Nissa'/103]. Thus, linking the lawful remembrance of Allah with a certain manner, occasion or a condition is restricting it from being offered unconditioned and unrestricted without an evidence from the Holy Quran nor Prophetic Sunnah. On the contrary, it should be offered generally without any sort of restriction nor being pertained to a specific time, manner, utterance or term.
Further, it is permissible to offer the special supplications stated by some of the righteous companions, followers, followers of the followers, eminent scholars and pious people , since the terms used in their supplications include remembrance, glorification , praising of Allah, verses from the Holy Quran and most of prophetic traditions, as all of those are permissible. Besides, Allah might favor some of his slaves or pious people with a special supplication, since the Prophet (PBUH) said (What means):" O Allah, I am Your slave, and the son of Your male slave, and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand (i.e. you have control over me). Your Judgment upon me is assured, and Your Decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every Name that You have named Yourself with, revealed in Your Book, taught any one of Your creation, or kept unto Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the banisher of my sadness, and the reliever of my distress. [Related by Ibn Abi Shayiba].
Furthermore, offering remembrance of Allah in groups after performing obligatory prayers in the mosques is permissible if it took place noislessly, due to the fact that restrictions don't exist at all while offering the remembrance of Allah. In this regard, Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated :"In the lifetime of the Prophet (PBUH) it was the custom to celebrate Allah's praises aloud after the compulsory congregational prayers." Ibn `Abbas added "When I heard the Dhikr, I would learn that the compulsory congregational prayer had ended." [Sharhih Alaa' Sahih Moslim vol. 5 pp.85]. This is a clear evidence on what been stated by some of the followers that offering the remembrance of Allah aloud and Takbir (saying Allah is great) after performing obligatory prayer are recommended as one of late scholars (Bn Hazm Al-Dahiri) used to do so; in addition to the Hadith Qudsi (are hadiths in which the Prophet says that Allah, The Exalted Says so and so) in which it states as follows:" The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks of Me when he remembers Me.' By Allah! Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than one of you who unexpectedly finds in the desert his lost camel. 'He who comes closer to Me one span, I come closer to him a cubit; and he who comes closer to Me a cubit, I come closer to him a fathom; and if he comes to Me walking, I come to him running". [Related by Al-Bukhary].
It is stated:" Scholars of the followers and followers of the followers are of the view that offering the remembrance of Allah in congregation whether in mosques or any other place is recommended, so long as asleep person, praying one or a Quran reciter aren't disturbed by it." [Hashyat At-Tahtawi pp. 318]. Kindly refer to [Rd Al-Muhtar vol.6 pp.398].
As for offering remembrance of Allah aloud, it is permissible due to the fact that the permitted remembrance is not conditioned to be silent; as is the case in offering Takbirat Al-Aid (Exclaiming Allah is great from the morning of the day of Arafah and continues until noon time of the last day of Tashreeq) and Al-Talbiya (Devotional calls) while performing major and minor pilgrimage, for what Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, the angels surround them (with their wings), (Allah's) mercy envelops them, Sakinah, or tranquility descends upon them and Allah makes a mention of them before those who are near Him." [Related by Moslim].
As for the verse in which Allah, The Exalted said (What means):" And do thou (O Muhammad) remember thy Lord within thyself humbly and with awe, below thy breath, at morn and evening. And be not thou of the neglectful." It is an injunction to lower one's voice in a specific situation; while listening to the recitation of the Holy Quran since doing otherwise is considered impoliteness; in this regard, Al-Imam At-Tabary stated in his book [Tafsir At-Tababry vol.13 pp.353] while interpreting the above verse what follows:" (Remember) is meant for the one who is listening to the recitation of the Holy Quran whether in a prayer or a sermon (to offer Allah's remembrance quietly)..(and not to do it aloud). He added: Avoid supplicating and offering the remembrance of Allah aloud while listening to a Quran's recitation; rather, they must be offered in this very situation inaudible.". In addition to what was reported about Ibn Masood (May Allah be pleased with him) that he forbade offering the remembrance aloud, is baseless. For further details in this regard, kindly refer to [Al-Fatwa Al-Fiqhya Al-Kobra vol.1 pp.177].
Therefore, offering the remembrance of Allah is a permissible devotional act which is unconditioned and might be offered at any time or manner save the one mentioned above. As well as, it might be offered in groups ,solo, aloud and inaudible's remembrance as well might be offered in any permissible forms and terms; thus, there is no harm on people's gathering after the performance of obligatory prayers in the Mosques or any other place for the purpose of offering the remembrance of Allah and supplicating in congregation as it is considered a sort of helping one another unto righteousness and pious which is enjoined by Allah, The Exalted, where He says (What means):"help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression." [Al-Mai'dah/2]. Finally, we ask Allah to Guide us to the righteous path and to Bestow upon us useful knowledge. And Allah knows best.