Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Question
Is it okay to listen to pre-recorded adhkar for the morning and evening every day and can this be enough when it comes to benefitting from them, rather than reading them — for example on the drive to work?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate
I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah. May Allah bless you for your resolve to engage in His remembrance (dhikr).
When busy, there is no harm in listening to the litanies of remembrance of Allah Most High—the “awrad al-sabah wa’l masa’”—in any of their sound collections.
It is best to strive to follow along, as best able to. This is what we’ve heard various scholars say about this. This following along would be superior to mere listening—and closer to completing the Divine Call to actively remember Him, as well as being more impactful.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.” [Tirmidhi] In your walking, work, and rest. Engage your tongue, heart, and mind with the remembrance of Allah.
Thus, strive to combine listening to the recording and following along. However, if your circumstances don’t permit active remembrance, then listening to the Remembrance of Allah is also deeply impactful.
Remembrance is Transformative
Remembrance of Allah Most High is the key to religious and spiritual growth. It is sufficient that Allah Most High promises,
“So, remember Me, and I will remember you; and be grateful to Me, and never be ungrateful.” [Quran, 2:152]
Related:
How Can One Deepen Their Presence in Dhikr?
How Does One Do Remembrance of the Heart in Accordance with the Sunna?
What is the Shortest Form of Sending Blessings on the Prophet (Peace be Upon Him)?
What Is the Purpose Of Worship?
Guidelines and Restrictions in the Qur’an and Sunna About Making Dhikr
Does Taqwa and Dhikr Lead to Wilaya (Divine Election)?
And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation.
[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of: Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.