One of the most dangerous and worst afflictions of aimlessly scrolling through social media and watching videos is indulging in it while doing dhikr (remembering Allah). Regardless of the motives that drive someone to combine the remembrance of Allah with entertainment, these two actions should not be combined and must not occur together. The purpose of remembering Allah is to recall His greatness, glorify Him, and seek His help. You should engage in remembrance in a dedicated time— even if it is just a few minutes— where you free yourself from the distractions of life's various concerns. If you entertain yourself during the remembrance, it ceases to be true remembrance and becomes a disguised form of heedlessness. Your state becomes like someone who didn't remember Allah at all! Then you mistakenly think that dhikr does not impact your heart, but in reality, you have not prepared your heart's soil for the righteous seeds to take root!
The worst part is that when you try to arrange a productive lifestyle, balancing all beneficial activities alongside this dangerous habit of mindlessly scrolling through social media and watching videos, you find the equation difficult. You think the reason is the seriousness or weight of the beneficial activities, but the real issue lies in the weight of those seemingly “light” materials. Their apparent lightness deceives you into thinking they do not consume time and energy, enticing you into more and more until they become the primary consumer of your time and energy! For example, what benefit is it to regulate your sleep schedule or reduce your sleeping hours if you spend your waking hours like a sleeper or idler between social media and video clips? What's the point of filling your imagination with goals and achievements if your lifestyle is scattered because it is based on following whims of laziness and distraction?
The direct solution is to adopt the habit of detachment; detach yourself from all distractions when engaging in any activity. When you read your daily portion of the Quran, a book, or do physical exercises, turn off your phone and TV. If necessary, disconnect the electricity and internet! Avoid the temptation of occasional glances, or you will find that an activity allocated for half an hour takes half a day, not because of the activity itself, but due to your own distractions during it!
This same principle should apply to the practice of remembering Allah, and here are some practical steps to help achieve it:
- Align your dhikr time closely with a prayer you perform, whether obligatory or voluntary, before or after it, as long as there is no serious hindrance. For example, the time for morning adhkar is immediately after Fajr prayer or after Duha or Dhuhr prayer at the latest if you cannot continue after Fajr. Evening adhkar should be done after Asr or just before Maghrib at the latest.
- Regardless of your personal sleep schedule, you must arrange your affairs so that you do not neglect your adhkar, whatever time you allocate for them. Set a minimum standard that you adhere to and do not sleep without fulfilling it. It helps to know the classification of the dhikr:
- Tightly restricted dhikr: These cannot be said outside their specific time or context, such as the remembrances of sleeping, waking up, entering and exiting the bathroom, entering and leaving the house, and after prayers, etc.
- Broadly restricted dhikr: These include morning (from after Fajr until Dhuhr) and evening (from after Asr until Maghrib) dhikr. They have their specific times and numbers, but even if you miss their times, do not skip them; make up for them later to maintain discipline and avoid leniency.
- Open dhikr: These are the supplications and praises you set for yourself in certain numbers daily. These are not bound by time, context, or number, and can be performed whenever suitable, with the amount varying as you see fit. For example, saying “La ilaha illallahul malikul haqqul mubin.” (There is no god but Almighty Allah, the King, the Clear Truth) ten times, a hundred times, or any other number.
- Sit in a comfortable but not rushed posture for remembrance, yet one that is also disciplined enough to prevent you from falling asleep. This could be sitting cross-legged, sitting upright, or even light walking through it.
- Turn off your phone or similar devices if they are nearby, so you are not tempted to look at them for any reason. Alternatively, leave them on silent in another room or far away from your place.
- Completely detach yourself to remember Allah when moving your tongue in dhikr. Count the praises and remembrances on your fingers or a prayer bead, looking at them rather than drifting away mentally or daydreaming. Focus on the meaning of what you say and be mindful of its reward (learn the meanings and virtues of the dhikr you do not know).
- Hear yourself as you say the remembrances, similar to how you recite quietly in prayer, and do not just move your lips without sound. The reward for vocal remembrance and recitation is different from merely looking at the Quran or silent, heart-based repetition.
- Have a set amount of praises, glorifications, and other forms of dhikr besides the prescribed morning and evening adhkar, even if it's ten times each, reaching a hundred or more.
- Set a minimum limit for every dhikr or act of worship that you do not drop regardless of your condition, and an upper or open limit based on your capacity. This way, you combine the best of both worlds: making the most of your energy when it is available, increasing during ease and wellness, and maintaining the habit during difficulty and illness. This aligns with the Prophet's (peace be upon him) practice: “When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) decided upon doing any act, he continued to do it.” (Narrated by Muslim)
- Every Muslim individual, family, and group should agree to stop any distractions upon hearing the adhan (call to prayer), as much as possible, not just to follow the Sunnah of repeating after the Mu'adhin but also to honor the dhikr of Allah and His call to worship. This demonstrates the belief that “Allah is greater” than all that occupies and concerns you and from whom you hope and fear.
You will be amazed at how short the time is to complete your daily dhikr when you focus on it, and the immense spiritual benefit that comes from proper etiquette in the presence of Allah. You will be even more astonished at the level of heedlessness you were in, thinking you were attentive!
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