The Difference between Thikr and Dua – Shaykul Islam ibn Taymeeyah

The Difference between Thikr and Dua
By Shaykul Islam ibn Taymeeyah (728H) (May Allah have mercy on him)

The meaning for Thikr and Dua are both included in each other.  What is noticeable is the person who supplicates to Allah remembers Him. Likewise the one remembering Allah supplicates to Him. The Meaning for this is found in the hadeeth when the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salim) said:

” أَفْضَلُ الدُّعَاءِ دُعَاءُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ،  عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

The best supplication is the dua for the Day of Arafah,: There is absolutely no deity worthy of worship but Allah, He is alone without any partners. To him belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth, and to Him belongs all praises. Allah has the ability to do everything.[ Al-Bayhaqi Kubara 5/117.Al-Bayhqai graded this hadeeth as being weak]

What’s more is the Dua for Grief:

لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين لا يدعو بها رجل مسلم في شيء قط إلا استجاب الله له

There is absolutely no deity worthy of worship, except you, and verily I have been among those people who oppress. Any Muslim asking Allah through this supplication will be answered.[ Hakim 1/505 Al-Hakim graded this hadeeth as being authentic]

The book Ad-Dua by At-Tabarani contains various remembrances of Allah. The scholars of Fiqh consider the various remembrances done prayer as supplication.

There are three instances and situations for remembering Allah:

1: The intention to have a request granted only.
2: The intention to remember Allah only
3: To have a request honored and remember Allah together.

At any rate whenever the person intends one of these actions, the other action will be achieved. This is similar to a person pleading a request. It’s a must that he attaches great importance to the heart, know Allah and fear Him. On one hand, the individual who intends to remember Allah, worship Him and make everything other than Allah a means to reach his goal. On the other hand the person who only wants to have his needed fulfilled, he places Allah as a means to reach this objective. This is the servant of Allah. He knows and is aware that it is Allah Who causes harm and benefit. There is no Lord other than Allah.

Taken from Jam’I Masa’il 8 /18/ pg 12-15
Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle Sr.
Doha, Qatar