5/ Remembrance of Allah Is the Purest and Most Excellent of Deeds

Indeed, remembrance of Allah, Majestic and Exalted, is the purest, best, and most excellent of deeds in the sight of Allah, Blessed and Exalted. The Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the Sunan of Ibn Mājah, al-Hākim’s Mustadrak, and other works report from Abū al-Dardāʾ—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Shall I not tell you of the best of your deeds, the purest of them in the sight of your Sovereign, and the highest in raising your ranks; deeds that are better for you than giving gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks while they strike yours?” They replied, “Indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “The remembrance of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.”1

This momentous hadith establishes the excellence of remembrance and shows that it is equal in merit to freeing slaves, spending wealth, providing horses as mounts in Allah’s cause, and wielding the sword in Allah’s cause.

Ibn Rajab—may Allah have mercy on him—said: “Numerous texts establish the superiority of remembrance over giving wealth in charity and over other deeds.”2 He then cited the preceding hadith of Abū al-Dardāʾ, together with several other hadiths conveying the same meaning.

Ibn Abī al-Dunyā also narrated—as cited in al-Mundhirī’s al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb3—and he stated, “Its chain of transmission is good,” from al-Aʿmash, from Sālim ibn Abī al-Jaʿd, who said: It was said