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Sermon: Remember Allah Always (Dhikr)
By Babatunde Jose
Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, and be thankful to Me,
and do not be ungrateful to Me. (Quran 2:152)
Dhikr, also spelled Zikr, (Arabic: “reminding oneself,” or “mention”), ritual prayer or litany practiced by Muslims, for the purpose of glorifying God and achieving spiritual perfection. Based on the Quranic injunctions; “Remind thyself [udhkur] of thy Lord when thou forgettest”(Quran 18:24) and “O ye who believe! Remember [udhkurū] Allah with much remembrance”(Quran 33:41), the dhikr is essentially a “remembering” of God by the frequent repetition of his names. Originally a simple recitation of the Quran and various religious writings among ascetics and mystics, the dhikr gradually became a formula (e.g., lā ilāha illa ʾllāh, “there is no god but God”; repeated aloud or softly, accompanied by prescribed posture and breathing.
There is a huge gulf today between the Creator and the creation leading to a dramatic decline of the moral values of humanity and a proportional rise in bigotry, hatred and violence worldwide. The practice of Dhikr brings humanity closer to the Creator and thus paves the way for bringing humanity closer to each other.
You have the ability to supplicate to Allah and thus excel at humbling yourself at the doorstep of the King of kings. You have the blessed last third of the night to invoke Allah and to rub your head upon the ground in prostration. Allah has created for you the earth and what is in it. He has caused gardens of beauty to grow, filling them with many kinds of plants and flowers in pairs, both male and female. And He has made tall palm trees, shining stars, forests, rivers and streams — yet you contemplate them not! You drink water that is pure, you breathe fresh air, you walk upon your two feet in health, and you sleep the evenings in peace. Therefore: Seek forgiveness from Allah often, for your Lord is Oft-Forgiving. He will send rain to you in abundance; and give you increase in wealth and children; and bestow on you gardens; and bestow on you rivers,(Quran 71: 10-12)
So seek forgiveness from Allah more often and you will reap the benefits of doing so: peace of mind, lawful provisions, righteous offspring, and plentiful rain.
And the Prophet said: “Whosoever seeks forgiveness (from Allah) often, then Allah makes for him a good ending for every matter of concern and provides for him a way out of every tight situation.”-Bukhari; a hadith that is known as the chief of Al- Istighfaar (i.e., of supplications with which one asks Allah for forgiveness): “O’ Allah, You are my Lord and none has the right to be worshipped except You. You have created me and I am your slave; and I am upon your covenant and promise as much as I am able to be. I seek refuge in You from the evil that I have perpetrated. I confess to You Your favor upon me, and I confess to You my sin, so forgive me; for verily, none forgives sins except You.”
Always remember Allah for Allah said: Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Quran 13: 28) O’ you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah” (Qur’an 63: 9)
Always remember Allah: And glorify the Praises of your Lord when you get up from sleep. And in the night-time also, glorify His Praises, — and at the setting of the stars. (Quran 52: 48-49)
The Prophet said: ‘The example of one who members his Lord in relation to one who does not remember his Lord is that of the living and the dead.”
The Prophet also said: “The mufarridoon outstrip others.” His Companions asked. “Who are the mufarridoon, O’ Messenger of Allah? He said, “The men who remember Allah often and the women who remember Allah often.”
And in another hadith, the Prophet said: “Shall I not inform you of the best of deeds, and the purest of them with your Lord? The deed which is better for you than spending gold and silver (for a good cause), and which is better for you than to meet your enemy, and you cut their throats and they cut yours?” They said, “Yes. O’ Messenger of Allah.” He said, “The remembrance of Allah.”
There are several phrases that are usually read when remembering Allah. One which is said to be most favoured by Allah is; Lā ʾilāha ʾillā llah ,”There is no god but Allah and this was what my mother was repeating on the chair before she gave up the ghost 12 years ago. Indeed, Allah is able to do all things for, to Him belongs the kingdom and all therein.
Our Lord! (they say), Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure (Quran 3:8)
Barka Juma’at and a Happy weekend
Senator Ned Nwoko on Sunday said he feels sorry for men with one wife, insisting that polygamy provides men greater stability and balance.
The lawmaker representing Delta North, who made the comment while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, also addressed recent allegations of domestic violence against him by his actress wife, Regina Daniels.
When asked how he copes with managing four wives—something many men find nearly impossible- Nwoko hesitated for a while before reacting.
“That is a different topic for discussion on another day. Yes, every man should do that. The example I give is this: just imagine telling you to stand on one foot or leg. You know how difficult it is.
“But to stand on two, three, four is much more balanced. That’s just the example I give. So I feel sorry for those who have one wife because it’s difficult to stand on one leg,” he stated.
When reminded that the Holy Bible does not endorse polygamy, Nwoko countered, “The Old Testament does. I am a man of faith. But that’s not what we are here for.”
Asked whether he had any regrets about his marital choices, the senator shook his head.
“No, I don’t have any regret. I will do the same thing again. Of course, that’s the way it should be. You should marry who you want to marry,” he defended stoutly.
On the domestic violence allegations trailing him, Nwoko dismissed them outright, saying, “No, come on. You know I am not a violent person. I respect my wives. I love them and my kids.”
His comments came just hours after Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, his estranged wife, flaunted a newly acquired mansion on social media amid reports of a marital crisis.
In a post on her Instagram page, Daniels shared photos and videos of the property with the caption, “In my house, I am a Queen! I needed a roof over my head, so I got this for me and my family.”
The post followed a viral video from October 18 showing the actress in tears outside her Abuja residence, lamenting alleged abuse.
“In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much,” she said in the footage.
The couple’s six-year marriage, once the subject of public fascination due to their wide age gap, has recently degenerated into a full-blown crisis now playing out before millions of Nigerians on social media.
The Punch
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, raided Proxy Night club at 7, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where a drug party was going on, and arrested over 100 suspects.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, while making this known, said the suspects arrested include the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, who was taken into custody for interrogation.
“Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October, in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The Cotps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, has expressed deep concern over to a viral video circulating on social media showing an altercation between some FRSC officers and a driver along Abudu, Edo State, Nigeria, on Saturday, 25th October, 2025. and has ordered an immediate investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
Corps Marshal Mohammed emphasized, in a statement made available to National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), that the Corps does not condone any form of unprofessional conduct or behavior that undermines the integrity and discipline for which the FRSC is known. He further assured members of the public that appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against any officer found culpable, in line with the Corps’ operational guidelines and public service rules.
He also appealed to the motoring public to remain calm and continue to show cooperation and respect towards FRSC personnel, who are committed to ensuring safer roads and protecting lives across the nation.
While the FRSC remains steadfast in its mission to promote road safety, maintain order, and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in service delivery, the Corps marshal will also not tolerate any form of assault or violence against its personnel from members of the public in the course of duty.
