Allah Azza Wa Jall Asking the Malaaikah About Your Zikr

Allah Azza Wa Jall asks the Malaaikah who return to the Heavens having enshrouded those engaged in Zikrullah with their wings:

“What are My servants saying?”

The Malaaikah reply: “They are reciting your Tasbeeh, Takbeer, Tahmeed and Tamjeed.”

Allah asks: “Did they see Me?”

Malaaikah: “No, O Allah, they have not seen You!”

Allah Ta’ala: “What if they saw Me?”

Malaaikah: “If they had seen you, they would engage even more profusely in Your Ibaadat and they would make more intense Tamjeed of You and more Tasbeeh of You.”

(Bukhari – Mishkaat)

Notes

1. Tasbeeh means to say Subhaanallah.
2. Takbeer means to say Allahu Akbar.
3. Tahmeed means to recite Alhamdulillaah.
4. Tamjeed means to exalt Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala. It is also said that it means: to recite Laa Howla Wala Quwwata Illa Billah. Some Ulama have said that it refers to saying, Laa ilaaha Illallaah.
5. It is also said that the purport of them engaging in Tasbeeh, etc. is that they are engaged in Zikr of whichever kind; Tilaawat of the Qur’aan, Istighfaar, Du’aa or any other Zikr traditionally narrated.
6. The following two formulas of Zikr consist of Tasbeeh, Tahmeed, Takbeer and Tamjeed:

سُبْحٰنَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ وَلَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ اَكْبَرُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيْمِ

سُبْحٰنَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالىٰ جَدُّكَ وَلَا اِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ

7. Before engaging in Zikr, meditate a while on Allah Azza Wa Jall asking the Malaaikah about your Zikr.

(Mirqaat, Al-Azkaar Lin Nawawi, and others)