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Remembering Allaah by repeating a single name such as “Allaah”

14-01-2009

Question 26867

Using the names of Allah as Dhikr counts as Bid’ah or counting on fingers or beats? & using the names of Allah as for the specific benefit counts as Bid’ah?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

With regard to the ruling on the masbahah (“prayer beads”), this had already been discussed in Question no. 3009

With regard to remembering Allah by saying a single name such as “Allah” repeatedly, this is not narrated in sharee’ah, and there is no proof for that from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or from any of his companions. If it was something good they would have done it before us. 

All goodness is in following those who came before us, and all evil is in the innovations of those who came later. 

The Standing Committee was asked about someone who remembers Allah by saying “Ya Lateef” repeatedly. 

They replied: 

That is not permissible because it was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Rather it was proven that he said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) that is not part of it, will have it rejected.” According to another version: “Whoever does any action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.” 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 2/379 

With regard to the questioner saying that they say, “Hu, Hu, Hu” – those people are adding to their bid’ah because they are calling Allah by a word by which He did not call Himself. “Hu” is not one of the names of Allah. 

See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 2/185 

And Allah knows best.

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