عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ رَضِيَ اللٌهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌهِ صَلَّى اللٌهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَلا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ، وَأَزْكَاهَا عِنْدَ مَلِيكِكُمْ، وَأَرْفَعِهَا فِي دَرَجَاتِكُمْ، وَخَيْرٍ لَكُمْ مِنْ إِنْفَاقِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ، وَخَيْرٍ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْ تَلْقَوْا عَدُوَّكُمْ فَتَضْرِبُوا أَعْنَاقَهُمْ؟» قَالُوا: بَلَى، قَالَ: «ذِكْرُ اللهِ تَعَالَى» رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ، قَالَ الْحَاكِمُ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ: إِسْنَادُهُ صَحِيحٌ.
Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not inform you of the best of your deeds, the purest of them in the sight of your Sovereign, the highest of them in your ranks, better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks?" They said: "Yes indeed." He said: "The remembrance of Allah the Exalted." Reported by al-Tirmidhi. Al-Hakim Abu Abdullah said: its chain of transmission is sahih (authentic).
الشرح · explanation
أزكاها: أطهرها وأكثرها ثوابًا.
"The purest of them": the most pure of them and the greatest of them in reward.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ المداومة على ذكر اللّه ظاهرًا وباطنًا من أعظم القرب وأنفعها عند اللّه تعالى، لأنّها تشغل الوقت كله والعمر كله. أنّ ذكر اللّه نوع من الجهاد الذي يحمل الناس على التقوى، ويبعدهم عن الفتن وشهوات النفس الأمارة بالسوء فيكون المؤمن على صلة دائمة بربه.
That constancy in the remembrance of Allah, outwardly and inwardly, is among the greatest and most beneficial acts of nearness to Allah the Exalted, for it fills all of one's time and all of one's life. That the remembrance of Allah is a kind of striving (jihad) that carries people toward piety and keeps them away from tribulations and the desires of the soul that incites to evil, so that the believer remains in constant connection with his Lord.