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God wants us to commemorate Him under all circumstances, be ever conscious of His existence.
[2:239] Under unusual circumstances, you may pray while walking or riding. Once you are safe, you shall commemorate GOD as He taught you what you never knew.
[8:45] O you who believe, when you encounter an army, you shall hold fast and commemorate GOD frequently, that you may succeed.
As Moses appealed to his Lord in [20:31-35]: “Strengthen me with him. Let him be my partner in this matter. That we may glorify You frequently. And commemorate You frequently. You are Seer of us.”
So, who according to the Quran are the commemorators?
[24:36] (God’s guidance is found) in houses exalted by GOD, for His name is commemorated therein. Glorifying Him therein, day and night―[24:37] People who are not distracted by business or trade from commemorating GOD; they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and they are conscious of the day when the minds and the eyes will be horrified.
[33:35] … and the men who commemorate GOD frequently, and the commemorating women; GOD has prepared for them forgiveness and a great recompense.
[62:9] O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer (Salat Al-Jumu’ah) is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew.
[3:41] … Commemorate your Lord frequently; and meditate night and day.”
[74:7] Steadfastly commemorate your Lord.
[22:34] For each congregation we have decreed rites whereby they commemorate the name of GOD for providing them with the livestock. Your god is one and the same god; you shall all submit to Him. Give good news to the obedient.
According to the Webster’s Dictionary, the opposite of commemorate is to break, transgress, violate, disgrace, dishonor. The Quran too describes those who fail to glorify God as stupid, ignorant, unjust and unappreciative. Thus, if we do not fall into the category of the commemorators then we will be identified at our Lord as the transgressors.
In Appendix 27, Dr. Rashad Khalifa writes: “Your god is whoever or whatever occupies your mind most of the time. Your god can be your children (7:190), your spouse (9:24), your business (18:35), or your ego (25:43). This is why we note that one of the most important and most repeated commandments in the Quran is: O you who believe, you shall remember God frequently; glorify Him day and night. [33:41].”
God knows who are commemorating Him sincerely and who are forgetting Him. [4:142] The hypocrites think that they are deceiving GOD, but He is the One who leads them on. When they get up for the Contact Prayer (Salat), they get up lazily. That is because they only show off in front of the people, and rarely do they think of GOD.
God knows the transgressors: [4:30] Anyone who commits these transgressions, maliciously and deliberately, we will condemn him to Hell. This is easy for GOD to do.
[5:62] You see many of them readily committing evil and transgression, and eating from illicit earnings. Miserable indeed is what they do.
[6:120] You shall avoid obvious sins, as well as the hidden ones. Those who have earned sins will surely pay for their transgressions.
[7:41] They have incurred Hell as an abode; they will have barriers above them. We thus requite the transgressors.
In conclusion, striving to make God our priority, to commemorate Him frequently, is part of devoting our life to God. Strivers obey the commandments God has set out for us on how to live our lives, how to treat each other, what to forbid, and what to advocate. Strivers dedicate their lives and money to God. They do it because they want the higher ranks from God. They want the extra credit, and to be admitted an honorable admittance (17:80) back with God.
[2:207] Then there are those who dedicate their lives to serving GOD; GOD is compassionate towards such worshipers.
[94:5-8] With pain there is gain. Indeed, with pain there is gain. Whenever possible you shall strive. Seeking only your Lord.
[29:6] Those who strive, strive for their own good. GOD is in no need for anyone.
“Happiness is not by chance but by choice.” –Jim Rohn.
So, let’s choose God. God is the King, the Most Sacred, the Peace, the Most Faithful, the Supreme, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the Most Dignified. Be He glorified―far above having partners. (59:23). Who, among the righteous, wouldn’t want God leading and guiding their lives every moment of every day? Let us be among the commemorators of God and not the transgressors.
[3:194] “Our Lord, shower us with the blessings You promised us through Your messengers, and do not forsake us on the Day of Resurrection. You never break a promise.”
[73:8-9] You shall commemorate the name of your Lord, to come ever closer and closer to Him.
[73:9] Lord of the east and the west; there is no other god besides Him. You should choose Him as your advocate.