The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like that of the living and the dead." (Sahih Bukhari 6407). Dhikr is the heartbeat of a believing life — small, repeatable, taking only minutes.
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ
So remember Me — I will remember you.
Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:152 (partial)
When to Recite
- Morning adhkar — between Fajr (dawn) and sunrise. If missed, recite before Dhuhr (midday).
- Evening adhkar — between Asr (late afternoon) and Maghrib (sunset). If missed, recite before midnight.
A full set takes about ten to fifteen minutes if you go through everything. A short set (the most authentic core) takes three to five minutes.
The Core Three
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever says them three times in the morning and three times in the evening, nothing will harm him." Three short refuges:
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ ٱسْمِهِ شَىْءٌ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ، وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
Bismi'llāhi'lladhī lā yaḍurru maʿa'smihi shayʾun fi'l-arḍi wa lā fi's-samāʾ, wa huwa's-Samīʿu'l-ʿAlīm
In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing on earth or in the heavens can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
Sunan Abi Dawud 5088, Sunan at-Tirmidhi 3388 (sahih).
Sayyid al-Istighfar — the Master Form of Seeking Forgiveness
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever says it during the day with conviction in it, and dies during that day before evening, will be among the people of Paradise. And whoever says it at night with conviction in it, and dies before morning, will be among the people of Paradise." (Sahih Bukhari 6306).
ٱللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّى لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِى وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا ٱسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِى، فَٱغْفِرْ لِى فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allāhumma anta rabbī, lā ilāha illā ant, khalaqtanī wa anā ʿabduk, wa anā ʿalā ʿahdika wa waʿdika ma'staṭaʿt, aʿūdhu bika min sharri mā ṣanaʿt, abūʾu laka bi-niʿmatika ʿalayy, wa abūʾu bi-dhanbī, fa-ghfir lī fa-innahu lā yaghfiru'dh-dhunūba illā ant
O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I keep my covenant and promise to You as best I can. I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge before You Your blessings on me, and I acknowledge my sin. So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
Sahih Bukhari 6306.
The Tasbih of Fatimah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) to recite, after every prayer and at bedtime, this set of three:
- Subḥāna'llāh — Glory be to Allah — 33 times
- Al-ḥamdu lillāh — All praise is for Allah — 33 times
- Allāhu Akbar — Allah is the Greatest — 34 times
(Sahih Bukhari 5362.) Many Muslims keep a tasbih (prayer beads) or use a digital counter to track these. AskSakina has a tasbih tool built in.
A Morning Du'a of Wellbeing
ٱللَّهُمَّ بِكَ أَصْبَحْنَا، وَبِكَ أَمْسَيْنَا، وَبِكَ نَحْيَا، وَبِكَ نَمُوتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلنُّشُورُ
Allāhumma bika aṣbaḥnā, wa bika amsaynā, wa bika naḥyā, wa bika namūtu, wa ilayka'n-nushūr
O Allah, by You we have entered the morning, by You we have entered the evening, by You we live, by You we die, and to You is the resurrection.
Sunan at-Tirmidhi 3391 (sahih).
(In the evening, the order is reversed: "amsaynā" first.)
Practical Notes
- Adhkar do not require wudu — you can recite while commuting, cooking, walking.
- Numbers (3, 7, 33, 100) are part of the Sunnah but missing the count does not invalidate the practice. Sincerity is what counts.
- Don't try to memorise everything in a week. Pick one or two adhkar that resonate and let those become unbreakable. Add others over time.
- Reading the translation while learning the Arabic is valid and rewarding.
Adhkar are not magical incantations. They are conversation. Even five minutes of consistent dhikr changes the texture of a day.
Tap-to-count tool with the full morning set.
Tap-to-count tool with the full evening set.
For Fatimah's tasbih and other counted dhikr.