KNOW that after reciting the Qur'an, there is no act of worship by the tongue superior to mentioning Allah the Exalted and High and bringing one's needs to Him in sincere supplication. The purpose of remembrance of Allah with the tongue is so that the heart might remember and the body parts (actions) might follow in obedience to Allah. Dhikr with the tongue is NOT an end in itself but a MEANS to what was just mentioned. Among the proofs of this are the following:
After mentioning the change of the qibla from Jerusalem to Makka and reminding us to always fear Allah and never to fear people in order that Allah may complete His favors upon us and in order that we may be guided, Allah says:
البقرة
كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولًا مِنْكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمْ مَا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ(151)فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ(152)يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ(153)
{Just as we sent among you a messenger from yoursleves. He recites to you our signs, purifies you, teaches you the Book and the Wisdom and teaches you that which you used not to know. (151) So remember me that I might remember you and be grateful to Me and do not reject faith. (152) O you who believe, seek strength in patience and prayer. Allah is surely with those who are patient. 153}
The meaning of remembering or mentioning Allah in the above verse according to many narrations from the early generations is obedience to Allah in what He has ordered. At-Tabry described the meaning of this verse as: "Remember me, O believers with your obedience to what I have ordered and what I have prohibited and I will remember you with me mercy and my forgiveness for you." And, he supported that with several narrations from the Companions. Some of them said about Allah's statement: {Beware of Allah as is befitting of Him}:
"هو أن يطاع فلا يعصى ويذكر فلا ينسى ويشكر فلا يكفر"
This means that Allah should be obeyed and not disobeyed, remembered and not forgotten and given thanks, never failing to acknolwedge His favors.
Clearly, the best "dhikr" of Allah is obedience of His order which entails LEARNING about what Allah has ordered, STRIVING against ones desires, biases, inclinations and history in order to comply with those orders and CONCENTRATING on these tasks in the face of all that would distract or seduce away form them. Anyone who fancies themselves as being in "remembrance" (dhikr) of Allah while still disobeying His orders is in a state of ghuroor (self-deception). From Ibn Katheer's tafsir:
أخبرنا مكحول الأزدي قال: قلت لابن عمر أرأيت قاتل النفس وشارب الخمر والسارق والزاني يذكر الله وقد قال الله تعالى "فاذكروني أذكركم" قال إذا ذكر الله هذا ذكره الله بلعنته حتى يسكت
We were informed by Makhool Al-Azdiy who said: I asked Ibn Umar, "What do you say about a murderer, user of intoxicants, thief or fornicator who mentions Allah for Allah has said "Remember me that I may remember you...'"? He said, "When such a person mentions Allah, Allah continues to mention him with His curse and rejection until he keeps quiet."
Allah mentions the constant remembrance of Him in all and various states and times as one of the signs of "those of sound intelligence". Those who look around them and ponder the signs and creation of Allah are leg inevitably to understand the wisdom and the plan behind it all and that Allah alone is the creator of all we see. This leads immediately to fear of Allah's punishment and hope for His mercy and so the believer beseeches Allah to protect him from the fire. Only through Allah's protection can the punishment of the fire be avoided.
The opposite of "those of sound intelligence" are al-ghaafileen or "those in forgetfulness". Those who pass hours, days or even a lifetime without remembering Allah. Allah is not a "factor" in their lives like Qaaroon (the extremely wealthy man form Musa's people) who said, just before Allah swallowed him in the earth, "I have been given all this because of knowledge which I possess." Like Qaaroon, those who are not in remembrance of Allah are forgetful that Allah is 'alaa kulli shai'in qadeer (fully in control over all things). And so they believe that another human can "give them a job" or cause them any kind of harm or benefit when in reality Allah is in control of all of this.
Everything around us in this world (and especially in this society) is pushing us in the direction of "ghafla" (forgetfulness) which is the opposite of "dhikr" (consciousness or remembrance). We can work all day, watch the television, engage in idle talk, feed ourselves and go to sleep. Even for Muslims maintaining the five prayers (the absolute MINIMUM of dhikr of Allah), it is all too easy to lead a life nearly devoid of remembrance of Allah. The VERBAL remembrance of Allah is by making the various du'a we have been taught such as when entering the masjid, leaving it, entering the bathroom, etc. as well as the various repeated phrases after salat and other times is a very important TOOL for the ACTUAL remembrance of Allah which is the CONSCIOUSNESS of Allah along with all that has been mentioned in terms of obeying His orders and avoiding His prohibitions.
آل عمران
وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ(189)إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ(190)الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ(191)
{To Allah belongs the sovereignty in the heavens and the earth and Allah is in full control over all things. (189) In the creations of the heavens and the earth and the difference between night and day there are surely signs for those of sound intelligence. (190) Those who remember Allah standing, sitting and on their sides. They ponder the creation of the heavens and the earth. Our Lord! You did not create this for nothing. Exalted are You, so protect us from the punishment of the fire. (191)
Allah elaborated on the meaning of the verse (above) in Al-Baqarah in the following hadith qudsiy:
مسلم
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي وَأَنَا مَعَهُ حِينَ يَذْكُرُنِي فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلَإٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُ وَإِنْ اقْتَرَبَ إِلَيَّ شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا وَإِنْ اقْتَرَبَ إِلَيَّ ذِرَاعًا اقْتَرَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً
From Abu Huraira who said that Allah's Messenger (sas) said: "Allah Mighty and Great says: I am there as my slave thinks and I am with him when he remembers me. If he remembers me to himself, I remember him to Myself. If he remembers me in an assembly, I remember him in an assembly better than it. If he comes closer to me a hand's width, I com closer to him a forearm's length. If he comes closer to me a forearm's length, I come closer to him an arm's length. If he comes toward me walking, I come to him running."
Remebering Allah collectively includes gathering in the masjid for individual remembrance such as reciting the Qur'an, repeating adh-kaar narrated in the Sunnah or for gathering for teaching/learning of any and all aspects of Islam. It does NOT include making "dhikr" collectively or loudly or saying things which have never been narrated in the Sunnah. All of this is disobedience, bid'a and does not fall under dhikrullah - remembrance of Allah. Although one may fancy themselves in "remembrance" of Allah, it is only through the utmost forgetfulness of Allah and carelessness with regard to His deen that one engages in "worship" which is actually innovation and not of any of the ways we have been taught to worship and remember Allah. Any such act which is not in response to Allah's order is in response to Shaitaan. Allah completed His final message to mankind with the message of Muhammad and there is no room for any "improvement" or addition.
Gathering to remember Allah is very important and it must be done according to the Sunnah. The Prophet said:
مسلم
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مَلَائِكَةً سَيَّارَةً فُضُلًا يَتَتَبَّعُونَ مَجَالِسَ الذِّكْرِ فَإِذَا وَجَدُوا مَجْلِسًا فِيهِ ذِكْرٌ قَعَدُوا مَعَهُمْ وَحَفَّ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ حَتَّى يَمْلَئُوا مَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَإِذَا تَفَرَّقُوا عَرَجُوا وَصَعِدُوا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ قَالَ فَيَسْأَلُهُمْ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ مِنْ أَيْنَ جِئْتُمْ فَيَقُولُونَ جِئْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ عِبَادٍ لَكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُسَبِّحُونَكَ وَيُكَبِّرُونَكَ وَيُهَلِّلُونَكَ وَيَحْمَدُونَكَ وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ قَالَ وَمَاذَا يَسْأَلُونِي قَالُوا يَسْأَلُونَكَ جَنَّتَكَ قَالَ وَهَلْ رَأَوْا جَنَّتِي قَالُوا لَا أَيْ رَبِّ قَالَ فَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْا جَنَّتِي قَالُوا وَيَسْتَجِيرُونَكَ قَالَ وَمِمَّ يَسْتَجِيرُونَنِي قَالُوا مِنْ نَارِكَ يَا رَبِّ قَالَ وَهَلْ رَأَوْا نَارِي قَالُوا لَا قَالَ فَكَيْفَ لَوْ رَأَوْا نَارِي قَالُوا وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَكَ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَهُمْ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُمْ مَا سَأَلُوا وَأَجَرْتُهُمْ مِمَّا اسْتَجَارُوا قَالَ فَيَقُولُونَ رَبِّ فِيهِمْ فُلَانٌ عَبْدٌ خَطَّاءٌ إِنَّمَا مَرَّ فَجَلَسَ مَعَهُمْ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ وَلَهُ غَفَرْتُ هُمْ الْقَوْمُ لَا يَشْقَى بِهِمْ جَلِيسُهُمْ
From Abu Huraira (ra) from the Prophet (sas) who said: "Allah has special roaming angels who search for gatherings of Allah's remebrance. When they find a gathering at which Allah is being remembered they sit with them spreading their wings together until they fill all the way to the lowest heaven. When the sitting breaks up, they ascend to the heavens. Allah asks them - and He knows best about them - 'From where have you come?' They say, 'We come from the presence of some slaves of yours on earth saying "subhaana Allah", "Allahu akbar", "laa ilaaha illaa Allah" and "al-hamdu lillahi" and beseeching you. He (Allah) said: 'What are they asking?' They said: 'They are asking your paradise.' He said: 'And have they seen my paradise?' They said, 'No.' He said, 'So how would it be if they saw my paradise?'. They said, 'And they seek your protection.' He said, 'From what do they seek my protection?' They said, 'From your fire, O Lord.' He said, 'And have they seen my fire?' They said, 'No.' He said, 'So, how would it be if they saw my fire?' They said, "And they ask your forgiveness." He said, 'I have forgiven them and given them what they asked and protected them from that from which they sought protection. Then they said, 'Lord, among them is so-and-so a slave who constantly errs. He was merely passing by and sat with them. He (Allah) said, 'Him too I have forgiven. They are a group and their fellow has not dragged them down.'"