One’s Ultimate Aim: Remembrance and Glorification

When Allah (swt) called upon Moses and spoke to him, He entrusted him with a mission, saying: “Go to Pharaoh; indeed, he has transgressed” (20:43; 79:17).

In response, Moses (peace be upon him), supplicated his Lord, asking Him to expand his breast, make his task easy, and support him through his brother Harun, (peace be upon him). He then explained the purpose of his supplication, saying: “So that we may glorify You much and remember You much. Indeed, You are ever seeing us” (20:33-35). At first glance, the purpose of this supplication seems unrelated to the mission itself. Yet, this invites reflection to uncover the wisdom behind it.

Reflecting upon the verses of Allah is not merely for extracting subtle insights that please the ear or comfort the soul; rather, with tadabbur — deep contemplation — one seeks to uncover the lessons and meanings that transform the heart, guide it toward uprightness and steadfastness, and help it fulfill Allah’s purpose in creation. From these verses, we derive the framework of a believer’s righteous life — one that is aligned with Quranic guidance and in harmony with the divine laws of Allah, the Most High.

Thus, there is first a command and obedience, followed by a supplication for attaining the ultimate purpose — the desired state through which the servant attains divine companionship.

Along with that, the verse describes the state of the servant, representing the foundation they present before their Lord—the basis upon which divine companionship is granted. In other words, one’s share of this companionship is given in proportion to the strength of that foundation. As Allah said: “For those ˹believers˺, Allah has instilled faith in their hearts and strengthened them with a spirit from Him” (58:22). Within this divine companionship (ma‘iyyah) lies Allah’s guidance for His servant, His support, His protection, and His assistance in completing the mission in a way that pleases Him.

Hence, the pattern unfolds as follows:

• A command from the Lord, followed by obedience from the servant;

• Then, a supplication for the highest aim — the most beloved state — that draws the servant near to the presence of divine companionship;

• And alongside it, a description of the servant’s state, wherein they lay before their Lord a foundation the strength of which determines the extent of nearness granted to them. Indeed, the stronger the foundation, the fuller the share of divine companionship bestowed.

The description of one’s state is the key to improving one’s share of ma‘iyyah (divine companionship), for servants receive in proportion to the sincerity and truthfulness with which they approach their requests. Moses (peace be upon him) was steadfast in obedience, precise in supplication, and sincere in purpose. Thus, the response came immediately: “You have been granted your request, O Moses” (20:36).

Projecting these meanings onto the journey of the servants in their lives ensures that their path revolves around truthfulness. Truthfulness is the goal that the righteous servant strives to attain — for through it, they are under Allah’s protection, as He said: “And be patient for the command of your Lord, for indeed, you are in Our sight. And exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord when you arise, and in a part of the night exalt Him, and at the setting of the stars” (52:48–49).

The point of connection here is that we are commanded to obey and to act. The gateway is the attitude of “We hear and we obey.” After obedience, comes the description of one’s state and the determination of one’s ultimate aim — and that encompassing aim is made clear in the verse “That we may glorify You much and remember You much” (20:33–34).

The evidence that these two — remembrance and glorification — are essential for fulfilling divine commands, appears in Allah’s words to Moses and his brother Harun (peace be upon them): “Go, you and your brother, with My signs, and do not slacken in My remembrance” (20:42).

From this, one comprehends the depth of Allah’s command to the believers: “O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance” (33:41). The first step in applying this, is to assess one’s state when facing a challenge. In moments of confrontation, a servant becomes aware of fear, anxiety, and weakness. Some even fall into doubt or begin to weigh worldly interests against the hereafter. When Moses and Harun (peace be upon them) contemplated their encounter with Pharaoh, they too felt fear and said: “We fear that he may hasten [punishment] against us or that he may transgress” (20:45). Then came the reassurance from the Creator Himself: “Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see” (20:46).

The heart cannot find true strength, as theirs did, unless it is truthful, sincere, and fully aware of the greatness of Allah — and lives by that awareness in reality. This station cannot be reached, except through remembrance and glorification. When practiced according to the prophetic model, they yield this very fruit: divine companionship and tranquility.

How does the servant begin?

One should begin by evaluating his/her state, for that is the starting point and foundation. This evaluation includes recognizing one’s position before Allah and is divided into two aspects:

• Acknowledgment of weakness and shortcomings — admitting one’s state as it truly is. This opens the door to repentance and reconciliation with one’s Lord. Within it lies the recognition of servitude (Ubūdiyyah) as the key to acceptance.

• Acknowledgment of blessings — recognizing one’s inability to enumerate them, expressing gratitude, and recalling Allah’s favors that have guided one, after an entire life’s journey, to the very moment of turning to Him — mindful of the divine words describing the life journey of Moses (peace be upon him): “Then you came [here] at the decreed time, O Moses” (20:40).

Thus, self-evaluation is essential to true responsiveness, for within it lies the acknowledgment of servitude, the manifestation of one’s need for Allah, and the remembrance of His countless favors. Examples of this are found in the supplications of the prophets (peace be upon them):

Zakariyya said: “My Lord! Surely my bones have become brittle, and grey hair has spread across my head, but I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You, my Lord!” (19:4).

Yunus said: “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong” (21:87).

Ibrahim said: “Allah is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs” (recorded by Al-Bukhari from Ibn Abbas).

They all embodied the true state required when asking of Allah — complete humility and acknowledgment of perfect servitude.

There are two major obstacles that hinder a servant’s evaluation of his/her own state.

The first is heedlessness — being unaware of one’s actual condition. A person’s state may be like barren land that produces nothing: every time they seek from Allah something they desire or wish for, they are only pushed further away—until they remember, fear, or awaken from their heedlessness.

To be heedless of one’s true spiritual state is to follow a path that only increases one’s distance from Allah, the Exalted. It must also be understood that Allah’s way (sunnah) with His servants is that He does not treat the righteous as He treats the wicked. This is a vital principle.

A person may think of themselves as a believer, a Muslim, close to Allah — yet Allah deals with them not according to what they think of themselves, but according to what they truly are before Him. As Allah the Exalted says: “Or do those who commit evil deeds ˹simply˺ think that We will make them equal — in their life and after their death — to those who believe and do good? How wrong is their judgment!” (45:21).

The second obstacle is procrastination — delaying the effort to rectify one’s state. A person may know their condition; they are neither heedless nor ignorant of it. Yet, they postpone the work of reform. Thus, procrastination in self-assessment and self-reform becomes an obstacle to the complete spiritual methodology that leads a servant to success and centers their journey toward Allah upon truthfulness.

One must realize that remembrance (dhikr) and glorification (tasbīḥ) preserve the purity of one’s perception — allowing a person to continue seeing truth as truth and falsehood as falsehood.

All of this methodology and its meanings were taught by Allah, Exalted is He, to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in His saying: “And say, ‘My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit, and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority’” (17:80). The “entrance of truth” and “exit of truth” are accompanied by remembrance and glorification, for within both the entry and the exit, lies dhikr and tasbīḥ (Remembrance and Glorification).

In this way, a person maintains awareness, preserves closeness to Allah — or the striving to draw near to Him — and continues the sincere effort toward their Lord through obedience to His commands. These commands are directed toward realizing Allah’s purpose in His creation, while “a supporting authority” (sulṭānan naṣīrā) represents the divine companionship (maʿiyyah) — a gift the servant attains only through the qualities previously mentioned.