Is remembering Allah generally—other than the obligatory remembrance, such as the remembrances upon entering and exiting, praise, seeking forgiveness, glorification, morning and evening remembrances, and thanking Allah and people—an obligation, an increase in virtue, or obligatory once in a lifetime? And does not increasing this remembrance cause the Muslim to fall into the hypocrisy mentioned in His saying, the Almighty: "They do not remember Allah except a little"?

Some forms of remembrance (dhikr) are obligatory by scholarly consensus, such as the takbirat al-ihram and Al-Fatiha in prayer. Some are subjects of difference, such as the takbirat (during transitions in prayer), the glorifications (tasbihat) in bowing and prostration, the tashahhud, praying upon the Prophet (peace be upon him), and tasmi' and tahmid (saying "Allah hears the one who praises Him" and "To You alone belongs all praise"). It is more prudent to perform these. Some are a communal obligation (fard kifayah) according to groups of scholars, such as responding to a sneeze, returning greetings, the call to prayer (adhan), and the iqama. Some are subjects of difference, such as saying "Bismillah" before slaughtering an animal, and saying "Bismillah" at the beginning of wudu, ghusl, and tayammum. Some forms of remembrance are unanimously agreed upon as being recommended, and no scholar has deemed them obligatory, such as the remembrance upon entering and exiting the house, the lavatory, and the mosque, and similar occasions.

Maintaining these acts of remembrance is among the noblest of duties, and a reason for a Muslim to be among those who remember Allah frequently. Whoever maintains the obligatory forms of remembrance and neglects others is not sinful, but he is negligent and deprives himself of the great reward of remembrance.