Tariq Mehanna
In Surat al-Baqarah, v.152, Allah said, {"So, remember Me, and I will remember you…"}
A number of points should be mentioned about this verse. Firstly, you should feel honored by it, thinking to yourself: 'Amazing… Allah would remember me?' The human being naturally loves to be recognized for the good he/she has done. Whether it is graduating from school, feeding the poor, cleaning the masjid, - whatever the deed is, you feel good when another human being recognizes you for that and mentions you because of that. That's why some hang their college degrees on their walls, awards, plaques, and so forth. It is that recognition by others that serves as a testament to something good that you've done and are proud of. Implicitly, this means that you place a certain level of value to the opinion of those whose recognition evokes that pride within you. It also reflects on the significance of your original deed that you are even recognized for it.
So, the fact that, not a human being, but rather, the Creator and Master of all human beings and the Universe around them has recognized and mention YOU should shake you to the core, and should lead you back to that original deed that He is recognizing you for: 'What is it about dhikr that would lead Allah to recognize me – out of His millions and billions and trillions of other creatures – for engaging in this seemingly simple deed?' So, you who feels honor and pride when other people mention you and your accomplishments cannot help but to feel exponentially magnified pride and honor when reading this brief verse. This is recognition that you cannot put value of any limit on.
Second, you should know that dhikr is of two types: habitual vs. conscious, and only one of these types will bring about Allah's recognition. Ibn al-Jawzi illustrates this:
"The heedless one says "Subhan Allah" (glory to Allah) out of habit. As for the conscious one, he is constantly thinking about the wonders of creation, or the awesome nature of the Creator, and this thinking drives him to say: 'subhan Allah.' So, this tasbih is the fruit of these thoughts, and this is the tasbih of the conscious… Likewise, they think about the ugliness of past sins, and this leads them to ponder, to have anxiety, to have regret. The fruit of this thought is that they say: 'astaghfirullah.' (I seek Allah's Forgiveness). This is the true tasbih and istighfar.
As for the heedless, they merely utter these out of habit. And what a difference there is between the two types…"
Finally, this verse shows the Generosity of Allah, in that He remembers and recognizes and rewards you for remembering Him, yet what drove you to remember Him in the first place was witnessing His blessing upon you! You remember Him when preparing to eat the food He provided you, when entering the home He provided you, when preparing to sleep in the bed He provided you, when waking up and using the eyesight He provided you, when viewing the wonders of nature He created, when you experience joy at the birth of the child He provided you – your very life is a gift and blessing, all from Him. So, this verse tells you that you are recognized by Allah for remembering Him in response to what are blessings from Him in the first place!
