Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:
“Every person obedient to Allah, is a Thakir (one engaged in Thikr.”
When the Mu’min engages himself in an act of obedience solely for the sake of Allah Ta’ala he is regarded by Allah as a Thakir even if his tongue is not involved in thikr while he is engaged in the act of obedience.
A man’s gaze accidentally falls on a ghair mahram. Solely for the sake of Allah, he restrains his nafs and diverts his gaze. His tongue has not recited a word of thikr, but by Allah he is recorded a Thakir. This is the meaning of the Hadith.
This Thakir who restrains his nafs for Allah’s sake, now rises above even the Angels because he wages a struggle against his natural inclinations while the Angels have no such jihaad to wage. His success against the nafs is progress, and he attains spiritual ranks of elevation thereby. In addition, he will experience the sweetness of Imaan.
(Hadhrat Masihullah)