Al-Mathurat is a compilation of adhkar (sing. dhikr) and ad'iyah (sing. du'a) derived from the Glorious Qur'an and the authentic sayings (plur. ahadith) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to be recited mornings and evenings.
Al-Mathurat is an answer to every Muslim's need for a daily portion (wird) of dhikr, remembrance of Allāh, Exalted and High, so that he or she can maintain a strong, steadfast connection with Him throughout daily life. For the Muslim activist & worker, this connection with Allāh is critical. Imam Al-Banna recognized the need for a daily portion of remembrance based upon authentic ahadith.
Hasan Al-Banna
Imam Shaheed Hasan Al-Banna was a twentieth-century Islamic revivalist and the founder of al-Ikhwan and the Wasati School of Da'wah, one of the largest and most influential Islamic movements in recent history. Formed in Egypt in 1928, al-Ikhwan are a grassroots movement whose aim is to revive Islamic societies and bring about social reform and a return to divine guidance. Imam Al-Banna was assassinated in 1949 and is considered by many scholars a reviver (mujaddid) of the previous century because of the impact of his efforts striving to restore the perpetual remembrance of Allāh in all spheres of life.
On the authority of Abu Huraira, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Verily, Allāh ﷻ will send for this Ummah every one hundred years who will revive for it it's Deen.”
Under Imam Al-Banna's leadership, the movement produced a wealth of contemporary scholarship and valuable experience that awakened and indeed continues to inspire Islamic revival movements across the globe. Imam Al-Banna said, “Whenever you find the good Muslim you find with him all the means for great success.”
Islamic Worker By Day, Humble Worshipper by Night
“Umar, are you sleeping?” he asked through a whispered murmur.
“No.” I answered. The day had been long and relentless. It was already so late. I was getting ready to sleep, mindful that the day ahead wouldn't be any less arduous. Twenty or thirty minutes passed in silence.
“Umar, are you sleeping?”
“No!” I answered a second time. It became quiet once again. I didn't grasp the urgency in his voice but remained silent anyway. Half an hour passed by again.
“Umar, are you sleeping?”
This time I didn't respond at all. I pretended to sleep so as not to bother him. Waiting for a reply and hearing none, he presumed that I had fallen asleep. He arose in the still of the night, without making a sound, alone, beside his companion whom he thought was in a deep slumber, and started to perform the night prayer. For God only, oblivious to my attentive gaze, hidden from anyone's gaze."
It is Ustadh Umar Al-Tilmisani (1904-1986), an old time student and travelling companion (Murshid, General Guide, of al-Ikhwan 1972-1986) of Imam Hasan Al-Banna who provides us with this story. The attitude of his master was enough to move him to tears. It exemplified the personality of Imam Hasan Al-Banna: light-giving faith, a deep spirituality, personal discipline, gentle and soft with his fellow human beings. Ustadh Umar Al-Tilmisani narrated this incident and repeated it often.
The secret of Imam Hasan Al-Banna was the quality of his faith and the intensity of his relationship with Allāh ﷻ. Anyone who had ever been in contact with him perceived and experienced this. He lived as had the first Sahaba - following the path of the Prophet ﷺ.
From Dr. Tariq Ramadan, "Al-Ma'thurat" (2001).