Class 5 – Adhkaar with Great Rewards

Class 5

Adhkaar with Great Rewards

DHIKR – ITS EFFECTS ON THE HEART

‎اذكروا الله ذكرا كثيرا

Remember Allah with much remembrance. (Al-Ahzaab:41)

Ali ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them both) stated regarding this statement of Allah The Most High.

Verily, Allah did not obligate an obligation upon his servants except that he legislated a fixed limit for it (e.g. obligatory prayers are a fixed with set number of raka’aat, obligatory fasts of Ramadhan are one month every calendar year), and then excused its performers when they are in a situation when they are excused (traveller, sick etc), except in the case of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) for indeed Allah did not legislate a limit for it and nor is a person excused for abandoning it, except when compelled. Allah said,

فَٱذۡڪُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمً۬ا وَقُعُودً۬ا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِڪُمۡ

Remember Allah standing, sitting down, and (lying down) on your sides (An-Nisaa:103)

night and day, at land or sea, whilst travelling or resident, when wealthy and in times of poverty, in sickness and in health, in private and public and in all circumstances, He, The Mighty and Majestic said,

‎و سبحوه بكرة و أصيلا

And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (Fajr) and ‘Asr prayers]. (Al-Ahzaab:42)

Every moment that a person does not spend in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah will not be of any benefit to him. Rather, the harm entailed in being neglectful of the dhikr of Allaah is far greater than any benefits that can be gained.

Al-Bayhaqee relates from ‘Aaishah radiallaahu ‘anhaa that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no time in which the son of Aadam does not remember AIIaah in it, except that it will be a source of regret for him on the Day of Judgement” [Hasan: It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Saheehul-Jaami’ (no.5720)]

Mu’aadh ibn jabal radiallaahu ‘anhu relates that the Prophet ﷺ said: “The people of Paradise will not have any regrets except for those moments in which they were not engaged in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah.” [Saheeh: Related by lbnus-Sunnee in ‘Aml al-Yawma wal-Laylah (no.3). Refer to Saheehul-Jaami’ (no.5446)].

POLISHING THE HEART

AlIaah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “For everything there is a polish, and the polish for the hearts is the dhikr (remembrance) of Allaah. There is nothing more potent in saving a person from the punishment of Allaah than the dhikr of Allaah.” It was said: Not even Ji haad in the path of Allaah. So he ﷺ replied: “Not even if you were to continue striking with your sword until it breaks.” [Ahmad, authenticated by al-Albaani]

There is no doubt that hearts becomes rusty just as copper and silver coins become rusty. The polish for [this rust] is the dhikr of AIlaah. This is because [dhikr] is like a polish [which polishes the heart] like a shiny mirror. When dhikr is left, the rust returns. But when dhikr resumes, then the heart is [again] polished. And hearts become rusty due to two things:-

• (i) Neglecting remembering Allaah, and
• (ii) Committing sins.

The polish for these two things is:

• (i) seeking Allaah’s forgiveness and
• (ii) dhikr.

SOME BENEFITS OF DHIKR

1. Dhikr brings joy, happiness and relaxation in the heart of a person.

It makes the heart calm and tranquil, just as Allaah [The Most High] said:

”Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” [Surah Ar-Ra’d. Aayah 28].

2. Protects from Shaytaan.

Indeed, Dhikr [remembrance of Allaah] protects a person from shaytaan. Whoever leaves Dhikr, shaytaan will accompany him in that manner in which a person is accompanied by his shadow. Allaah said: 

“And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. this Qur’an and worship of Allah), We appoint for him Shaitan (Satan – devil) to be a Qarin (an intimate companion) to him”. [Surah Az-Zukhruf. Aayah 36]

A person is not able to protect himself from shaytaan except through remembrance of Allaah and this one of the magnificent benefits of Dhikr.

3. When a person remembers Allaah, Allaah remembers him.

Allaah said:

[Therefore remember Me [through acts of obedience], I will remember you [by forgiving you].[Surah Al-Baqarah. Aayah 152]

The Prophet ﷺ said that Allaah says, 

“Whoever remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than them.” [Al-Bukhaari 7405]

4. It prevents one from committing sins, wipes away sins and saves a person from Allaah’s punishment.

Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal [radiyallaahu-anhu] said that Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ said, 

“The son of Aadam never performs an act that brings grants him safety from Allaah’s punishment more than the remembrance of Allaah [The Exalted].” [Saheeh Al-Jaami. Number 5633]

5. It earns a person Allaah’s favour

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The Mufarridoon have gone ahead.” He was asked, “Who are the Mufarridoon?” He ﷺ replied, “Those men and women who remember Allaah much.“ (Sahih Muslim). 

Rewards like freeing number of slaves, one hundred good deeds added, hundred bad deeds wiped out, sins being forgiven even if they are as much as the foam of the sea, increase in the number of trees in Jannah and many more are amongst the great rewards from simple adhkaar.

6. A person earns Allaah’s blessings, forgiveness, praise and benevolence] and the angels [supplicate for him and ask Allaah to forgive him].

Whoever receives this from Allaah and the angels, then indeed he will be successful. Allaah said:

“O you who believe! Remember Allaah with much remembrance. And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (Fajr) and ‘Asr prayers]. He it is Who sends [blessings, forgiveness, praise and benevolence] on you, and His angels too [supplicate for you and ask Allaah to forgive you], that He may bring you out from darkness [of disbelief and polytheism] into light [of Belief and Islamic Monotheism]. And He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers”.  [Surah Al-Ahzaab. Aayaat 41-43]  

THE BEST DHIKR

The best form of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) is reciting the Qur’an, because it is the words of Allaah. Allah (Exalted be He) orders us to recite it, contemplate it, and act according to it. 

Whoever would like to be among those who remember Allah, should be among those who recite the Book of Allah as it should be recited, reciting it in the mosque, reciting it in his house, reciting it in his workplace, never neglecting the Qur’an; he should not recite it only in the month of Ramadan.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever recites a harf of the Book of Allah will have one hasanah for it, and each hasanah brings a tenfold reward. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is a harf; rather alif is a harf, laam is a harf and meem is a harf.” (At-Tirmidhi, classed as saheeh by Sheikh al-Albaani)

Approximately 321,180 letters x10 rewards = 3,211,800 (or more, as Allah wills)

THE TOP FOUR

TASBEEH|TAHMEED|TAHLEEL|TAKBIR

The best dhikr is the Qur’aan. After that the best speech and the most excellent remembrance after that are four statements. They have an exceptional value, they consist of a great matter and have a high status in the Deen of Allaah, and they are: SubhaanAllaah (Tasbeeh), al hamdulillaah (Tahmeed), laa illaaha illAllaah (Tahleel), Allaahu Akbar  (Takbir) which are also from the Qur’aan.

All of Allaah’s Names are included in these four phrases:

• SubhaanAllaah includes His Names of tanzeeh (removing imperfections) such as al Quddoos and as Salaam.
• Alhamdulillaah includes the confirmation of the types of perfection that Allaah has in His Names and Attributes.
• Allaahu Akbar includes exalting Allaah’s greatness.
• Laa ilaaha illAllaah means ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah’.

The Prophet ﷺ said,

• “The most beloved speech to Allaah consists of four, there is no harm with which one you begin, Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar.’” (Muslim)
• “The uttering of the words: “Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection), Al-hamdu lillah (all praise is due to Allah), La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah) and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)’ is dearer to me than anything over which the sun rises.” [Muslim].
• “Indeed the best du’aa is alhamdulillaah and the best dhikr is laa ilaaha illAllaah.” (Tirmidhi)

Some benefits

Act of Charity

The Prophet ﷺ said, “In the morning, charity is due on every joint bone of the body of everyone of you. Every utterance of Allah’s Glorification (i.e., saying Subhan Allah) is an act of charity, and every utterance of His Praise (i.e., saying Al-hamdu lillah) is an act of charity and every utterance of declaration of His Greatness (i.e., saying La ilaha illAllah) is an act of charity; and enjoining M’aruf (good) is an act of charity, and forbidding Munkar (evil) is an act of charity, and two Rak’ah Duha prayers which one performs in the forenoon is equal to all this (in reward).” [Muslim].

Reward of reciting them After Salah

• (a) Saying: ‘Subhaanallaah’, ‘al-hamdu lillaah’, and ‘Allaahu Akbar’- thirty three times each after every Prayer. (Bukhaaree and Muslim)
•  (b) Saying: ‘Subhaanallaah’ -thirty-three times, ‘al-hamdu lillaah’ -thirty-three times, and ‘Allaahu akbar’ -thirty-four times-after every Prayer. (Muslim)
•  (c) Saying: ‘Subhaanallaah’ -thirty-three times, ‘al-hamdu lillaah’ -thirty-three times, and ‘Allaahu akbar’ -thirty-three times- and then Laa ‘ilaaha ‘illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu wa Huwa ‘alaa kulli shay ‘in Qadeer. Whoever does so after every Prayer then his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea. (Muslim)
• (d) Saying: ‘Subhaanallaah’, ‘al-hamdu lillaah’, ‘Allaahu akbar’ & ‘Laa ilaaha illallaah’ -twenty-five times each. (an-Nasaa’ii, classed Sahih by Shaikh al-Albaani]
• (e) Saying: ‘Subhaanallaah’, ‘al-hamdu lillaah’ & ‘Allaahu akbar’ – 10 times each. (Bukhari)

 Also the Prophet ﷺ said, “There are two qualities, no Muslim man acquires them but he will enter Paradise, and they are simple and easy. He should glorify Allaah (say Subhaan Allaah) ten times immediately after each prayer, and praise Him (say Al-hamdu Lillaah) ten times and magnify Him (say Allaahu akbar) ten times. I saw the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ counting this on his fingers. He said: That makes one hundred and fifty on the tongue, and one thousand five hundred (hasanaat) in the scales.”

Note: each of three phrases repeated ten times makes thirty; multiplied by the number of daily prayers, which is five, makes one hundred and fifty. Each of these good deeds of the tongue will be rewarded with ten hasanaat which will be added to the total of good deeds to be weighed in the balance or scales on the Day of Judgement.

Fills the scales with great rewards

The Prophet ﷺ said,

• “Performing ablution properly is half of faith, saying Al-Hamdu Lillah fills the Scale (of good deeds), saying Subhan-Allah and Allahu Akbar fills the heavens and the earth….”(Ibn Majah)
• ‘Say Subhana Allaah one hundred times, indeed it is equivalent to freeing one hundred slaves from the offspring of Isma’eel. And Say Alhamdulillaah one hundred times, it is the equivalent to one hundred horses saddled with reins ready to carry a person in the path of Allaah. And Say Allaahu akbar one hundred times, since it is the equivalent to one hundred camels slaughtered for the sake of Allaah. And Say La illaah ila Allaah one hundred times, Ibn Khalf (the narrator from Aasim) said: I think he said: it fills what is between the heavens and the earth and on that day no one will have an action raised except the one who came with the like of it.’ (Musnad Imam Ahmed)

Plant trees in Paradise

The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘I met the Prophet Ibrahim on the night when I was taken on the night journey, and Ibrahim said:

O Muhammad convey my Salam to your Ummah, and inform them that Paradise has very fine soil, sweet water. That it has lowland and its plants are:

‘Subhana Allaahi, wal hamdu lillaahi, wa la illaah ila Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar’’ (Tirmidhi)

Sins are forgiven

The Prophet ﷺ said,

• “Allaah selected four phrases from speech: SubhaanAllaah, wal hamdulillaah, wa laa ilaaha illAllaah, wAllaahu akbar. So whoever says SubhaanAllaah will have 20 good deeds written for him and 20 bad deeds removed. Whoever says Allaahu akbar will get the same and whoever says laa ilaaha illAllaah will get the same. Whoever says alhamdulilaahi rabbil ‘aalameen of his own accord will have 30 good deeds written for him and 30 bad deeds removed.” (Ahmad 2/303; Mustadrak 1/512; Saheeh al Jaami’ 1718).
• “If anyone extols Allah after every prayer thirty-three times, and praises Allah thirty-three times, and declares His Greatness thirty-three times, ninety-nine times in all, and says to complete a hundred: ‘La ilaha illal-lah, wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul-mulku walahul-hamd, wahuwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer,’ his sins will be forgiven even If these are as abundant as the foam of the sea.” (Muslim)

Allah Responds

“Umm Sulaim came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, teach me some words that I may supplicate with during my prayer.’ He ﷺ said: ‘Glorify Allah (by saying SubhanAllah) ten times, and praise Him (by saying Alhamdulilah) ten times, and magnify Him (by saying Allahu Akbar) ten times, then ask Him for what you need; He will say: ‘Yes, yes.’ (An Nisa’ai)

The Fifth – Al Hawqalah

Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah

The Four Phrases (SubhaanAllaah, alhamdulillaah, laa illaaha illAllaah, Allaahu akbar) and the hawqalah (la hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah) together encompass tawheed (worshipping Allaah alone) and qadr (PreDecree).

Ibn Abee Awfaa said, a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “I cannot learn the Qur’aan, so teach me something that will suffice me. He said, “SubhaanAllaah, wal hamdulillaah, wa laa illaaha illAllaah, wAllaahu akbar, wa la hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaah...” (Aboo Daawood 832; Nisaa’ee 2/143; Daarqutnee 1/313-314).

Also the Prophet ﷺ said,   ‘Be frequent in saying: “There is no might or power except by Allah, (Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh).” For verily, it is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise.’” (Tirmidhi)

THE HEAVIEST

لا إله إلا الله

La ilaha ilIa-Allah

None has the right to be worshiped but Allah

Heavier than the heavens & the earth

The Prophet ﷺ said: “When death visited Allah’s Prophet Nūh (alaihissalam), he said to his son: “I shall narrate to you the will. I command you with two things and I forbid you from two things: I command with Lā ilāha illa Allāh. Surely if the seven heavens and the seven earths were placed on a pan of a scale, and Lā ilāha illa Allāh was placed on the other pan of the scale, they would give in to Lā ilāha illa Allāh…” (al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad, Aḥmad, al-Bayhaqī and also aṭ-Ṭabarānī).

Heavy on the scale

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah will bring forth a man belonging to my ummah before all creatures and will spread ninety-nine scrolls [containing the record of his bad deeds] for him, each scroll extending as far as the eye can see. Then He will say, ‘Do you object to anything in this? Have my scribes who keep note wronged you?’ He will say, ‘No, my Lord.’ He will ask him, ‘Do you have any excuse?’ He will say, ‘No my Lord.’ Allah will say, ‘On the contrary, you have with Us a good deed, and you will not be wronged this Day.’ A slip of paper will then be brought out, on which are the words ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu  (I  bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger).’ Allah will say, ‘Bring your balance.’ The man will say, ‘O Lord, what is this slip of paper in comparison to these scrolls?’ And He will reply, ‘You will not be wronged.’ The scrolls will then be put in one side of the Balance and the slip of paper in the other, and the scrolls will become light and the slip of paper heavy, for nothing could compare in weight to the name of Allah.” (Ahmad & at-Tirmidhi; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani).

 Best Dhikr

The Messenger of Allaahﷺ said, “Indeed the best du’aa is alhamdulillaah and the best dhikr is laa ilaaha illAllaah.” (Tirmidhee 3383; Saheeh al Jaami’ 1104).

Uttering before death gets Paradise

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “If a person’s last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Paradise will be guaranteed for him.” (Ahmad & Abu Dawood; classed as saheeh)

ADHKAAR FOR MORNING & EVENING  

“O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance And glorify Him morning and evening.” [Surat Al-Ahzab: 41-42]

 The Prophet ﷺ said, “That I sit with people remembering Almighty Allah from the morning (Fajr) prayer until sunrise is more beloved to me than freeing four slaves from among the Children of Isma’il. That I sit with people remembering Allah from the afternoon (‘Asr) prayer until the sun sets is more beloved to me than freeing four slaves from among the Children of Isma’il.” (Abu Dawood, classed as Hasan by Sheikh Al-Albani).

Ibn al-Qayyim said, “The morning and evening adhkar play the role of a shield; the thicker it is the more its owner will not be affected. Rather, its strength can reach to such an extent that the arrow shot at it will bounce back to affect the one who shot it.”

A  Few Benefits of Reciting the Monring & Evening Adhkaar

• Fulfil the command of Allah. He S.W.T. instructed the Prophets and the believers to remember Him in the morning and the evening in over 15 āyāt of the Qur’ān.
• Appreciate Allah’s Greatness at the best times; in these two times we observe the clear manifestation of Allah’s power as the night changes into the day and the day into the night. These times are therefore befitting for the believer to remember Allah, glorify Him and appreciate His greatness.
• Reaffirm your Tawḥīd and servitude to Allah; through these adhkār, you affirm the oneness (tawhīd), uniqueness and absolute perfection of Allah on a daily basis. Along with acknowledging your weakness and need of Him, you renew your pledge of servitude (‘ubudiyyah) to Him by supplicating and praising Him. The adhkār will inspire you to love Allah, fear Him, have hope in Him, submit to Him and be grateful to Him.
• Acquire blessings in your Day, by starting and ending your day with the remembrance of Allah, you will gain an immense amount of blessings (barakah) in your day.
• Earn Unparalleled Reward; The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave glad tidings of unparalleled rewards to those who read the adhkār.
• Enjoy well-being in this Life & the Next. You will enjoy well-being (‘āfiyah) in your family, health, wealth, religion and in the Hereafter.
• Peace & Contentment, Maintaining these adhkār is one of the best means of dealing with difficulties. When we glorify Allah, we have a direct link with Him, and one who maintains such a link is content and reassured. He is reassured because he knows that, with Allah’s help, he is safe and secure. Thus, contentment is the fruit of tasbīḥ and worship.
• Protect Yourself from all Evil.

SOME ADHKAAR WITH GREAT REWARDS

Adhkaar pronouncing your Faith

لا إلهَ إلاّ اللّهُ وحْـدَهُ لا شَـريكَ لهُ، لهُ المُـلْكُ ولهُ الحَمْـد، وهُوَ على كُلّ شَيءٍ قَدير .

Laa ilaaha illAllaah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulk wa lahul hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer

‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone, without partner, to Him belongs all sovereignty and praise, and He is over all things omnipotent.’

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best invocation is that of the Day of Arafat, and the best that anyone can say is what I and the Prophets before me have said: (the above)”  (Tirmidhi)

Reward of reciting it in the morning and evenings

The Prophet ﷺ said,

• Saying it once: “Whoever says (the above), in the morning, then it will be like freeing a slave from the descendants of Ismaa’eel, and ten good deeds will be written for him, ten bad deeds will be erased for him and he will be raised by ten degrees and he will be protected from satan until the evening; and if he says it in the evening, then there will be the like of that for him until the morning.” (Aboo Daawood 5077).
• Saying it 10 times: “Whoever recites it ten times will be as if he had freed one of Ismaa’eel’s descendants.“ (Saheeh at Targheeb 660).
• Saying it 100 times: “Whoever says: (the above) one hundred times will get the same reward for freeing ten slaves; and one hundred good deeds will be written in his account, and one hundred sins will be deducted from his account, and it will be a shield for him from Satan on that day till night, and nobody will be able to do a better deed except the one who does more than him.” (Bukhaaree).
• After Fajr: “Whoever says at the end of every Fajr prayer, while his feet are still folded, before speaking (the above) ten times, then ten good deeds shall be written for him, ten evil deeds shall be wiped away from him, ten degrees shall be raised up for him, and he shall be in security all that day from every disliked thing, and he shall be in protection from Shaitan, and no sin will meet him or destroy him that day, except for associating partners with Allah.” (Tirmidhi, classed as Hasan)
• After Maghrib: “Whoever says (the above) ten times at the end of Al-Maghrib – Allah shall send for him protectors to guard him from Shaitan until he reaches morning, and Allah writes for him ten good deeds, Mujibat, and He wipes from him ten of the destructive evil deeds, and it shall be for him the equal of freeing ten believing slaves.” (Tirmidhi, classed as Hasan)

رَضيـتُ بِاللهِ رَبَّـاً وَبِالإسْلامِ ديـناً وَبِمُحَـمَّدٍ نَبِيّـاً

Radheetu billaahi Rabban, wa bil-‘Islaami deenan, wa bi-Muhammadin (ﷺ) Nabiyyan.

I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and with Muhammad ﷺ as my Prophet.

Virtue

The Prophet ﷺ said,

• “Allah has promised that anyone who says this three times every morning or evening will be pleased on the Day of Resurrection.” (Ahmad, An-Nasa’i, ‘Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah p. 4, Ibn As-Sunni (no. 68), At-Tirmidhi; Its chain of transmission is good – Hasan).
• “If anyone says (the above) Paradise will be his due.” (Abu Dawood, Sahih by Albani)

ADHKAAR WITH PRAISE OF ALLAH  

سُبْحـانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْـدِهِ عَدَدَ خَلْـقِه ، وَرِضـا نَفْسِـه ، وَزِنَـةَ عَـرْشِـه ، وَمِـدادَ كَلِمـاتِـه

Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, `adada khalqihi, wa rida nafsihi, wa zinatah `arshihi, wa midada kalimatihi

[Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with His praise, as many times as the number of His creatures, in accordance with His Good Pleasure, equal to the weight of His Throne and equal to the ink that may be used in recording the words (for His Praise)].”

Virtue

Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith (May Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, reported:

The Prophet ﷺ came out from my apartment in the morning as I was busy in performing the dawn prayer. He came back in the forenoon and found me sitting there. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Are you still in the same position as I left you.” I replied in the affirmative. Thereupon the Prophet ﷺ said, “I recited four words three times after I had left you. If these are to be weighed against all you have recited since morning, these will be heavier”. These are (the above).” [Muslim].

 Easy on the tongue

The Prophet ﷺ said, “There are two expressions which are very easy for the tongue to say, but they are very heavy in the balance and are very dear to The Beneficent (Allah), and they are, ‘Subhan Allah Al- `Azim and ‘Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi.‘” (Bukhari) 

Please join our free online certificate course “DHIKR”, to learn more about various adhkaar, virtues, rulings and the fiqh of Dhikr. https://learn-islam.org/dhikr (available online now, register and learn).

Note these are not part of the course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.