What Makes You Sit Here? – Abdur Rahman’s Corner

Peace, one and all…

Narrated Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri: “The Messenger of God (as) went out to the circle of his Companions and said: ‘What  makes you sit (here)?’ They said: ‘We are sitting here in order to remember God and to praise Him for He hath guided us to the path of Islam and He hath conferred favors upon us.’ Thereupon he adjured by God and asked if that was the only purpose of their sitting there. They said: ‘By God, we are not sitting here but for this very purpose,’ whereupon he said: ‘I am not asking you to take an oath because of any allegation against you but for the fact that Gabriel came to me and he informed me that God, the Exalted and Glorious, was talking to the angels about your magnificence.’”
(Quoted by Muslim. Authenticated hadith.)

Commentary

This hadith is often quoted to support the fact that invocation sessions existed in the time of the Prophet, and though not established by him, they were nonetheless confirmed and encouraged.

Shaykh al-‘Alawi

So is this not sufficient for you with regard to the  permissibility of the session of invocation during the time of Prophet (as)? As for ‘Umar ibn al- Khattab, it is said that he too encouraged his companions to invoke until they would grow tired, then directed them to some other activity.
(Lettre, p. 43)

Taken from Tayyib Chourif, Spiritual Teachings of the Prophet