Tafsir of Al-Ahzab 33:41-42

{O you who believe, remember Allah} Praise Him with various forms of praise: sanctification (taqdīs), glorification (taḥmīd), declaring His oneness (tahlīl), declaring His greatness (takbīr), and whatever is befitting of Him.

{And remember Him much, morning and evening} Meaning: at all times. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Remember Allah at the mouth of every Muslim." It is also narrated: "In the heart of every Muslim."

Qatādah said: Say, "Subḥān Allāh, wa-l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa-lā ilāha illā Allāh, wa-Allāhu akbar, wa-lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā billāh al-ʿaliyy al-ʿaẓīm."

Mujāhid said: These are words said by both the pure and the ritually impure (junub).

The two verbs—"remember" and "glorify"—are directed toward the morning and evening, just as you would say, "Fast and pray on Friday."

Glorification (tasbīḥ) is a subset of remembrance (dhikr). It is singled out from among its types—much like Gabriel and Michael are singled out from among the angels—to demonstrate its superiority over all other forms of remembrance. This is because its meaning is the declaration of His Essence as being free from attributes and actions that are not permissible for Him, and clearing Him of all ugliness.

The example of its superiority over other forms of remembrance is like the superiority of describing a servant as being free from the filth of sins and the impurity of transgressions, compared to all his other attributes, such as the abundance of prayer and fasting, steadfastness in all acts of obedience, possession of knowledge, or fame for virtues.

It is also possible that by "remembrance and its abundance," He means increasing in acts of obedience and turning toward acts of worship, for every act of obedience and every good deed is a part of remembrance. Then, He singled out "glorification morning and evening," which refers to prayer in all its times due to the superiority of prayer over other acts, or specifically the Dawn (Fajr) and Evening (ʿIshāʾ) prayers, because performing them is more difficult and maintaining them is more rigorous.

{It is He who sends blessings upon you, and His angels [ask Him to bless you] that He may bring you out from darkness into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful. Their greeting the Day they meet Him will be, "Peace." And He has prepared for them a noble reward.}