Importance of Dhikr and Benefit of Joining Gatherings of Remembrance

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet Muhammad  (ﷺ) said: 

“Allah has angels who roam the roads seeking out those who remember Allah. When they find a group of people remembering Allah, they call one another and encompass them with their wings up to the lowest heaven. Their Lord asks them, although He knows better than them, ‘What are My servants saying?’ They say, ‘They are glorifying You, proclaiming Your greatness, praising You, and extolling Your majesty.’ He asks, ‘Have they seen Me?’ They say, ‘No, by Allah, they have not seen You.’ He says, ‘And how would it be if they saw Me?’ They say, ‘If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly, glorify You more intensely, and praise You more fervently.’ He says, ‘What are they asking Me for?’ They say, ‘They ask You for Paradise.’ He says, ‘Have they seen it?’ They say, ‘No, by Allah, O Lord, they have not seen it.’ He says, ‘And how would it be if they had seen it?’ They say, ‘If they had seen it, they would be even more eager for it, and more earnest in seeking it, and would have a greater desire for it.’ He says, ‘And from what are they seeking My protection?’ They say, ‘From Hellfire.’ He says, ‘Have they seen it?’ They say, ‘No, by Allah, O Lord, they have not seen it.’ He says, ‘And how would it be if they had seen it?’ They say, ‘If they had seen it, they would flee from it even more earnestly and would have a greater fear of it.’ He says, ‘I call you to witness that I have forgiven them.’ One of the angels says, ‘There is someone among them who is not one of them; he came for some other need.’ He says, ‘They are sitting together, and the one sitting with them will not be excluded from their blessings.’” (Bukhari; Muslim)