My respected Ustaadh cited the following Hadith from Abu Dawood to prove that thikr jahr and ijtima-ee (congregational) th i k r are p e r mi s s i b

Answer

Your respected Ustaadh is not a Mujtahid. He has clearly overstepped the limits by pretending that he is a mujtahid. He is a muqallid and the wazeefah of the muqallid is to make Taqleed, not to extract ahaadith from the kutub and submit it to personal opinion.

We have explained the issue of Thikr in detail in our book, Thikrullah in the Mirror of the Sunnah. Do read the book. There are numerous Saheeh Ahaadith which confirm and substantiate the views of the Shaafi, Hambali and Maaliki Mah-habs. It is only a moron Hanafi who will extract such Ahaadith and present it as daleel against the masaa-il of the Hanafi Math-hab.