SHAYKH AS-SAYYID MUḤAM M AD AL-YAʿQŪ BĪ AL-ḤASANĪ
bismi-llāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm
In the name of A LLAH , the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
DA ILY
AW R ĀD
(LITA N IES )
A l - W i r d a l - ʿ a a m ( t h e G en er a l L i t a n y ) This is to be recited twice daily: once after salāt al-Fajr 1 and once after salāt al-Maghrib 2 . The morning time may extend till before salāt al-Duhr 3 and the evening time may extend till before going to bed, however consistency in timing is recommended. If missed , the wird should be made up by reciting it twice t he following morning or evening. After the wird, perform an invocation (duʿā) for His Eminence our Master, Sh aykh as-Sayyid Muhammad al-Yaʿqūbī, may A LLĀH protect him and elevate his rank , your parents, your fellow murīds and whoever else you want and for whatever you wish. The wird al-ʿaam forms a connection with the silsila i.e. the chain through the Shaykh, may A LLĀ H protect him and elevate his rank, and is a means for the blessings (baraka) of the silsila to reach the murīd (seeker). Additional Litanies To be read on a stage by stage basis; complete one stage and move on to the next upon the deliberation with the Shaykh or one of the muqaddams 4.
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Pr a ye r a t da wn , be f or e s un r is e . Pr a ye r jus t a f te r s un s e t. 3 Pr a ye r a t midda y, a f te r th e s un pa s s e s its h igh e s t. 4 A m u qaddam is a s tude n t of th e Sūfī pa th (a mur īd or de r vis h ) wh o h a s be e n a uth or ize d by h is / h e r Guide (aka s h a ykh , p īr, or m u rsh id) to a s s is t in te a ch in g th e pa th to oth e r s tude n ts . 2
A ma le le a de r is r e f e r r e d to a s a m u qaddam ; a n d a f e ma le le a de r is r e f e r r e d to a s a m u qaddim a.
BEG IN N ERS LEV EL S t a ge O n e 7 0,000 istighfār
( ‘astagfiru l-Lāh)
To remove the impact of past sins. Once completed if you do not feel its benefit then one is advised to repeat this. The Shaykh advises that the impact will be far greater if recited in a shorter span of time as opposed to lengthening it. For e.g., reading 10,000 istighfār’s daily for 7 days is better than reciting 2,000 daily for 35 days. S t a ge T w o 4 0 k h a t a m ’ s ( c o mpl et i o n s ) o f D a l ā ’ i l a l - K h a y r ā t 5 To increase your love for the Prophet and allow you to take on his beautiful characteristics. 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 Șalawāt In its easiest form for you; an alternative may be recited if one does not understand Arabic. S t a ge T h r ee 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 taḥlīl
(lā ‘ilāha ‘ill ā l-Lāh)
That is to recite lā ‘ilāha ‘illā l-Lāh for the strengthening of ones īmān (faith) and for you to realise the oneness of A LLAH .
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D alā’il al - Khayrāt w a sh aw āriq u l - A n w ār fī dh ikri’s salāt ʿalan Nab īyyi’l Mu kh t ār, th e mos t ce le br a te d wor k on th e con ve ya nce of bless in gs on our M a s te r M u h a mma d compos e d by th e gr e a t Ṣūfī, a gr e a t ma n of Alla h , I ma m M uḥ a mma d ibn S ula ymā n a l -J a zūlī (d. 8 5 0 / 1 46 5 ).
I N TERMED IA TE LEV EL Instructions for this to be sought from the Shaykh 6, this could include for e.g.:
Reciting ‘Allah’ ten minutes daily , or, 1,000 taḥlīl daily or other awrād.
Q ur ’ ā n i c R ec i t a t i o n The following sūra’s (chapters) of the Glorious Qur’ ān should be recited at the timings detailed below, as recommended by our Master, may A LLĀH protect him and elevate his rank, moreover you should try to recite a juz (part) daily if possible:
Sūra Yāsīn 7 – after Fajr prayer Sūra al-Wāqiʿah 8 – after Maghrib or ʿIshā (night) prayer
Sūra al-Mulk 9 – after Maghrib or ʿIshā prayer F U RTH ER AWRĀD
The following should be started once the wird al-ʿaam and recitation of daily Sūra’s is consistent for brothers and sisters who are able to read Arabic. For those who are incapable of reading Arabic they should recite (hasbuna’ l-lāhu wa niʿma’ lwakīl) 450 times daily. Ḥ I Z B A L - B A Ḥ R ( T h e L i t a n y o f t h e S ea ) Composed by the Master of the Shādhilī order, the pole (qutb), gnostic (alʿārif billah), our Master, ash-Shaykh A BU ’L H ASAN ASH -SH ĀDH ILĪ (d. 656/1241), may Allah illuminate his resting place. To be recited immediately after ʿasr10 prayer once daily, and if missed can be recited after Fajr prayer the next morning or the next available time. It is of great benefit for both your spiritual growth and your protection. A L-Y A Q Ū TIY A To be recited minimum once every day. For those eager to see the Prophet in their dreams, it is recommended three times every day. It should be recited in the night from after ʿIshā 11 prayer or before going to bed.
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I t is pr e ferable that wh en the broth ers and s is ter s feel they have completed th e be ginner’ s level in r e s pe ct of th e ir r e citin g awrād, they should a ppr oach their local muqaddam or muqaddama, bef ore approa ch in g th e S h a ykh dir e ctly; me r e ly to e n s ur e e ve r yth in g h a s be e n comple te d cor r e ctly. 7 3 6 th sūra of th e Glor ious Qur ’ ā n , con s is tin g of 8 3 ve r s e s . 8 5 6 th sūra of th e Glor ious Qur ’ ā n , con s is tin g of 9 6 ve r s e s . 9 6 7 th sūra of th e Glor ious Qur ’ ā n , con s is tin g of 3 0 ve r s e s . 10 Pr a ye r a t th e la te pa r t of th e a f te r n oon . 11 Pr a ye r comme n cin g a t dus k till da wn .
A L-W A Z ĪFA To be recited after the Maghrib prayer. The Shaykh recommends the recitation of this only after consistency and memorisation of the other awrād. An effort should be made to memorise all the aforementioned awrād. M u r ā q a b a 12 & M u ḥ ā s a b a 13 Be vigilant; watch yourself throughout the day and review your account bef ore you go to bed each night (reckoning yourselves). For example, ‘I should not have missed Fajr or lost concentration during prayer/ dhikr etc.’ Ā d ā b 14 o f r ec i t i n g a w r ā d Always recite the awrād in a state of purification, sit facing towards the qibla leaving only enough room for prostration and free yourselves from any distractions/interruptions; full concentration is a must throughout. Wear clean clothes and if possible, perfume the room. Learn and recite with correct tajwīd (recitation) to maximise benefit and pleasure of recitals. Try and allocate an area within your house/bedroom for all worship and awrād. The wird can be recited with partners and with other family members as well as children. F U RTH ER I NSTRU CTIONS In addition to the above, the following instructions are an integral part of the Shādhilī Way and will help you stay firm on the path. W eek l y D h i k r G a t h er i n g Attendance of the weekly dhikr gathering in one’s local area ( halaqa) is obligatory in the Sūfī Way (ţarīqa) for many spiritual, intellectual and social benefits therefore priority should be given to it above other engagements. P o ems Every week read one of the poems of our Master, Sh aykh Muhammad al-Yaʿqūbī, may A LLĀH protect him and elevate his rank ; “Directions for the Seekers” “My Spiritual Journey” “Abu’l Ḥasan ash-Shādhilī” 15 12
Vigila nce; recollection; a n aspect of refle ction ( t afakku r); wa itin g on a s pir itua l pr e s e n ce ; pe r ma n e n t s ta te of a wa r e n e s s , n ot a s pir itua l e xe r cis e . (A. B e wle y, A Glossary of Islam ic Te rm s , pp. 2 1 7 ) 13 S e lf -analysis, r evie win g on e s e lf , on e ’ s a ction s a n d th ough ts . (A. B e wle y, A Glossary of Islam ic Te rm s , pp. 2 1 8 ) 14 Cor r e ct behaviour, both in ward an d outwa r d, good de por tme n t. (A. B e wle y, A Glossary of Islam ic Te rm s , pp. 6 6 ) 15 T h e s e th r e e poe ms ca n be f oun d a t th e e n d of th e bookle t.
Y a h o o ! F o r um ( ma i l i n g l i s t ) / S a c r ed K n o w l ed ge w eb s i t e m u r ī d s ec t i o n
Follow up on the mailing list and try to read the FAQ and advice within the documents section of the forum. You will be sent an invitation to join via email. You will also be sent login details to the murīd section of the Sacred Knowledge website. This also contains valuable material; including recordings of previous murīd gatherings with our Master, Shaykh Muhammad al-Yaʿqūbī, may A LLĀH protect him and elevate his rank .
R ea d i n g / A ud i o L ec t ur es Listen to the lectures of our Master from You Tube and the ones produced here and the USA – available on CD from Sacred Knowledge and most Islamic bookshops. These are the basics classes and texts fo r our ţarīqa. Also reading, The Book of Illumination (Kitāb al-Tanwīr of Ibn ʿAtā’ Illah) is recommended. S t ud i es Everyone should learn their basic fard al-ʿāyn, knowledge in ʿaqīda (theology, belief, creed), fiqh (jurisprudence), tajwīd (art of reciting the Qur’ān) and the Sunnī ʿaqīda in general. The local muqaddam can help to facilitate this. S er v i c e ( k h i d m a ) Everyone should try to give some time to take part in offering their service:
To our noble guide who is taking our hands to A LLAH , To our brothers and sisters on this journey, and To our local communities (e.g. teaching, cleaning the masājid’s, etc).
For volunteering to help spread this way please come forward to your local muqaddam ’s. Dr es s C o d e S i sters: wear a full hijāb covering the entire head till under the chin and wear dark socks with a long jilb āb, as well as covering the arms to the wrists and never putting on any perfume or makeup outside your home. B r o t h er s : be formal or semi formal and elegant as much as possible. When travelling to the masjid wear a jilāba, (the Moroccan type not the Saudi type) with a white hat. At work and on other occasions outside your home wear a suit or as close to it.
G en er a l G ui d a n c e
Your brothers and sisters in the ţarīqa are your family. Avoid time wasting; e.g. watching TV, rather you should spend your free time in dhikr, study or serving parents.
Ask forgiveness from people – start your journey with a clean record. Brothers should try to maintain 40 consecutive Fajr prayers with the congregation. Do not get involved in any arguments with people from other groups and avoid anyone who argues with you about anything related to the religion. Prayers missed in the past forty days should be made up for immediately and the daily prayer for 40 consecutive day s is not missed (exception to sisters). Make a schedule that suits oneself to make up all missed prayers of one’s lifetime in a consistent manner. For e.g., make up 2 missed prayers with each farḍ prayer. Increase your following of the sunna of the Prophet .
Try to pray the Night Prayer (qiyām al-layl) at least twice each week . Fast on Mondays and Thursdays.
al-wird al-ʿaam THE GENER AL LI TANY 1. Recite the taʿawwudh (
) once:
aʿ ūdh u b illāh i m in as h -s h aytān ir -r r ajīm
I seek refuge in A LLAH from Satan, the rejected one.
2. Recite the tasmiyya (
) (also known as basmala or bismilla) three times:
b is m i-l’ Lāh i r -r ah m ān i r -r ah īm
In the name of God, the Most Grac ious, the Most Merciful.
3. Recite the following verse of Sūra al-Muzammil (73/20) once:
“And whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you shall find it with A LLAH , better and greater in reward. And seek the forgiveness of A LLAH , for A LLAH is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
4. Recite istighfār ninety-nine (99) times:
‘ as tagf ir u l-lāh
I seek forgiveness from A LLAH . 5. Recite once:
as tagf ir u l-lāh a’ l-azīm’al-ladhī lā ilah a i-llā h u wa’ lh ayy’ al-qayyūm a wa’ atūb u ilayh
I seek forgiveness from A LLAH , the Most Great, other than whom there is no god, the Living, the Self-subsisting Supporter of all, and I turn to Him in Repentance.
6. Recite the following verse of Sūra al-Aḥzāb (33/56) once:
“Verily A LLAH and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you who believe, send blessings on him and salute him with all respect.”
7. Recite the following ninety-nine (99) times:
allāh u m’ma salli ʿalā sayyīdina m uḥam madin ʿ ab’dika wa r as ūlik’ an -n ab īyy’ il-u m m īyī wa ʿ alā ālih i wa ṣ aḥb ih i wa s allim
O A LLAH , bless our master M U Ḥ AMMAD , Your Servant (ʿabd) and Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, and his family and Companions, and grant them peace.
8. Recite the following once:
allāh u m’ma salli ʿalā sayyīdina m uḥam madin ʿ ab’dika wa r as ūlik’ an -n ab īyy’ il-u m m īyī wa ʿ alā ālih i wa ṣ aḥb ih i wa sallim taslīm’ an biqad’ri ʿ azm ata dh ātika f ī ku ’ lli waqt’ in wa ḥīn
O A LLAH , bless our master M U Ḥ AMMAD , Your Servant (ʿabd) and Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, and his family and Companions, and grant them peace, as greatly as the greatness of your being, at every moment and time.
9. Recite once, the following verse from Sūra Muḥammad (47/19):
f aʿ lam ‘ an n ah u l ā ‘ ilah a ‘ illā l-Lāh
Know, therefore, that there is no god but A LLAH .
10. Recite the taḥlīl ninety-nine (99) times:
lā ‘ ilāh a ‘ illā l-Lāh
There is no god but A LLAH . 11. Recite the following once:
lā ‘ ilāh a ‘ illā l-Lāhu s ayyidunā Mu ḥamm adun r as ūlAlLāh i ṣ al’Al-Lāhu ʿalayhi wa ʿ alā ālih i wa ṣ aḥb ih i wa s allam
There is no god but A LLAH , our Master M U Ḥ AMMAD is the Messenger of A LLAH , may the blessings of A LLAH be upon him and his family and his Companions, and may He grant them peace.
12. Recite Sūra al-Ikhlāṣ three times:
b is m i-l’ Lāh i r -r aḥm ān i r -r aḥīm qu l h u wa’ l-Lah u aḥad. Allah u ’ s -ṣ am ad. lam yalid wa’ lam yūlad, wa lam yaku ’ l -Lah u ku f u van a ḥad
“Say: He is A LLAH , the One; A LLAH , the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.”
13. Recite Sūra al-Fātiḥa once:
bismi-l’Lāhi r-rahmāni r-rahīm alham’du lil’Lāhi rabb’il-ʿālamīn ar-rahmān’nir-rahīm māliki yawmi’d -dīn ‘iyyāka naʿbudu wa ‘iyyāka nas’taʿīn ihdin’as -şirāţ ţa’l-mustaqīm siraţ’ţal-lazīna ‘anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayr’il maghdhūbi ʿalayhim wala’d h-dhālīn. āmīn
In the Name of A LLAH , Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All Praise is for A LLAH , Lord of the Worlds. Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgement. You (alone) we worship; And You (alone) we ask for help. Guide us to the Straight Path. The Path of those upon whom You Have bestowed Your Grace, not (the Path) of those who earn Your anger (wrath), nor of those who go astray.
14. Perform supplication (duʿā) on behalf of yourself, your parents, the noble Shaykh,
your fellow brethren on this path, and all Muslims.
D I R EC TI O N S F O R S EEK ER S 16 O my disciple, upright seeker! Distract not yourself by others on board, Never turn to other than A LLAH the Creator, He is Your Cherisher and Your Lord. So journey rapidly to Him with diligence; The night is dark and unforeseen. Be steadfast and follow the guide, So doors will open for you as a reward! O struggling servant, righteous, repentant! Leave not of the world in your heart any trace: Pledge yourself to obey the Compassionate, Seeking in all your endeavour His Face! As only the servants who humbly concede Their feats for Him eventually succeed. So be enchained by love not fear, To fly through the way and win this race! O servant who witnessed The One with none, While his being was entirely gone: Confirm to the world His Divine Qualities, And rid yourself of all your vanities! God cannot be identified, Cannot be conceived of nor be defined. Look for His Signs within yourself, And in the horizons detect and find. Do not delve into the quest for His Essence, And order your mind to halt and shun. Proofs of the Divine Power are shone, To mankind every morn at the rise of the sun! To my pure lover and devout invoker: Strive and persist with acts of obedience The Merciful is to your earnest efforts, Evermore Thankful in abundance! Keep up your invocations flowing Never consider them adequate or enough. As He created you and your deeds, So let on Him be your firm reliance! You who, out of ignorance, is lured 16
T h is poem is a gift fr om S haykh M uḥ ammad al-Yaʿqūbī to h is friends a nd studen ts on the occasion of ʿĪd. He cast th e or igin al Arabic the n ight be for e the day of ʿA rafah, during h is flight fr om J oha nnesburg to Cairo; and finishe d wr itin g it in En glis h in Da ma s cus , on 2 4 D h u ’l Hijja, 1 43 1 H.
To claim to have reached immortality: Cry in fear and cling to humility, Efface yourself and know your reality! Throw your claim to fame behind Refine your heart and clear your mind, If you on the Way ever hope to find Eternal joy and avoid fatality! To the traveller, dreaming of high ranks, Pretending he wants Him yet he lacks The core of belief and instead He looks around for a miraculous act! Fancying he could fly; or even have The gold of the world brought in sacks, Looking for Aladdin's lamp to bring The king of jinn at once intact: The marvellous wonder is being upright Throughout one's life from birth to death, Exactly as you've been commanded By Allah, in every breath! So be ashamed of a wicked wish And renew your Sūfī contract Unconscious and unmindful of Being a slave of lustful whim, Your enemy resides within your skin; So let your war against you be grim. Be vigilant of the deceit of the self And what it may embellish or limn. Free yourself of your free will And yield to His Will, then safely swim. Purge your heart of lingering love, And attachment to other than Him. Your excuse of leaning towards Your choice before Him is shamefully slim. So let Him lead the rein of your life While in joy you sing His hymn; Before you're rejected or even be torn For your misdeeds limb from limb. Wishful thinking makes the traveller’s Road in noonday utterly dim.
I once had the honour of being In the service of a great Saint 17 And I beheld miracles following him With no impure trace or taint Rather, they were obvious signs Of his remarkable self-restraint! His aspiration in both worlds Was above everyone’s with no pride. He was silent with few words Yet he could make mountains slide. He was raised to the highest ranks, Because he never had any complaint! To the spoiled servant, the insouciant Demanding from Him immediate entrance, Affirming that you're consciously truthful; Proud of your fake works and vague states: Do you depend on Allah for deliveranceOr on your untrue state of heart? Surely being truthful is a Grace But to see it emerging from you is a hindrance. Hence, do not be stopped on your trip By ‘I’ and ‘my’ lest you be torn apart! O dear companion! Never head for The territory of a heedless sinner; Always stand at the threshold of The Truthful and the Righteous winner! Attaining stations of this Way Is done through the hearts of illustrious Gnostics. Travelling without a guide makes you An easy prey for the predator’s dinner! Your book is the Shaykh; in him everything You want or need is fully included. To be quenched, you must accompany him In full submission, not be eluded So listen to what the Shaykh dictates, As he breathes into your heart: Knowledge, wisdom and light will pour, To make your heart a piece of art!
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I n th is line, I am r efer ring to th e Pole of the A wliyā of h is time , the Proof of Is la m, th e gr e a t Gn os tic, n a me ly, my f a th er and my M aste r , a s -S a yyid S h a ykh I br ā h īm a l-Ya ʿqūbī, ma y Alla h s a n ctif y h is s oul. (S h a ykh a l-Ya ʿqūbī)
The legacy of the Prophet through A sacred chain in him concluded. With all the traps of the self and the Satan, The risk is high if you secluded. Without the company of the Champions, Reaching Allah is precluded. Going astray is a probable result If you on your own chose to depart! To the yearning servant! Are you after The Truth or trying to solve a riddle, Forecasting the future to have secrets divulged, Which blocked your advancement in the middle? You must be courageous to defy these desires Be first and best; don’t play second fiddle; Grow up and leave these wishes behind As jewels are not to be mined by a novice You know not the difference in a crevice Between rocks and gems; you only twiddle! Persist in the quest for Truth alone And never lean towards any looming illusion. Treading in the land of the earthly dominion, My dear confidant is but an intrusion. Everything other than Allah the Majestic Is like a mirage; they’re not even rivals. You run after them, you get not a thingFind Him to find all; this is my conclusion! O vanishing Servant delighted in ecstasy, Dwelling in the zone of annihilation To other than The Master: you have to wake up, And swiftly feel your own sensation. Look carefully! You are you, a contingent being; You could never be He; no union is allowed. He is He: Allah, The Eternal, The UniqueBy heart is witnessed by reason is found. Stay back and uphold this essential contrast; To remove from your mind and your heart this cloud. The top Sufi masters clearly distinguished And warned in this field of the slightest deviation.
In the start of the voyage you are a new -born The end of the trip brings resuscitation. “Thee” in the Opening chapter 18 removed From our eyes all veils and curtains. Reflect on the Divine Command in “ Be” 19 There is in it no doubt a secret concealed. In the verse “You did not throw when you threw ” 20 The gist of all statements is sealed! O yearning lover, celebrating his passion For the beauties of the E ternal Heaven: You are in love with damsels, fountains Flowers and the splendid palaces, Silk and cashmere, pearls and perfume And all the luxury and grandeurTo the Friends of Allah, the Garden is but A moment in His Beatific Presence! If your goal is closeness to the Near Prostrate yourself to have His contentment! Worship Him As though you saw Him In this world without presentment The Reward for your ihsān 21 is His To eventually see Him in Paradise; Gaze then in ecstasy at the Great And thank Him for t he blissful prize! O servant, seeking only His Face With no inclination to a single pleasure: Behold! You are called by His Grace Invited and ushered to the Divine Treasure! He favoured you; He admitted you in Before you repented 22 at your leisure, You're now predestined to receive from Him Knowledge and wisdom beyond measure!
18 19 20 21 22
I n th e f ir s t ch a pte r in th e Glor ious Qur ’ ā n , “ Th e e do w e w orsh ip .” ( Sūra al - Fāt ih a 1 / 5 ) R e f e r r in g to th e Divin e comma n d “ B e an d it is. ” ( Sūra al - Y āsīn 3 6 / 8 2 ) “Y e did n ot t h row w h e n ye t h re w ; it is A llah in de e d w h o t h re w . ” ( Sūra al - ‘A n fāl 8 / 1 7 ) “Is t h e re an y re w ard for ih sān e xc e p t ih sān it se lf! ” ( Sūra ar- R ah m ān 5 5 / 6 0 ) “He ac c e p t e d t h e ir re p e n t an c e so t h at t h e y re p e n t . ” ( Sūra aţ - Ţaw b a 9 / 1 1 8 )
M Y S P I R I TU A L J O U R N EY 23 My inner-secret spoke by permission from Allah, revealing what is hidden in the wine jar. It told my story in all languages, Dictated by the Lord of dawn, I had no control over it! The heart, transparent and pure, became like a mirror, Like a book without pages, like a line without directions, Countless images are piled in it, but none joint with it! His Speech does not differ, whether it is “ I” or “You” or “He.” My inner-secret is united with His Meaning and my heart is a home of His. He surrounds all my being though my thoughts go around Him! Now I came to know the truth, when He manifested upon me. He said, “Knock the door and enter the sanctuary of the walī.” He Himself proposed the drink and filled up my cup! Upon entering, I saw Hallāj in the Presence of God; he was admitted before all people. He stood there after a restless journey serving guests pure wine, His secret was divulged; he, without doubt , had no trace of deviation. Where are you, O man, before the beauty of al-Qayyūm ? Start to release the minds from the bondage of the sciences, And offer your soul to get a glance at Him that lasts forever. Passion threw me to Him from the early days of my childhood. Ever since, I have been in His hands receiving His Bounties, Till I stood before Him: for all of this, he offered me a guide, a father. Since before I was created, I was in passionate love with Him, I acquired all my wishes when I annihilated from all others, And all hardships were removed since I witnessed His Beauty! He renewed my essence and honoured me by opening the door of arrival, He dressed my words, out of His Bounty, in the dress of acceptance, And when He allowed me to arrive, He protected me from the doctrine of incarnation. When I witnessed His Beauty, I was bewildered, And When I saw His Majesty, I shivered, But He perfected His Grace and pulled me to Him in the blink of an eye.
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Wr itte n on th e wa y f r om F e z to Da ma s cus on De c. 3 0 , 2 0 1 0 .
Light shone from Him upon me to make my heart lit. I received all satisfaction from Him and security, His favours overwhelmed me and set my tongue to speak. I love Him whatever His Decree brings, My principle in love is being always pleased with Allah. Take this passion from me, soar and fly through space. Till now, I used to call people to Allah from afar. I used to speak in every conference, explaining the Way to Seekers. But now, I pull to Him anyone He wants by an iron gaze. O people! My case in love is unique and wondrous. By Allah, I have not earned of good works but the least share, His love is my capital; I have no healer save Him. I have not reached Him but through love- not my love, but the love of The Near. My love for Him is as little as a seed; His love for me is beyond measure. The honour is not in your loving Him, rather in being His beloved! O people! I am not the same person who you have known. He annihilated me from my senses and adorned me with the best affection, He selected me for conversation; and embellished me with all discip lines. I have been newly born these recent days, He enrobed me with the ‘Id dress before mankind And made me Imam of all the near and the far! I was intoxicated by the news about Him brought by Gnostics, I was annihilated by a glance at Him; then perishe d. Thereafter, He saved me when He brought me back to witness the world. I was drunk from the first drop yet I did not stop drinking, I was annihilated from the first look yet I did not flee from looking, Until I entered His Presence and was granted the most precious Jewel! When the opening came, the world before my eyes was perished. Heaven became one yard close to me, and it is the least of pleasures. The ultimate Bounty, which is the Beatific Vision, is my prize. At dawn I received His immense Grace, So, I began composing praise and glorifications to The Eternal Master. Then I returned to lower plains, drinking from the ocean of The All -Knowing
Glad tidings of these gifts were given to me by my father; the Quţb of His time. He removed the veil for me and described the House, He said, "Advance swiftly till you enter the Dīwān." By Allah, you will not enter it except after a thousand trials, After they make you forget your family and friends, And after they make you taste all types of humility. You will not obtain the secret till you are burnt. It has been difficult for most people to attain it, There is nothing like it in all the horizons. People incline towards denial and hardly believe. So, busy yourself in dhikr and follow the example of al-Șiddīq! When minds are narrow, people hardly look for the truth. Most people look for the outward and are struck by the eloquence of the tongue, They care not about the inward, nor for what is hidden in the heart, They do not understand the intimations of the people of Ihsān. Most people would run from me if I did but pass wind in public, Declaring that the Shaykh misbehaved, they would claim he is not qualified for irshād. I would return home in the evening with but a few people of insight. So find other than me, if you are looking for a preacher, Seek not my inner good through flattering words, If you want to walk at my pace, stay vigilant! However, we accept everyone and we do not lift the veil. We help the elderly and the young to arrive, by observing eti quette. We know the obedient and the one who dissents, yet our door is open to all!
A BU ’ L H A S A N A S H -S H Ā D H I L Ī 24 The Quţb 25 of all Quţb’s throughout times is Abu’l Hasan ash-Shādhilī; …An Ocean of Secrets and an Imam of Guidance For whom the soul is the least price. He led to the Master and climbed In virtue to highest peaks And brought in this discipline what Made it more august than all branches. Knowing Allah is his End, So follow him through this path And the Messenger of Allah is his Means So, stick to his sunna’s. The foundation of his way is built On the Purification of the Heart from all stains So, journey with the Single Name O, You, Sūfī! And seek assistance from Allah . Be absent, and annihilate from all beings, as No one remains save he who is annihilated in Him; And enter the doors of the Unseen and ask Whatever you want, but guard the secrets . Drink the glass of Gnosis and taste The Secret of Tawhīd and be not Make due the love for the men of Allah And the love for the Imam of all of them Abu’l Hasan. Stick yourself to the pure thresholds If you come t o Humaythara, where is the home? And in ʿAydhāb stop and sink your cheeks in the soil And put your soul in the grave and a guarantee .
Be thankful to Allah and pray on 24
Wr itte n (and trans lated into English f rom Arabic) by Shaykh on his way to the sh rine (muqām) of I mam Abu’l Ha s a n a s h -S h ā dh ilī in Egypt, 1 4th Augus t 2 0 0 4. 25 Th e p ole , th e a xis of th e s pir itua l h ie r a r ch y. (A. B e wle y, A Glossary of Islam ic Te rm s , pp. 2 2 0 )
Tāhā 26 in secret and in public And on Ahl al-Bayt 27 all, O friend and give salutations while you humble yourself The son of al-Yaʿqūbī has come with, No claims, dressed only in the cloths of his coffin So, turn to him O my master, And to all of us with your bounties
26 27
A n a me of th e n oble Pr oph e t . Th e P e op le of t h e Hou se , th e f a mily of th e Pr oph e t .
S h a ykh Gibr īl Ḥa ddā d wr ite s : N ote to begin that ahl and āl are the s ame in mean in g. However, Ibn Manzūr s aid in Līsān al - ʿArab, āl is nobler in us a ge. Note that in Ar abic a ma n’s b ayt denotes h is wife, an d that is also one of th e me a n in gs of a ma n ’ s ah l. T h e f ollowin g te r ms a ll h a ve th e s a me me a n in g: a ) ah l al - B ayt = Pe ople of th e Hous e b) āl al - Nab ī = F a mily of th e Pr oph e t ; th e Um m a c) āl B ayt al - Nab ī = F a mily of th e Hous e of th e Pr oph e t d) ʿit rat al - Nab ī = [ Pe ople of th e ] M a n tle of th e Pr oph e t Acce s s e d a t: h ttp: / / www. a bc. s e / ~m9 7 8 3 / k/ a b_ e . h tml
