Explaining the Idrisi Tahlil
Our Liege Sayyidi Shaykh Salih, may Allah be pleased with him with complete pleasure, says the following:
“Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali al-Sanusi, the disciple of Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris (may God be pleased with them both), said regarding the proper way to recite “La ilaha illa Allah” (There is no god but God): Prolong the “la” sound, soften the hamza of “ilah” (god), and do not separate it from your saying “illa Allah” with settling in the “ha” at the end of the name of Allah. And it is essential to have an abundance of this Dhikr while standing, sitting, and lying down, as the intended meaning of this name and others is only achieved through abundant and diligent recitation throughout the night and day. With this harbor in your heart the negation of every deity other than Allah. Say “illa Allah” with strength and intensity, as you should strike the left side of your chest with it in humility and reverence. Close your eyes, listen attentively to your remembrance, maintain ritual purity, and reduce your food and sleep.
Sayyid Shaykh ash-Shuyukh and the Sultan of deeprootedness [in knowledge], Sayyid Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari (may God forgive him and his parents): When you say “Muhammad Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), perceive with your heart that he—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—is before you in his perfect, radiant form, a spiritual, heartfelt vision, as if you were pledging allegiance to him—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—remembering the words of your Lord, the Most High: “Those who pledge allegiance to you are pledging allegiance to Allah.” Witness with your heart the contacting of your soul with his soul—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—along with the radiant light of his sun, reaching into your heart, which intensifies as his love increases—peace and blessings be upon him and his family—as well as your following of his words and deeds, and the abundance of sending prayers and peace upon him—peace and blessings be upon him and his family.
And if you say: “With every glance and breath, a number equal to the extent of God’s knowledge,” you hope from your Lord—the Exalted—to record for you this declaration of God’s oneness with the aforementioned number.
Know, my brother in Allah, and you whom Allah Almighty has honored with this path of ours, that whenever you recite this declaration of God’s oneness, you draw near to the Majestic King, and the lamp within you is lit, and your sins fall off from you, and the doors of the unseen secrets are opened to you, and the Beloved looks upon you with His loving eyes, and you look upon Him with your heart, for you are both the seeker and the sought.
And the rain of His divine gaze showers upon you, and you enter the sanctuary of His blessings. The Divine overflowing comes down on you, and the spiritual majesty of the Muhammadan glory encompasses you. You become safely guarded like a precious, hidden pearl, enveloped by his noble stature at all times—whether you are moving or at rest. This state elevates you until you no longer depend on anyone in creation except him. It is as if you are sitting directly in his presence, gazing upon his noble face—may God bless him and his family and grant them peace. This vision completely captivates you, making you lose sight of all other faces in the world.
Our Shaykh and Master, Sayyid Ahmad ibn Idris (may God be pleased with him), wrote to his student, our Shaykh and Master, Sayyid Muhammad Uthman al-Mirghani (may God be pleased with him), the following:
“And upon you, my brother, is to abundantly recite this remembrance with which God Almighty has singled us out from among His saints.”
[Mafatih kunuzu s-samawati wa l-ard, p. 18-20]
