Shaykh Abdul Ghani al-Ja’fari speaking on the methodology of his father Shaykh Salih al-Jafari says:
We have discussed in the biography of our Shaykh a subtle point of discussion, which we recognize as the secret to the Ja’fari spiritual openings. And we have not found a door that our Shaykh preferred, in terms of gifts and spiritual support (madad), more than the door of the Prophetic praise (madih). And the Ja’fari diwan, which is in numerous volumes, expresses this Lordly opening which he expounds from his very essence, the love for the presence of Mustafa ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ spoke the truth in his saying: “The one who loves a thing mentions it often.”
Our Shaykh has taken this path, i.e. longing for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, in terms of the spiritual upbringing of his students. And from that is found in the introduction to his qasida al-Maqbula: “O lover of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, shall I not show you the closest of paths to reach the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, without weariness or difficulty? Pay attention! It is in the praise of him ﷺ, whether listening to it or reciting it, with a sound heart and great love, while imagining him ﷺ in your heart. And this imagining will either be: imagining his noble Rawda if you have visited it, or bringing to mind his form ﷺ if you have seen him in a dream, or based on his description in the shama’il. And we behold this at the time of sending prayers and peace upon him ﷺ, always. “
This door of spiritual openings, which our Shaykh traveled, is a clear opening, and whoever traverses it will arrive, and whoever arrives will be connected, and whoever is connected will see and witness, and whoever has witnessed, has intimate discourse and becomes acquainted, and whoever becomes acquainted, is guided to the Muhammadan Reality, thus he multiplies love by love. As he ﷺ has said: “A man is with the one he loves.”
PDFs of the Arabic Diwan of Shaykh Salih can be found here:
