04 / 07
After the Foundations of the Tariqa the murid begins reading the awrad of the tariqa whether at his home or in the masjid, and they are two things:
- al-Ahzab al-Ja’fariyya (i.e. the Awrad).
- al-Salawat al-Ja’fariyya.
It is recommended to recite them after Salatul Fajr if possible. (the other litanies mentioned below are recommendations and ‘supplemental’)
Sample regime for the morning
- Read al-Husun al-Quraniyya + YaSin
- Read the specific day’s selection from the Ahzab
- Read the specific day’s selection from the Salawat
The murid then seals his day after salat al-Maghrib with reading the following:
Important note
It is necessary for each murid to read daily before reading his awrad, something, even an easy portion, from the book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, even if only 1 page! Our Master Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari says, Allah be pleased with him, in his blessed book, “al-Ilham al-Nafi'”:
It is incumbent on you, O’ murid, to recite the ahzab after reciting the Magnificent Qur’an. The meanings of the secrets in the seven repeated verses (al-Fatiha), and the surahs starting with ‘Ha Meem’ will descend on you. Persevering on the recitation of the Qur’an will open for you the locks. We have not found a faster means to openings than it for our murids, those we know and they know us.
Description of the Litanies
Al-Salawat al-Ja’fariyya
Read them after Salatul Fajr or anytime you are able. It is from the grace of Allah, the exalted, on His prophet ﷺ that He made the prayer on him compulsory whenever his name is mentioned, during his life and after his passing. Allah, the exalted, did not make this grace for any of the creation except him ﷺ.
So when you know, O’ our brother, in the tariqa the value of the prayer on the prophet ﷺ, during the prayer and outside it, you will be in a state of longing to be acquainted with the salawat of our shaykh and teacher, and nurturer of our souls, our master, the knower of Allah, the exalted, Sayyidi Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari. And when you long to quench your thirst from the sealed pitcher of its drink and to inhale the fragrance of its musk and perfume, and obtain from its outpouring and secrets, and to adorn yourself in a garment of its lights and perfume, for you is this book (i.e. the Salawat).
Therefore, adopt them, o murid, and reflect upon their meanings and secrets and inhale their scent and aroma and enter into the realm of their sanctity and lights. Indeed, Allāh the exalted, has made for you, through them, an opening from every deprivation, a way out from every worry. And by reading them, by the permission of Allāh, the Exalted, the reader has a relief from difficulties, forgiveness from sins, increase in reward and elevation to the highest ranks.
As he said ﷺ, “Whoever has become constricted due to a need, let him increase in the prayer on me, verily it will remove worries, anxieties and difficulties. And will increase provisions and fulfill needs.”
It suffices us the concern from Allah, the exalted, for us and the honor that we are the children of the Ja’fari Tariqa, the statement of our Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari, Allah be pleased with him:
Congratulations on this blessing that, by Allah, came
To me, and no wali ever received it before this little slave
Speak and delight however you like, O’ murid, at the saying of your shaykh: “no wali ever received it before this little slave.” Allah is the Granter of success and the Guide to the straight path, and He is our sufficiency and the best Custodian of our affairs.
We have divided them over the days of the week and whenever the murid finishes, he begins again. That is because the most virtuous of actions are those that are consistent even if small, as a little becomes a lot with consistency upon them. There is nothing quicker than a daily routine that alternates through day and night, and no aspirations stronger than the aspirations regarding time.
It is incumbent on every murid to read the introductory dua before the salawat. As for the closing supplication one can read it after the salawat or delay it until after all of the awrad have been read.
The Ahzab
These ahzab have been divided throughout the week as well. And its affair is like the daily salawat in that a little done consistently is actually a lot. And a lot of dhikr is sought after in our shariah as is known. Allah says, “O’ you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance.” And His saying “Those men who remember Allah a lot and the women who remember Allah, for them is forgiveness and a mighty reward.”
The concept of ‘a lot’ does not become continual until a daily routine is established. Based on that the increase of dhikr is set in a suitable and well-ordered division and this is the blessing of this tariqa. And this was intended by our Shaykh, Allah be pleased with him, when he said:
The wird for man is like a building – it is strengthened with increase in devotion
The connection between the shaykh and the murid – is its repetition which increases support
The murids should read the introductory dua before beginning the daily ahzab. It will multiply the reward by the permission of Allah, the Exalted. Then he begins the hizb of the day.
When the murid completes his daily wird he should read the expiation of the majlis 3 times, then the closing supplication (mentioned above), then the Fatihas. These Fatihas are a sign of loyalty and a proof of the soundness of the affiliation of the truthful and gratitude for those who Allah, the Exalted, made goodness flow from their hands. As the hadith mentions, “He has not shown gratitude to Allah, who has not shown gratitude to people” and “Whoever does good to you, return the good, and if you are not able to, then supplicate that they receive good.”
Al-Husun al-Qur’aniyya and al-Husun al-Ja’fariyya
As for the Husun al-Qur’aniyya + YaSin, it is read morning and evening, every day. The Husun al-Ja’fariyya is only read in the evening, and evening begins with Maghrib. It has been arranged for the students of Imam al-Ja’fari so that they won’t be playthings for the Shaytan. So, your end is with that which is in the Husun of defense and refuge in Allah, the exalted, against the Shaytan, the nafs, hawaa and the plots of the open or hidden enemies. The Husun, all of them, alhamdulillah, are only constructed from verses of the Qur’an, prophetic supplications, and means of connection to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, by His beautiful names and His sublime dhikr.
Kanz al-Nafahat bi-Salawat al-Arbainiyya (40 Salawat)
These salawat are in reality a treasure of openings and a means to felicity in the dunya and the akhira. It is composed of 40 forms of prayers and peace on our master and leader, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Although our Shaykh, the Imam, Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari, Allah be pleased with him, wrote them when young and at the beginning of his affair, they are signs of the openings, proofs of the spiritual outpourings and the height of aspiration and passionate love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And what shines upon them and manifests from them is that which confounds the intellects and overwhelms the perceptions of the first and the last. These salawat are tried and tested as a means to fulfill needs and to realize the reformation of both the worldly and otherworldly affairs. Above that is what is in them in terms of perfect connection to the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. And what’s more, is we counsel some of our children who are students and other than them who have a busy lifestyle, to suffice themselves with them. As what is in them is a sufficient provision and fulfilling litany for whoever persists in it. Due to the importance of this treasure (al-Kanz) we have arranged it as a part of our hadra every Sunday night between Maghrib and ‘Isha.
al-Mahamid al-Ja’fariyya
The Mahamid are read once a day in the evening or anytime you are able.
al-Istighfar al-Kabir
Our Shaykh, the knower of Allah, Sayyidi Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari, Allah be pleased with him, says, the istighfar is read in the pre-dawn time (70 times) and it is also read after every salat once and it is praiseworthy to be in a submissive and humbled state. The best time for the istighfar is at pre-dawn based upon His statement, “And those who seek forgiveness in the pre-dawn.” And in the hadith Qudsi “Who is seeking forgiveness that I may forgive him.” And that is the time of the pre-dawn. The number 70 comes from the Prophet ﷺ. And whoever is not able to do it at the pre-dawn time can do it at any time he is able to and the amount he can.
The istighfar is a dhikr of the prophets and the messengers, upon them prayers and peace, since there is no prophet except that he sought forgiveness from his Lord. As well the angels that carry the throne and those around Him all seek forgiveness for those in the Earth.
So, it is incumbent on you, O’ brother in Allah, to adhere to seeking forgiveness, for it is a blessing the erases sins until you meet Allah, the Exalted; (being in a state where you are) pure, clean, and pious. Allah will love you and be pleased with you and by His turning to you and pardoning you, He will take care of you.
Al-Salat al-Azeemiyya and Salat al-Faraj al-‘Ajib wa al-Fath al-Qarib
Our shaykh, the knower of Allah, the exalted, our master Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari, Allah be pleased with him says, “The murid must say the salat al-azeemiyya everyday. As for the one who is not busy, he does it as much as possible. As for the one who is busy with work it is read 5 times*. And in all of that it revolves on ones’ ability.”
*note the five times indicates to once after each salah.
As for the salat al-Faraj al-‘Ajib wa al-Fath al-Qarib, it is composed by the knower of Allah Sayyidi Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari, and its virtue is known by its name. There is nothing faster than it in removing worries and relieving problems and giving expanse in provision. As for its share in the realm of spiritual elevation and ascent, its secret is in the swift and near opening and its connectedness to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with his assurance ﷺ. It is read 5 times (i.e. once after each salah) or as much as one can.
The knower of Allah, Sayyidi Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari says, “If your nafs disobeys and opposes you and turns away from the virtues, it is incumbent on you to increase in your sending prayers and peace on the Prophet of repentance ﷺ, because when you increase in prayers and peace upon him ﷺ you will arrive, and when you arrive Allah will relent to you and show you mercy.”
Consider, O’ our brother, the statement of the Prophet ﷺ to our shaykh al-Ja’fari while he was reading the Azeemiyya, “I have come to hear from you the salat of Ibn Idris.”
The bounty for the murid when reading the Azeemiyya and the Salat al-Faraj is to bring to mind the reality of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, with a presence of mind with certainty that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is in front of him. Then he witnesses his noble form ﷺ with his heart, which corresponds with what has come in the prophetic narrations. He then gathers between the presence of mind and this witnessing to obtain “barring” and “gathering”. The “barring” is to bar the soul from imagining or witnessing anything else other than him ﷺ and the “gathering” is that your soul meets with him ﷺ in the state that you are in.
Idrisi Tahlil
Our shaykh, the Imam, the knower of Allah (the Exalted), Sayyidi Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari, Allah be pleased with him, says:
Know, O’ our brother in Allah, and O’ one who Allah has honoured with this tariqa of ours, that whenever you recite this tahlil you will be drawn near to the Majestic King and the (internal) candle will be lit from you and sins will drop from you, and the doors of the secrets of the unseen will be opened up for you, and He will look to you with the eyes of a beloved lover, and you will see Him with your heart as you are the seeker and the one sought. The downpour of His gaze will rain down on you and you will enter in the sanctuary of His blessings, and the divine outpourings will descend on you, and the Muhammadan rank will surround you, and you will be protected like a well-guarded pearl, and you will be enveloped by his rank ﷺ in every movement and stillness; until there will not be for you anyone in the creation you rely upon other than him ﷺ. It will be as if you are sitting in front of him, looking at his noble face ﷺ, a looking that preoccupies you with his noble face ﷺ from all other faces.
As to the amount to recite this dhikr, it is 100x a day after one finishes the Foundation of the Tariqa. This number is part of the daily routine and the murid can recite it in one sitting or divide it throughout the day. This is based upon having the free time and capability.
As for the one who is busy with the immediate aims of the world such as working, trade, agriculture, manufacturing, etc., then they are not bound to the 100x and they can do as much as they can. It suffices one to do it 3 times after every salah.
Know if you recite, la ilaha illa Allah, alone you will be in the realm of negation and affirmation. The word, ‘la’, negates from your nafs anything of its darkness and when you affirm ‘illa Allah’ the lights from the greatest name of Allah descend upon you, and that light prepares you for the Muhammadan ‘with-ness’.
And when you say, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ ﷺ and you witness him with your heart, you will be with him ﷺ, in a with-ness of the vision with the heart and soul connection which by it your soul will long to witness your Lord. And you will enter His saying, Exalted is He, “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him”. Since he ﷺ is the door of Allah, the Exalted, and it is not possible to enter His presence except by him ﷺ.
Our master, the Imam, the knower of Allah (the Exalted), Sayyidi Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari, Allah be pleased with him says, “It should suffice you as a proof of the virtue of this dhikr, the statement of the Prophet ﷺ, to Sayyidi Ahmad ibn Idris after he instructed him in this noble dhikr:”
I have saved it for you, o’ Ahmad. No one has received it before you. Teach it to your companions so that with it they will surpass those who came before.
Footnotes
- [i] Adapted from the book Miftah al-Dukhul lil-Tariqa al-Ja’fariyya.