Regarding This Supplication
THE SALAAT ‘L-KUBRA:
The Greatest Prayer Upon the Prophet by Shaykh Abd’l-Qaadir al-Jaylani
This powerful supplication is named as-As-Salaat al-Kubra wa’l-Yaaqut al-Humra wa’d-Durrat ‘l-Kudra (The Greatest Prayer, the Red Ruby and the Green Pearl); once of the greatest of the prayers upon the Prophet composed. There is no doubt that the sending of blessings upon the Prophet is among the most noble of the rites of the religion, under which emerges the remainder of the stations of certainty.
When Allah revealed His words:
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النِّبِيِّ﴾
“Verily Allah and His Angels send blessings upon the Prophet”; the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said to his Companions:
((لَقَدْ أَغْنَانِي اللَّهُ عَن صَلاَتِكُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَمَرَكُمْ بِهَا كَرَامَةً لَكُمْ))
“Indeed Allah has made me independent of your sending blessings, however Allah azza wa jalla ordered you to do so as an honor to you.”
These nobilities have you ever heard the like of them Therefore be persistent in all hours perfuming them with its fragrances Send blessings upon him and send him peace, and this will suffice you For the best of what you can gather for yourself is settling under its abode. The sending of blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace is the spiritual ascent (mi`raaj), when the student does not meet a guiding shaykh.
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said:
((الصَّلاَةُ عَلَيَّ نُورٌ فِي الْقَلْبِ وَنُورٌ فِي الصِّرَاطِ))
“The sending of blessings upon me is illumination in the heart, and it will be illumination upon Siraat.”
When this illumination enters the heart darkness leaves it and the heart becomes guided. Whenever spiritual aspirations become difficult for you, then do much sending of blessings upon him, for he is the intermediate between you and your Lord the Exalted. He is the guide for us to Him. The ontological support of the entire creation from the Prophets to the awliyya, comes from him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is because all of their good deeds are shown to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
By means sending blessings upon him, illumination is earned, and darkness cannot be removed except by means of illumination. What is meant by illumination is that which is related to the lower soul from impurities and what is related to the heart from reverberations of those errors which preempt the heart from good. In reality no one can achieve following his actions and character except by going to the extremes in love for him; and this cannot be achieved except by means of much sending blessings upon him. For when you love a thing is increase in mentioning it.
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace said:
((كُلُّ دُعَاءٍ مَحْجُوبٌ حَتَّى يُصَلِّي عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى أَلِ مُحَمَّدٍ))
“Every supplication is veiled until one sends blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.” This was related by at-Tabaraani in his al-Awsat.
The four pillars of supplications are the presence of the heart, its gentleness, its tranquility, the heart being completely connected to Allah and being cut off from secondary causes. The wings of supplication are sincerity. Its times are the predawn hours. Its causative factors are sending blessings upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. For when the pillars are achieved then supplications become strong. When the wings are achieved then supplications sour into the heavens. When supplications conform with its correct times, they thrive. When the causative factors are achieved, then supplications become successful. It has been related in the prophetic tradition:
((الدُّعَاءُ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتِينِ لاَ تُرَدُّ))
“A supplication placed between to sending of blessings upon me is never rejected.”
In the sending of blessings there are ten benefits:
[1] the blessings from the Omnipotent Lord;
[2] the intercession of the Chosen One;
[3] the imitating of the righteous Angels;
[4] acting contrary to the hypocrites and the disbelievers;
[5] the wiping away of errors;
[6] the fulfillment of desires;
[7] the illumination of the outward and the inner secrets;
[8] redemption from the Fire;
[9] entrance into Paradise the Abode of Continuity;
[10] and the vision of the Forgiving King.
As for the manner of sending blessings upon the Prophet, there have been many narrations concerning that. So, examine that in some of the composed books concerning that like Dalaa’il al-Khairaat, Kunuuz al-Asraar, the.Nafhu ‘t-Tayyib Fee as-Salaat `Ala an-Nabiyyi al-Kareem by Shaykh al-Mukhtar ibn Ahmad al-Kunti al-Kabeer, the ad-Dala’il of Shehu Uthman ibn Fuduye`, the as-Satr ad-Da’im Li’l-Mudhnib ‘l-Aa’im Fee at-Tawassul by Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Mukhtar al-Kunti; and many others. The As-Salaat al-Kubra of Shaykh Abd’l-Qaadir al-Jaylaani among the greatest of this genre.
Sultan Muhammad Bello narrated the As-Salaat al-Kubra in his ad-Darrur az-Zaahiriyya Fee as-Salaasil al-Qaadiriyya, which was the last of the books the Sultan wrote on the topic of sufism when he was in Wurno. The Sultan transmitted this supplication to his son Yusef; who transmitted it to his son Umar; who transmitted it to his son the jurist Abdullahi; who transmitted it to his son, my teacher the jurist (faqih), the Quran teacher (modibo), Shaykh Muhammad Bello ibn Abdullahi, may Allah ennoble his secret.
I also received idhn for this supplication from both Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin and Shaykh Muhammad Bello ibn Abd’Raaziq; both who received it from Shaykh Abd’r-Raaziq ibn Uthman; who received it from Shaykh Uthman ibn Abd’l-Qaadir; who received it from the greatest mystic of Africa, Shaykh Abd’l-Qaadir Dan Tafa; who received it from Sultan Muhammad Bello.
The As-Salaat al-Kubra of the Sultan of Awliyya contains immense secrets regarding the Path to Allah and gnosis of him. More importantly this immense supplication delineates the reality of the first Light of Muhammad as it is in the Realm of “Kuntu kinzan makhfiyyan” (I was a Hidden Treasure); and it is an elaboration upon the instructive power of the Divine Names and Attributes in the Realm of “Alaystu bi Rabbikum?” (Am I not your Lord?)
- It contains forty-one prayers upon the Prophet and forty-one supplications in accordance with the secret of the station of forty (maqaam al-arba`een).
- It contains sixty-three Quranic verses; one verse for each year of the life of the Beloved Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Each of these verses is one of the supplications of the past prophets and messengers and conceals the Greatest Immense Name of Allah, that when you supplicate by means of It, you will be answered.
The as-Salaat al-Kubra is opening for the disciple who desires spiritual openings. It is a defense against sicknesses, epidemics, pandemics and the resultant mass hysteria that results from it. It is a gatherer of provision and an eradicator of poverty and want. More importantly, it is a lexicon on the reality of the Light of Muhammad (nuur’l-Muhammadi), and an unveiling of the stations and spiritual states of the Muhammadn Reality (haqeeqat ‘l-Muhammadiyya).
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الشيخ محمد شريف بن فريد القادري
Shaykh Muhammad Shareef bin Farid
www.siiasi.org