“Kitab Bulugh al-Amani bi’l Ijaza li-Murid al-Wird Tijani” 

(Attainment of Aspirations in the Issuing of Permission to the Seeker of the Tijani Litany)

By the Shaykh, al-Allama Sidi Ahmed Skirej (“Sukayrij”; d. 1363/1944)

Downloadable PDF Version

Interpreter’s Introduction  

The Allama, Sharif, Dr. Abil Funun Sidi Mohammed Erradi Genoun, may Allah be pleased with him, is one of the most influential Tijani authors of the formative period. Largely because of his role as the custodian of the private library of the Pole of this Mohammedian Path, the red sulfur, Sidi Ahmed Skirej (“Sukayrij”; d. 1363/1944 in Marrakech), may Allah be pleased with him–which contains more than 5000 works (90 per cent of the Path’s literature), ranging from minor treatises to the huge volumes in the very handwritings of the Concealed Pole, Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani, may his precious secret be sanctified, the Holy Caliph Sidi al-Haj Ali Harazem Berrada, Sidi Mohammed Akansus, Sidi al-Arabi ibn Sayeh, Sidi Mohammed al-Hajouji, and Sidi Ahmed Skirej, may Allah be pleased with all of them, to mention very few, with an emphasis on Tradition, jurisprudence, literature, poetry, Sufism, Tijani doctrine, and hagiography literature– the Allama flourished this legacy into life. This was not a mere chance, for the Pole Skirej informed his children in times past that a man shall rise 50 years after his death to bring his monographs from death into life. Now, the Allama aids in the triumph of the bilingual electronication of this heritage by introducing Sheikh-Skiredj.com and Dar-Sirr.com.

Epilogue by the Allama Sharif Sidi Mohammed Erradi Genoun

“Attainment of Aspirations in the Issuing of Permission to the Seeker of the Tijani Litany”

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful. And peace and blessing be upon the Opener, the Seal, as well as his family and companions.

Praise be to Allah Who enthrones with the crowns of full acceptance amid the actualized ones everyone who imbibes the cup of the Tijani litany (wird), of which, to those who by persistence in reciting it, they attain the utmost of aspirations and arrival at all desires, according to the promise of the Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him, his family and companions. May this prayer remain in effect for eternity. 

Now our topic: from the favors of Allah upon the slave of his Lord, whose name is read at the end, is that he was fully initiated into the Tijani Path, with a genuine permission, from of a group of Muqaddams[1], empowered by lawful consent, who had also given him license to transmit it on demand for anyone who seeks to tie down himself with its rope in order to gain access to the perfection of its bounty by firmly adhering to its well-established corners and sound conditions.

And the highest of my chains of authority in all of the Path’s obligatory (lazima) and nonobligatory (ghayr lazima) litanies—which are part of its ASRAR[2] (arcane secrets)—is figured in the web of our Master, the Knower of Allah, the Lord, Sidi Ahmed al-Abdellawi (d. 1328/1910 in Fez), may Allah be pleased with him, who had taken from the Pole Sidi al-Haj Ali Tamasini (d. 1260/1844), may Allah be pleased with him, himself from our Shaykh, the Pole of Poles, the Seal Tijani, may Allah be pleased with him, who was transmitted orally by the Chieftain of the Universe, peace and blessing be upon him, in the state of wakefulness and not in state of sleep.

Thereupon, our brother in Allah, Sayyed [……………………………] has asked me for permission in reciting its litanies, so that an immediate bond between himself and the Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, may be established on the basis of our own lawful consent in it. So I assisted him with what he sought from me after he made a commitment to uphold its established conditions.

Illustration of the Conditions of the Path

1.        Commitment to serve the litany until death with a face turned exclusively into the Path so that he abstains from taking any other litany that is of any shaykh of all the shaykhs.

2.       Departure from visiting any of the friends (awliya): be they living or deceased.

3.       Persistence in loving the People of God (Ahl Allah) altogether; having respect to him that come from among them, and avoiding any ill-natured talk against one of them.

Illustration of the Obligatory Remembrances of the Path

They are:

1.        The morning and evening  remembrance of the Wird,

2.       The remembrance of the Wadhifa once a day,

3.       The remembrance of the Haylala in the wake of the Asr prayer on Friday together with its conditions in congregation or in insulation.

The Most Important Matters that the Disciple must watch over on his Journey through the Path

He should have his foot laid hold in obeying commands and shunning what is forbidden, outwardly and inwardly, as much as possible, returning to Allah in repentance anytime he may have committed sin. 

And it is incumbent for the disciple to watch over before any supererogatory act (nafila), whatever it may be, the observance of the daily ritual prayer in its prescribed times, especially in congregation, with perfect excellence.

He should also make up whatever may be remaining of his missed obligatory prayers (fawait), for, verily, there are manifold sane adults (mukallafin) who missed all five prayers since the age of puberty (bulugh) and do not even bother to make them up, and, indeed, this is a debt which one must pay off without allowing the least negligence. And it is unwise to offer supererogatory acts regularly, but remained wholly unmindful of so many missed prayers.

Elixir

Deeds revolve around the intention (niyya). Thus, it is wise that the Murid should go in extremes to use it well. And he should find great spoil in our Path, which is a Path of Thankfulness (Taqirat-u Shukr), in the recitation of the Fatiha including the Basmalah in the start, with the intention of giving thanks to Allah for every blessing: apparent and hidden, physical and spiritual, known and unknown, early and late, past and future, abiding and temporary –from one to one hundred times.

Then let it be known that our Path has hewn out its pillars on the Book and the Sunna, and fleeing from innuendos (bid’a), wherever possible, in activity and dogma. Our Master, may Allah be pleased with him, has said: “Weigh anything that reaches you from me on the scale of the Law (Shari’a). Then, take whatever upholds its teaching and leave whatever disagrees with it.”[3] So, it is incumbent for the Murid to abandon whatever runs counter to them.

And he should not make the bid’a victorious, whatever it may be, unless one acts according to the weak  tradition (al-Hadith Da’if) on the subject of virtues of good deeds (Fada'il al-A'mal)[4]. Then, he should act upon it, and ignore the detractor who denies it. And as an example, take the “Salat al-Fawa'it” (Prayer of Making up Missed Prayers), for one who has not fully discharged his duties. For, even if the Hadith about it is not authentic, the Shaykh himself, may Allah be pleased with him, performed it, leaving for us an example to follow. Thence, the disciple ought to perform it.

Beneficial Method in Performing Salat al-Fawa'it

The work of Salat al-Fawa'it was widely spread among the brothers. And it is beneficial to a person who is not certain of the exact number of his missed prayers. As for the person who knows the exact number of his missed prayers, he must pay them off without allowing the least negligence, just as a group of brothers, whom Allah guided them to success, offered them in full.

As for its method, it is offered in four rak'ahs before the Asr prayer on Friday, reciting in each rak'ah: the Fatiha three times,  the Ayat al-Kursi ten times, Surat al-Kawthar fifty times, and, Surat al-Ikhlas three times, and after the Salam, the person prays upon the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, 70 times with the prayer of Salat al-Fatih. There are many other methods. But, the agreement is upon that which I have mentioned.

Encouragement for Salat Tasbih

The disciple should find great spoil in the Glorification Prayer (Salat Tasbih) offering it once a day, or once a week, or once a month, or once a year, or once in a lifetime. And foremost, he should not prevent himself from offering it on every nocturnal day of Ramadan.

Its method is to offer fourfold Raka’at, giving Salam after each two Raka’at, reciting in each Raka’a: the Fatiha (Ch.1) and any chapter of the Quran. When he finishes the recitation in the first Raka’a and while still standing, say: “Subhanallah, wal Hamdulillah, wa la ilaaha illallah, wa Allahu Akbar” [Glory be to Allah, and all Praise is for Allah, and there is no God but Allah, and Allah is Great], 15 times.

Then bow and repeat the glorification while bowing, 10 times. Then rise from bowing and repeat while standing, 10 times. Then prostrate and repeat while prostrating, 10 times. Then rise from prostration and repeat while sitting, 10 times. Then prostrate and repeat while prostrating, 10 times. Then rise from the prostration and repeat it 10 times, bringing it to a total of 75 times in every Raka’a.

Stern Warning

Woe to the disciple who engage himself in angling for the Greatest Name (al-Ism al-A’adham) or seeking the Special Names (Khawas al-Asma’), since that is the occupation of the corrupt folk who gain nothing from their endeavor except pure hardship. Woe to him who is hero at mixing remembrances and getting into the habit of being busy here and there asking for permission in reciting the arcane secrets (al-asrar) that are related to their use. For verily, verily, this disperses the thought (al-fikra) from arming the self with a mighty determination (al-himma). And the best thing for the disciple is to knee deep in Salat al-Fatih, the Haylala (the word of oneness), and the Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) as much as possible.

Caution

It is outlawed that a person put himself forward to transmit the litanies without lawful consent in Taqdim[5].

So then let him who thinks he is standing securely beware of anything that may cut him off from the path –like turning his back to the litany, and so forth— for the consequence of that is severe.  

And beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy, of believing that the Shaykh has influence on anything. For, verily the Doer is Allah. And there is nothing in the hand of the Shaykh, other than Allah, to cause the existence or non-existence of anything. He is but a slave from the slaves of the Presence, pointing towards Allah in his own Path.

And the disciple must avoid exaggeration in praising the Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, for fear he should use great flattery, which is illegal for us to practice in the Law.  

And even though he, may Allah be pleased with him, has reached the station of Sealness (Khatmiya) and Concealness (Katmiya), which is the most exalted station of Poleship (Qutbaniya), he should not be preferred above the smallest Companion. Does not the very nature of things teach us that the station of ’Concealness’ (Katmiya) is called so because its bounty is concealed from the commoners?

No, in every way do not disclose it, lest, by any means, it is misunderstood or wrongly interpreted, which will only serve to remove its own particularity (khasiya) far from its essence. And perhaps it will give new ways to motivate the detractor to step up his smear campaign of apostasy (takfir).

Conclusion

Let our brother, who has just received our license in the Mohammediya Tijaniya Path of ours, learn that persistence in doing its obligatory litany causes all goodness to pass in front of him in both Worlds, and there is no doubt that this assurance is true, according to the promise of the Sadiq (the Truthful), the Masduq (the Confirmed), peace be upon him, in glad tidings from him to the Shaykh, may Allah be pleased with him, in the state of wakefulness and in the state of  sleep.

And this bounty revolves around belief (al-i’atiqad).  And this Path revolves—according to us: the Tijanis—around commitment to the obligatory litanies (al-Awrad al-Lazima) which the person has taken a solemn oath to fulfill under its very own conditions with an authentic permission from its very Muqaddam, without paying attention to the merits and all the other matters that are mentioned, in addition to all this, in the Books of the Path, since what is added to this, it is only virtue (fadl) or meddling (fudul); for, the first is from the people of beliefs (Ahl al-I’atiqad) and the second leads the former as well as others to criticism (intiqad). And each group carries out its appointed duties. And the wise is the one who takes on himself the guilt of not being aware of anything and travels with Ahl Allah on the path of peace.

Last Counsel

I give this brother counsel to recite the litanies in slow measured rhythmic tones and awakening of their meanings as much as it is possible, while guarding the conditions of the Path. And if one of the terms above fails or is broken, an immediate repentance is necessarily, and, so, he is required to renew his Path from someone who has authentic permission to transmit this inner light. Otherwise, he would suffer impediment after alliance.

And Allah suffices us and He is the best Disposer of affairs for us, asking from Him Almighty to give us success in word and deed. And let the peace and abundant blessings be upon Sidna Mohammed, his family and companions. And praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the Worlds.

Spoken and written by the servant of the Mohammedian Presence, the slave of his Lord, Ahmed ibn al-Haj al-ʼIyyashi Skirej al-Khazraji al-Ansari