The Supremacy of Salat al-Fatih Prayer

Sidi al-Qadi Iyyad Sabti (may Allah be pleased with him) (d. 544/1129) said in Kitab Shifa bita'rif huquq al-Mustapha (The Antidote in knowing the rights of Chosen Prophet), Allah tells us,

Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet. Believers, praise and venerate him and pronounce peace upon him in abundance." 33:56. Abbas' son stresses the fact that Allah and His angels praise and venerate Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). It has been said that Allah showers His mercy upon His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and His angels supplicate for him. Al-Mubarrad said, "The root of the prayer is the invocation of mercy. It is mercy from Allah. From His angels it is graciousness and a supplication for the Mercy of Allah. A hadith sheds further light and tells us that when someone praises the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) while waiting for the commencement of the prayer, the angels say, "O Allah, forgive him! O Allah have mercy upon him." Abul Aliya explained, "The praise of Allah is His praising of the Prophet to His angels, and the praise of the angels is supplication”. (…) One must be aware that Allah has commanded us to praise His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Praising the Prophet, is a general obligation and is not restricted to a specific time. There is no dispute about its obligatory nature, however Abu Jaafar Tabari was of the opinion that this verse, "Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet. Believers, praise and venerate him and pronounce peace upon him in abundance." 33:56 is a recommendation is overruled. When one praises the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) one fulfils the obligation, the performance of which voids the wrong action that would be present if one were not to do so. The minimum is to say it once as in the case when one bears witness to his Prophethood, however it is very desirable to say it more often and one finds its doing to be highly recommended in the authentic quotations of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him).

Urging the Tijani brothers to increase their prayers upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), the paramount Khalifa Sidi Abu Ya’aza Ali ibn al-Arbi Berrada Harazem al-Fasi (d. 1218/1803) denoted a unique chapter on the issue in his Kitab Jawahir al-ma'ani wa-bulugh al-amani fi fayd Sidi Abil al-Abbas at-Tijani (Gems of Indications and Attainment of Aspirations in the Overflowings of Sidi Abil Abbas Tijani). In his Risalat al-Fadl wa al-Imtinan il-a kaffat al-Ashab wal Ikhwan (Epistle of Bounty and Merit to all the Companions and Brothers), Al-Khalifa Sidi Ali Harazem said,

Sidi Abdellwahhab Shaarani (d. 905/1490) may Allah be pleased with him said in Kitab al-'Uhud al-Mohammediya (The Mohammedian Pacts): “The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has taken from us a pact that we are to increase the number of Prayers upon him on a daily and nightly basis and that we are to inform our brothers about the rewards expected from such worship”. Likewise Sidna Shaykh Ahmed Tijani has also taken a pact from us to increase the number of Prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) on a daily and nightly basis. The Shaykh (Shaarani) has also said: “Be informed that the shortest road to the Divine presence passes through the Prayers on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), and any one lacking such attributes cannot enter the 'Hadhra al-Ilahiya (Divine presence) in view of his ignorance towards the satisfying adab (courtesy)”.

Al-Khalifa Sidi Ali Harazem continues:

It is worth mentioning the great benefits regarding the Prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) expecting from Almighty Allah to give us a special love to this Beloved Prophet and to present all the cumulating rewards of such Prayers to the Prophet’s (peace and blessing be upon him) pages in accordance to what had said “Ka’ab Ibn Adjra” to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him): “I have made all my Prayers‘ rewards to you O Prophet of Allah”. Then the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied: “May Allah prevent you the grief of this world and that of the hereafter”. Ibn Ferhoun al-Kurtubi reported that the Prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) have ten attributes (karamat):

1.       The first and the most important is the Blessing by the Exalted Allah;

2.       The second the Prophet’s intercession;

3.       The third the imitation of the sublime Angels;

4.       The forth the opposition to the infidels and the hypocrites;

5.       The fifth the erasure of all sins;                  

6.       The sixth an assistance to the execution of one’s affairs;

7.       The seventh the illumination of the inner and outer of the person;

8.       The eighth the safety from this arrogant life;

9.       The ninth the entry to the lasting house;

10.    The tenth the Prayers from the all forgiver Allah.

Al-Hadhrami said about the Prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) that is a ladder and behaviour towards Almighty Allah in the absence of a Shaykh. Al Hadhrami’s student, Shaykh Zarruq (d. 899/1484), said the Prayers upon the Prophet duly elevate the status of the worshipper even though he is in a mixture state. Ibn Abbad (d. 792/1377) said that the Prayers upon the Prophet influence on the powers of faith. Sanousi said in the absence of a spiritual living Shaykh the increase of the Prayers upon the Prophet is the genuine opening (fath). Some scholars have said that the Prayers upon the Prophet represent the real Holy Quran and therefore opened the gates of self soul and the realities of the attributes.

Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar said that the Prayers upon the Prophet open a unique and wide gate of happiness that no one else can open it and abundant benefits are laid down for this worshipper and at reception of these benefits the Prayers' reciter is made clear of his sins through a celestial forgiveness. In view of the great importance of the Prayers and spiritual Greetings upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), it is an obligation for any wise Muslim to keep on this way and to continue this blessed manner of worship through the nights and days and to define this kind of worship as a clear and genuine love towards the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Moreover, it is worth noting that some illusory persons may believe that the Prayers and Greetings upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is a kind of a secure intercession from us to him beside Almighty Allah so as to raise his sublime rank in Allah’s realm, but the reality is that Almighty Allah has recommended us to thank and to be grateful to the one who had been kind and generous towards us, such are the great attributes of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) towards his followers. Since we are unable to reward the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) on such infinite bounties, Allah the Exalted has ordered us to Salute and Greet the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as a reward to him in view of his grace to us as there are no grace and kindness except that of Almighty Allah when he has sent this Blessed Messenger as a blessing and mercy to the whole Mankind.

Ibn Ata’Allah in his book Taj al-Arous (Crown of the bridegroom) has said that the one who had been lagging behind in terms of worship and has intended to rectify what has been gone before in his early life, no thing can make it for that except the Remembrance of Allah through the al-Adhkar al-Jami’a, and such spiritual cure is also valid for the one who had been unable to increase the number of night-prayers and fasting, as the Prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) can outweigh the other ways of worship since one Prayer from you  upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) equals ten from him as it is clearly stated in the Hadith, and how beautiful are your days if you  are to salute and greet the Messenger of God through this kind of  remembrance (dhikr). Suhayli in his book, “Bughyat as-Ssalik” (the Desire of Walker) has indeed stressed on the great benefits behind the Prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) which include the tranquilisation of the soul, also the habit and permanent continuation of these Prayers are to intimate and to make closer both the souls of the fervent disciple and that of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him).

Shaykh al-Islam Abul Fayd Sidi Ibrahim b. Abdellah Niass (d. 1390/1975) reports in Kitab Ruh al-Adab (Spirit of Good Morals),

Offering prayers upon our beloved Prophet is the second article of the (Tijani) Tariqa (after the Dhikr of Allah) and it means, to offer prayers on the beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Anyone who exercises his thinking faculty very well knows that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) does not need our prayers, not even in the least. For Allah, Glorious is His Name, has completed His blessings and favours upon him and made him a Mercy to the universe. Allah says, “And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased” [93:5]; “That Allah may forgive thee thy faults of the past and those to follow; fulfil His favour to thee; and guide thee on the Straight Path” [48:2]; “Today have I perfected for you, your religion and completed my favour upon you and pleased to have Islam as your chosen religion” [5:3].

 

Besides these, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) himself said: “I am the distributor while Allah is the One that Gives.” Contemplating on the above verse, we find that not only has the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) acquired all favours from Allah, but any other favour that is due to any other creation passes through him for distribution. What can then the creation ask, for he who distributes? If so.. Why then do we offer prayers on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)? We do this only to multiply our expectations from Allah. It is just like a pauper who visits the king with a gift of a small piece of bread so as to attract the sympathy and love of the king, thereby multiplying his expectations. The king's gift in return is always far better than the pauper's worthless gift.

 

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “Anyone who makes one prayer upon me, Allah makes ten for him. When he makes ten for me, Allah makes a hundred for him. When he makes a hundred for me, Allah makes a thousand for him and if he makes a thousand for me, he shall be shoulder to shoulder with me at the gate of the paradise.” In another narration:  “It will be written for him - safety from hypocrisy, safety from hell-fire, and safety from punishment.” Who knows the value of one prayer of Allah, not to mention ten or a hundred or even one thousand! To attempt to value this is to value the work of Allah and its reward as compared to that of His servant.

 

Indeed glory be to Allah Who differs from His creatures in every respect, essence, nature or work. Here therefore lies the secret and cornerstone of making prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). One prayer of Allah is more than enough to turn the hell-fire into a frozen ice. Prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)? What a beautiful profession, that Allah and His angels partake alongside the faithful servants male and female. Allah says in the verse, [33:56], Verily Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: “O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.” The second article of the Tijani Path is therefore a work in which Allah and His angels are participating, and for a poor servant of Allah this makes it a finished affair.

 

The Spiritual Qualities of Salat al-Fatih

اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد الفاتح لما أغلق و الخاتم لما سبق ناصر الحق بالحق و الهادي إلى صراطك المستقيم و على آله حق قدره و مقداره العظيم O Allah send benediction upon Sidna Mohammad, the opening of what had been closed, the Seal of what had gone before, the helper of the Truth by the Truth, and the guide to Your Straight Path, Allah's blessings be upon him and upon his Family; may (this prayer be) equal to his immense position and grandeur. Allah-umma Salli 'ala Sayyidina Mohammadin al-Fati'hi limaa ughliqa, wal khatimi limaa sabaqa, Naasiri-l-'Haqqi bil-'Haqqi wal Hadi ilaa Siratiqa-l-Mustaqim, wa 'ala aalihi 'haqqa Qadrihi wa Miqdaarihi-l-'Adhim.

Out of all the authentic formulas to shower prayers upon the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), Sidna Shaykh, the Seal of Saints, the Known Mohammedian Seal, the Concealed Pole, Mawlana Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn Mohammed Tijani (may Allah be satisfied with him), prompted his companions and beloved to apply the peerless and stunning Prayer of Salat al-Fatih because of the great benefits that are in it. Sidna Shaykh Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) has received in broad daylight many prayers from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) such as Jawharat al-Kamal (The Complete Jewel) and Yaqutat al-Haqaiq (The Jewel of Realities).  However, Sidna Shaykh stressed the application of Salat al-Fatih like no other. When some of his companions were seeking another prayer, Sidna Shaykh used to say: “Set many prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) with Salat al-Fatih because in it is the good of this world and the Hereafter, and by Salat al-Fatih one obtains all his desires and reaches all his wishes. On the reward of Salat al-Fatih, al-Khalifa Sidi Ali Harazem reports in Kitab Jawahir al-Ma'ani,

Sidna Shaykh said: I have asked the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) on the reward of Salat al-Fatih to which he (peace and blessing be upon him) responded, "it is worth six thousand (6000) recitation of the Holy Quran'". Verily, Salat al-Fatih is a divine matter which has no room for the mind intellect. If we were to estimate there are 100,000 nations each nation is made of 100,000 tribes each tribe is made of 100,000 men each one of those men lived for 100,000 years and recited 1,000 prayer upon the Prophet (other than Salat al-Fatih) every day of their lives then the reward (thawab) for all of these nations along all these years would not catch up with the reward of one times of reciting Salat al-Fatih!

The venerated Tijanite Shaykh, Sidi Abul Fadl al-Haj Omar ibn Said al-Futi Tall (d. 1279/1864) informs in the book entitled the "Rimah al Hizb al Raheem ala Nuhur al Hizb al Rajeem" (The spears of the league of the Merciful thrown at the necks of the league of the accursed),

As for the invocation of Salat al-Fatih it has three degrees: an external degree, an internal degree and the degree of the inmost (batin al-batin). I had intended to provide a complete explanation of it at this point, and to describe its marvels and its wonders. I was prevented from that, however by the fact that most people lack the maturity required for the acquisition of that kind of knowledge. I shall therefore content myself with mentioning some of what is available in Kitab Jawahir al Ma’ani concerning the external degree;

Sidna Shaykh has said: "As for Salat al-Fatih when I asked the Prophet about it, he informed me first of all, that it is worth six hundred thousand invocation of blessing (600,000). I also asked him, ‘For each invocation of blessing does one bird fly up toward heaven-that being the bird which has seventy thousand wings, as described in the Hadith, or do six hundred thousand (600,000) birds of that kind fly up each time, and is the reward of their glorification assigned to the invoker of blessing upon the Prophet?’ The Prophet replied: "Six hundred thousand birds of that kind fly up each time." 

As for the number of each bird’s tongues, the Shaykh said, "The total number of its tongues is 1,680,000,700,000,000,000,000.000. Each tongue glorifies Allah in seventy thousand languages in a split second, and all of is reward is assigned each time to the invoker of blessing upon the Prophet. This applies to every prayer on the Prophet than Salat al-Fatih. As for the latter, it gives rise, each time, to six hundred thousand (600,000) birds of the kind described, as previously mentioned." Sidna Shaykh then went on to say, "When I asked the Prophet about the authenticity of the Hadith, 'The invocation of showering a prayer upon him (salat 'ala Sidna Mohammed) one time, is worth the reward of four hundred (400) military campaigns (ghazwa) and every campaign is worth four hundred (400) pilgrimages ('hajja).' The Prophet replied: "It is indeed authentic".  

I then asked the Prophet about the number of these campaigns: ‘Are four hundred (400) campaigns equivalent to a single offering of Salat al-Fatih, or are four hundred (400) campaigns equivalent to each of the six hundred thousand (600,000) invocations of blessing?’ The Prophet answered: Salat al-Fatih is worth six hundred thousand (600,000) invocations of showering a prayer upon him one, and each of the six hundred thousand (600,000) invocations of blessing is worth four hundred campaigns’! 

Then he went on to say: If someone invokes it (Salat al-Fatih); one time, he will receive the reward he would receive if he offered every invocation of salat upon the Prophet ever offered in the universe, by all the jinn, human beings and angels, six hundred thousand times (600,000), from the beginning of time until the moment when he utters its invocation. In other words, it is as if he has offered six hundred thousand times (600,000) all the invocations ever invoked by all the invokers of salat, angels, jinn and human beings, every one of those invocations being worth a spouse among the houries (al-'hur al-'in), and ten good deeds ('hasanat), and the erasure of ten bad deeds (sayyiat), and promotion by ten degrees (darajat). Allah and his angels will also bless him ten times for every invocation of blessing. Sidna Shaykh then said: Once you have contemplated this with your heart, you will know that no act of worship is equal to a single offering of the salat upon the Prophet, so how about someone who offers it many times?" What gracious favor he enjoys in the presence of Allah, and this is received each time the invocation is offered!

We also learn from Sidi Ali Harazem’s Risalat al-Fadl wa al-Imtinan,

Thus, I will mention the ever wide merits and benefits of the sublime (Tijani) prayers in its different manners as to make the disciple eager and vivid towards the obligatory respect and love of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), and I have decided to mention the prayers upon the Prophet according to the way it had been reported through our Shaykh and Master Sidi Ahmed Tijani. First, the prayer of Salat al-Fatih, which attributed to the great scholar Abu Abdullah Sidi Mohammed al-Bakri Siddiqi of Egypt (may Allah be satisfied with him). Sidi al-Bakri has confirmed that one prayer of Salat al-Fatih equals the reward of six hundred thousand ordinary prayers.

The prayer has come as it is from the World of Unseen (al-Ghayb) and what has come from the unseen is confirmed and is beyond the upper basis and does not stand to the rules of a compiler, the characteristics of this Prayer is that it does not also stand to analogy. Let’s suppose 100,000 nations each nation is made of 100,000 tribes each tribe is made of 100,000 men each one of those men lived for 100,000 years and recited 1,000 prayer upon the Prophet (other than Salat al-Fatih) every day of their lives then the reward (thawab) for all of these nations along all these years would not catch up with the reward of one times of reciting Salat al-Fatih. So disregard those who spread calumny as merit is within the hands of Almighty Allah and he give it to those he likes, sufficient and convincingly are the terms of the Holy Quran: “And He creates what you knew not”.

(…) Frankly, the one who yearns for this happiness and is earnestly trying to reach this unique jewel will surely be drawn by Allah’s merits to believe what has been said without taking into account analogy and making only the unicity (tawhid) of Almighty Allah his safe and happy road, and for those doubtful people who do often ask such question, “From where did you get such information?”, so be careful not to enter into sterile conversation with those people  as you are well aware from what corner our sources were taken.

In another letter Sidna Shaykh illustrated that whoever has greeted the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) through Salat al-Fatih once, he will bear the rewards of all Prayers that have occurred across the universe by mankind, Angels and Jinns, in a number of six hundred thousand from the first creation of the universe until the recitation has been completed, and each prayer with a reward of six hundred thousand from all faithful from mankind, angels and Jinns. And each prayer with a reward of four hundred conquests and each conquest with a reward of four hundred Hajj pilgrimage, and each prayer from all these with a bird as mentioned in the Hadith that has seventy thousand wings, and each prayer with a Houri wife and ten virtues and the erasure of ten sins and for each prayer, the Exalted Allah and his Angels salute the Prophet ten times.

And in another letter, a unique Prayer with a reward of six thousand folds from each Dhikr emanating from each person in this globe to the sole exception of the Holy Quran which is of six folds. Sidna Shaykh (may Allah be satisfied with him) told me: "That’s what I have orally heard from the Beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him)". And all his declarations (may Allah be satisfied with him) are on daylight. Furthermore, be informed O brother that the inherency on the Prayers on the Prophet has a blessed dividend on men, his children and his grand children, whereas the Prayer of Salat al-Fatih it is a genuine guarantee for the bounties of this world and that of the hereafter to the one who is inherent to this tradition and has abided through the right permission.

And be informed O brother nothing is better than the means (wassila) in Allah’s realm and much more acceptable to you in reaching the pleasure of Almighty Allah than these great prayers and greetings upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as all scholars and despite their different views on the issue have all agreed upon the total acceptance of this highly respected deed in accordance with the Hadith of the Beloved Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) when Almighty Allah said: “ O Mohammed whoever has saluted you, I will salute him”, and it is crystal clear that this truthful promise  is certainly  both a Divine attention and  deserved reward  those humble believers.

Despite the great value of Salat al-Fatih, Sidna Shaykh Mawlana Abul Abbas Tijani makes clear it is not meant to take the place of reading the Quran. Offering prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is a supererogatory act, while the reading of the Quran is obligatory. To leave reading of the Quran, being the basis of the Shari’a, is to incur the wrath of God, while Salat al-Fatih can be left or taken as the person desires. The relationship is further contextualized by Sidna Shaykh’s description of the benefit of saying Allah’s Greatest Name (al-Ism al-A’adham). Reciting this Name once is equal to one recital of the Quran’s opening chapter (al-Fatiha), one whole reading of the Quran or saying Salat al-Fatih 6,000 times. By implication, as many later Tijanis have pointed out, reciting the Fatiha or the entirety of the Quran is 6,000 times greater than Salat al-Fatih. We read in Risalat al-Fadl wa al-Imtinan,

However, it is extremely important to note that nothing is better and closer to Almighty Allah than the dhikr through the “Greatest Name” as this way of Dhikr is the aim of all destinations and the sublime rank from all kinds of worship, then comes the Prayers of “Our master Mohammed the Opener” engendering both  merit and  success of its reciter in this life and in the hereafter, and for the one who had followed this Divine exuberance, no matter what the claimants talk about, obviously their final fate is a gloomy one and dialogue in terms of questions and replies is to no avail as it is like a sea with no end to its waves, and hearts are within its Almighty Creator and it is him who administers them.

Imam Abu Zayd Sidi Hassan ibn Ali Cisse asserts that it is true there is nothing better than the Quran, but in terms of the fault-filled servant of God, it is sometimes better for him to say any form of prayer on the Prophet than to read the Quran. This is because the Quran, according to Hadith, can be cursing its reader if he is not obeying its dictates not to fornicate, steal, lie, back-bite, etc., whereas there is no such Hadith that a person can be sending a prayer on the Prophet and it cursing him. To the contrary, one Hadith states that Allah is sending ten prayers on the person for every one he is sending on the Prophet. A similar opinion was in fact expressed by Sidna Shaykh Tijani himself, who described two classes of readers of the Quran, one who acted upon what they read and another who did not. For the former, the Quran was the best for them, for the latter, prayer upon the Prophet was more beneficial.

Sidi Hassan ibn Ali Cisse’s grandfather Abul Fayd Sidi Ibrahim b. Abdellah Niass (d. 1390/1975) says in Ruh al-Adab,

The critics of Sufism, and particularly the critics of the Tijaniya Order, have heavily criticized this particular formula (Salat al-Fatih) because of the claim that the formula is divinely inspired, and not based on a mental construction like most other formulas. To understand the position of inspiration in Islam, we start by looking at the statement of Allah in the Quran, “It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Allah's permission, what Allah wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise” [42:51].

 

The popularly accepted English translation of the Holy Quran makes a comment on the above verses in commentary No. 4598 thus: “God is Most High, Most Wise. Man, despite of his high destiny, is often the lowest of the low. Yet God, out of His infinite Mercy and Grace, has bestowed His Revelation on man. How does it come about? Three ways are mentioned: (1) Inspiration (wahy); (2) from behind a veil, and (3) by the sending of a Messenger.” Inspiration is interpreted as being of two kinds; (a) a suggestion thrown by Allah into the heart or mind of man, by which he understands the substance of the message, whether it is a command or prohibition, or an explanation of a great truth; and (b) Verbal or literal inspiration by which the actual words of God are conveyed in human language. Sunni opinion admits the existence of both kinds, although the latter (“al-matlu”; the recited) is held to be of a superior degree, only vouchsafed to the Greater Prophets. While the former ("ghair al-matlu”) may be given not only to Greater Prophets, but also to other men of spiritual insight who have not attained the degree of Prophethood. If we accept the theory of verbal inspiration, it would also cover the messages brought by the angel Gabriel (peace upon him). The translator Yusuf Ali clarified further in commentaries 4599 and 4600 thus: “Behind a veil: not of course, a material veil (or screen or purdah), but the mystic veil of light (i.e. 70,000 veils of light).

 

(…) From the above commentary of the Quran by an internationally accepted translation, we conclude that inspiration (wahy), other than recited (ghairi al-matlu), can be received by men of spiritual insight who have not attained Prophethood. Allah says, “Fear Allah and Allah shall teach you.” [2:282] and, “O ye who believe! When ye deal with each other, in transactions involving future obligations in a fixed period of time, reduce them to writing Let a scribe write down faithfully as between the parties: let not the scribe refuse to write: as Allah Has taught him, so let him write. Let him who incurs the liability dictate, but let him fear His Lord Allah, and not diminish aught of what he owes. If they party liable is mentally deficient, or weak, or unable Himself to dictate, Let his guardian dictate faithfully, and get two witnesses, out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her. The witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (For evidence). Disdain not to reduce to writing (your contract) for a future period, whether it be small or big: it is juster in the sight of Allah, More suitable as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves but if it be a transaction which ye carry out on the spot among yourselves, there is no blame on you if ye reduce it not to writing. But take witness whenever ye make a commercial contract; and let neither scribe nor witness suffer harm. If ye do (such harm), it would be wickedness in you. So fear Allah; For it is Good that teaches you. And Allah is well acquainted with all things. If ye are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, a pledge with possession (may serve the purpose). And if one of you deposits a thing on trust with another, let the trustee (faithfully) discharge his trust, and let him Fear his Lord conceal not evidence; for whoever conceals it, - his heart is tainted with sin. And Allah knoweth all that ye do. Also in the Quran, “We taught man that which he knew not”. [96:5]

 

We can also conclude that God fearing pious servants are blessed with this type of spiritual inspiration. The above conclusions are supported in various places in the Quran, as people like the mother (may Allah be satisfied with him) of Moses (peace upon him) who was not a prophet, received an inspiration directly from Allah as in the Chapter of Ta-Ha (Ch. 18), “Behold! We sent to thy mother, by inspiration, the message. Throw (the child) into the chest, and throw (the chest) into the river: the river will cast him up on the bank, and he will be taken up by one who is an enemy to Me and an enemy to him': But I cast (the garment of) love over thee from Me: and (this) in order that thou mayest be reared under Mine eye”. [20:39] Another example of an inspiration, being in the form of a suggestion thrown into a pious Heart by Allah, was shown in the case of the encounter by Hadrat Khidhr (may Allah be satisfied with him) and Prophet Moses (peace upon him) when Hadrat Khidr (may Allah be satisfied with him) concluded his action by saying, as in the Quran, “I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold (with) patience. As for the wall, it belonged to two youths, orphans, in the Town; there was, beneath it, a buried treasure, to which they were entitled: their father had been a righteous man: So thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and get out their treasure - a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over which thou wast unable to hold patience.” [18:82]

 

Here the statement simply implies that (he) too was inspired, to carry out such action. The story of Jesus' (peace upon him) mother (may Allah be satisfied with him) was another glaring example. Allah Almighty says, “Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. She said: “I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear Allah.” He said: “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son”. [19:17-9] Such was also the case of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) whom the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) told that their guest or stranger, was no other than angel Gabriel (peace upon him) who came to teach them their religion, as contained in a Hadith related by Omar ibn Khattab (may Allah be satisfied with him) the second Caliph. Furthermore in the Quran, Allah says: “And out of His (Allah's) signs is your sleeping during the night and day” [30:23]. And among His Signs is the sleep that ye take by night and by day, and the quest that ye (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty: verily in that are signs for those who hearken.

 

One of the important happenings in sleeping, during the day or night, is a dream. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) used to ask his companions if they saw a dream in their sleep. The most authoritative and most authentic of narrations of the Hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is the Sahih Bukhari. His collection has a section of 48 chapters in volume 9, devoted to the interpretation of dreams as reported from the most knowledgeable Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Chapter 3 starts with a heading “Dreams are from Allah” He then narrated the Hadith of Abu Qatada which narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) that: “A true good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan” Chapter 4 of the same section has a heading “A righteous good dream that comes true is one of the forty-six parts of Prophethood” Here a Hadith from Abu Huraira (may Allah be satisfied with him) says: “For sure the Messenger of Allah says; the dream of a faithful believer is a part of the forty-six parts of Prophethood.”

 

In the book of Imam Nawawi, an acknowledged narrator of Hadith, he narrated under a similar chapter in Hadith no. 839 on the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be satisfied with him) that, “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saying that: 'Nothing is remaining of my Prophethood except Al-Mubashirah.' The companions asked, what is Al-Mubashirah? He replied, 'Good dreams of righteous people'”. The above Hadith was also reported by Bukhari in Chapter 5 of the sections on dreams. Bukhari and Muslim also reported in the books of narration on the authority of Abu Huraira that: “Whoever sees me (the Prophet) in a dream, will soon see me when awake, and Satan cannot imitate my form.” “When the time draws near, the dream of a Muslim can hardly be faked. The more truthful in dream is the more truthful in discussion. The dream of a Muslim is a part of forty-six parts of Prophethood. And dreams are of three types: There is the righteous dream, which is a glad tiding from Allah. There is also the bad dream, from the Satan. And finally, there is a dream that is a conversation with oneself. If, therefore, any of you sees what he hates, he should stand and pray and do not discuss it with people.” The above quotation is that of Muslim. In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) advises the one that sees a bad dream to seek refuge from Allah, to spit to his left hand side, and to avoid mentioning it, and that the dream shall not affect or harm him. But, for a good dream, he should only mention it to his loved ones.

 

Salat al-Fatih is a special invocation of blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), which came about by the righteous dream of a pious servant of Allah called Mohammed Bakri, who is a grandson of the closest and most pious companion of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), Abu Bakr (may Allah be satisfied with him). This servant of Allah spent years in the Holy Shrine of Mecca (Kaaba) fully absorbed in worship, after which during a sleep, he saw this prayer in a sheet of light. He shared this dream with his loved ones. This prayer represents Allah's description of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as contained in various parts of the Quran.

 

The text of the Salat al-Fatih is shown below with proofs that it does not contradict the Quran, but rather follows it. “O God, Send Benediction upon Sidna Mohammad, the Opener of What Has Been Closed”: “We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures” [Quran 21:107]; “The seal of what has passed”: “Mohammed is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things”. [Quran 33:40]; “The helper of truth with truth”: “But the Messenger, and those who believe with him, strive and fight with their wealth and their lives (in the path of Allah): for them are (all) good things: and it is they who will prosper” [Quran 9:88]; “The guide to Your Straight Path”: “And for sure, you guide to the path that is perfectly straight. And thus have We, by Our Command, sent inspiration to thee: thou knewest not (before) what was Revelation, and what was Faith; but We have made the (Quran) a Light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily thou dost guide (men) to the Straight Way” [Quran 42:52]; “And upon his Household. The Extent of His Great Degree and Grandeur: “And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character” [Quran 68:4].

 

From the above, it is clear that the dream of Mohammed Bakri is a good dream that does not contradict the Quran but rather follows it. The Shaykh of this Tariqa, the pious and great scholar of his time Sidna Shaykh Ahmed Tijani, also saw the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in a dream and broad daylight and got good news (concerning) the reward of reciting the litanies of this Tariqa. The Salat al-Fatih is incomprehensibly much greater when compared to the recitation of other formulas.

The accusation against the Tijaniya in this regard suffers from the common polemicist tendency to quote one’s rivals out of context instead of examining the ideas and actions of Tijani scholars themselves. Tijanis have been some of the foremost advocates of Quran memorization, recitation and exegesis wherever they have come to live. Sidna Shaykh himself urged his disciples to read two hizbs (1/30th) of the Quran every day. Sidna Shaykh’s companion, Sidi Ibrahim Riyahi Tunsi (d. 1266/1851), reportedly used to require Tijanis to read a similar amount. Sidi Ibrahim Niass (d. 1390/1975) also used to ask his disciples to also read two hizbs of the Quran a day, and he himself used to recite the whole Quran twice every week, once reading and once from memo. Sidi Ibrahim concludes in his Ruh al-Adab (Spirit of Good Morals),

The Tijani Path is an ocean of jewels and a treasure spot of satisfaction that puts Muslims on the path of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). First by cleansing them of their faulty deeds using istighfar (seeking forgiveness), then by acquiring for them love with the Creator by setting prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), and finally entering them into paradise by the Dhikr of La ilaha illa-llah (There is no divinity save Allah). (…)  Salat al-Fatih is a prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) with special intentions that recognizes that only Allah can make prayer and only the one in the purest of state can ask Allah to help him to do the duty. The prayer is therefore made with all its outward and inward meaning and levels known to Allah. (…) But enemies of Islam have claimed that the Tijani Path mentions names of their leaders in their litanies or make Salat al-Fatih on other persons other than the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). These are calculated-lies and evil-plan against Islam and its revivers.

 

أهمية صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق قال سيدنا رضي الله تعالى عنه كما هو في جواهر المعاني: "كنت مشتغلا بذكر صلاة الفاتح حين رجعت من الحج الى تلمسان لما رأيت من فضلها, وهو أن المرة الواحدة منها بستمائة صلاة كما هو في وردة الجيوب, وقد ذكر صاحب الوردة أن صاحبها سيدي محمد البكري الصديقي نزيل مصر وكان قطبا رضي الله عنه قال : ان من ذكرها مرة واحدة ولم يدخل الجنة فليقبض صاحبها عند الله, وبقيت أذكرها الى أن رحلت من تلمسان الى أبي سمغون, فلما رأيت التي فيها المرة الواحدة بسبعين ألف ختمة من دلائل الخيرات تركت الفاتح لما أغلق واشتغلت بها وهي ( اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله صلاة تعدل جميع صلوات أهل محبتك, وسلم على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله سلاما يعدل سلامهم ) لما رأيت فيها من كثرة الفضل, ثم أمرني صلى الله عليه وسلم بالرجوع الى صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق, فلما أمرني بالرجوع اليها سألته صلى الله عليه وسلم عن فضلها, فأخبرني أولا بأن المرة الواحدة منها تعدل من القرآن ست مرات, ثم أخبرني ثانيا بأن المرة الواحدة منها تعدل من كل تسبيح وقع في الكون من كل ذكر ومن كل دعاء كبير أو صغير ومن القرآن ستة آلاف مرة لأنه من الأذكار." قال سيدنا رضي الله تعالى عنه: "وأخبرني صلى الله عليه وسلم أنها لم تكن من تأليف البكري أي صلاة الفاتح لم أغلق ولكنه توجه الى الله مدة طويلة أن يمنحه صلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فيها ثواب جميع الصلوات وسر جميع الصلوات وطال طلبه مدة ثم أجاب الله دعوته فأتاه الملك بهذه الصلاة مكتوبة في صحيفة من النور ثم قال الشيخ رضي الله عنه فلما تأملت هذه الصلاة وجدتها لا تزنها عبادة جميع الجن والانس والملائكة...وخاصية الفاتح لما أغلق أمر الهي لا مدخل فيه للعقول فلو قدرت مائة ألف أمة في كل أمة مائة ألف قبيلة في كل قبيلة مائة ألف رجل وعاش كل واحد منهم مائة ألف عام يذكر كل واحد منهم في كل يوم مائة ألف صلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من غير الفاتح لما أغلق وجمع ثواب هذه الأمم كلها في مدة هذه السنين كلها في هذه الأذكار كلها ما لحقوا كلهم ثواب مرة واحدة من صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق, فلا تلتفت لتكذيب مكذب ولا لقدح قادح فيها ، فان الفضل بيد الله يؤتيه من يشاء, فان لله سبحانه وتعالى فضلا خارجا عن دائرة القياس, ويكفيك قوله سبحانه وتعالى (وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ)، فما توجه متوجه الى الله تعالي بعمل يبلغها وان كان ما كان, ولا توجه متوجه الى الله بعمل أحب إليه منها ولا أعظم عند الله منها الا مرتبة واحدة, وهي من توجه الى الله تعالى باسمه العظيم الأعظم لا غير وهو التوجهات والدرجة العليا من جميع التعبدات, ليس لفضله غاية ولا فوقه نهاية, وهذه الصلاة تليه في المرتبة والتوجه والثواب والفوز بمحبة الله لصاحبها وحسن المآب, فمن توجه الى الله مصدقا بهذا الحال فاز برضا الله وثوابه في دنياه وآخراه بما لا تبلغه جميع الأعمال, يشهد بها الفيض الالهي الذي لا تبلغه الآمال ولا يحصل هذا الفضل المذكور الا مع التسليم, ومن أراد المناقشة في في هذا الباب وهذا المحل فليترك, فانه لا يفيده استقصاء حجج المقال, واترك عنك محاججة من يطلب منك الحجج, فان القول في ذلك ردا وجوابا كالبحر لا تنقطع منه الأمواج, والقلوب في يد الله هو المتصرف فيها والمقبل بها والمدبر بها, فمن أراد سعادته والفوز بثواب هذه الياقوتة الفريدة جذب قلبه الى التصديق بما سمعه فيها وعرفه التسليم لفضل الله سبحانه بأنه لا يأخذه الحد والقياس فصرف همته الى التوجه الى الله تعالى بها والاقبال على الله بشأنها (فلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاء بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ)، ومن أراد الله حرمانه من خيرها صرف قلبه بالوسوسة وبقوله من أين يأتي خبرها, واشتغل بما قلناه لك ومن أطاعك في ذلك وأعرض عن مناقشتك في البحث بتحقيق ذلك فانا أخذناه من الوجه الذي تعلمه وكفى."   يقول العلامة سيدي أحمد سكيرج رضي الله عنه ﻔﻲالجواهر المنتشرة في الجواب عن الأسئلة الإحدى عشرة : صلاة الفاتح ضامنة لخير الدنيا و الآخرة لمن التزم دوامها لكن بالإذن الصحيح و مرتبتها الظاهرة هي لكل من ظفر بها حاصل بالإذن و بلا إذن، لأن صاحبها سيدي البكري أخبر عن نفسه بأن من ذكرها مرة و دخل النار فليقبضه بين يدي الله، و ذكر من فضلها أن المرة الواحدة منها بستمائة ألف صلاة من غيرها. و قد بين الشيخ رضي الله عنه من هذه المرتبة ما لم يبينه غيره، و هو يحصل بحسب نية الذاكر، و قد لا يكون لذاكرها نية في تحصيل شيء من فضلها، فلا يكون صاحب خاصية، لأن الخاصية لا تدرك إلا بنية صادقة مصدقة، و إلا كان العمل كعمل مطلق الناس في نيل مطلق الثواب، أما المرتبة الباطنة و باطنة الباطنة فلا بد من الإذن في كل واحدة منهما ومعرفة الفضل المنوط بها، لأنه بعلم الفضل تحصل المرتبة الفضيلة، و بهذا تميزت فضيلة العالم في العبادة... و لا ينبغي أن يتصدر لتلقين هذه الصلاة من لا إذن له في مرتبة من مراتبها. و ليس له أيضا إذن في تلقينها بنية ذلك، و إلا فقد خاطر بنفسه في ادعاء مالا إذن له فيه، فيكون من المحرومين." و يقول العلامة ﻔﻲ الرسائل: "هذا و إن الحق تعالى لما علم عجز خلقه عن أداء حق حمده حمد نفسه بنفسه في سابق أزله، فقال الحمدلله، فكذلك يقال في الصلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم، فإن الحق تعالى صلى على نبيه بنفسه في سابق أزله، فالمصلي بصلاة الفاتح يطلب منه أن يصلي على نبيه بتلك الصلاة، لأنها هي الفاتح التي لم تتقدم قبلها الصلاة عليه، و ليس المقصود بها لفظ صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق، بل حتى أن المصلي إذا صلى بغير هذه الصلاة واستحضر هذا المعنى فإنه يحصل على فضل عظيم، بما يستفاد منه إظهار العجز الحقيقي في أداء حق هذا النبي الكريم عليه السلام إلا أن صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق فيها خاصية مرتبطة بهذا المعنى، بحيث إذا استحضره المأذون له فيها واعتقد أنها برزت من حضرة الغيب فاز بالثواب المنوط بها إن شاء الله تعالى." و يقول العلامة سيدي أحمد سكيرج رضي الله عنه ﻔﻲ رفع النقاب بعد كشف الحجاب عمن تلاقى مع الشيخ التجاني من الاصحاب: "ما ذكره شيخنا رضي الله عنه أنه قال من مكفرات الذنوب الصلاة على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ليلة الجمعة ثمانين مرة بصلاة الفاتح لما أغلق إلخ لمن يحفظها و بغيرها لمن لم يحفظها فإنها تكفر ذنوب مائتي سنة بالتثنية متقدمة و مائتي سنة كذلك متأخرة و ما دمتم تقدرون على صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق فلا تؤثرون عليها شيئا في تكفير الذنوب و لو مرة واحدة فتستغرق ذنوب العبد في جميع عمره و تزيد عليه أضعافا مضاعفة و لو أتى بجميع ذنوب العباد استغرقتها مرة واحدة من صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق ذلك فضل الله يؤتيه من يشاء."

 

دعاء خاص مُخَلِّل لصلاة الفاتح لما أغلق يقول العلامة سيدي أحمد سكيرج رضي الله عنه ﻔﻲ كتاب رياض السلوان بمن اجتمعت به من الإخوان: و منهم الحاج الغالي بن المعلم السيد المختار بن الحاج حمادي لحلو... خلل صلاة الفاتح بهذه الكيفية قال: اللهم إني أسألك بجاه اللهم صل على سيدنا محمد الفاتح لما أغلق، افتح لي أبواب الرضى و التيسير، و أغلق عني أبواب الشر و التعسير، و بحق الخاتم لما سبق اختم علي بالفتح الأكبر، بحضور سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه و سلم في أحب الساعة إليك، و تول قبض روحي بيدك، و أنا ساجد لك، و أنت راض علي يوم قدومي عليك، باحتفال ملائكتك المقربين، و أنبيائك و المرسلين، و جميع عبادك الصالحين، و اجعلني من خاصة المحبوبين لديك، الذين يذكرون الله قياما و قعودا، و على جنوبهم في حياتهم و في قبورهم يتلذذون برحمتك، و يتأنسون بكرمك، و يقولون: "الحمد لله الذي أذهب عنا الحزن إن ربنا لغفور شكور"، و بحق ناصر الحق بالحق انصرني على جميع خلقك، و اغفر لي ما ضيعت من حقك، و يسر لي أسباب رزقك، بحق اسمك الهادي الرشيد، و جاه اسم حبيبك سيدنا محمد الهادي إلى صراطك المستقيم، و على آله حق قدره و مقداره العظيم.... و قد توفي و هو ساجد يوم الخميس 21 رمضان عام 1341هـ، و دفن بالقباب بروضتهم، رحم الله الجميع.".

 

فوائد الصلاة على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يقول العلامة العارف بالله سيدي أحمد سكيرج رضي الله عنه ﻔﻲ رفع النقاب بعد كشف الحجاب عمن تلاقى مع الشيخ التجاني من الاصحاب: "نذكر لك يا أخي جملة منها تشويقا لك لعل الله تعالى أن يرزقني و إياك محبته الخاصة و يصير شغلك في أكثر الأوقات الصلاة على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم و تصير تهدي ثواب كل عمل عملته في صفيحة رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم كما أشار إليه خبر كعب بن أبي عجرة إني أجعل لك صلاتي كلها أي أجعل لك ثواب أعمالي فقال له صلى الله عليه و سلم إذن يكفيك الله هم دنياك و آخرتك فمن ذلك ما ذكره ابن فرحون القرطبي قال اعلم أن في الصلاة على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم عشر كرامات إحداها و هي أهمها صلاة الملك الجبار و الثانية شفاعة النبي المختار و الثالثة الاقتداء بالملائكة الأبرار و الرابعة مخالفة المنافقين و الكفار و الخامسة محو الخطايا و الأوزار و السادسة عون على قضاء الحوائج و الأوطار و السابعة تنوير الظاهر و الأسرار و الثامنة النجاة من دار البوار و التاسعة دخول دار القرار و العاشرة سلام العزيز الغفار و منها ما ذكره الحضرمي قال أنها سلم و معارج و سلوك إلى الله تعالى إذا لم يجد الطالب شيخا مرشدا و قال تلميذه الشيخ زروق إن الصلاة عليه ترفع همة المتوجه و إن كان في مقام التخليط لأن ذكره كله نور و هدى و قال ابن عباد إن الصلاة عليه تؤثر تقوية اليقين و قال السنوني من فقد شيخ التربية فليكثر من الصلاة عليه صلى الله عليه و سلم فإنه يصل إلى الفتح المبين و قال بعضهم إن الصلاة عليه قرءان القرءان و فرقان الفرقان و قال بعضهم إن الصلاة عليه تفتح لصاحبها شهود الذات و حقائق الصفات و قال الحافظ ابن حجران الصلاة عليه تفتح من كيمياء السعادة أبوابا لا يفتحها غيرها و تفتح من مزايا الزيادة ما لا ينقطع على المصلي سيرها و أنها توصل إلى كافة المؤنة الدنيوية و الأخروية و تمنح اللحظات المحمدية و التجليات الاستفاضية و قال الرصاع إن الرحمة تحيط بالمصلي و من أحاطت به الرحمة كيف لا تجاب الدعوة له و قال أيضا إذا كان الدعاء مقبولا عند كثير من الصالحين فكيف بذكر من هو لجميع العارفين قدوة و قال بعض شيوخ الطريق لا يزال أحدنا يكثر الصلاة عليه حتى يصير يشاهده في اليقظة و النوم و يسأله عما يشكل في قلب المصلي عليه نورا و قد سماه الله نورا و سراجا منيرا و قال الخروبي المصلي عليه ممتثل لأمر الله و القيام بالأمر ذكر و المصلي عليه يناجي ربه و المناجاة ذكر و أيضا الصلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم لا بد أن تكون مقرونة بإسم من أسماء الله أو صفة من صفاته و إمرار ذلك على اللسان ذكر و هذه الأوجه الثلاثة تكون لكل مصل عليه صلى الله عليه و سلم من الخصوص و العموم و وجه رابع لخواص المصلين عليه صلى الله عليه و سلم و هو استحضار صورته و صفاته العظيمة و منها ما ذكره شيخنا رضي الله عنه أنه قال من مكفرات الذنوب الصلاة على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ليلة الجمعة ثمانين مرة بصلاة الفاتح لما أغلق إلخ لمن يحفظها و بغيرها لمن لم يحفظها فإنها تكفر ذنوب مائتي سنة بالتثنية متقدمة و مائتي سنة كذلك متأخرة و ما دمتم تقدرون على صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق فلا تؤثرون عليها شيئا في تكفير الذنوب و لو مرة واحدة فتستغرق ذنوب العبد في جميع عمره و تزيد عليه أضعافا مضاعفة و لو أتى بجميع ذنوب العباد استغرقتها مرة واحدة من صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق ذلك فضل الله يؤتيه من يشاء فإذا كانت هذه الخصال العظيمة في الصلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم فالواجب على العبد أن يعكف على الصلاة عليه صلى الله عليه و سلم و يجعلها هجيراه ءاناء الليل و أطراف النهار و يجعلها محبة فيه و لا يقصد بها سوى محبته صلى الله عليه و سلم و إجلالا و تعظيما و توقيرا و قدره أهل لذلك صلى الله عليه و سلم. قال بعضهم لا يتوهم المصلي على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم أن صلاتنا عليه شفاعة منا له عند الله تعالى في زيادة رفعته و بلوغ أمنيته فإن مثلنا لا يشفع لعظيم القدر عند ربه و لكن الله سبحانه أمرنا بمكافأة من أحسن إلينا و أنعم علينا و لما أحسن إلينا رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم إحسانا لم يحسن أحد إلينا مثله و لا أكرمنا مخلوق مثل إكرامه و كنا عاجزين عن مكافأة سيد المرسلين و حبيب رب العالمين أمرنا ربنا سبحانه و تعالى أن نرغب إليه أن يصلي هو عليه لتكون صلاة مولانا عليه مكافأة له منه سبحانه لإحسانه إلينا و أفضاله علينا إذ لا إحسان أفضل من إحسانه إلا إحسان خالقه المنعم ببعثته رحمة إلى خلقه صلى الله عليه و سلم. قال ابن عطاء الله في كتابه تاج العروس و من قارب فراغ عمره و يريد أن يستدرك ما فاته فليذكر بالأذكار الجامعة فإنه إذا فعل ذلك صار العمر القصير طويلا قال و من فاته كثرة القيام و الصيام فليشغل نفسه بالصلاة على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فإنك لو فعلت في عمرك كل طاعة ثم صلى الله عليك صلاة واحدة رجحت تلك الصلاة الواحدة بكل ما عملت في عمرك كله من جميع الطاعات لأنك تصلي على قدر وسعك و هو سبحانه يصلي على حسب ربوبيته هذا إذا كانت صلاة واحدة فكيف إذا صلى عليك عشرا بكل صلاة كما في الحديث فما أحسن العيش إذا أطعت الله فيه بذكر الله أو صلاة على رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم انبسط جاهه صلى الله عليه و سلم حتى بلغ المصلي عليه لهذا القدر العظيم و إلا فمتى كان يصلي الله عليك. و في بغية السالك للساحلي أن من أعظم الثمرات و أجل الفوائد المكتسبات بالصلاة عليه صلى الله عليه و سلم انطباع صورته الكريمة في النفس انطباعا ثابتا متصلا متأصلا و ذلك بالمداومة على الصلاة عليه بإخلاص القصد و تحصيل الشروط و الآداب و تدبر المعاني حتى يتمكن فيه من الباطن تمكنا صادقا خالصا يصل بين نفس الذاكر و نفس النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم و يؤلف بينهما في محل القرب و الصفا تأليفا بحسب تمكن النفس فالمرء مع من أحب و الحب يوجب الاتباع للمحبوب و الاتباع يؤذن بالوصال و لنقصر العنان و لا طاقة باستقصاء البيان و قد رغبتك يا أخي بذكر بعض فضائلها تشويقا إليك و محبة في النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم."

 

معنى الحمد و الصلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم يقول العلامة العارف بالله سيدي أحمد سكيرج رضي الله عنه ﻔﻲ الرسائل: "قال السري السقطي لابن أخته الجنيد حين قال له: ما الشكر يا غلام؟ فقال فيه: هو أن لا يعصى الله تعالى بنعمه، فقال له السري: أخشى عليك أن يكون حظك من الله لسانك، فنرجو من الله أن لا يؤاخذنا بعدم إخلاصنا". و يقول العلامة ﻔﻲ كتاب الكوكب الوهاج بتصرف: " لقد امتن الله على الإنسان بحفظه كما امتن بتخصيصه بسابق الفضل و الإحسان و بأي سبب استحق العبد هذه النعمة حيث أعطيها يوم قدرت المقادير و قسمت القِسَم حيث لا وجود لذاته هناك و لا عمل يتقرب به إلى معطيها و لا شيء يدلي به و يستند إليه بل هو محض الجود و الامتنان و الفضل و الإحسان و لو شعر الإنسان بهذه النعمة العظمى و عرفها لاستغرقه الفرح بالله و لاستولى عليه سلطان المحبة و الشغف بهذا المعطي الكريم و المولى العظيم الذي خلق فهدى و تفضل و أعطى و خصص أزلا و اجتبى و لا يزال... و إن تعدوا نعمة الله لا تحصوها، و الناس كلهم غرقى في بحر النعم إلا أنهم لا يشكرون و قليل من عبادي الشكور و إذا أراد الله بعبد خيرا و أن يجعله من خواص عباده عرَّفه ما عليه من النعم و ألهمه شكرها و لم يزد شيئا على ذلك يكون به مخصوصا فكل الناس منعم عليه و المخصوص من شاهدها... فالشكر باب الله الأعظم و صراطه الأقوم و لهذا قعد الشيطان بسبيله يصد عنه المؤمنين ... و أقرب الأبواب إلى الله تعالى باب الشكر و من لم يدخل في هذا الزمان منه لم يدخل لأن النفوس قد غلظت يعني فلا تتأثر برياضة و لا بطاعة و لا تنزجر بمحاسبة و لا بمناقشة فإذا استغرقها الفرح بالمنعم غابت عن ذلك كله و طوت مسافتها و كل و عد في كلام الله تجده مقرونا بالمشيئة إلا الشكر فقال تعالى "لئن شكرتم لأزيدنكم" و أكده بلام القسم و نون التوكيد ... و انظر كيف قدم الله الشكر على الإيمان اعتناء بشأنه فقال ما يفعل الله بعذابكم إن شكرتم و آمنتم... فالإيمان هو الفرح بالمنعم ، والفرح الذي هو شكر القلب إيمان و لا إشكال إن الإيمان لا يكون حقيقيا إلا معه إذ هو نتيجته و لازمه، و قد يكون العطف في الآية للتفسير فيؤخذ منها ما قاله رضي الله عنه (أي سيدي أحمد التجاني رضي الله عنه) من أن الإيمان هو الشكر و لو عرف الإنسان حقيقة الشكر لملئ قلبه و طار عقله محبة في الله و سرورا و فرحا و حبورًا.ه. فإذا تحقق العاقل بأن النعم التي عليه من الله كما قال تعالى: "و ما بكم من نعمة فمن الله"ه فلا بد من أن تحصل له المحبة فيه تعالى كما قال صلى الله عليه و سلم جبلت القلوب على حب من أحسن إليها فإذا تمكن الإنسان في مقام المحبة استحسن كل شيء وقع من المحبوب كما قال صلى الله عليه و سلم حبك الشيء يعمي و يصم... و قد قام صلى الله عليه و سلم في مصلاه حتى تورَّمت قدماه الشريفتان فقيل أتتكلف هذا، و قد غفر الله لك ما تقدم من ذنبك و ما تأخر، فقال صلى الله عليه و سلم أفلا أكون عبدا شكورا، و في الحقيقة أن في طي النقم النعم كما قال سيدنا عمر رضي الله عنه: ما أصابني الله تعالى بمصيبة إلا رأيت لله علي في ذلك ثلاث نِعَم: الواحدة حيث لم تكن في ديني، الثانية حيث لم تكن أكبر منها، النعمة الثالثة ما وعد الله من الثواب عليها و لذلك كان صلى الله عليه و سلم يقول اللهم لا أحصي ثناء عليك أنت كما أثنيت على نفسك و قال تعالى و إن تعدوا نعمة الله لا تحصوها و يرحم الله بعض العارفين حيث قال:    سبحان من لو سجدنا بالعيون له *** على شفا الشوك و المحمى من الإبر  لم نبلغ العشر من معشار نعمتـه *** و لا العشيـــر و لا عشرا من العشـر   كيف لا و شكرنا نعمة منه علينا و قد روي أن نبي الله داوود عليه السلام قال إلاهي كيف أشكر و شكري لك نعمة من عندك فأوحى الله إليه الآن شكرتني و في رواية أبي عمر الشيباني قال موسى عليه الصلاة و السلام يوم الطور يا رب إن أنا صلَّيت فمِن قِبَلِك و إن أنا تصدَّقت فمن قبلك و إن أنا بلغت رسالتك فمن قبلك فكيف أشكرك قال يا موسى الآن شكرتني و في لفظ إذا عرفت أن النعم مني فقد رضيت بذلك منك شكرا و يرحم الله محمود الوراق إذ قال:    إذا كان شكري نعمة الله نعمـــة *** علـيَّ بها فــــي مثـلــها يجب الشكــر  فكيف بلوغ الشكر إلا بفضلــــه *** و إن طالــــت الأيام و اتَّصل العمــر إذا مسَّ بالسراء عم سرورهـــا *** و إن مس بالضــراء يعقبهــا الأجـــر  فما منها إلا له فيه نعمــــــةٌ *** تضيق بها الأوهام و السر و الجهر    و قد قال بعض العارفين كلما تذكرت أني عبدالله و أنه أهَّلني للإيمان و الإيقان زاد سمني". وﻔﻲ الرسائل: "قال أبو الليث السمرقندي رحمه الله إذا أردت أن تعرف أن الصلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم أفضل من سائر العبادات فانظر قوله تعالى إن الله و ملائكته يصلون على النبي يا أيها الذين آمنوا صلوا عليه و سلموا تسليما، فأمر الله تعالى عباده بسائر العبادات و صلى عليه بنفسه أولا و أمر الملائكة بالصلاة عليه صلى الله عليه و سلم ثم أمر المؤمنين بأن يصلوا عليه. (...) و في صحيح مسلم عن عبدالله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما أنه سمع رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يقول: "من صلى عَلَيَّ صلاةً صلى الله عليه بها عشرا"ه فلو عملت في عمرك كل طاعة ثم صلى الله عليك صلاة واحدة رجحت تلك الصلاة الواحدة على ما عملت في عمرك من جميع الطاعات لأنك تصلي على حسب وسعك و هو يصلي على حسب وسعه و أنت تصلي على حسب عبوديتك و هو يصلي على حسب ربوبيته هذا إذا كانت صلاة واحدة فكيف إذا صلى عليك عشرا بكل صلاة... (من كتاب الكوكب الوهاج)."