The Dala'il al-Khayrat (Guide of Blessings): 2. Prophetic intercession
Taken from the book Le guide des bienfaits et le lever des lumières by Hinda Boudiaf-Agrinier (Marsam). The Dala’il al-Khayrat is a collection of prayers upon the Prophet, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him, and upon the Messengers, composed by Muhammad al-Jazuli, a great fifteenth-century Sufi master: it is commonly read as part of the ritual practices of the Sufi brotherhoods.
It is interesting to note here that the term “salat”, which designates here the prayer upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is the same as that of the ritual prayer performed five times a day by Muslims. The latter was received by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, during his night journey and ascension, which took him from the sanctuary of Mecca to that of Jerusalem, and from there (from Abraham’s Rock), meeting heaven after heaven the biblical prophets who preceded him, up to the seventh heaven where he found himself in proximity to God: “at a distance of two bow-lengths, or nearer”. It is from this night ascension that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was to bring back the injunction to perform the ritual prayers. These began by numbering fifty, before being reduced, after several journeys back and forth, on the advice of Moses and through the Prophet’s intercession, peace and blessings be upon him, to five daily prayers.
This episode underlines an essential characteristic: that of the Prophet’s intercession, peace and blessings be upon him, or “shafa’a”. It also constitutes the model of the spiritual journey of all those who have followed the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on this path of knowledge which leads, through prophetic mediation, to the knowledge of God. This journey, what is more, is made only within oneself, as a famous spiritual saying evokes: “He who knows himself, knows his Lord.”
“In the Messenger of God you have a beautiful example for whoever hopes in God and the Last Day, and remembers God often” (Qur’an 33:21). The beautiful example is expressed in deeds, but also in the spiritual qualities of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It is precisely these qualities that are exalted in the prophetic Reality, to the very extent that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, knows God and draws near to Him in unlimited expansion.
To pray upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is to pray to God to exalt endlessly the prophetic qualities and spiritual knowledge. It is to receive, as in a mirror effect, that same spiritual exaltation within oneself. And it is thereby the possibility of knowing God through this prophetic mediation.
This is what is expressed in a passage of a famous prayer written by the shaykh Ibn Mashish, the salat al-Mashishiyya: “…There is no thing that does not bear his seal, for without the mediator, everything that depends on him would disappear… O God, he is Your all-encompassing secret which demonstrates You, and Your supreme veil before You between Your Two Hands…”.
The prophetic Reality thus points to a double path: that of “takhalluq”, which indicates at once a process of creation and a full realisation of nobility of character (“akhlaq”), and that of “tahaqquq”, which indicates the path of realisation of the divine Truth or Reality.
It is this spiritual relationship, subtle and profound, with the Prophet of Islam, peace and blessings be upon him, which is at once veil and gateway of access to the divine Presence, that is expressed by the many beautiful prayers which the shaykh Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli gathered in this guide.
Faouzi Skali
Previous part: the prophetic light; next part: the Muhammadan Reality. See also the prayer of Ibn Mashish.
