Dala'il al-Khayrat
Encyclopedia
Dala'il al-Khayrat or Dalaail u'l Khayraat Wa Shawaariq u'l Anwaar Fee Zikri's Salaat Alan Nabiyyi'l Mukhtaar (meaning the Waymarks of Benefits and the Brilliant Burst of Sunshine in the Remembrance of Blessings on the Chosen Prophet) is a famous collection of prayers for Islamic prophet Muhammad
, which was written by the Moroccan Sunni Sufi and Islamic Scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli
(died 1465). It is popular in parts of the Islamic world amongst traditional Muslims - specifically North Africa
, the Levant
, Turkey
, the Caucasus
and the South Asia
and is divided into sections for daily recitation.
Moroccan hadith scholar ‘Abdullah al-Talidi wrote of the Dala’il al-Khayrat: “Millions of Muslims from East to West tried it and found its good, its blessing, and its benefit for centuries and over generations, and witnessed its unbelievable spiritual blessings and light. Muslims avidly recited it, alone and in groups, in homes and mosques, utterly spending themselves in the Blessings on the Most Beloved and praising him."
The Dala’il al-Khayrat is the first major book in Islamic history which compiled litanies of peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad. It is also the most popular and most universally acclaimed collection of litanies asking God to bless the Prophet. Among some Sunni religious orders, most notably the Shadhili-Jazuli order, its recitation is a daily practice. In others however, its recitation is a purely voluntary daily practice. The work begins with the ninety nine names of God, and then the a collection of over one hundred names of the Prophet Muhammad.
The legend behind the origin of the Dala’il al-Khayrat are that Imam al-Jazuli once awoke late for his morning prayers and began to look in vain for pure water to perform ritual ablutions. In the midst of his search al-Jazuli encountered a young girl who was aware of al-Jazuli's famed religiosity and was bewildered on why al-Jazuli could not find pure water. The girl then spit into a well which miraculously overflowed with pure sweet water for al-Jazuli to perform ablutions.
Consequent to performing prayer, al-Jazuli inquired to the means by which the girl achieved such a high spiritual station. The girl replied it was simply by "Making constant prayer for God to bless the best of creation by the number of breaths and heartbeats." Al-Jazuli then resolved to write a work collecting litanies of prayers asking God to bless and show mercy and kindness to the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Jazuli's work also collected numerous encouragements from Islamic scripture concerned with the importance of asking God to bless the Prophet Muhammad.
Imam al-Jazuli then moved East to Medina
where he would recite the whole of the Dala’il al-Khayrat twice daily at the Prophet's grave in al-Masjid al-Nabawi
. The Dala'il Khayrat has since been seen as a testament of love and passionate longing for the Prophet Muhammad, with such eloquent and beautiful passages as the following:
O God, I believed in Muhammad but did not see him; do not deprive me in the Gardens of his vision. Bestow his company upon me and cause me to die in his religion. Let me drink from his pool a quenching, pleasant, delightful drink after which we shall never thirst again. You are Powerful over everything. O God, convey to the soul of Muhammad my greetings and peace. O God, as I believed in Muhammad but did not see him, do not deprive me in the Gardens of his vision.
Adam Larson writes:
Each section contains diverse praises, invocations, and poetic references seamlessly bound into a flowing unity. Its melodic, rhythmic language aids the devotee in memorization and attaining presence of heart. Its phrases of exquisite beauty express love and devotion to the Chosen One (God bless him and give him peace)...
In one case, a Turkish calligrapher was commanded by the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) in a dream to dedicate his life to copying Dala’il al-Khayrat, continually blessing the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) through the loving strokes of his pen.
Beautifully illustrated manuscripts, lithographs, and print copies, from all over the Islamic world indicate Dala’il al-Khayrat’s renown. Manuscript artists produced detailed illustrations of Mecca and Medina. These illustrations were not merely decorations; rather they were “attempts to create an ideal symmetry,” indicating “the feeling of a divinely ordered universe, as if the artists were reflecting the perfection of the Almighty’s plan as revealed within the sacred scriptures.” Manuscript copies of Dala’il al-Khayrat were often pocket-sized and could be carried in pouches as amulets. These small books both facilitated daily recitation and distinguished the “Companions of the Dala’il ”from others. When in need, people could turn to Dala’il al-Khayrat.."
Great works of exegesis were written on the Dala'il Khayrat - most notably by the scholar Yusuf an-Nabhani
in his work "Afdal al-Salawat," and Sheikh 'Abd al-Majid al-Sharnubi al-Azhari's "Sharh Dala'il Khayrat." Al-Sharnubi's spiritual poem in his introduction to Dala'il Khayrat testifies to the importance of the book amongst many Muslims:
"If you hold fast to blessing the one who
God has blessed in His verses
And you made it a sure daily practice of yours
You will find this manifested in Dala'il Khayrat
If you find that your lower self has taken hold of you
And is commanding you by your sensual desires
Then cast away such caprice with blessings (on Muhammad)
Thus you have none other than Dala'il Khayrat
Latch on strongly to Dala'il Khayrat
And be constant in its recitation you will receive what you wish
For the brilliant bursts of sunshine are apparent in it
Thus it should not ever be left"
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, which was written by the Moroccan Sunni Sufi and Islamic Scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli
Muhammad al-Jazuli
Sidi Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli al-Simlali , often known as "Imam al-Jazuli", was a Moroccan Sufi leader of the Berber tribe of the Jazulah. He is especially famous for compiling the Dala'il al-Khayrat, an extremely popular Muslim prayer book...
(died 1465). It is popular in parts of the Islamic world amongst traditional Muslims - specifically North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and is divided into sections for daily recitation.
The Dala’il al-Khayrat is the first major book in Islamic history which compiled litanies of peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad. It is also the most popular and most universally acclaimed collection of litanies asking God to bless the Prophet. Among some Sunni religious orders, most notably the Shadhili-Jazuli order, its recitation is a daily practice. In others however, its recitation is a purely voluntary daily practice. The work begins with the ninety nine names of God, and then the a collection of over one hundred names of the Prophet Muhammad.
The legend behind the origin of the Dala’il al-Khayrat are that Imam al-Jazuli once awoke late for his morning prayers and began to look in vain for pure water to perform ritual ablutions. In the midst of his search al-Jazuli encountered a young girl who was aware of al-Jazuli's famed religiosity and was bewildered on why al-Jazuli could not find pure water. The girl then spit into a well which miraculously overflowed with pure sweet water for al-Jazuli to perform ablutions.
Consequent to performing prayer, al-Jazuli inquired to the means by which the girl achieved such a high spiritual station. The girl replied it was simply by "Making constant prayer for God to bless the best of creation by the number of breaths and heartbeats." Al-Jazuli then resolved to write a work collecting litanies of prayers asking God to bless and show mercy and kindness to the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Jazuli's work also collected numerous encouragements from Islamic scripture concerned with the importance of asking God to bless the Prophet Muhammad.
Imam al-Jazuli then moved East to Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
where he would recite the whole of the Dala’il al-Khayrat twice daily at the Prophet's grave in al-Masjid al-Nabawi
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi , often called the Prophet's Mosque, is a mosque situated in the city of Medina. As the final resting place of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, it is considered the second holiest site in Islam by Muslims and is one of the largest mosques in the world...
. The Dala'il Khayrat has since been seen as a testament of love and passionate longing for the Prophet Muhammad, with such eloquent and beautiful passages as the following:
O God, I believed in Muhammad but did not see him; do not deprive me in the Gardens of his vision. Bestow his company upon me and cause me to die in his religion. Let me drink from his pool a quenching, pleasant, delightful drink after which we shall never thirst again. You are Powerful over everything. O God, convey to the soul of Muhammad my greetings and peace. O God, as I believed in Muhammad but did not see him, do not deprive me in the Gardens of his vision.
Adam Larson writes:
Each section contains diverse praises, invocations, and poetic references seamlessly bound into a flowing unity. Its melodic, rhythmic language aids the devotee in memorization and attaining presence of heart. Its phrases of exquisite beauty express love and devotion to the Chosen One (God bless him and give him peace)...
In one case, a Turkish calligrapher was commanded by the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) in a dream to dedicate his life to copying Dala’il al-Khayrat, continually blessing the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace) through the loving strokes of his pen.
Beautifully illustrated manuscripts, lithographs, and print copies, from all over the Islamic world indicate Dala’il al-Khayrat’s renown. Manuscript artists produced detailed illustrations of Mecca and Medina. These illustrations were not merely decorations; rather they were “attempts to create an ideal symmetry,” indicating “the feeling of a divinely ordered universe, as if the artists were reflecting the perfection of the Almighty’s plan as revealed within the sacred scriptures.” Manuscript copies of Dala’il al-Khayrat were often pocket-sized and could be carried in pouches as amulets. These small books both facilitated daily recitation and distinguished the “Companions of the Dala’il ”from others. When in need, people could turn to Dala’il al-Khayrat.."
Great works of exegesis were written on the Dala'il Khayrat - most notably by the scholar Yusuf an-Nabhani
Yusuf an-Nabhani
Imam al-Qadi Yusuf bin Ismail bin Yusuf bin Ismail bin Muhammad Nâsir al-Dîn an-Nabhani born in Ijzim in historical Palestine, now north of Haifa in Israel, died in Beirut. Yusuf was a Sunni Sufi Ottoman Palestinian Islamic Scholar, judge, prolific poet, and defender of the Ottoman Caliphate...
in his work "Afdal al-Salawat," and Sheikh 'Abd al-Majid al-Sharnubi al-Azhari's "Sharh Dala'il Khayrat." Al-Sharnubi's spiritual poem in his introduction to Dala'il Khayrat testifies to the importance of the book amongst many Muslims:
"If you hold fast to blessing the one who
God has blessed in His verses
And you made it a sure daily practice of yours
You will find this manifested in Dala'il Khayrat
If you find that your lower self has taken hold of you
And is commanding you by your sensual desires
Then cast away such caprice with blessings (on Muhammad)
Thus you have none other than Dala'il Khayrat
Latch on strongly to Dala'il Khayrat
And be constant in its recitation you will receive what you wish
For the brilliant bursts of sunshine are apparent in it
Thus it should not ever be left"
External links
- Delai'l-i Hayrat transliteration and English translation in PDF format at Osmanli Naks-i'Bendi Hakkani Muslim Sufi Order
- Read/Download Dalail ul Khairat Shareef
- Mp3 Audio Recitation of Delai'l-i Hayrat, also from Osmanli Naks-i'Bendis.
- English translation of Dala'il al-Khayrat
- The Story of Dala’il al-Khayrat (by Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim KellerNuh Ha Mim Keller is an American Muslim translator of Islamic books and a specialist in Islamic law, as well as being authorised by Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri as a sheikh in sufism in the Shadhili Order...
) - An Appreciation by Siddiq Osman Noormuhammad
- Dalail English/Arabic Text and Audio