Secrets of Swalawat an-Naariyyah

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Swalawat an-Naariyyah is one of the swalawat given to us by our shaykh, Mu’Alim at-Tarimi, Shaykh Zakariya ibn ‘Umar Bagharib (q.s.).  “Swalawat an-Naariyyah” means, “The Salutation of the Fire.”  The “fire” refers to the Divine Fire of Allah’s (s.w.t.) Pleasure.  The entire effects of this swalawat is felt and perfected when it is read 4,444 times.  Only then, is the reciter “on fire.”  This swalawat is also known as Swalawat at-Tafrijiyyah, or Swalawat at-Taziyyah after Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idris at-Tazi (q.s.), a great wali from the Maghrib.  It is very much part of the wird of the thariqa’ of North Africa, especially the Shadziliyyah and the Sanussiyyah. 

The chain of this swalawat is from Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad at-Tunisi al-Maghribi (q.s.), from Shaykh al-Maghribi (q.s.), from Sayyid al-Makki (q.s.), from Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Ali as-Sanussi al-Idrisi (q.s.) and this occurred on Jabal Abi Qubays in Makkah.  Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idris al-Hasani (q.s.) was given the Kalimah A‘azhimah wird: “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasulullahi fi kulli lamhatin wa nafasin ‘adada maa wa siyyahu al-mullah” directly by the Prophet (s.a.w.).  The last section of the Swalawat an-Naariyah, “fii kulli lamhatin wa-nafasin bi ‘adadi kulli ma’luumin lak”, was added by Shaykh as-Sanussi (q.s.), who was one of the students of Shaykh Ahmad (q.s.). 

The silsilah of the shuyukh of the Ba’alawi are connected to the shuyukh of the Shadzili through Faqih al-Muqaddam, Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Ba’alwi (q.s.), from Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Maq’ad al-Maghribi (q.s.), and Shaykh ‘Abdullah asw-Swalih al-Maghribi (q.s.); both of whom are disciples of the great Shaykh Abu Madyan Shu’ayb ibn al-Husayn al-Answari al-Ghawts (q.s.).  It is, therefore, recorded in the wird of the Ba’alwi that their murid must recite this swalawat eleven times after every swalah al-fardh. 

This swalawat is from the Kanz al-Asrar and it Opens the Seven Heavens and it has been tested by great awliya’ such as Shaykh as-Sanussi (q.s.), Shaykh ‘Umar Mukhtar (q.s.), Imam ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani (q.s.) and Imam al-Qurthubi (q.s.).  It is still very much used in Morocco.  It is recorded as one of the recitations for seeing the Prophet (s.a.w.) and was frequently recited by Shayk al-Islam, Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu Muhammad ibn Abu Swalih ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (q.s.). 

Allahumma swalli swalaatan kaamilatan wa sallim salaaman taamman ‘alaa Sayyidinaa Muhammadin.  Alladzii tanhallu bihi al-‘uqad wa tanfariju bihi al-kurab wa tuqdhaa bihi al-hawaa’ij wa tunaalu bihi ar-raghaa’ib.  Wa husnu al-khawaatiim wa yustasqaa al-ghamaam bi wajhihi al-kariim.  Wa ‘alaa ‘aalihi wa swahbihii fii kulli lamhatin wa nafasin bi ‘adadi kulli ma’luumin lak. 

“O Allah, Send the Perfect Salutations and the Complete Peace upon our master Muhammad, by whom the knots are Untied, and the afflictions are Removed, and the needs are Satisfied, and the wishes are Attained as are the best ends, and by whose noble countenance the clouds are Watered; and also upon his family and companions, in every moment and breath, according to the number of things in Your Knowledge.” 

Once, when my shaykh, Shaykh Ahmad ‘Arif was young, he was travelling with his shaykh.  Somehow, he managed to lose a bag with a lot of money.  He had left it at the wudhu area of the masjid and they were several hours off in another place.  His shaykh told him to recite this 360 times.  When they went back to the masjid, the bag was there and everything was intact.  It was then that his shaykh told him that he had used something so tremendous for something so miniscule.  By this swalawat, we can ask Allah (s.w.t.) for the Divine Presence.  And yet we limit ourselves to the asking of dunya. 

According to Shaykh Zakariya (q.s.), if read 41 times after fajr, the reciter will be successful with all the intentions in his heart, and Allah (s.w.t.) will Eliminate all the bad and facilitate all of life’s affairs.  And if read 313 times, the reciter is granted an Opening of Stations and knowledge of the Ghayb.  It may be read 360 times for the granting of a desire, or for the restoration of something that is lost. 

If it is read 4,444 times, the reciter will attain a hajat.  He will reach all his goals and intentions in this world and the hereafter, and open all the doors of goodness.  It is a long swalawat and not easily read.  A single person reading it would take a very long time.  It is normally done in a majlis where a group of people with various intentions get together and recite it for a total of 4,444 for all the reciters.  If there were ten people, then each has to recite the swalawat 444 times and if there were a hundred, each would have to recite it 44 times and so forth.  It is also used when a community wants to repel a calamity or seek succour from a disaster.  A seeker on the spiritual path is recommended to recite this swalawat 4,444 times at least once in his lifetime.  This number of recitations Grants a Spiritual Opening and an Elevation of Stations.  This can only be done with an ‘ijazah for full effectiveness.  This permission to do so, was only obtained from our shaykh many years after I converted. 

Reciting it 1,000 times would be a tremendous achievement.  The reciter will obtain what was not possible by others and what is not had been seen by the eyes, nor had been heard by ears and not had crossed in the heart of ordinary men. 

If it is recited daily, Allah (s.w.t.) will Help the reciter from quarters unknown to humans.  It grants success in all the affairs of the world and in the hereafter.  In terms of meeting with and learning from the Prophet (s.a.w.) after his passing from this world, Shaykh Ahmad ibn Idris (q.s.), Shaykh Abu al-Mawahib ‘Abd al-Wahhab at-Tazi (q.s.) and Shaykh ‘Abd al-Aziz ibn Mas’ud ad-Dabbagh (q.s.) had this Blessing, both while asleep and awake through daily recitation of this swalawat.  These are the three shuyukh in the silsilah of the Shadzilyyah, one after the other.