Swalah an-Najat, The Prayer of Salvation

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Swalah an-Najat, the Prayer of Salvation is mentioned in the awrad book of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order.  It is based on a hadits, that whosoever recites the following verses in that order, Allah (s.w.t.) Raises the Station, Maqam, a thousand times; and He Removes a thousand calamities, bala’; and He Grants a thousand Rahmah.  It is said that a tree will be Planted in Paradise which will have seventy branches and each branch will have seventy leaves and each leave will recite swalawat on behalf of the one who performs this amal, act of worship. 

This hadits and the benefits of this amal was taught to us by Shaykh Zakariya ibn ‘Umar Bagharib (q.s.).  In any case, we were always taught to do our amal without thought of the rewards.  For those of the Path, thoughts of the rewards of ‘ibadah becomes a veil.  If one does an amal for the sake of a Reward, Allah (s.w.t.) Grants it.  But if an amal is done for the sake of Allah (s.w.t.), Allah (s.w.t.) is not limited in His Rewarding. 

This is the method of performing it.  Swalah Najat is normally done in the last third of the night, perhaps about 2 hours before fajr. 

In the 1^st raka’at, recite Surah al-Fatihah and then the following: 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

وَإِلَـٰهُكُمۡ إِلَـٰهٌ۬ وَٲحِدٌ۬‌ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (١٦٣) 

Wa ilaahukum ilaahun waa’ ahidun.  Laa ilaaha illaa Huwa ar-Rahmaan ar-Rahiim. 

And your God is one God; there is no god but He Most Gracious, Most Merciful. (Surah al-Baqarah:163) 

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَىُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُ‌ۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُ ۥ سِنَةٌ۬ وَلَا نَوۡمٌ۬‌ۚ لَّهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُ ۥۤ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦ‌ۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ‌ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦۤ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ‌ۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ‌ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُ ۥ حِفۡظُهُمَا‌ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِىُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ (٢٥٥) 

Allahu laa ilaaha illaa Huwa al-Hayyu al-Qayyum.  Laa taa’khuduhu sinatum wa laa nawm.  Lahu maa fii as-samaawaati wa maa fii al-ardh.  Man dzaa al-ladzii yashfa’u ‘indahu illaa bi’idznih.  Ya’lamu maa bayna aydiihim wa maa khalfahum wa laa yuhiithuuna bishay’in min ‘ilmihi illaa bimaa shaa’a.  Wa si’a kursiyuhu as-samaawaati wa al-ardh.  Wa laa ya’uuduhu hifzhuhumaa wa Huwa al-‘aliyyu al-‘adhiim. 

Allah!  There is no Allah but He - the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal.  No slumber can seize him nor sleep.  His are all things in the Heavens and on Earth.  Who is there that can intercede in His Presence except as He Permits?  He Knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them.  Nor shall they compass aught of His Knowledge except as He Wills.  His Throne does Extend over the Heavens and the Earth, and He Feel no fatigue in Guarding and Preserving them.  For He is the Most High, the Supreme (in Glory). (Surah al-Baqarah:255 - Ayat al-Kursi) 

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُ ۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ قَآٮِٕمَۢا بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ‌ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَڪِيمُ (١٨) إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُ‌ۗ ... (١٩) 

Shahid Allahu innahu laa ilaaha illa Huwa wa al-malaaiktu wa uuluu al-‘ilmi qaa’iman bi al-qisth.  Laa ilaaha illaa Huwa al-‘Aziiz al-Hakiim.  Inna ad-diyna inda Allahi al-Islaam.

 

There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels and those Endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice.  There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise.  The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His will) ... (Surah Ali ‘Imran:18-19) 

سُوۡرَةُ آل عِمرَان

قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلۡمُلۡكِ تُؤۡتِى ٱلۡمُلۡكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ‌ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ‌ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬ (٢٦) تُولِجُ ٱلَّيۡلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيۡلِ‌ۖ وَتُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمَيِّتِ وَتُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلۡحَىِّ‌ۖ وَتَرۡزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ۬ (٢٧) 

Qul illahumma maalika al-mulki tuu’ti al-mulka man tashaa’u wa tanzi’u al-mulka mimman tashaa’u wa tu’izzu man tashaa’u wa tudzillu man tashaa’u biyadika al-khayr.  Inaka ‘alaa kulli shay’in qadiir.  Tuuliju al-layla fii an-nahaari wa tuuliju nahaara fii layli.  Wa tukhriju al-hayya min al-mayyiti tukhriju al-mayyita min al-hayya.  Wa tarzuqu man tashaa’u bighayri hisaab. 

Say: “O Allah!  Lord of Power (and Rule), You Give Power to whom You Please and You Strip Off power from whom You Please, You Endue with Honour whom You Please, and You Bring Low, whom You Please; in Your Hand is all Good.  Verily, over all things, You have Power.  You Causest the night to gain on the day, and You Cause the day to gain on the night; You Bring the living out of the dead, and You Bring the dead out of the living; and You Give sustenance to whom You Please without measure.” (Surah Ali ‘Imran:26-27) 

In the 2^nd raka’at, recite Surah al-Fatihah followed by Surah al-Ikhlasw 11 times.  At the end of the 2 rak’ah, go into sujud, prostration, and recite the following du’a: 

Yaa Rabbi, kamaa taakulu an-naaru al-hathaba hakadzaa al-hasaadu al-muta’aswila fiyya.  Ya kullu jamiyy’i a’amaalii.  Ya Rabbi khaliswnii minhu wa min al-ghadhabi an-nafsaanii wa min nafsi att-thifli al-madzmuumati wa min al-akhlaaqi adz-dzamiimati way a Rabbi baddil akhlaaqii illaa akhlaaqin hamiidatin wa af’alin hasanatin. 

O Lord, the envy within me eats away my deeds the way fire eats up firewood.  My Lord, Rid me of it and of the anger of my ego and from my selfish, childish traits, and other lowly traits.  O My Lord, change my manners into that which is praiseworthy, and replace my bad actions with good actions.