The Three Degrees of Swalawat al-Fatih

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is adapted from the letters of Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.). 

Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani (q.s.) said, “Whosoever is stamped with our seal is due congratulations.”  What he meant by that statement is, “Whosoever takes our wird will achieve the felicity of this life and the next.”  We, therefore, remind ourselves to have conscious taqwa, awareness, of Allah (s.w.t.), both in public and in private, and to occupy ourselves with Allah (s.w.t.) to the exclusion of everything other than Him. 

We must remember that everything other than Him is likened unto a mirage which appears to a thirsty person, who thinks it to be water until he comes up to it and he finds nothing.  We must take the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) as our greatest means of approach, wasilat al-‘uzhma, by sending as much swalawat upon him as possible, as this is the path to travel for all of those who desire to arrive at the ma’arifat, gnosis, of Allah (s.w.t.).  We are especially advised to offer plenty Swalawat al-Fatih for it is Kanz al-‘Azham wa Sirr al-Mutalsam wa ‘Ayn al-Ma‘arif al-Aqwam, the Greatest Treasure, the Veiled Secret, and Source of Divine Gnosis.  It has three  degrees to its recitation: zhahir, bathin, and bathin al-bathin. 

As for the outer degree, azh-zhahir, it consists of the reward of the good deeds of everything in the universe from its beginning to its end.  As for the inner degree, al-bathin, it consists of the reward of the hidden mysteries of the universe, from its beginning to its end.  As for the innermost degree, bathin al-bathin, it consists of the greatest mysteries and secrets and it is the goal of goals. 

It is, therefore, highly advisable for us to offer plenty of Swalawat al-Fatih, in all of our spare time, day and night.  For the sake of Allah (s.w.t.), we must persist in offering five hundred Swalawat al-Fatih after Swalah al-Isha’ before we go to sleep, and also repeat this amount late in the night, at the time of tahajjud, and also again after performing our morning Wird al-Lazim, for a total of 1,500 recitations. 

We do this all with the intention to offer swalawat upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) in obedience to the command of our Lord, all out of love, glorification, and esteem for him and with no other objective.  If the salik diligently persist in this, after receiving the special permission, idzn al-khasw, from its people, he will certainly experience the Spiritual Opening, al-Fath, by the Might and Power of Allah (s.w.t.).