Swalah to Avert Bala’ for Swafar

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is from a note by Ustadz Fakhr ad-Din Uwaysi al-Madani.  Many great awliya’ have mentioned that an immense number of bala’, calamities, descend on humanity on the last Wednesday of this month of Swafar.  Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani (q.s.) has confirmed this. 

There is also a special swalah that Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani (q.s.) would perform on this Wednesday to ward off these calamities as mentioned by Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn al-‘Ayyashi Sukayrij (q.s.) in the Jinayat al-Muntasib al-‘ani fima Nasabah bi Kadzib li ash-Shaykh at-Tijani.  This swalah has been practiced by Shaykh Ahmad at-Tijani’s (q.s.) descendants and by the special ones in his thariqa’ for generations. 

Shaykh Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah Niyas al-Kawlakhi (q.s.) gave permission to all his disciples to perform this prayer on the last Wednesday of Swafar, as mentioned by Shaykh Abu Bakr ‘Atiq ibn Khidhr (q.s.), in Miftah al-Akhlaq.  Shaykh Hasan ibn ‘Ali Sisi (q.s.) also advised his muridun to perform this swalah.  Even non-Tijani saints have performed this swalah, but did not recite the blessed Jawharat al-Kamal in the end. 

The swalah is performed with the intention of seeking Allah’s (s.w.t.) Mercy in warding off the 360, or 360,000, calamities that land on this day.  The swalah should be done on the morning of the last Wednesday of Swafar, before zhuhr.  The method is as follows.  Perform a four rak’ah swalah.  In each raka’at, recite: 

1 x Surah al-Fatihah,

17 x Surah al-Kawtsar,

5 x Surah al-Ikhlasw,

1 x Surah al-Falaq, and

1 x Surah an-Naas. 

After finishing the swalah, recite the following ayat, 360 times.  Read it 60 times first, then 300 times. 

سُوۡرَةُ یُوسُف

... وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَڪۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ (٢١) 

Wallahu ghaalibun ‘alaa amrihi walaakinna akhtsar an-naasi laa yaa’lamuun 

… And Allah Has Full Power and Control over His Affairs; but most among mankind know it not. (Surah Yusuf:21) 

Thereafter, recite the Jawharat al-Kamal 3 times, ending it the way we end the wazhifah: 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحزَاب

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا (٥٦) 

Allah and His angels Send Blessings on the Prophet: O you that believe!  Send you blessings on him and salute him, with all respect. (Surah al-Ahzab:56) 

At the end, we supplicate our needs and seek His Protection. 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) was very ill in the month of Swafar, and he passed away from that illness.  Therefore, the month of Swafar is a very difficult one for all believers, as we all carry his inheritance.  After it is the month of blessings, Rabi’ al-Awwal.  However, the night is the darkest before dawn.  The above-mentioned swalah is only practised by the Sufis and those who believe in the Divinely-inspired sciences of the Sufis.