LETTER ON THE MERITS OF SALAT AL-FATIH
by Sayyidna Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) to his muqaddam Sidi Abil-Qasim al-Annabi
رسالة من مولانا الختم الكتم سيدي أحمد التجاني رضى الله عنه
لسيدي أبي القاسم العنابي ينصحه فيها بملازمة صلاة الفاتح لما أغلق:
Fully Transcribed & Translated by: Imām Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Tijani
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ
In the Name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful
And may His Blessings & Peace be upon our master Muhammad and his Family & Companions!
بَعْدَ حَمْدِ اللهِ جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ وَ عَزَّ كِبْرِيَاؤُهُ وَ تَعَالَى عِزُّهُ وَ تَقَدَّسَ مَجْدُهُ وَ كَرَمُهُ
After praising Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, the Most Magnificent, the Most Holy & Most Generous!
يَصِلُ الْكِتَابُ إِلَىٰ يَدِ حَبِيبِنَا سَيِّدِي أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ العَنَّابِي،
May this letter reach the hands of our beloved Sidi Abil-Qasim al-Annabi
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالَى وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ
May the Peace, Mercy & Blessings of Allah be upon you!
مِنْ كَاتِبِهِ إِلَيْكَ الْعَبْدُ الْفَقِيرُ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَحْمَدُ بِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ التِّجَانِيُّ ؛
To you, from the writer: the needy servant of Allah, Ahmad bin Muhammad al-Tijani
وَ بَعْدُ فَالَّذِي أَنْصَحُكَ بِهِ كُلُّ مَا أَنْتَ مَشْغُوفٌ بِهِ مِنْ طَلَبِ الْوِلَايَةِ وَ الْمَقَامَاتِ
My advice to you regarding what you fervently seek of Wilayah (Sainthood) & its Maqams (Ranks)
لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا التَّعَبُ وَ لَا تَحْصُلُ مِنْهُ عَلَى طَائِلٍ
is that you will gain nothing from it except weariness & no benefit at all!
فَإِنَّ الأُمُورَ كُلَّهَا فِي يَدِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ مَضَى حُكْمُهُ وَ قِسْمَتُهُ فِيهَا قَبْلَ خَلْقِ الْأَكْوَانِ
As all matters are in Almighty Allah’s Hand and His decree & portioning of it has been issued before the creation of the universe!
فَلَا يَنَالُكَ مِنْهَا إِلَّا مَا قَسَمَهُ لَكَ قَبْلَ خَلْقٍ الأَكْوَانِ
Therefore you will attain nothing of it except what was decreed for you before the creation of the universe
وَ مَا لَمْ تَمْضِ بِهِ القِسْمَةُ فَلَا سَبِيلَ إِلَيْهِ وَ لَا تُفِيدُ فِيهِ حِيلَةٌ
And that which has not been decreed; you will never find a path to it, no matter how you try!
وَ الْأَمْرُ هُوَ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ لِوَجْهِهِ فَقَطْ
Thus, the sum of the matter is to simply worship ALLAH for His sake only!
وَ السَّعَادَةُ وَ الخَيْرُ أَنْ تُدَاوِمَ عَلَى صَلَاةِ الْفَاتِحِ لِمَا أُغْلِقَ
And all bliss & goodness is in regularly reciting the Salat al-Fatih lima ughliq…
بِحُضُورِ القَلْبِ نَاوِيًا بِهَا تَعْظِيمَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ تَعْظَيمَ رَسُولِهِ ﷺ
with the presence of the heart, intending to honour Allah & His Prophet (SAW)
وَ الشَّرْطُ الْمُكَمِّلُ لَهَا هُوَ حُضُورُ القَلْبِ وَ أَنْ تَتَخَيَّلَ فِي وَقْتِ تِلَاوَتِهَا أَنَّكَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ﷺ تُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ كَأَنَّهُ حَاضِرٌ مَعَكَ
And its condition of perfection is to be present with your heart & visualize during your recital that you are sitting in the presence of the Prophet (SAW), reciting Salawat on him while he is with you!
فَإِنْ دَاوَمْتَ عَلَى هَذَا مَعَ وِرْدٍ مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللهِ، أَقْبَلَتِ الخَيْرَاتُ إِلَيْكَ،
If you do this, together with a Wird of Dhikr-Allah, all goodness will come your way!
وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ وَ سَلَّمَ
And may the Blessings & Peace of Allah be upon our master Muhammad & his Family & Companions!
Fully Transcribed & Translated by:
Imām Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Tijani
