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A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection

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A Prayer for Spiritual Elevation and Protection *#/ x "3"#* j7HOEVER RECITES THIS PRAYER WILL BE LIKE THE SUN AND THE MOON AMONG THE STARSk 4HIS IS THE ØRST STUDY OF A WIDELY USED AND MUCH LOVED PRAYER BY )BN x!RAB 4HE $AWR AL AxL¼ j4HE -OST %LEVATED #YCLEk "1SBZFSGPS4QJSJUVBM&MFWBUJPOBOE1SPUFDUJPO ALSO KNOWN AS THE IZB AL WIQ¼YA j4HE 0RAYER OF 0ROTECTIONk IS A PRAYER OF REMARKABLE POWER AND BEAUTY )T IS SAID THAT WHOEVER READS IT WITH SINCERITY OF HEART AND UTTER CONVICTION WHILE MAKING A SPECIØC PLEA WILL HAVE THEIR WISH GRANTED 4HIS PRECIOUS BOOK PROVIDES A DEØNITIVE EDITION OF THE !RABIC )". x!2!") TEXT A LUCID TRANSLATION AND A TRANSLITERATION FOR THOSE UNABLE TO READ !RABIC )N ADDITION THERE IS AN ILLUMINATING ANALYSIS OF THE TRANSMISSION AND USE OF THE PRAYER ACROSS THE CENTURIES /F PARTICULAR INTEREST ARE THE MAJOR ØGURES IN )SLAMIC SCHOLARSHIP AND MYSTICISM WHO HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND PERCEPTIONS "1SBZFSGPS4QJSJUVBM OF ITS PROPERTIES 3UHA 4AJI &AROUKI IS 2ESEARCH !SSOCIATE AT THE $EPARTMENT &MFWBUJPOBOE1SPUFDUJPO OF !CADEMIC 2ESEARCH AND 0UBLICATIONS 4HE )NSTITUTE OF )SMAILI 3TUDIES ,ONDON AND ,ECTURER IN -ODERN )SLAM AT THE )NSTITUTE OF !RAB AND )SLAMIC 3TUDIES 5NIVERSITY OF %XETER 3HE HAS PUBLISHED WIDELY ON ASPECTS OF MODERN )SLAM AND )SLAMIC THOUGHT WWWIBN ARABICOM PUBLISHING ANQACOUK !.1! 05",)3().' 4UVEZ USBOTMBUJPO USBOTMJUFSBUJPOBOE"SBCJDUFYU !.1! 46)"5"+*њ'"306,* $AWR COVERINDD ! 0RAYER FOR 3PIRITUAL %LEVATION AND 0ROTECTION -UyYIDDN )BN x!RAB ! 0RAYER FOR 3PIRITUAL %LEVATION AND 0ROTECTION AL $AWR AL AxL¼ IZB AL WIQ¼YA Ӈ 3TUDY TRANSLATION TRANSLITERATION AND !RABIC TEXT 35(! 4!*) &!2/5+) !.1! 05",)3().' s /8&/2$ IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MUHYIDDIN IBN xARABI SOCIETY 0UBLISHED BY !NQA 0UBLISHING 0/ "OX /XFORD /8 93 5+ WWWIBN ARABICOM )N ASSOCIATION WITH THE -UHYIDDIN )BN x!RABI 3OCIETY WWWIBNARABISOCIETYORG 3UHA 4AJI &AROUK I 3UHA 4AJI &AROUK I HAS ASSERTED HER MORAL RIGHT UNDER THE #OPYRIGHT $ESIGNS AND 0ATENTS !CT TO BE IDENTIØED AS THE AUTHOR OF THIS WORK !LL RIGHTS RESERVED .O PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION IN WRITING OF THE PUBLISHER #OVER DESIGN -ICHAEL 4IERNAN 4HE FRONT COVER DESIGN INCORPORATES THE PRAYER TITLE FROM 9AZMA "AÎI LAR "RITISH ,IBRARY #ATALOGUING IN 0UBLICATION $ATA ! CATALOGUE RECORD FOR THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FROM THE "RITISH ,IBRARY )3". )3". 0RINTED IN 'REAT "RITAIN BY "IDDLES ,IMITED WWWBIDDLESCOUK 4O 'OD ALONE BELONG THE -OST "EAUTIFUL .AMES SO CALL UPON (IM THROUGH THEM 1UR{AN ) TAKE REFUGE IN THE 0ERFECT 7ORDS OF 'OD FROM THE EVIL OF THAT WHICH (E HAS CREATED ! SAYING OF THE 0ROPHET -UHAMMAD 7HOEVER RECITES ;THIS PRAYER= WILL BE LIKE THE SUN AND THE MOON AMONG THE STARS -UyAMMAD AL $¼MN AL $URR AL THAMN LI SHARy $AWR AL AxL¼ LI SD -UyY AL $N DPOUFOUT !CKNOWLEDGEMENTS VIII &OREWORD BY -ICHEL #HODKIEWICZ IX )NTRODUCTION 4HE $AWR 4ODAY #ONTEMPORARY CONTEXTS $AMASCUS )STANBUL 4HE 5NITED +INGDOM ! 0RAYER ACROSS 4IME (ISTORICAL DIMENSIONS 4RANSMITTERS OF THE PRAYER #HAINS AND AUTHORISATIONS 7INDOWS ONTO )SLAMIC CULTURE AND THOUGHT 4HE 0RAYER FOR 3PIRITUAL %LEVATION AND 0ROTECTION 0ROPERTIES 4HE TEXT AND ITS CONTENTS 4RANSLATION AND !RABIC TEXT 4RANSLITERATION !PPENDIX -ANUSCRIPT COPIES AND CHAINS OF TRANSMISSION "IBLIOGRAPHY )NDEX WJJ "DLOPXMFEHFNFOUT 4HE AUTHOR WOULD LIKE TO THANK 4HE )NSTITUTE OF )SMAILI 3TUDIES ,ONDON FOR GENEROUSLY SUPPORTING THIS WORK THE STAFF OF THE 3ULEYMANIYE ,IBRARY )STANBUL FOR THEIR HELP AND HOSPITALITY AND THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR TIME FOR INTERVIEWS OR DISCUSSIONS 4HANKS ARE ALSO DUE TO 3TEPHEN (IRTENSTEIN AND -ICHAEL 4IERNAN WJJJ GPSFXPSE NJDIFMDIPELJFXJD[ "ORN IN 3PAIN AND HAVING DIED IN 3YRIA LIKE THE jBLESSED TREEk MEN TIONED IN THE j,IGHTk VERSE OF THE 1URkAN )BN x!RAB o IS jNEITHER OF THE EAST NOR OF THE WESTk FOR HE BELONGS EQUALLY TO BOTH 2ECOGNIZED AS THE 3PIRITUAL -ASTER PAR EXCELLENCE AL 3HAYKH AL !KBAR HE HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND A DEØNITIVE REFERENCE POINT FOR THE -USLIM MYSTICAL TRADITION FROM !NDALUSIA TO #HINA FOR MORE THAN EIGHT CENTURIES #HRISTIAN %UROPE WHICH SINCE THE -IDDLE !GES HAD PASSIONATELY STUDIED SO MANY !RABIC AUTHORS WAS FOR A LONG TIME UNAWARE OF HIM )T HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY BEFORE IT BEGAN TO DISCOVER SOME OF THE HUNDREDS OF WORKS HE HAS LEFT US AND EVEN THEN THIS INTEREST WAS AT ØRST LIMITED TO NARROW CIRCLES OF /RIENTALISTS )N CONTRAST THE LAST FEW DECADES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY HAVE SEEN A SUDDEN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRANSLATIONS CRITICAL EDI TIONS STUDIES AND COMMENTARIES ON HIS WORKS %VEN MORE SURPRIS INGLY THEIR AUDIENCE HAS GRADUALLY EXTENDED TO ENCOMPASS READERS WHO A PRIORI HAVE FELT NO PARTICULAR ATTRACTION TO )SLAMIC CULTURE AND INDEED APPEARED TO HAVE NO REASON TO BE INTERESTED IN WRITINGS OF SUCH INTIMIDATING DEPTH 5NDOUBTEDLY SUCH READERS FELT THAT AN ACA DEMIC APPROACH WHICH FOCUSED ON THE DOCTRINAL AUTHORITY )BN x!RAB HAS EXERCISED OVER SUØSM TOOK INTO ACCOUNT ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE MAN !S AN EMINENT ØGURE OF SAINTHOOD THE 3HAYKH AL !KBAR IS THUS NOT ONLY A ,ESEMEISTER HE IS ALSO o AND EVEN MORE SO A ,EBEMEISTER SINCE HE TEACHES US NOT ONLY HOW TO THINK BUT HOW TO LIVE 7ITNESS FOR EXAMPLE THE CARE HE HAS SHOWN IN THE ØVE HUNDRED AND SIXTIETH AND ØNAL CHAPTER OF HIS -ECCAN 2EVELATIONS AL &UTy¼T AL MAKKYA (ERE AT THE END OF THOUSANDS OF PAGES WHERE A VER TIGINOUS METAPHYSICS IS DEVELOPED IN A LANGUAGE OF EXTREME TECHNICAL JY 'PSFXPSE PRECISION HE GATHERS TOGETHER USING VERY SIMPLE WORDS THE RULES OF CONDUCT FROM WHICH HE TELLS US BOTH THE WAYFARER AL S¼LIK AND THE ONE WHO HAS ARRIVED AT HIS DESTINATION AL W¼¶IL MAY BENEØT &OR HIM o AND FOR EVERY SPIRITUAL MASTER WORTHY OF THE NAME o THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SAINTS MUST TAKE HOLD OF THE WHOLE PERSON )T IS NOT ADDRESSED TO THE INTELLECT ALONE )T IS FOR THIS VERY REASON TOO THAT WITHIN THE IMMENSE !KBARIAN CORPUS ONE ØNDS ALONGSIDE NUMEROUS SCHOLARLY TREATISES SOME QUITE SHORT TEXTS WHICH AT ØRST SIGHT SEEM TO FALL WITHIN THE DOMAIN OF SIMPLE DEVOTIONAL LITERATURE 9ET THE REALITY IS UTTERLY DIFFERENT 4HESE PRAYERS ¶ALAW¼T AyZ¼B AWR¼D TRANSMITTED FROM MASTER TO DISCIPLE ARE MUCH MORE THAN PIOUS LITANIES 4HEY ARE INSPIRED INVOCATIONS EACH STRUCTURED AROUND A SERIES OF $IVINE .AMES %VERY .AME CON CEALS SECRETS AND POWERS THAT ARE ITS OWN IT MUST ARISE AT A PRECISE MOMENT IN THE RECITATION IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE EFFECTIVE 3UCH EFFEC TIVENESS IS NOT MAGIC HOWEVER )T PRESUPPOSES THAT CERTAIN CONDI TIONS ARE SATISØED THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH IS PURITY OF INTENTION )N ADDITION THE DIVERSITY OF THESE FORMS OF PRAYER AND THE MODES OF THEIR USE o WHETHER REGULARLY OR OCCASIONALLY AT A PARTICULAR TIME OR NOT RECITED ALONE OR IN GROUPS ETC o REÙECT THE VARIETY OF INDIVIDUAL OR COLLECTIVE SITUATIONS AND OF INTERIOR DISPOSITIONS )T IS ONE OF THESE PRAYERS AL $AWR AL AxL¼ KNOWN ALSO AS THE IZB AL WIQ¼YA WHICH CAN BE FOUND AT THE CENTRE OF THE LITTLE BOOK BEFORE YOU !T THE CENTRE FOR IT IS SURROUNDED BY MUCH PRECIOUS INFORMA TION 3UHA 4AJI &AROUK I DOES NOT LIMIT HERSELF SIMPLY TO ESTABLISHING THE TEXT WITH RIGOROUS EXACTITUDE AND PROVIDING A TRANSLATION AND TRANSLITERATION OF IT #OMBINING A METICULOUS EXAMINATION OF WRIT TEN SOURCES WITH PATIENT ØELDWORK SHE TELLS FOR THE ØRST TIME THE LONG HISTORY OF THIS PRAYER IDENTIFYING EACH OF THE PERSONALITIES IN THE CHAINS OF TRANSMISSION "ASED UPON MANY TESTIMONIES AND FROM HER OWN OBSERVATIONS SHE SHOWS ABOVE ALL THAT THE PRACTICE OF THE $AWR LIVES ON TODAY IN VERY DIVERSE MILIEUX 7ITH AS MUCH KNOW LEDGE AS EMPATHY SHE THUS DEMONSTRATES THE CONTINUING CURRENCY OF )BN x!RABkS TEACHING 0ARIS Y *OUSPEVDUJPO 4HERE IS A GROWING BODY OF CRITICAL EDITIONS TRANSLATIONS AND ANALY SES OF THE WORKS OF )BN x!RAB YET RELATIVELY LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO DIMENSIONS OF HIS CORPUS OF A MORE SPECIØCALLY LITURGICAL OR DEVOTIONAL CHARACTER 4HE MOST EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF PRAYERS AT TRIBUTED TO HIM ARISES IN THE MAJOR COMPILATION OF 3UNNI DEVOTIONAL TEXTS BY THE .AQSHBANDIo+HALIDI !HMED :IYA{ÓDDIN 'ÓMÓ HANEVI D KNOWN BY THE TITLE -AJMxAT AL AyZ¼B 7HILE A FEW OF THESE PRAYERS HAVE SINCE BEEN PUBLISHED AND SOME SUCH PUBLICATIONS CLAIM IF IMPLICITLY TO PRESENT CRITICAL EDITIONS EDITORS OFTEN PROVIDE SCANT OR NO INFORMATION CONCERNING THE MANUSCRIPTS ON WHICH THEY HAVE DRAWN AND IT IS CONSEQUENTLY DIFØCULT IN SOME CASES TO BE CER TAIN OF THEIR ORIGIN OR PRECISION ! CRITICAL COMPILATIONEDITION OF ALL THESE PRAYERS THAT RATIONALISES TITLES AND TEXTS ADDRESSES QUESTIONS OF ATTRIBUTION AND EXPLORES THE ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY TRADITION IS STILL TO BE PRODUCED !S A MODEST CONTRIBUTION TO THIS END AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE RELATIVELY FEW STUDIES OF -USLIM AND SUØ PRAYER AND PRAYER TEXTS MORE GENERALLY THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON A SINGLE SMALL PRAYER WHICH HAS AS ITS FULL TITLE AL $AWR AL AxL¼ AL MUQARRIB IL¼ KULLI MAQ¼M AL AxL¼ 4HE -OST %LEVATED #YCLE THAT BRINGS ONE CLOSE TO %VERY 3TATION OF 4HE -OST (IGH OFTEN CONTRACTED TO AL $AWR AL AxL¼ 4HE -OST %LEVATED #YCLE OR $AWR AL AxL¼ 4HE #YCLE OF 4HE -OST (IGH IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS IZB AL WIQ¼YA 4HE 0RAYER OF 0ROTECTION !S IN THE CASE OF OTHER PRAYERS ATTRIBUTED TO HIM THIS DOES NOT APPEAR IN )BN x!RABkS BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS THE èHRIS AND IJ¼ZA AND IS NOT MEN TIONED IN ANY OF HIS WORKS 9ET AS ONE CONTEMPORARY SUØ SHAYKH AND SPECIALIST IN HIS THOUGHT HAS PUT IT jTHERE IS A CONSENSUS AMONG THE PEOPLE OF THE 7AY OF 'OD ;AHL cARQ !LL¼H= CONCERNING ITS ATTRIBUTION TO THE 3HAYKH AL !KBARk ! CLEAR MAJORITY OF THE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF MANUSCRIPT COPIES SURVEYED
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