Preface of the book: “Jawharatoul Kamal” by Sheikh Ibrahim Abdallah Sall (RAA)
“After invoking God and praying upon the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), what I entrust to you is to hold firmly to God and purify your heart regarding what surrounds you, immersing it in the Oneness of God in your actions and living in His presence through His attributes.
This purification in God that I entrust to you must fill your being until you conform to divine decrees.
Never turn away from the Face of God.
Be steadfast in all that God has approved, and distance yourself from and abandon all that He has prohibited.
Respect and accept all that God decrees, and be patient with these decrees in times of trials.
To find ease in fulfilling His commandments, strive to be devoted to the remembrance of God with your heart.
The greatest invocation, of inestimable value and encompassing immense secrets, is the prayer upon the Prophet (SAW), especially with a present heart.
God has decreed that through a single prayer upon the Prophet (SAW), all the wishes of a servant are granted—whether they pertain to this world or the Hereafter.
The best among Muslims and all servants is the one who prays the most upon the Prophet (SAW).
I also entrust you with holding firm to abandoning everything that is unlawful. Seeking lawful sustenance will grant you a spiritually accepted life.
Thus, lawful means are the foundation of all prayers.
Attachment to prohibitions nullifies acts of worship.
You might think that obtaining lawful sustenance is difficult in this world, but never say such a thing, for what is lawful is accessible in every land and at all times.
If you wish to attain lawful means, fulfill your duties as a servant—both outwardly and inwardly—at their appointed times and align yourself with their obligations.
Seek help from God, and He will grant you lawful sustenance.
If you are unable to distinguish between what is lawful and unlawful, consult those who possess this knowledge (the Muftis), but above all, show goodwill in seeking lawful means.
Whoever perseveres in seeking the lawful through these scholars will never struggle to find it.
The most important point of my previous recommendations is what follows, and you must pay close attention.
It is the beginning and the end of all success.
Wherever you find yourself, direct your heart toward God.
Devote your heart to God until you experience His Oneness.
Everything that is not God must disappear—only God must exist in His Oneness.
This applies everywhere, at all times, and in every place.
The servant who has been granted divine opening (the return to God), in both the hidden and the apparent, has attained the highest blessings that God grants to His truthful servants.
However, if you cannot remain attached to this eternal presence, then recite this prayer three or seven times after each prayer.
If you do so, you will gain the strength and ability to follow the above recommendations, which you may currently find difficult to fulfill.
اللهم عليك معولي وبك ملاذي واليـك التجائي وعليك توكلي وبك ثقتي وعلى حولك وقوتك اعتمادي وبجميع مجاري احكامك رضاي وباقراري بسريان فيوميتك في كل شيء وعدم احتمال خروج شيء دق او جل من علمك وقهرك حتى لحظة سكوني
“Allahumma ‘alayka mu‘awaly wa bika malâzi wa ilayka ittidja-y wa ‘alayka tawakkouli wa bika siqati wa ‘ala hawlika wa qouwatika i‘timâdi wa bi jami‘ majary ahkâmika ridâya wa bi-iqrâri bisarayâni qayoumiyatika fi kulli shay-in wa ‘adama ihtimâli khouroudji shay-in daqqa aw djalla min ‘ilmika wa qahrika hatta lahzata soukouni. Ameen.”
Translation:
“O Allah, I surrender myself to You; in You, I seek refuge; and through You, my life finds fulfillment. I rely upon Your inspiration and power. In all the ways You decree Your judgments, I am content, and my peace is in Your Existence—the Ever-Sustaining. In all things, I bear witness, believe, and trust that nothing, whether small or great, occurs except with Your knowledge and power. Even if I attain peace in my surroundings, I have faith that this tranquility comes only from You.” Ameen.
Whoever, due to the distractions of this world, can no longer live in divine presence at all times, this prayer will help him regain tranquility.
This tranquility enables you to detach from everything that is not God.
It is the greatest gateway to attaining knowledge of God.
Whoever understands this is an ‘Arif (a knower of God).
Do not neglect this prayer; hold firmly to God with humility.
Human life is short, and the return to God is a long journey.
Good deeds will never be enough, and the burden is heavy.
This is the secret that God entrusted to humankind after they took the covenant of servitude to Him.
And the judgment belongs to God—a most severe judgment.
Therefore, let everyone be concerned with what pleases God, for therein lies true happiness.
Sheikh Salih Sadr al-Moubraz, an ‘Arif (knower of God), Ibn Samak, said:
“Whoever directs his heart toward God, God will direct His mercy toward him and incline all people toward him.
But whoever turns away from God, God will turn everyone away from him.
And whoever turns to Allah occasionally, Allah will turn to him in equal measure.”
The ultimate goal is to abandon everything that is not God.
If you face trials with people, endure them for the sake of God.
God loves good relations between His servants, and through them, He will accept your deeds.
The highest of all recommendations is to send abundant prayers upon the Prophet (SAW),
with mastery of oneself in the divine presence.
This is the greatest wealth and the most immense blessing, through which one attains divine increase.”
(This letter was dictated by Sheikh Ahmad at-Tijani (RA) and written by Ali Harazim, his caliph, who carried immense love for his Sheikh.)