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In the name of Allah, most Gracious most Merciful

Khatam Sharif
in honour of the most venerable

Introduction
They will abandon you if you abandon their litanies, so rise to perform your litanies,
do not stay away!
Every pious person who is in tariqa contains a special power which is passed down
to his followers. This is known as a wird (litany). This can only be prescribed by the
Shaykh to his followers and it is something which cannot be self-diagnosed. Like a
doctor only knows the medicine for the patient, likewise the Shaykh knows which
litany to prescribe for his murids.
A litany is something which is done through repetition whether it is daily, weekly,
monthly or even annually; as long as it is a consistent action it can be classified as a
litany. The five daily prayers, adhan, iqama and regular readings can be seen as
litanies. There are two types of litanies; those that are universal and those that have
been specifically prescribed by a spiritual master for the individual murid and
therefore cannot be given to another, unless with the permission of the Shaykh.
Each wird has its optimum time to be carried out, whether it would be in the morning,
afternoon or evening and some have to be carried out on a certain day of the week
for it to have the most beneficial effect on the murid. This is also a transmission
between the master and the disciple which takes place both on a physical level and
also a spiritual one.
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One pious individual who maximised this transmission was none other than the
blessed Shaykh Salih al-Jafari from the Idrisiyyah order. He had regarded the
importance of the litanies so highly that he compiled a poem emphasising its value
and importance.
And you left a litany but you had known its status, you would have cried for neglecting it!
'Gift to God'
My Lord send blessings upon the beloved: Muhammad , and his grandsons,
the chiefs, the champions.
Shaykh Salih is a descendant from the noble family of the Prophet , tracing his
lineage to the great Imam Jafar as-Sadiq , hence why he was given the surname
Jafari. His family had originally migrated from Hijaz to North Africa, Morocco and
then eventually into Sudan where Shaykh Salih was born in the year 1910 in the
town of Dongola.
Shaykh Muhammad who was the father of Shaykh Salih wanted to name his
son after his father, he was very persistent about this matter and would not take no
for an answer. Shaykh Muhammads father was called Shaykh Salih , he
informed his son, If you name him after me, then you will be giving him as a gift to
God; his life will be in complete devotion to God, therefore he will be of no use to you
in cultivating crops and agriculture. Shaykh Muhammad accepted this outcome
and named his son Salih al Jafari .
Our Master
Shaykh Salihs father would teach him about farming and agriculture and would
emphasise the importance of the land but he would have no particular interest and
would often not give his full focus to his duty. This at times would anger his father,
Shaykh Muhammad and ultimately led to him complaining to a local teacher,
Shaykh Muhammad as-Sharif . Upon hearing the complaint, Shaykh Muhammad
as-Sharif remarked, Do you not remember the promise? The promise you made
to your father!' That you had given him as a gift to God. Forget about his duties that
you have given him; he is of no use to you.
From an early age Shaykh Salih had no desire for worldly titles or affairs and
would keep himself busy in religious studies. He was particularly keen studying and
learning the Holy Quran and his dedication was such that he had kept a copy next to
his bed and would recite from it every morning without fail. He had an excellent
education and learned from local teachers and scholars within his area. At the tender
age of 14 he had finished the Holy Quran and therefore got married not long after.
Shaykh Muhammad as-Sharif was not just his teacher but was also the third
Shaykh in line of the Idrisiyyah Sufi order which was founded Shaykh Ahmed bin
Idris . Shaykh Muhammad as-Sharif found the young boy to be so impressive
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that they would often refer to him as our master and by this statement Shaykh Salih
would feel embarrassed as he was much younger than them and felt he did not
deserve such a title.
As time passed so did his knowledge and wisdom. At the young age of 19 he had
decided to take baya in the Idrisiyyah order with his teacher, Shaykh Muhammad
as-Sharif , who also became his spiritual master. This was when he was given the
wird.
Not long after his initiation into the tariqa, he started to have and experience dreams
and visions where he would begin to see some of the grandmasters in the Idrisiyyah
order and was told by Shaykh Ahmed bin Idris personally that God is with you, go
study the jurisprudence of the four schools of law. He had this dream interpreted
and he discovered it meant that he must go to the centre of knowledge and learning
which was known as Al Azhar Sharif. His teacher would often mention this to his
father that Shaykh Salih has great potential and it would benefit him if he was to
travel to Al Azhar Sharif, so he could gain benefit and understanding from the great
personalities that make Al Azhar the centre of learning.
Shaykh Salih narrates, I had borrowed the commentary of Sahih Muslim which
was composed by Imam Nawawi and I was reading it. As I continued I saw
Shaykh Abdul Ali Idrisi (son of Shaykh Ahmed ibn Idris ). He was sitting on a
chair with his bags packed. I heard someone say Shaykh wants to travel to al-
Azhar. I felt this was an indication and an approval of my journey. I went to greet
and kiss the hands of the Shaykh and he said to me sharply 'knowledge is taken
from chest of men and not from books;' he kept repeating this statement several
times.
I awoke from my sleep and was inspired to sit in the company of my local scholars.
One day I was sitting and it came to my heart that it is possible that the Prophet is
present in this gathering, as the Shaykh was speaking and he seemed very inspired.
As this thought entered my heart, the Shaykh looked at me and said Yes boy, yes
boy.
Wird (litany)
Hold firmly to our path and you will get what you seek; come to us and we will come to you!
The holy Prophet would tell certain Companions to recite certain chapters of the
Quran and certain supplications, they were known as Hizbs. As they would
recommend Companions to recite Surah Yasin in the morning, to recite Surah
Waqiah after Maghrib and to recite the verse of the throne when entering, leaving
your home and before sleeping. These are just a few examples of litanies set by
Rasul Allah . The saints use the same principles and apply that to their followers
and the litanies act as an antidote which helps in suppressing bad characteristics
and blossoms the good character in people. The Shaykh gives out litanies according
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to the level of the disciple and would increase or decrease them depending on this
progression or even lack of it.
Some litanies that are granted to the murids are only within a certain tariqa and are
extremely special, as they have been passed down from the masters within that
chain. When you call upon the litanies you are gaining the attention and focus of all
the masters within that chain and they can see your physical and spiritual state as
you recite them. They see your intension and your capacity and have the power to
gain a connection with your living spiritual master and instruct him on what action he
should carry out.
Shaykh Salih mentions that if you abandon your litanies, then surely they will
abandon you. The litanies acts as a connection between you and your master and if
they are left, then the focus of your master is lost and someone else will gain benefit
from your heedlessness. The wird is an essential aspect for your progress and is like
water for the soul.
Like this, each wird has its own character and personality. The wird which is given
has an effect on your temperament: some have a soothing effect whilst some are
really hot and make you temperamental and even aggressive if it is not done with
care. This is why being the master is not easy as they have to give the followers the
right wird according to their temperament and occupation because it will have a
measurable effect on the physical being. Some litanies are only allowed to be given
to those who are married as they have reached a point in their life where they are
able to carry it and it has an effect on the heart.
Rasul Allah mentions that if a person was to miss his wird then he is to make it up
the next day between the time of Fajr and Zuhr Salah. This is the concession which
is given and it emphasises the importance of it. If the litany is read within the time
given, then it will be written down as if the litanies were read the night before.
Shaykh Salih kept his connection through his wird and through his teachings at Al
Azhar Sharif.
Al-Azhar Sharif
Shaykh Salih had made the intention to move to Al Azhar Sharif which is the
oldest university in the world based in Egypt. When the foundations were being
made the local saints had a dream in which Rasul Allah had indicated to them
where to start building; this was seen as a sign of Rasul Allahs approval. Shaykh
Salih was at the age of 20 and he was married with two children, he had a boy
called Abdul Ghani and a daughter called Fatima. With his family, he set off from
Dongola, Sudan and made his journey to Al Azhar Sharif.
Upon arrival Shaykh Salih was shocked at the cosmopolitan culture of Cairo as he
imagined it would be remote like his own home town area. With this impression from
Cairo he continued into the city and went to pay respects to the tomb of Sayyiduna
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Imam Husayn . Here he came across Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim Samalooti
who had caught his eye; he realised he was not an ordinary person. He would later
learn that he was a prominent scholar of Al Azhar.
Shaykh Samalooti said to him, Do not think the friends of God only live in caves
and are secluded away; separate from society. The true friend of God is he who lives
among the scorpions and yet they are not able to sting him. Remain here and
struggle against yourself and with the people. Hearing these words, Shaykh Salih
said to himself, This is a knower of God. I have not said anything yet and he has
read my mind. Shaykh Salih made a firm intention to remain in Cairo and not
leave as long as he lived.
Shaykh Samalooti taught the science of Hadith and Shaykh Salih began to
attend his lectures. With each session he began to feel a surge of spirituality from his
teacher and he commented, When the Shaykh mentioned a Hadith, it felt as though
Rasul Allah was directly speaking himself.
Teachers
For in this path there are Shaykhs who have perfected the good counselling of men;
and Allah has clothed them in majesty
Along with Shaykh Samalooti , Shaykh Salih had many other noble teachers
over the course of his Al Azhar studies. After spending some time in the vicinity of
the university he realised that these teachers were not ordinary scholars but they
were Awliya Allah. They had the upmost piety and were the most God fearing people
he had ever come across, possessing a strong connection with God and the Prophet
.
Shaykh Salih narrates, When I came to Al Azhar I discovered a Shaykh teaching
at every pillar. They were so connected with teaching that tears used to flow from
their eyes. When we sat in their presence, we were humbled and would cry because
their words touched us; such was their sincerity and connection with God. These
people were not mere scholars that had memorised books, they possessed much
more.
One night I saw the Prophet in my sleep and he referred to me as a boy. I was
angered by this and thought to myself what have I done wrong. When I woke up, I
went to my lesson and I sat in misery at having being called a boy by the Prophet
as it felt as though Im not mature enough. As I was thinking this, the Shaykh in the
class turned to me and said, 'It is not in that context, we only call you boy because it
is the custom of the Arabs. It is because you are young. These people are saints;
they are the people that receive direct knowledge into the heart in the form of divine
inspiration.
Shaykh Habibullah was another notable teacher of Shaykh Salih . He had
taught for many years in Makkah and was a distinguished scholar. He would have a
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set reciter in his class to read the Holy Quran and Hadith; this role was reserved for
the most intelligent and smartest student.
One day Shaykh Salih wished to recite in the lessons and went over to the house
of his teacher and knocked on the door, whilst waiting in anticipation. As they
opened the door they said to him You are the one Insha Allah. Without Shaykh
Salih uttering a single letter, he had gained approval and been given permission
to recite.
Shaykh Salih at times would lead the lesson when his teacher was ill, hence this
meant that he would be delivering the class to his fellow brothers. They would often
make life difficult for him and would mock him at times. With this concern in mind
Shaykh Salih approached his teacher and informed him of the situation with the
class. Shaykh Habibullah would sympathise with him and say, They only mock
you because they are jealous of you; dont be disheartened by them.
At times Shaykh Habibullah would correct him from the lesson he had delivered,
this would be done without Shaykh Salih telling his teacher what he had even
spoke about. This indicated the level of the firasa (insight) of Shaykh Habibullah .
Shaykh Salih had immense love and loyalty toward his teacher and stated
Alhamdulillah I stayed with Shaykh Habibulllah until his death, remaining his
student for 15 years. I was involved in the burial and after this I began to teach in the
mosque of Imam Husayn . Shaykh Habibullah would often say during his
lessons, Shaykh Salih is the blessing of the lesson and he has the authority to
teach and give permission to anyone from what I have received.
Shaykh Salih had completed his studies and gained the highest honour in 1942.
He then travelled back to Sudan to celebrate this achievement with his family. He
was then offered a job at Al Azhar in 1947 and was given the rank of grand Shaykh.
He did not give up his studies and continued to strive and was given a PhD
certificate in many other Islamic sciences.
Once there was an incident where his old teacher, Shaykh Muhammad as-Sharif
came to Cairo for medical treatment. Later, after his visit from the hospital he saw a
big gathering of people surrounding a person. The voice of the person sounded
familiar, and as he drew closer to the congregation of people, he looked up and saw
his student Salih as-Jafari .
Shaykh Muhammad as-Sharif smiled and sat down amongst the group of
students. Shaykh Salih saw his old teacher from Dongola and continued the
lesson as this was the correct etiquette to show a teacher in class; by finishing the
teachings of Rasul Allah and then by meeting the teacher after the lesson had
finished. Once the class was adjourned, Shaykh Salih said to all his students to
meet his teacher and they all greeted Shaykh Muhammad and kissed his hand.
When Shaykh Salih went to meet his teacher, Shaykh Muhammad said to him,
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Welcome our master. Shaykh Salih was embarrassed like before and just
humbly kissed the hands of his master and welcomed him with great love and
affection.
The Yellow one
In between his studies, Shaykh Salih had the privilege of performing the sacred
pilgrimage of Hajj; he performed Hajj 27 times in total. However, one particular Hajj
was quiet special as he had an encounter with a special someone. This took place in
Mina where he came across an absorbed mystic in worship; he could feel this was
no ordinary person as he could feel the vibrations spiking from him. After a while he
approached this mystic and asked, Where can I find Khidr ? referring to the
Green one.
The mystic looked at him and after a moment responded, You will find him in the
Rouda in Madinah. So after the Hajj was completed, he went to Madinah and was
sat there when he noticed a beautiful man who stood out from the rest of the crowd.
The man was wearing a yellow turban and approached Shaykh Salih and sought
permission to ask him a question.
Having received permission, he asked Shaykh Salih , We have come here to offer
and give our greetings to the Prophet . Does he hear us when we come here to
pay respect to him?
Shaykh Salih replied, Yes indeed he hears us, no doubt. The man said thank
you and then asked another question; When we go back to our homes, thousands
of miles away, we offer greetings to the Prophet by send salutations upon him and
hold many gatherings in his honour. Does he hear us then, from thousands of miles
away?
Shaykh Salih replied with conviction, Definitely! Without doubt. As he hears you
from here, he can hear you from there. There is no doubt. The man said, May Allah
put your heart at rest as you have put my heart at rest. Saying these words, he
departed and disappeared amongst the crowd.
Shaykh Salih later on saw a dream. In the dream he was on a boat which seemed
to match the description of the boat of Musa which was mentioned in the Holy
Quran when Musa had made the intention to find a special mystic. Shaykh Salih
looked into the horizon and saw a handsome man waving at him at from a
distance. As he got closer he realised he recognised the person; it was that same
person who was wearing the yellow turban and had asked him questions. He
realised the man with the yellow turban was Khidr .
So look at yourself: did you recite their litanies? Or are you tied down by weights?
Sayyiduna Khidr plays a major role in all the tariqas within Sufism as he has been
given permission by God to pass on certain litanies to the masters in the chains of
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Sufism. The masters then transmit these litanies to the disciples in that particular
tariqa. So when they read a particular wird, it is attaining the focus of the Green
one, upon the reader.
Conclusion
Shaykh Salih was not just a teacher but he also kept his own readings and
remained steadfast on it, till he passed away. It was his practice to roam the
courtyards of Al Azhar Sharif with a 1000 bead tasbih (rosary bead) and recite 2000
Durud Azeemiya before going to sleep every night. This was done whilst he was
checking on the other students to see if they needed any assistance or aid.
Shaykh Salih knew the importance of the litanies and he emphasised the
importance of keeping to these as if you are biting something with you canine teeth;
that you dont let go of this opportunity as this could be detrimental to you physical
and spiritual health if you were to stop. This was the habit of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim
not just when he was at home but during his travels. It was commented that when
he had travelled to the United States he kept to his normal readings like he did when
he was at home. He would always pray the extra optional prays and would not miss
prayers such as Salat ul Doha and Ishraq regardless of where he was travelling.
There was once a particular person who used to recite a particular wird in the forest
and one day he was being attacked by a group of people and he was struggling to
hold them off. Then moments later, all these soldiers dressed in full armour but
without helmets appeared from nowhere and defended him. He arrived at his
destination safe and secure and informed his Shaykh about this incident. The
Shaykh mentioned, These soldiers that came to your aid were your litanies.
However as you mentioned they were without helmets. This was because you
missed out the opening bismillah. That is the crown of all the litanies and is just as
important as the wird itself.
Whatever is given by your spiritual master is something that was given to all the
masters in your chain of the tariqa that you belong to and which has ultimately been
given from Rasul Allah to Shah-e-Mardan Sayyiduna Ali who then filters the
message to all the living saints and pious people. So to neglect the litanies out of
heedlessness will mean you are turning your back away from Rasul Allah and all
the Awliya Allah that belong in that tariqa.
May we have the ability and strength to carry out the litanies and grow closer to
Rasul Allah and those personalities like Shaykh Salih that love him.
My Lord send blessings upon the beloved: Muhammad , and his grandsons, the chiefs,
the champions
Al- Fatiha