Post by IbnKhalis on Jul 16, 2015 10:10:27 GMT
Young Girl Inspires a Scholar
The book, ‘Dala’il al-Khayrat’, was written by the pious saint and scholar, Shaykh Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (rahmatullahi ‘alayh). He grew up amongst the Berbers of North Africa in Sous and later moved to Fez, where he studied Fiqh and memorised the Mudawwana of Sahnun in the Madhab of Imam Malik (rahmatullahi ‘alayh). More than twenty thousand students learnt Tafsir and Fiqh from him and many narrated Hadith from him. He was initiated into the Shadhili order of Tasawwuf[1] and remained in solitary retreat for fourteen years. When he emerged, many people were attracted to him, and thousands repented from their lives of sin.
One day, while he was travelling with his students, he arrived at a village close to Fez. The time Zuhr Salah was coming to an end and they had no waster to perform wudu’[2]. They, finally, stumbled upon a well but there was no rope or bucket to draw the water. The Shaykh became worried that the Salah time would elapse and began circling the well anxiously. In the meanwhile, an eight year old girl was observing the proceedings from a nearby house.
She called out, “O Shaykh, why the anxiety?”
The Shaykh replied, “I am Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli. The time of Zuhr is about to elapse and I have no water to perform wudu'.”
Surprised, the girl answered, “You are such a great personality. How can it be that you cannot do such a simple thing as draw water from a well? Wait, I will come to help you!”
When the girl arrived, she spat into the well and the water began to gush forth on all four sides of the well. She then returned home. When the Shaykh had completed his Salah, he immediately went to the house of the little girl and knocked on the door.
The little girl asked, “Who is it?”
The Shaykh replied, “O beloved girl, by the oath of Allah, Who has created and guided you, and in the name of the prophets and Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) whose intercession you are hopeful of, please inform me how you have reached this lofty stage of piety.”
The girl replied, “Had you not taken such a noble oath, I would never have informed you. I have reached this level by virtue of a certain durud[3] which I recite regularly.”
The Shaykh learnt the durud from her and immediately felt a strong urge to compose a beautiful book on durud. The work authored by him is called “Dala’il al-Khayrat”. It has been printed and recited in many parts of the Muslim world, especially in the blessed cities of Makkah and Madinah.[4]
Shaykh Sulayman al-Jazuli (rahmatullahi ‘alayh) passed away while in sajdah (prostration) during Fajr Salah and was buried in Sous to another location in Morocco. Amazingly, his body was completely intact.[5] Allahu Akbar[6]! May Allah reward him with the highest of stages in Jannah.
[1] A system of reformation dealing with the purification of the soul
[2] To wash oneself before salah (prayer)
[3] Salutation upon Nabi (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
[4] Dala'il al-Khayrat, Muqaddimah
[5] Sharh Dala'il al-Khayrat wa Mushariq al-Anwar, p.1
[6] Allah is the Greatest
English translation taken from Pearls from the Path Volume 1, Muslims at Work, pp. 55-56