HURUF U'L MUQATTA'AT
An ancient tradition among the ulama (the learned) and the mashaaikh (spiritual masters) is to compose salawaat giving a meaning to each letter in the name of the beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. On earth, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam is called Muhammad and in the heavens, he is called Ahmad. The name Muhammad is composed of four letters: "Meem", "Haa", "Meem", and "Daal", while the name Ahmad is composed of "Alif", "Haa", "Meem" and "Daal". The mashaaikh have composed salawaat with these letters. But Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu 'Anhu went a step beyond this. He composed a salaat with these letters together with the Huruf u'l Muqatta'at.

The Huruf u'l Muqatta'at are the letters with which some of the surahs of the Qur'an Kareem start. These are: "Alif Laam Meem", "Alif Laam Meem Saad", "Alif Laam Raa", "Kaaf Haa Yaa 'Ain Saad", "Taa Haa", "Taa Seen Meem", "Taa Seen", "Yaa Seen", "Saad", "Haa Meem", "Ain, Seen, Qaaf", "Qaaf", and "Noon". Only Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala knows their true meanings, as well as those whom He cares to give this knowledge to, the foremost among them being the Holy Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. The mashaaikh are agreed that Taa Haa and Yaa Seen are attributive names of praise for the blessed Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. Other mashaaikh have explained the significance of each of the huruf u'l muqatta'at, saying they denote the sifaat (attributive qualities) of the noble Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam. For example, the letter "Yaa" in "Yaa Seen" denotes a sifat, and so does the letter "Seen". Yet other mashaaikh have composed salawaat with the huruf u'l muqatta'at.

Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu 'Anhu combined all this 'ulum (knowledge) in a grand convocation in just one salaat. We find that in one of the salawaat given in Fuyudhaat u'r Rabbaniyyah, the Gauth u'l A'zam has used the letters in the blessed names Muhammad and Ahmad as well as the Huruf u'l Muqatta'at without repeating any of the Huruf u'l Muqatta'at! Who can beat such scholarship? As we appreciate this learning that is open, manifest and clear, we begin to understand the depth of his spiritual knowledge that was a secret and even more hidden.

Let us then approach this salaat after reciting Surah al-Fateha. Al-Fateha!

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa Bi'llah i'l 'Aliyy i'l 'Azeem
Laa Ilaaha Ill'Allah u'l Malik u'l Haqq u'l Mubeen
Muhammad u'r Rasulullah i's Saadaq i'l Wa'di'l Ameen

Rabbanaa aamannaa bimaa anzalta wattaba'na'r Rasul-a
Fa'ktubnaa ma'ash-shaahideen

Allahumma Salli wa Sallim
Wa birra wa akrim wa a'izza wa a'zim wa'rham
'Ala'l 'izzish-shaamikhi wa'l majdi'l baadhikhi
Wa'n nur-it-taamihi wa'l haqqi'l waadhihi
Meemi'l mamlakati wa Haa-i'r-rahmati
Wa Meemi'l ilmi wa Daal-i'd-dalaalati
Wa Alifi'l jabaruti wa Haa-i'r-rahamuti
Wa Meemi'l malakuti wa Daali'l hidaayati
Wa Laami'l altaafi'l khafiyyati
Wa Raa-i'r-ra'fati'l khafiyyati
Wa Nuni'l minani'l wafiyyati
Wa 'Aini'l 'inaayati wa Kaafi'l kifaayati
Wa Yaa-i's-siyaadati wa Seen-i's-sa'adati wa Qaafi'l qurbi
Wa Taa-i's-saltanati wa Haa-i'l-'urwati wa Saad-i'l-'ismati
Wa 'alaa aalihi hawaajiri 'ilmihi'l 'azeezi
Wa as'haabihi man asbahaddeenu bihim fee hirzin hareez.

With the name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful (1:1)

And there is no power nor strength except with Allah,
The Most High, The Magnificent.
None is worthy of worship except Allah,
The Sovereign Lord, The Clear Truth.
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,
truthful to his promise, trustworthy.

Our Lord! We believe in what You have Revealed
and we follow the Messenger,
so write us down among those who bear witness (3:53).

O Allah! Bestow blessings, peace and honour;
and give nobility, power and greatness; and have mercy
on the one who is lofty in power and towering in grandeur,
and is the high-aspiring light and the clear truth;
the letter "Meem" (in the name Muhammad) is for the kingdom,
"Haa" is for mercy, "Meem" is for knowledge, and "Daal" is for evidence (proof);
the letter "Alif" (in the name Ahmad) is for might and power,
"Haa" is for the realm of mercy,
"Meem" is for sovereignty, and "Daal" is for guidance;
the letter "Laam" (in the Huruf u'l Muqatta'at) is for hidden kindness,
"Raa" is for hidden compassion,
"Noon" is for perfect benevolence,
"Ain" is for care and concern, "Kaaf" is for sufficiency,
"Yaa" is for headship and becoming master, "Seen" is for happiness,
"Qaaf" is for nearness,
"Taa" is for the sultanate, "Haa" is for the tie or bond (of friendship)
and "Saad" is for preservation,
and (blessings and peace) on his family,
who are the high noon of his esteemed knowledge,
and on his companions through whom religion was well protected.

This is just the opening portion of this momentous salaat which is only about a quarter of it. The remaining three quarters consists mostly of dua (invocation).

This calls for a Fateha. Al-Fateha!

• His Most Well-Know Salawaat
• As-Salaatu'l Gauthiyyah
• Kibriti'l Ahmar
• As-Salaat U'l Kubra
• Kanzi'l A'zam
• Huruf U'l Muqatta'at
• Salaams On The Beloved Prophet
• A Blessed Son Of The Blessed Prophet