Ratib Al-Haddad

Ratib al-Haddad is a Zikr (additional voluntary invocation) to be recited every night after Magrib or Salât al-'Ishâ. It is a collection of Surahs and verses from the Holy Qur'an Kareem as well as the Kalimaat (declarations of belief), Tasbeehaat (praise of Allah Ta'ala) and Duas (invocations) which the beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa Sallallahu alaihi as Sallam recommended in his blessed sayings or Hadith Shareef.

Mawlana al-Haddad, Rady Allahu Anhu has rendered a great service to Muslims in compiling all these in one small Kitab called Ratib-ush-Shahir, popularly know as Ratib-al-Haddad. And being mindful of the blessed Prophet's Sunnah of not over-burdening the Muslims, he has put together just the most basic supplications which take at most 15 minutes to recite.

This is the Wird that the Mureedeen (disciples) receive as Wazifa from their Shaykh when initiated into Tariqah (spiritual path leading to Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala). The spiritual rewards of its daily recitation are immense. If someone is seeking Maghfira (salvation and permanent forgiveness) from Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted, he can be recommended to recite this Zikr. If your Shaykh has put you under the canopy of Mawlana al-Haddad, Rady Allahu Anhu, you are directly linked to his ancestor, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah, Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam.

It starts with Surah al-Fateha, Ayatul Kursi and the last two verses of Surah al-Baqara. Then follow various Kalimaat, Tasbeehaat, Dua, and Salawaat, each to be recited a specific number of times.

Laa Ilaha Illallahu
Wahdahu Laa Sharika Lahu
Lahul Mulku wa Lahul Hamdu
Yuhyi wa Yumitu
wa Huwa 'Alaa Kulli Shay'in Qadeer

There is no one worthy of worship but Allah,
He is One, He has no Partner,
His is the Kingdom, and His is the Praise,
He gives life and causes death,
and He has power over all things.
[This is to be recited three times]

Sub'han-Allah wal Haamdu Lillah
walaa ilaaha Illallahu Wallahu Akbar

Glory is for Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and there is no one worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is Most Great.
[This is to be recited three times]

Sub'han Allahi wa bi-Hamdihi
Sub'han Allah-il-'Azeem

Glory be to Allah
as He Himself Glorifies and Praises Himself;
Glory be to Allah, the Exalted
[This is to be recited three times]

Rabbanaghfir lana wa tub 'alayna
Innaka Antat-Tawwaab-ur-Raheem

O our Lord forgive us and relent towards us;
Truly, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful
[This is to be recited three times]

Allahumma Salli 'alaa Sayyidina Muhammad
Allahumma Salli 'alayhi wa Sallim

O Allah, send blessings on Sayyidina Muhammad;
O Allah send blessings and peace on him.
[This is to be recited 3 times and so on]

There are more than a dozen such Kalimaat, Tasbihaat and Dua to be recited various number of times among which is Tahlil (or the Kalima Tayyiba: Laa Ilaaha Illallah) to be recited from 50 to 1000 times; it is normal practice to recite it 100 times. After this, Surah Ikhlas is recited 3 times and Surah al-Falaq and Surah An-Naas once each.

This is followed by Fateha for Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam; for Sayyidina al-Faqih al-Muqaddam Muhammad ibn Ali Ba-Alawi, Rady Allahu Anhu, the Qutb and Gauth in Tariqatul Alawiyya; for all the Sufi Mashaaikh (spiritual masters); for Qutb-ul-Irshad Sayyiduna al-Habib Abdallah bin Alawi al-Haddad, Rady Allahu Anhu, the compiler of the Ratib; for our parents, our Mashaaikh and all Muslims, men and women.

Ratib al-Haddad ends with the following resounding dua:

Allahumma Innaa Nas'aluka
Ridhaaka wal-Jannah
wa na'uzu bika min sakhatika wannaar

O Allah we ask of You
Your Good Pleasure and paradise,
and seek Your protection from Your displeasure and the calamity of hell-fire.
[This is to be recited 3 times.]

Ratib al-Haddad is universally popular: you see devotees reciting it in the Haramain in Makkah and Madinah, as well as in Jeddah, Mombasa, Singapore, London and Toronto; indeed all over the world. Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi starts his biography of Mawlana al-Haddad Rady Allahu Anhu by expounding on Ratib al-Haddad. In fact, we find that the duas in Ratib al-Haddad are the very same duas we pray when doing the Tawaf of the Ka'ba except for the special duas recited at each of the four corners of the Ka'ba and at Hajr al-Aswad. So Ratib al-Haddad can be prayed while doing Tawaf.

With more and more disciples reciting Ratib al-Haddad, many Ulama (scholars) and Mashaaikh (spiritual masters) have decided to include it in their kitabs so that it becomes generally available. Even kitabs of Mawlid of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam inevitably include Ratib al-Haddad. Some of the kitabs which contain the Ratib are:

1. Waseelatul 'Ibaad Ilaa Zaadil Ma'aad, Majmu' Awraad wa Da'waat Wa Salawaat Li'l Imam Shaykh al-Islam Abdallah bin 'Alawi al-Haddad, published by Maktaba Isha'ah Al-Islam, Delhi.

2. Mukhul 'Ibada Li Ahl-is-Suluk wal Irada, compiled by al-Habib as-Sayyid 'Abdallah bin Mustafa bin Hasan al-'Aydarus.

3. Manba 'al Wurraad Fil Azkaar wal Awraad, compiled by Muhyiddeen bin Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad Zanzibari, published in Cairo.

4. Khulasa Shawaariqul Anwaar Min Ad'iyati-s-Saadatil Akhyaar, compiled by As-Sayyid Muhammad Bin Alawi al-Maliki al-Hasani.

5. Mawlidi Sharaf al-An'aam, published by Sulayman Mar'ee, Singapore.

6. Majmua Mushtamilah, of Shaykh Abdulrahman bin Ahmad al-Zayla'iyy, published by Maktabatul Jundi, Cairo.

7. Ratib al-Haddad, printed separately. Biqalam: Sa'eed ibn Shaykh Ali Sa'eed al-Adni, published by Haji Mohamed and Sons, Mombasa.

May Allah Sub'hanahu wa Ta'ala give us the hidaya (guidance) to recite Ratib al-Haddad on a daily basis and may he make it a means for our salvation, Aameen, Yaa Rabbal Aalameen.

1417 / 1997
Toronto, Canada