Dala’il al-Khayrat (Waymarks of beneficence and light in remembrance of the blessings of the Prophet)

Manuscript in Ottoman Turkish
by Hafiz Mahmud Imâmü’s-Saray-i Hazret-i Esma Sultan. On behalf of Nevreste Hanim, court lady of Esma Sultan, daughter of Sultan Abdulhamid I. Istanbul, c. 1184-1192 [1770-1778]
265 leaves, 19 x 15 cm,
original leather binding.

Order No.: MSS_110
Status: sold
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The Dala’il al-Khayrat is the first major book in Islamic history which compiled litanies of peace and blessings upon Muhammad. It is also the most popular and most universally acclaimed collection of litanies asking God to bless him.

Among some Sunni religious orders, most notably the Shadhili-Jazuli order, its recitation is a daily practice. In others however, its recitation is a purely voluntary daily practice. The work begins with the ninety nine names of God, and then the a collection of over one hundred names of Muhammad. The legend behind the origin of the Dala’il al-Khayrat claims that al-Jazuli once awoke late for his morning prayers and began to look in vain for pure water to perform ritual ablutions. In the midst of his search al-Jazuli encountered a young girl who was aware of al-Jazuli's famed religiosity and was bewildered on why al-Jazuli could not find pure water. The girl then spat into a well which miraculously

Overflown with pure sweet water for al-Jazuli to perform ablutions. Consequent to performing prayer, al-Jazuli inquired to the means by which the girl achieved such a high spiritual station. The girl replied it was simply by "Making constant prayer for God to bless the best of creation by the number of breaths and heartbeats." Al-Jazuli then resolved to write a work collecting litanies of prayers asking God to bless and show mercy and kindness to Muhammad. Al-Jazuli then moved east to Medina where he would recite the whole of the Dala’il al-Khayrat twice daily at Muhammad's grave in Al-Masjid an-Nabawi. The Dala'il Khayrat has since been seen as a testament of love and passionate longing for Muhammad.