Al-Fatiha with the Intention of Reciting the Greatest Name

Among the greatest virtues (karamat) of Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) that the paramount Khalifa, Sidi Abul Hassan Ali Harazem ibn al-Arbi Berrada al-Fasi (d. 1218/1803) reports in the Jawahir al-Maani and the Epistle Bounty and Gratitude to the Companions and Confidants is that the Almighty God have bestowed upon him the secrets of the Fatiha with the intention of mentioning the Greatest Name of Allah that is specially reserved for the Holy Prophet ( al-Ism al-Aadham al-Kabir alKhass bi-Rasulillah). This Name is codified with complicated talisman and no one can reach its secrets including the big poles because it is part of the encompassing Ahmedi Mohammedian circle (al-Hadra alAhmediya al-Mohammediya) which no pole has any share in its content because of its sublimity. Sidi Abu Yazid al-Bistami (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I underwent the depths of gnosises in search of place at the essence of the Mohammedian Reality to where I found between me and it a thousand veils of light. If I approached the first veil I would be burned just as a hair is burned when cast into the fire, and so I merely delayed the retreat." The Bounty of ONE ordinary recitation of the Fatiha (Ch. 1) Sidi Abul Hassan Harazem (d. 1218/1803) shows in the Jawahir that ONE ordinary recitation of the Fatiha (Ch. 1) is worth the following,

1 full recitation (khatma) of the Holy Quran; 1,000,147,525 palaces and houries in Heaven (each houri has 70,000 servants) when read once a day; 4,787,415,900 palaces and houries in Heaven when read during the five obligatory rituals; the complete worship (qiyam) of Laylat al-Qadr, which contain the rewards of casting the fast of Ramadan (12,000 palaces and houries a day *30= 360,000); the bounty of the recitation of al-Qadr chapter (Ch. 97): i.e. 360,000 palaces and houries. The latter also equals 1 full recitation of Hizb Sayfi if the chapter is recited 40 times with the proper intention. the bounty of the recitation of al-Ikhlas chapter (Ch. 112), which equals 3 full recitation (khatma) of the Holy Quran; the rewards of every recitation of the Quran and every tasbi'h and invocation and supplication made in earth from the creation of existence to the time of recitation. freedom from sin in the year it is read. Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that ONE recitation of the Fatiha frees from sin for a year.

The Bounty of Reciting the Fatiha with the Intention of the Greatest Name Sidna Shaykh Abil Abbas Tijani (may Allah be pleased with him) said as read in the Jawahir al-Maani: "No one could illustrate the bounty of reading the Fatiha with the intention of the Greatest Name save Allah." However, and according the Jawahir, the Fatiha with the known intention is worth 6000 of Salat al-Fatih. Sidna Shaykh has also heard his grandfather (peace and blessing be upon him) saying, "And he would reside nearby me in the Paradise of 'Illiyyine (Highest Heaven). Concerning the Recitation of the "Basmala" along the Fatiha Shaykh al-Islam al-Mujahid Sidi al-Haj Omar ibn Said al-Futi (d. 1279/1864) said in Kitab Rima'h al-Hizb al-Rahim ala Nuhur Hizb ar-Rajim (The Spears of the League of the Merciful thrown at the Necks of the League of the Accursed) on the issue of mentioning al-Basmala (i.e. Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim; In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Ever Merciful) when reading the Chapter of Fatiha (Ch. 1): "According to Lubab at Ta'wil, Shafia and a group of the scholars maintained that the Al-Basmala (Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim; In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Ever Merciful) is a verse of the Fatiha (Ch. 1), and of every verse, apart from the Verse of Mohammed (Ch. 47). This is the opinion of Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Abu Haraira, Sa'id ibn Jubair, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Ahmad and Ishaq. Al-Baihaqi transmitted

this opinion on the authority of Sidna Ali ibn Abu Talib, az Zuhri and Mohammed ibn Ka'b. Al-Awzai, Imam Malik, and Abu Hanifa maintained that the al-Basmala is not a verse of the Fatiha. Abu Dawud added: "Nor is it a verse of any other verse, and it is only a part of one verse of the verse of the Ant (Ch. 27). It is only inscribed at the beginning of the Verses for the purpose of marking the division between them and invoking Allah's blessing". Imam Malik said: "It should not be pronounced at the beginning of the prescribed ritualprayer." Sayyida Aicha (may Allah be satisfied with her) is reported as having said: "The Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) used to begin the ritual-prayer with the takbir and Al-Hamdulillahi Rabbil alAlamin." Some of the scholars have said: "The first revelation delivered by Gabriel was: Recite: In the Name of your Lord who created (96:1) and he did not mention the al-Basmala at the beginning of it, so this proves that it is not part of the chapter. Besides, the Companions unanimously agreed on the number of verses in many of the verses, including thirty verses of Chapter al-Mulk (Ch. 67), three verses in the Chapter alKawthar (Ch. 108), and four verses in the Chapter al-Ikhlas (Ch. 112). If the al-Basmala had been part of each of those verses, the respective numbers would have been thirty one, four, and five."

Sidi al-Haj Omar continues, "As for the evidence provided by those who maintain the establishment of the al-Basmala at the beginning of the verses, on the basis of tradition, they cite the authentic report from Sayyida Umm Salama (may Allah be satisfied with her) who said, "The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) recited the al-Basmala at the beginning of the Fatiha in the ritual-prayer, and he considered it a verse thereof." Concerning the Saying of Almighty Allah [We have given you seven of the oft repeated (verses) and the mighty] (Quran 15:87), It is reported that Ibn Abbas said: "They are the Opening Verse of the Book." When he was asked: "So where is the seventh?," he replied: "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim." As reported by Daraqutni on the authority of Abu Huraira, The Holy Prophet said: When you recite "Al-Hamdulillah Rabbil Alamin," you must recite "Bismillahi Rahman Rahim" because it is the Mother of the Quran and the Mother of the Book. As for the seven oft repeated verses the Al-Basmala is one of them." Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali Boutaleb (d. 1244/1829) instructed me (Shaykh Sidi al-Haj Omar ibn Said al-Futi), while we were in the City of al-Madinah, to recite the al-Basmala at the beginning of the Fatiha in the ritualprayer and on other occasions. He authorized me to practice that myself and to pass it on. He was acting on the advice of our master and our means to access to our Lord, the Hidden Pole and the Sealed Isthmus, Sidna Shaykh Ahmed ibn Mohammed al-Hassani Tijani, for he had instructed him to act accordingly and he had received permission from the Chieftain of Existence, our master and our patron Sidna Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). Sidi Mohammed al-Ghali also told me, while we were in the City of Mecca, that I should recite the al-Basmala connected with the Fatiha in a single breath, in the ritual-prayer and on other occasions. He had received that advice from Sidna Shaykh Tijani.

He also informed me of secrets related thereto, including those inscribed on a sheet of paper which he game me. The text of it reads as follows: Shaykh Al-Qadi Majd ad Deen Al-Firuzabadi said: By Allah, the Almighty, Shaykh Safiyyu Deen AlBa'labakki informed me, on the authority of Shaykh Qaruni, that Shaykh Mohammed Ibn Arabi al Hatimi said: When you recite the Fatiha, you must say: Bismillahi Rahman Rahim in a single breath, for I have this to tell you: By Allah the Almighty, I heard from the mouth of Abu Bakr Al-Fudail ibn Mohammed Al-Katib: By Allah the Almighty, I heard from the mouth of Abu Mohammed Ali Salisi: By Allah the Almighty, Abdullah well known as Abu Nasr Sarkhawi informed me: By Allah the Almighty Abu Abdullah Al-Warraq informed me: By Allah the Almighty Mohammed ibn Yunus at Tawil informed me: By Allah the Almighty Mohammed ibn Al-Husain Al-Alawi Zahid informed me: By Allah the Almighty Abu Bakr Rajii informed me: By Allah the Almighty Umar ibn Musa Al-Barmaki informed me: By Allah the Almighty Anas ibn Malik informed me: By Allah the Almighty Ali ibn Abi Talib informed me:

By Allah the Almighty Abu Bakr as Siddiq informed me: By Allah the Almighty the Chosen One (Al-Mustafa) (saw) informed me: By Allah the Almighty Gabriel (peace upon him) informed me: By Allah the Almighty Michael (peace upon him) informed me: By Allah the Almighty Israfil (peace upon him) informed me: Allah said: "O Israfil, by My Might and My Majesty and My Magnanimity and My Noble Generosity, if someone recites [Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim] connected with the Fatiha (Ch. 1), one single time, bear witness that I have forgiven him, that I have accepted his good deeds, that I have pardoned his misdeeds, that I will not burn his tongue with the Fire, and that I will grant him refuge from the torment of the tomb, the torment of the Fire, the torment of the Day of Resurrection, and the greatest terror."