Discovering Salawat Imam Ibn Mashish

Bismillah.

Ask and you shall be given.

When I first heard the meanings of Salawat Imam Ibn Mashish, my heart melted and expanded as vast as an ocean. But the friend who read it out to me did not have the Arabic wordings. So I left with a deep sense of longing. A few days later, to my surprise, Shaykh Fahmi Zamzam al-Maliki revealed this salawat from his book 'Provision for the Akhirah'. Shaykh Fahmi, however, refused to elaborate the meanings in detail because 'it is too deep' he said. So yesterday I went back to the friend who has the English meaning and pleaded her to give it to me. Alhamdulillah, here is the transliteration of salawat Ibn Mashish from Shaykh Fahmi's kitab, followed by its English meaning; they might not be a perfect match but still they are worthy of contemplation.

Allahumma solli 'ala man minhun shak khotil asraru

wan falakhotil anwaru

wa fi hir takhotil hakha-iq

wa tanaz zalat 'ulumu Adam

Fa 'aq jazal khala'iq

walahu tadho alatil fuhumu

Falam yudrik hu minna saabikhu wala la hikh

fariya dhul malakuti bizah ri jamalihi mu nikhotun

wahiya dhul jabaruti bifaidhi anwarihi mutadaffaqah

wala syai-a illa wahuwa bihi manuth

iz lau lal waasithotu lazahaba (kama fila) al mausuthu

solatan taliikhu bika minka ilaihi kama huwa ahluhu

Allahumma innahu sirrukal jami'ud dallu 'alaika

wahaja bukal 'aqzomul kho imu laka baina yadaika

Allahumma al hikhni binasabihi

wa haq qiqni bihasabihi wa'ar rifni iyyahu makrifatan aslamu biha min mawaaridil jahli

wa ak ro'uu biha min mawaridil fadhli

wah milni 'ala sabilihi ila hadhratika

hamlan mahfufan binus rotika

wakhzifbi 'alal baathili fa'ad maquhu

wa zujjabi fi bihaa ril ahadiyah

wan shilni min au haalit tauhidi
wa aqrikhni fi 'aini bahril wahdah
hatta la ara wala as ma'aa wala ajida wala uhissa illa biha
waj 'alil hijabal 'aqzoma hayaata ruuhi
wa ru hahu sirra haqiqati
wa haqi qotahu jaa mi'a 'awaa limi
bitah khi khil hak khil awwali
ya awwalu ya aaqiru ya zahiru ya batinu
is maq nidaa'i bima samiqta bihi nidaa'a 'abdika Zakaria
wansurni bika laka
wa aiyad ni bika laka
waj maq baini wabainaka
wahul baini wa baina qoirika
Allah, Allah, Allah
Innal lazi faradho 'alaikal Qur'ana lara aadduka ila ma'adin

Allah shower Your blessings upon him 
from whom burst open the secrets, 
and stream forth the lights, and in whom rise up the realities; 
And upon whom descended the sciences of Adam; 
by which all creatures are made powerless. 
And blessings upon him before whom all understanding is diminished. 
And none of us totally comprehend him 
whether in the past or the future. 

The garden of the spiritual kingdom blossom 
honorably with the resplendent of his beauty. 
And the reservoir of the world of dominion 
overflow with the outpouring of his light. 

There is nothing that is not connected to him. 
Because if there were no intercessor, 
everything to be interceded for would vanish as it is sad. 
So bless him with a prayer that is worthy of You
 from You as befit his stature. 

Allah indeed he is Your all-encompassing secret 
that leads through You to You. 
And he is Your supreme veil raised before You 
between Your hands. 
O Allah, include me among his descendants 
and confirm me through his account 
and let me know him with deep knowledge 
that keeps me save from the well of ignorance 
so that I might drink to fullness from 
the well of excellence. 

And carry me on his path to Your presence; 
encompassed by Your victory 
and strike through me at the false so that I may destroy it. 
Plunge me into the sea of oneness 
and drown me in the essence of the ocean of unity, 
until I neither see nor hear nor find 
nor sense except through it. 

O Allah, make the supreme veil, the life of my spirit; 
And his soul the secret of my reality and his reality 
the conflux of my worlds through the realization of the first truth. 
Hear my call as you heard the call of your servant Zakaria; 
and grant me victory through You for You, 
And support me through You for You; 
And join me to You and come between myself 
and anything other than You. 
Indeed, he who ordained the Qur'an for 
You will return to the station of Your ultimate destiny.

I learned afterward that Green Mountain School USA sells the above booklet at USD5.55. "The booklet contains both the Prayer of Sidi ‘ibn Mashish, the Shaykh of Sidi Abu-l-Hasan ash-Shadhdhuli, and the redaction upon it, composed by Shaykh Muhammad Abu-l-Mawwahib at-Tunisi, may Allah sanctify their secret. Sidi ‘ibn Mashish received this prayer from the Prophet s.a.w."

So that was my awkward journey in discovering this precious gem. May Imam Ibn Mashish take pity on me and shower his barakah so that I (and you) could memorize and practice it religiously. I look forward to a trip to Madinah al-Munawarah when I would be standing beneath the Holy Green Dome, addressing Rasulullah s.a.w with this salawat, with all my heart...InshaAllah.