Salawat - The Prayer of the Medicine of Hearts [Salat al-Tibb al-Quloob]

Dedicated to my late father, who had passed away on February 10th, 2022 (Rajab 9, 1443). Allah has called His servant back to Him; “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.” May he be dressed in the lights of Muhammad ﷺ.

In honor of the birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on this auspicious day of the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal, I have composed this rendition of The Prayer of the Medicine of Hearts [Salat al-Tibbiya al-Quloob], also popularly known in Asia as Durood Shifa, the Litany of Healing. The medicine of the Hearts is none other than Rasulallah ﷺ. And so, it is also in honor of the children of Rasulallah ﷺ, especially those who were martyred at Karbala. May the healing mercy of Allah ﷺ through the love of Muhammad ﷺ descend upon his beloved children.

The litany was composed by the prominent Egyptian scholar, Shaykh Ahmed al-Dardir ق, whose name is said to always be attached to blessings and righteousness, even in the face of tyranny. The Shaykh’s lineage traces back to the second Caliph of Islam and beloved friend of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه. During his life, the Shaykh was the Imam of the Maliki school of fiqh [jurisprudence] and a master of the Khalwati Tariqah through the authorization of Shaykh Shams’al-Din al-Hifni ق. He was granted titles such as ‘Shaykh of the Muslims’ and 'The father of Blessings.'

This litany is said to carry healing on both the physical level as well as the metaphysical level. It is a type of Salawat, and so while it carries within it the essence of the Salawat - which is the light and love of Muhammad ﷺ - it is also adorned with particular attributes of the Prophet ﷺ, namely the attributes of "Light Personified" [al-Nūr] and "Mercy to the worlds" [ar-Raḥmah lil-ʿĀlamīn].

"Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him ﷺ, and salute him ﷺ with all respect."

"When Muhammad ﷺ sends Salawat upon the believers, it indicates his prayer for their welfare, blessing and salvation."

To send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ is to receive blessings from him ﷺ. It is the process of manifestation of blessings and purification of the soul through connecting our Hearts with his ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ said "Verily, I have many names. I am the Effacer [al-Mahi] through whom God effaces unbelief, I am the Gatherer [al-Hashir] at whose feet the people will be gathered, and I am the Last Prophet [al-Akhir] after whom there are no more."

When you regard your Heart as Holy, as the sanctified space of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, then you will regard it with respect; and thus is born self-respect. Following this, there is obligation and duty towards it, towards the Holy Prophet ﷺ; and thus there is born confidence and boundaries.

The Salawat is an invitation to the Holy Prophet ﷺ to enter your Heart thereby sanctifying it with his worship of Allah ﷻ. It is thus a type of consecratory act that has initiatic significance. It is an initiation onto the path of metaphysics and into the inner circles of the Prophetic Tradition.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The people closest to me on the Day of Resurrection are those who sent the most blessings upon me."

One should take time to oneself for seclusion in order to meditate on such litanies, closing one's eyes, reflecting on the meaning of the words in one's heart, and immersing one's Being in the reality of the Salawats.

[Re-uploaded due to spelling error]