The Prayer of ibn Mashish
There is nothing worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is His messenger
Early in Sidi’s time teaching in the U.S., he gave us a long, beautiful prayer to recite every day and study deeply: the Wadhifa. The Wadhifa is the signature litany of Sidi ‘Abd as-Salam ibn Mashish, the shaykh of the founder of the Shadhiliyya spiritual path, Shaykh Abu-l-Hasan ash-Shadhdhili. In it, Sidi ‘Abd as-Salam ecstatically praises our beloved Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and asks for his help in the most beautiful way.
Our guide Sidi, may Allah be pleased with him and give him proximity, wanted his students to study and embody the Divine Light within this prayer. He valued it so much that he asked his publisher, Amina al-Jamal, to make it available to all new beloveds as part of a prayer manual. Reciting the Wadhifa is an important way to establish and deepen your connection with the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and we pray you feel the ecstasy of ibn Mashish as you do so.
If you are newer to the path, we recommend you start by reading, reciting, and writing the Wadhifa.
All beloveds with the rank of master teacher or higher are asked to recite the Wadhifa as part of their regular spiritual practice.
Sidi wrote a beautiful explanation of the Wadhifa that opens many of its hidden meanings, published by Sidi Muhammad Press. You can purchase this book, along with your own copy of Sidi reciting the Wadhifa, if you click the button below..