Shams Part 10

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there is in the heavens and all that is on earth ﴿. All creatures have recourse to Him Whose support is strong: 1 He who is confident in his castle and he who is a hypocrite (almunāfiq) in his cell, for when the Day of Resurrection is come, each of them will be too busy to care for his father and son, without anyone interceding with Him, except whom He approves by His grace ﴾ Who can intercede for anyone with Him except with His permission? ﴿ Creator of water, fire, earth and air, creating four essences for the elements. And what are water, fire, earth, and air but as a grain in water? What are water, fire, earth, air, and the footstool but as a star in the sky? What are water, fire, earth, air, footstool, and the throne but as fourteen dirhams? for all of these are in His fist, like a speck of dust containing the science of the Beginning and the End. He knows what is before men and what is behind them, and they do not encompass any of His knowledge unless He wills it. He created the four bearers of the Throne, who have risen in grandeur, raising their heads above the rocks eternally, resembling in their faces a lion, an eagle, a, or an ostrich, without one companion asking another how much there is in the graces of God. ﴾ The footstool of His throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and it does not cause Him fatigue to maintain them. He sent down with the verse from the throne fifty of the most sublime words of the Noble Qur’an: the Speaker 2 did not listen like them. They protect souls, spirits and goods, the child, the traveler and the one who remains in his place. They heal the blind and the leper, the healthy and the sick. His dwelling place is glorious, and of an everlasting King Whose path is straight: he is the God of heaven and earth. ﴾ He is the Most High, the Sublime ﴿.

1 Cor. XI:79.
2 Epithet of Moses.

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CHAPTER NINETEEN
ONTHE PECULIAR VIRTUES OF SOME MAGIC SQUARES AND PROVEN TALISMANS.

You must know, God help us to obey Him and understand the secrets of His Names, that each verse of God’s book has letters and numerical values, and each number corresponds to a magic square. And whoever harmonizes in a square the letters and numerical values of each verse obtains the revelation of the Mystery [of that verse].

And know that each verse has a figure for the masters of secrets, and a harmonic square for those endowed with mystical illuminations. Whoever knows which spiritual being corresponds to that figure is taken care of, and whoever knows the secret of harmonic fit (altadājul) gains influence over things. Do you not see how those who know the secrets, when they understand what concerns the harmonious fit, harmonize the verses and other expressions, thus curing chronic diseases? And it is because of the lack of knowledge of natural qualities (alÐabā’i’) and the secret of harmonic fit that those who walk the Path (alsālikūna) fail in their journey, because they lay the bases on the water and do not hold up, they put the heavy on the light and do not find stability, since it is essential that what supports is stronger than what is supported.

And you must know that these letters have extraordinary virtues and marvellous properties, which no one comes to know except the most outstanding Gnostic sages and the few rooted in Science (al rāsijūna), and with whom one comes to dispose of the power of the attraction of hearts and spirits and the affinity of souls and forms. The letters are divided into igneous, terrestrial, aerial and aquatic, according to the masters of natural qualities; and in igneous, aerial, terrestrial and aquatic following the doctrine of the wise men endowed with divine confidences (a1⁄2¬āb alnawāmīs). We only propose to give a classification of the letters that will serve as the basis for this chapter. And in this way you will know the letters of water, earth, [air and fire]:

Alif, bā’, tā’, £ā’, jķīm, ¬ā’ and jā’ are of fire.
Dāl, 2āl, rā’, zāy, Ðā’, Þā’, and kāf are of the air.
Lām, mīn, nūn, 1⁄2ād, Åād, ‘ayn and gayn are of the water. Fā’, qāf, sīn, šīn, hā’, wāw, and yā’ are of the earth.

And in the classification of letters according to those who know the secrets, the letters of fire precede

to those of the earth, attributing them to water, because air
cannot be encompassed1. We have already explained all this to you, so do not give up, seek, strive and be as the šayj said in these verses:

Fig. 221

1 Translation uncertain.

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Search and do not get frustrated in the search,
because the plague of the seeker is frustration.

Don’t you see how the rope with its insistence has left its mark on the deaf rock?

He who strives obtains, and he who does not strive does not obtain.

And it is said of Imām ‘Ali (may God grant you in his glory) that a Jew asked him for a number in which ten exact fractions from half to tenth were gathered, and Imam ‘Ali said to him: “If I teach you that, will you submit to Islam?” and the Jew said yes. Then Imām ‘Ali (may Allah be upon him) said to him: “Multiply the number of days in the week by the number of days in the month, and that by the number of months in the year, and you get the answer to what you ask.” And he obtained a total of 2520.

/10 /9 /8 /7 /6 /5 /4 /3 /2

252 280 315 360 420 504 630 840 1260
And this belongs to the Divine Science which proceeds from the Favor of God, and God bestows His favor upon God.

who desires, He the Lord of immense Favor.
As for the dark letters (alÞulmāniyya), for there are fourteen of them […], and they are gathered in your saying:

G3⁄4 ŠŶ B¢ J® WZD TFÝ. And in turn they are divided into minor (danī) and inferior (adnà). The minors are seven grouped in your saying: ®W T3⁄4D GB. And the lower ones are also seven gathered together in thy saying: JŠFŶ ¢ÝZ.

Each luminous letter corresponds to one of the dark letters, and the luminous letters are gathered in your words “ÆRQ SM’K ALN1⁄4Y©H” 1, and also in this way: “MN QÆ’K 1⁄4LH S©YRA”2.

And you must know, O seeker, that when you take the letters BÆ from the dark letters and the b’s letters you mix with the letters of the person’s name on an unfired piece of pottery, the moon being waning, and then bury it in an abandoned tomb, for really sorrows and sorrows will instigate that person’s heart for no reason, God willing, exalted be He!

And a certain virtuous man said: “When you want to solve some need you have for any of the creatures, then write the total numerical value of your name, the name of the mother, and the name of what is desired, and when you get a number with the sum of all of them, then write it in a good omen,” take it with you and use it to ask for your need, for it will really be solved for you, God willing, exalted be He!

And you must know, O seeker, that when you want to observe a person, then write the letters of his name, his mother’s name, and the letters of his zodiacal ascendant. Then combine the letters of the ascendant with those of the two names, make them reach his food or drink, and pronounce over it the word, which is BÆ. In this way you will constrain that natural quality predominant in him and you will be able to influence him in any way you want. This is one of God’s enigmatic secrets, exalted be He!

1 Mnemonic phrase, which translates as: “The advice came to your ear”. 2 It could be translated as: “Whoever hinders you, go before him before dawn.”

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And the jayj, the imām, the scholar, the excellent, the perfect, the accomplished, the exact, the Pole of Divine Help, the detached, the absolute, symbol of his age and incomparable in his time, Imām Ja’far al1⁄4ādiq, may Allah be pleased with him: “When you want to do a job, then take the name of the one who asks, the name of the person who is the object of the ritual, and adds to both the numbers of RK RFD 1, which are the numbers of the predominant one, and it is a cubic name and the method of acting in the rest of the works. Then he counts the name of the one who asks with the method aljumal alkabīr, the name of the one who is requested, and he observes the number that results from it. For example, the applicant’s name is A¬mad and the respondent’s name is Muṣammad. You shall count in this way: Ammad 53 and Muhammad 92. Add up the RK RFD numbers, and the applicant’s name turns out to be 273, and the applicant’s name 376 2. You add
both results together and you get 649. Then you subtract 30 from it and there are 619 left. You divide it into four parts and
each one is 154 plus three remainder. And that which results from the sum he arranges in the square in this way, thus obtaining thy purpose, God willing, praise and
exalted be he!

When there is three remainder, one is skipped on the five square. If there are two remainder, one is skipped in the tenth square. And if there is one remainder, one jumps on the thirteenth square, obtaining the objective, God willing3.

[APARTADO ON SOME TALISMANS AND SQUARES WITH QUR’ANIC VERSES]

13 2 7 12 167 155 161 166

3 16 9 6 156 170 163 160

His saying, exalted be He!: ﴾ God laid bare what you hid. We said, ‘Play it with a member of it [the cow]. This is how God brings the dead to life and shows His signs so that you can understand ﴿4. This verse makes the sleeper speak, letting you know what he hides in his inner consciousness. And this is the way it is to be arranged, as you can see. Try to understand and you will prosper, God willing, exalted be He!

And if you want that, write it in the palm of your hand, put it on the sleeper’s breast, and ask him whatever you want, for he will tell you, God willing, all that you ask him. And it is specific to the masters of mystical perceptions.

Fig. 223

1 Nonsense words equivalent to the numbers 220 and 284, friendly numbers (see T. CANAAN, “The Decipherment of Arabic Talismans,” p. 93).

2 Add to each name the previous numbers 220 and 284 respectively.

3 Note that the next square is arranged from the number 154 obtained. When there are three remaining in the division, a number is skipped in the sequence from 154 to 170, in the box that appears numbered five, as indicated, thus omitting 158 in the sequence.

8 11 14 1 162 165 168 154

10 5 4 15 164 159 157 169

Fig. 222

4 Cor. II:7172.

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As for His saying: ﴾ This is how Your Lord rebukes when He punishes a city that is unjust. It is true that His punishment is painful and severe ﴿1. Whenever it is thrown into the house of a wicked
man, it is destroyed, by writing it on the bone of a slaughtered owl, which has been hunted with weapons or animals
of prey. This is the way it will be arranged. Try to understand.

Fig. 224

And you must know that when God desires something, He makes you carry it out, for truly the servants are the instrument of God, exalted be He, and God is the One Who acts with total freedom in Sovereignty, there is no god but Him.

And whoever writes the ternary square on a lead sheet on the first hour of the Sabbath, then recites this verse mentioned 45 times staring at the square, and then curses some wicked person, who is punished on the spot. And that is one of the wonderful arrangements of the divine sources (awrād). This is the shape of the ternary square, and we have already mentioned it in the book The Illuminating Brightness on the Divine Sources 2, among others.

Fig. 225

816 357 492

And as for His saying: ﴾ And they ask you about the mountains, say: My Lord will pulverize them completely. And He will leave them as smooth plains, without you seeing any ups and downs in them ﴿3, and the Name that is in the surah of the Flocks, for thereby the wind is stilled and by it is discovered what is in darkness, and they are His words: ﴾ The gaze does not reach Him, but He reaches the gaze, He is the Subtle, the Knower of the innermost ﴿4.

The surah of the Poets5, if you hang it around the neck of a white rooster, you will see the miraculous.
The Hypocrites Surah6 is for the disunity of groups.
The first verses of the Surah of Conquest7 are for victory and for defeating enemies,

for the fluidity of the waters and the blessing in the harvests. They are not constantly recited by someone who is miserable without gaining power, or anyone who is weak without gaining strength, and no one who is defeated without rising up

1 Cor. xi:102.
2 AlLum’a alNūrāniyya fīlawrād alrabbaniyya. On this work see what has been said in the preliminary study 3 Cor. xx:103104.
4 Cor. VI:104.
5 Cor. XXVI.
6 Cor. LXIII.
7 Cor. XLVIII.

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victorious, nor anyone in difficulty without God paving the way for him, exalted be he, from where he cannot perceive it. Whoever writes them on a clean parchment with saffron, rose water, and musk and hangs it on his right arm acquires strength and respect in the eyes of the people, and has victory over his enemies. Therefore it is appropriate for the generals of armies and for those who command the troops, and Allah, praise and exalted be He, knows better. Whoever writes them on a banner and leads them into battle, Allah, praise and exalted be He, provides him with strength and help for victory over enemies. And whoever writes them on a wooden cup, erases it with water and washes his face with it, is well reputed, honored, loved, protected and guarded wherever he is, by God’s command, exalted be He!, and God speaks the Truth and He shows the way. Here’s how it will be laid out, as you can see:

Al-Mas’ūdī said: “It has come to my ears that whoever recites Surah of Conquest1 on the first night of the month of Ramahan, in the supererogatory prayer (altaAwwu’), Allah, may He be exalted, protects him all that year.”

And Ibn Qutayba 2 said: “I spoke to a man from Makkah who said to me: I was affected by a problem and I went to a righteous man who said to me: Write on a patch (ruq’a): ﴾ We have given you a manifest victory” 3, ﴾ If you sought to conquer, you have already had your victory ﴿4, ﴾ It may be that God brings you victory or an order from Him ﴿5, ﴾ He holds the keys of the unseen, and only He knows it ﴿6, ﴾ Our Lord, judge between us and our people with the truth; You are the best of judges ﴿7, ﴾ If the people of the cities had believed and kept themselves, We would have opened to them the blessings of heaven and earth ﴿8, ﴾ And when they opened their saddlebags they found that their goods had been returned to them ﴿9, ﴾ They asked for help, but everyone who is a rebellious tyrant fails ﴿1, ﴾ Even if

1 Cor. XLVIII.
2 A famous polygrapher of the ninth century, best known for his works on adab and theology. 3 Cor. XLVIII:1.
4 Cor. VIII:19.
5 Cor. V:54.
6 Cor. VI:60.
7 Cor. VII:88.
8 Cor. VII:95.
9 Cor. XII:65.

Fig. 226

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if we opened a part of heaven for them to climb ﴿2, ﴾ My people have really denied me. Render judgment between them and me, and save me and the believers who are with me. 3, The mercy which God bestows upon men is not hindered, and the mercy which He withholds is not to be delivered after Him. He is the Mighty, the Wise ﴿4. ﴾ And when they come to it [Garden] its gates shall be opened, and its guardians shall say unto them, Peace be unto you, ye were good, enter into it that ye may be immortal ﴿5, and He rewarded them with a near victory and much spoil that they were to obtain. ﴿6, And We opened the gates of heaven with a torrential water, 7, ﴾ A Help from God and a Near Victory ﴿8, ﴾ When God’s victory and conquest come, and you see people entering in groups in the worship of God, glorify your Lord and ask His forgiveness. He always accepts those who turn to Him ﴿9. Write them down and carry them over your right arm. I did that and God helped me and made the problem easier for me where I did not foresee it.

His saying, exalted be He!, ﴾ You will remember what I say. I entrust my matter to God. It is true that God sees the servants ﴿10. Whoever engraves this noble verse on a ring and wears it is well treated in all his circumstances. And if he goes to an evil person and recites it, it deafens him and avoids his wickedness by the might and strength of Allah, praise and exalt be He! And this is the way in which it will be arranged:

Fig. 227

A certain wise man said: “Whoever would attain to supreme wealth and greater fortune, let him arrange His words harmoniously. You give Dominion to whomever you want as far as it says without limitation ﴿11, on a gold or silver plate, in the early hours of Thursday. And whoever wants to attain the supreme mystery and the talismanic treasure, let him fast forty days in which he will not eat any animal or anything from an animal. He will break the fast with permissible food (alāl), and if possible with that which can be freely taken without belonging to anyone, then that is more convenient. And he will recite the morning surah 12 thousand times every day at sunrise, and at the end he will say: “My God, give me the secret that You have given to many of Your servants, and enrich me with Your favor, being able to do without anyone who is not You.” He will also recite the surah after sunset the same number

1 Cor. XIV:18.
2 Cor. XV:14.
3 Cor. XXVI:117118. 4 Cor. xxxv:2.
5 Cor. xxxix:70.
6 Cor. XLVIII:1819.
7 Cor. LIV:11.
8 Cor. LXI:13.
9 Cor. CX:13.
10 Cor. XL:44.
11 Cor. III:2627.
12 Cor. xciii.

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times. And he must put the written figure in a clean bag on the first day [of the forty], and next to the figure there will be forty dirhams. And when he wants to spend something, he will recite the surah the number of times of dirham that he will spend, the bag remaining the same during that period of days, without changing and there are no longer forty dirhams in it. That’s specific to the masters of spiritual states. Try to understand, for I have opened the door of supreme wealth for anyone who wants to access it, and God speaks the truth and He shows the way.

Know that, may God help us to obey Him and to understand the secrets of His Names, that for sovereignty and government it is ﴾ Say: Allah, King of Sovereignty! You give the Domain to whom you want as far as it says without limitation ﴿1. For ministers and princes it is ﴾ Give me someone from my family to assist me. To my brother Harūn. He strengthens my back with him ﴿2, ﴾ and we assign his brother Harūn as an assistant ﴿. For love and obedience ﴾ I deposited love from Me in You so that you would be brought up under My gaze ﴿3, ﴾ Even if you had spent all that is on earth you would not have been able to unite their hearts, yet God joined them together. Verily He is the Mighty, Wise One ﴿4, ﴾ And He is tenacious in His love for goods ﴿5, ﴾ They love one another as one loves God; but the love of God of those who believe is stronger ﴿6. And for help and victory: ﴾ Victorious help comes only from God ﴿7, ﴾ That God might help you with mighty help ﴿8, ﴾ Appear before them through the door, and when you have entered through it, you will be overcomers. And abandon yourselves to God if you are believers ﴿9. He tries to understand, since it is not possible to go into more details, and calculates that the number of incomprehensible verses is the same as that of incomprehensible verses10.

And you should know that whoever constantly recites the surah of the11th Morning for forty days, saying every day at the conclusion of his 2ikr and his recitation: “My God, O Rich, O Enricher, grant me the wealth with which I fear no poverty. Guide me, for I am truly lost. Instruct me, for I am truly ignorant,” for God sends whoever teaches Him Wisdom (al-ikma) in his dreams or in his waking life.

His words ﴾ But Muhammad is only a messenger before whom there were other messengers. If he died or was killed, would you turn your back? Whoever turns his back will not harm God at all. And God will reward the thankful ﴿12, if they are written in the following way, the names “Isrāfīl, Ŷabrā’īl, Mīkā’īl, and Azrā’īl” are written around the name of Muhammad and are carried by a person, he is safe from the wickedness of jinn and men, from the dangers of night and day, and he is safe from the dangers of the night and day.

1 Cor. III:2627. 2 Cor. xx:2830. 3 Cor. xx:3839. 4 Cor. VIII:64.

5 Cor. c:8.
6 Cor. II:164.
7 Cor. III:126; VIII:10.
8 Cor. XLVIII:3.
9 Cor. v:25.
10 Perhaps referring to the verses with a concrete meaning or argument that can be applied in this type

of rituals.
11 Cor. xciii.

12 Cor. III:144.

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protected and guarded by the command of God, praise and exaltation be He, for it is God Who grants success.

And this is the way in which it is to be arranged. Try to understand and you will prosper, God willing, exalted be He, for God speaks the truth and He shows the way.

Know that whoever writes Surah of Muṣṣṇd1 on a glass cup, erases the deed with water from the well of Zamzam and drinks it, is well reputed by the people, his words are heard and he does not hear anything from anyone who does not memorize, God willing, praise and exalt Him!

His words ﴾ And when the horn is blown once, and the earth and the mountains are lifted up into the air and pulverized at once. On that day the Event will take place. The sky will be torn and will not have
consistency on that day ﴿2, for this verse is written to shed blood in any place you want. Whoever
wants that, traces the Names on a sheet of lead when the Moon is in Scorpio. And write next to
it the name of the person you want to bleed and the name of his mother. The writing will be done with Byzantine cinnabar (zunŷufr rūmī), and then all this will be hidden inside a ditch whose
water runs to the east, having deposited the writing inside a reed in which a red thread will
be hooked, thus being tied next to the ditch. Be careful not to let the reed go, for the person who is the object of it will die, and you will be responsible for it before God. And do not let more than
seven days pass, for the person who is the object of it will die. When you want to undo it, take out what you wrote, erase it with water, and then write for the person who was the object of it the verse of the Throne, the surah of
the Cult, the two protective surahs, and the Fatia in a clean vessel, and give it to him to drink, for he will really be restored, God willing, praise and exalt him!3

And this is the way it is to be arranged, as you can see. Try to understand and you will prosper if God wills, exalted be He, for it is God Who grants success.

1 Cor. XLVII.
2 Cor. LXIX:1215.
3 When the writing is inserted into a reed, it seems clear that the verses should be written on a piece of paper,

and not on a lead plate, as we read in the text.

Fig. 228

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His saying, exalted be He!, ﴾ It may be that if he divorced them, his Lord would give him wives better than they in return. Muslims, believers, obedient, easily repentant, fervent worshippers and fasting, whether they had been married before or were virgins ﴿1. This verse is to cause the repudiation of women. It will be written on a dark-colored bowl (zubdiyya azraq) with ink and tar and their names will be written. Then you shall wipe out the writing with water from the drain and pour it into the house where they live, for they will be separated and will not stay together in it. And this is the figure you will write:

Fig. 230

His saying, exalted be He!, ﴾ That’s because they have denied after they have believed and their hearts have been sealed, so that they do not understand. When you see them, you like the way they look and if they speak, their words capture your attention. They are like logs that hold nothing. They believe that any shout is directed against them. They are the enemy, be careful. God kill them! How they lie! ﴿2. This verse is to knot tongues, to silence the enemy and to leave him speechless in litigation and dispute. Herself

1 Cor. LXVI:5.
2 Cor. LXIII:34.

Fig. 229

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he will write on an iron plate, with Libra being the zodiacal ascendant, with Mars situated in him and in the first decan (wajh) of Scorpio. And he will take it with him who wants to sue or present himself to whomever he wishes, for he will really silence the tongue of his rival and prevail over him. This is his figure:

His words ﴾ Our Lord! To You we entrust ourselves, to You we turn and to You we must return. Our Lord! Do not test those who refuse to believe by giving them power over us, and forgive us, Lord. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Wise ﴿1. If this verse is written on an iron ring and someone puts it in his hand, Allah, exalted be He, helps him, supports him and gives him power, even if he is a weak person; it makes known to him the knowledge of that which he did not know, and brings him his sustenance with an abundance from God, in Whom he will have a Helper and a Helper, for in it resides the Name of unconditional Trust, of Power, and of Authority, and God guides whom He wills in a straight way. This is the figure you will write:

Fig. 232

His saying, Exalted be He!, ﴾ And I said: Ask forgiveness of your Lord, He is very Forgiving. He will send heaven upon you with abundant rains and give you more riches and children, as well as gardens and rivers ﴿2.

1 Cor. lx:45.
2 Cor. LXXI:1012.

Fig. 231

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This verse serves to increase goods, prosper in trade, and make great profits. Whoever writes it on a white silver ring and puts it on his finger, will not be able to explain how God will provide him with his sustenance, this being one of the prodigious things that no one is able to describe because of the many blessings and goods that it brings, with the help of God, exalted be He! This is the figure you have to write, try to understand and you will prosper:

His saying, Exalted be He!, ﴾ Your Lord knows that you remain at night praying for a little less than two-thirds, half or one-third of the night, as well as a part of those who are with you. God, who measures night and day, knows that you will not be able to be constant in this and has returned to you with indulgence ﴿1. This verse is for those who want to increase the worship of God and the repentant return to Him. Whoever wants that, will take a copper basin, write on it the noble verse on Friday while the people are performing in the communal prayer. And say, “May God turn with indulgence toward So-and-so.” Then blot it with clear water, recite [the verse] a hundred times, and drink from it three nights when you go to sleep, for God will indeed guide that person to do good, facilitating the acts of worship and obedience to God, through His power and strength, praise and exaltation be to Him!

This is the way the squares will be arranged. Try to understand and you will prosper, God willing, exalted be He, for God speaks the truth and He shows the way:

Fig. 233

Fig. 234

1 Cor. LXXIII:18.

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His saying, exalted be He!, ﴾ When God’s victory and conquest come, and you see people entering in groups in the worship of God, glorify your Lord and ask His forgiveness. He always accepts those who
turn to Him ﴿1. He who writes this surah on a shred of blue cloth (jirqa) on Saturday in the hour of Mercury,
with the moon in a position of good omen, and puts it on his head, for with the help of Allah, exalted
be He, he overcomes all who dispute with him. If it is written with the apogee of the sun and Mars opposite it, it
defeats its rival with the help of God, praise and exalt be to him! And whoever carries it with him cannot be hurt, by
the command of Allah, praise and exaltation be to him!

This is the way it will be arranged as you see. Try to understand and you will thrive:

Fig. 235

His saying, exalted be He!, ﴾ And We put mercy on the hearts of those who followed Him, mercy […” until the end of the verse, and “We gave support] as far as the victors say, for
these verses are for disputes, lawsuits, and arguments, for dominating enemies and overcoming adversaries. Whoever wants that, let him write these verses on a gazelle-skin parchment with myrtle water on Friday, when the people disperse after prayer. Perfume it with aloe and amber stick, place the writing inside a silver tube (qa1⁄2aba) that you will put on your head, and take whoever you want to sue from your enemies or go to the judge you want, for you will win with the help of Allah, praise and exalted be He! Here’s what you’ll write:

Fig. 236

1 Cor. CX:13.

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Know that, God help us to fulfill His obedience and to understand the secrets of His Names, that whoever wants to appear before a ruler, a minister, a judge or some authority
and wishes to knot his tongue and avoid the evil that he may bring him, even if it is death, then let him write the names that we will mention below on a scroll of gazelleskin with musk, saffron and rose water. He will perfume the writing with the finest perfumes, such as aloewood, nadd, amber,
and musk, and put it on the front of his turban. It will have to be written on Sunday at the
hour of the sun, and if the sun is at its peak it is better. And if you doubt this and want to test it first, hang it on a sheep that is going to be slaughtered, because it will not be slaughtered while it is hanging. And if
you go into the bathroom carrying the writing with you, the bath is cooled by God’s command, exalted be He!

This is the figure of the talisman and the noble verses:

Fig. 237

﴾ Come and do not be afraid, you are one of those who are safe ﴿1, ﴾ Do not be afraid, you are safe from unrighteous people ﴿2, ﴾ The messengers do not fear before Me ﴿3, ﴾ Two men of those who feared God and whom He had favored said, “Appear before them at the door, and when you have entered through it, you will be victorious. And abandon yourselves to God if you are believers ﴿4. Advance, O So-and-so son of So-and-so, in the same way that the preacher goes to the mimbar and in which the Sultan approaches his troops. I knot the tongue of everyone who disputes with him, and the tongue of every being endowed with speech, so that only the bearer of my writing can speak well or be silent. 1⁄4M 1⁄4M 1⁄4M BKM BKM BKM ‘MÀ ‘MÀ ‘MÀ ﴾ They can’t see ﴿5. I cause the bearer of this writing to be helped and supported against every person, in the same way that Allah, may He be exalted, helped His Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and save him, on the day of the battle of Badr. I support him with the Names of Allah, as God gave support, Exalted be He, to His Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and save him, with the angels Jabra’īl on his right, Mīkā’īl on his left, and Isrāfīl behind his back, and the Names of Allah surrounding him on all sides. Faces will be distorted by terror, ﴾ and all faces will humble themselves before the Living One, the Subsisting One, and he who bears injustice will have lost ﴿6. For a thousand alif, there is no power or strength except in God, the Most High, the Sublime. God will be sufficient for you against them, He is the Hearer, the Wise One ﴿7. Faces are deformed, faces are deformed, faces are deformed,8 faces humble themselves before the Living One, the Subsistent, Māhat, Bāhat, Tāhat, ©at, Ma¬at, InÐilā¬an, Ma¬lan, Ahlan. Move forward safely, helped and

1 Cor. XXVIII:31. 2 Cor. XXVIII:25. 3 Cor. XXVII:10. 4 Cor. v:25.

5 Cor. XXXVI:8.
6 Cor. xx:108.
7 Cor. II:136.
8 See above, p. 435, n.3.

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supported by the One, the One, the Singular, the Eternal, the One Who ﴾ has neither begotten nor been begotten, and there is none like Him ﴿.

You must know, brother, that the following is a wonderful talisman and an extraordinary secret that the sages have preserved and concealed for fear that it would fall into the hands of someone ignorant, and thereby dishonor chaste and Muslim women. Therefore, by God, O one in whose hands this book is, use it only to do what is permitted, for on the Day of Resurrection you will be called to account for it. When you want to use it, write [the talisman] on the palm of your right hand with musk sukk, saffron, and rose water and you will perfume it with some fragrance. It is to be written on Wednesday in the first hour, and recites over it the incantation whose beginning is: “In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Pure…” Then hide your hand inside the sleeve and open it in front of the face of whoever you want so that they see the writing. And then keep walking and don’t turn back, because the person who is the object of it will follow you wherever you want. This is the shape of the talisman:

Fig. 238

When you see someone suffering from a spleen pain, write this blessed talisman for them on a sheet of paper and put the sheet on their spleen, above their shirt. Then take a new spoon, put a little ash on it and on top of the ash put a burning ember. Then put the spoon on the talisman, and then the patient will feel the fire penetrate inside: keep it like this for as long as the patient can hold out, even if it is two minutes, and raise the spoon, because it will really be enough to wait for the pain in the spleen to cease and disappear with the excrement, and the patient will recover. God willing, exalted be He! And this is the shape of the talisman:

Fig. 239

When you want to memorize everything you hear and never forget it, write these lyrics in a glass cup and drink them with clear water for three days, because you will truly see the miraculous in the

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sharpness of your understanding. And you shall recite them when you drink them ﴾ But we gave Sulaymān understanding of it ﴿1 until the end of the verse. This is the shape of the talisman:

Fig. 240

When you have an enemy or a bad neighbor and you want to keep him away from your side, write this talisman on a piece of unfired pottery or on a lead plate and bury it under the threshold of the door of whoever you want, because that person will really leave that place. And by God, you should not use it against someone who is not worthy of it.

Fig. 241

When you want to tie someone’s tongue to you, or the tongue of all people, you will write this talisman and put it on the front of your turban, for you will see something miraculous. And this is what you’ll write as you can see. Try to understand and you will thrive:

“I mute the tongue of every being endowed with speech, or speak well. DYWRH MH ‘LMH. Knot, O ‘Unqūd, and bind the tongues, by the right of alWadū, ‘ajal, ‘ajalan

Hajyā, al’ajal, alsā’a”.

APARTADO: Whoever is disturbed by diabolical suggestions in his soul, when performing ritual ablutions or in his prayer, and wants them to disappear, let him write these names on a piece of paper and carry them with him, for he will really be safe from the whisper of the devil. This is what you will write as you can see; try to understand that and you will prosper, God willing, exalted be He:

1 Cor. XXI:78.

477

Fig. 242

Whoever fears that his money or goods may be stolen by a thief or a robber, let him draw these noble names on a piece of paper and put them in the money drawer, with the goods or wherever he wishes, for God, praise and exalted be He, will protect him from all that he fears. And this is his figure, as you see; try to understand and you will prosper, God willing, praise and exalted be He, for God speaks the truth and He shows the way.

Fig. 243

When you are frightened by an enemy or by someone who wishes you evil and wants to be safe from his evil, pray two rak’at after the sunset prayer (almagrib), reciting in the first the Fāti¬a and the Surah of the Disbelievers1 and in the second the Fāti¬a and Surah of Dawn2. Then you will say, “O Enough, protect me from the evil of So-and-so, son of So-and-so,” and you will mention whatever you want. And then you will write these names that you will put on your turban, for God will really spare you the evil of that which you fear and of which you distrust. Here’s what you’ll write:

Fig. 244

1 Cor. cix. 2 Cor. CXIII.

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His saying, exalted be He!: ﴾ It is true that We have given you Abundance. Therefore pray to your Lord and offer sacrifices. Because it is the one who hates you who will have no posterity ﴿1. Whoever wants to make a person unable to urinate, 2, let him write this noble surah in a disastrous hour on the shell of an egg, after he has written the name of the person and his mother on a red or blue sheet, which will be buried by the fire. Then the person who is the object of it will not be able to urinate, God willing, praise and praise be to him! Fear God and do not let more than seven days pass, for the person who is the object of
it will die, and you will be responsible for it on the day of the Resurrection. This is what you will write; try to understand and you will prosper, God willing, praise and exalted be He, for God speaks the truth and He shows the way.

Fig. 245

And the appropriate incense for this is ammonia salt, cypress nut and pepper.

A blessing to reconcile those who hate each other: [this talisman will be written] and whoever wants to be hanged will be hanged, or it will be placed under the pillow on which both people sleep, for they will truly be reconciled, even if there is a sword between them. It will be written on Friday when the preacher is in the mimbar, and it will be perfumed with aloe wood, mastic gum, dark bedelium, and aromatic calamus. And this is what you will write as you can see; try to understand and you will prosper, God willing, exalted be He!

Fig. 246

1 Cor. cviii:13.
2 In Arabic we read ‘aqd albawl, i.e., ‘to knot the ability to urinate’.

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“Take care, O servant spirits of these Names, to bring love and affection between So-and-so son of So-and-so and So-and-so daughter of So-and-so, by the right of these Names over you. I ask Thee, O Who unites hearts, to unite the heart of So-and-so son of So-and-so and So-and-so daughter of So-and-so. By the right of Him Who said to heaven and earth, “Come to Me willingly or by force,” they said, “We come to You obediently.” • I have deposited love from Me in you so that you may be brought up under My gaze • 2. Be concerned, O ‘Unqūd, to bring love and affection to the hearts of those who hate each other, through the love of these Names, for the right of Ayūš, Ayūš, Budū¬, ©ubb, Wudd, Wudd¬ubb. O Budū¬, bring love after hatred, and the union of that which is separated, by the right of Ahyā, Šarāhyā, Adūnāy, A1⁄2bāūt, Āl, Šadday. ﴾ It is an oath, if you know it, great ﴿3. Hajya, alwa¬ā, al’ajal, alsā’a”.

I say: whoever puts the following talisman on the wall [of the house] of an evil person and invokes against him with the incantation that we will show below, for the wall collapses, the owner of the house perishes and the group that is in it is scattered. Fear God and do not do it except against the wicked person who harms people by his deeds and his words4. Beware of using it against those who do not deserve it, for you will be responsible for it on the day of the Resurrection: he who forgives is a better person and has his reward with God. This is what you will write; Try to understand and you will thrive:

Fig. 247

“Take care, O Sarī’, O Barīq, O Jandas, O Lāzib al-A¬mar, to drive So-and-so out of this place, by the right of these Names. Do as I command you, by the might of KRYĀRŪŠ, ‘BKWALKYĀRŪŠ, MHLLKYŪŠ, HLKYŪHLYS, 1⁄4ĀRŠ, 1⁄4L1⁄4ĀRŠ. Angels tremble for fear of Him, and creatures submit to His glory. HYĀ, HYĀ, HFÆYĀ, HLYĀ, ŠLYĀ, ‘LYĀ, HWRŠ, AÆŪR, KYĀKRWR, HYĀ, KWRĀ¢Ā. The fugitive trembles, the earth trembles, hearts are stirred, and they turn to His obedience. Answer, O Amar, and you, O WFĀLK, and your followers, by the light of ŠGYŪR, FYĀR, QYĀR, SMWHL, DMĀR, ‘YÆŪR, BHĀRHĀRKÆ, SLYHŪR, HŠKŪR, HĀRLŪR, HFÆŪR, HYÆŪR, HŪR, al’aŷal, alwa¬ā, alsā’a.

Fear God, for it causes the destruction of towns, villages, and cities. And it is convenient to separate those who are together in disobedience to God, writing it on a piece of unfired pottery, in the day and hour of Mars, and perfumed the pottery with peach leaves, vine leaves, and frankincense. Then you will dissolve the piece of pottery in red vinegar, a little tar and hot oil, and pour the resulting liquid on the entrance of the house of whoever you want. The incantation is the one we mentioned before, and the one who forgives is a better person and has his reward with God.

1 Cor. XLI:10.
2 Cor. xx:389.
3 Cor. LVI:79.
4 Lit. “with his hand and his tongue”.

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APARTADO: When you want to shoot with your bow and not miss your shot, write these names on a gazelle scroll with ink, fresh saffron and hoopoe gall. The calamus will be a vulture’s or eagle’s feather, and you will write it in a good omen, the moon being in an aerial zodiacal constellation. And the incense will be frankincense. This is what you will write, and you should know, brother, God guide us, that this talisman is prodigious:

Fig. 248

Know, brother, may God guide us to His obedience, that this noble letter which is the šīn, for it is an Arabic, Syriac and […] letter, and it is a letter of fire, warm and dry in the third degree. Its peculiar virtues are to stop ships in their journey by sea, to stop the traveler by land, etc. Write [the talisman] on a lead plate at a dire hour and bury it on the road, seeing something prodigious. The incense will be ash and bat head. Here’s what you’ll write, as you can see:

Fig. 249

When you want a person to love you, to have his love for you take root in his heart until death, and never to be separated, write these names on seven white sheets, write next to it your name and your mother’s name, the name of the person who is the object of the work and the name of his mother, and thou shalt burn a leaf every day. You will write it in raṣyānī script with ink and some musk, for you will really see the miraculous in the coming to love and affection.

The first is for Sunday: “I incline the heart of So-and-so son of So-and-so to So-and-so son of So-and-so, by the right of these names.”

Fig. 250

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The second is for Monday: “I make the heart of So-and-so son of So-and-so burn for love of So-and-so son of So-and-so, and I send love and affection between them, by the right of these names:

Fig. 251

The third is for Tuesday: “I inflame the heart of So-and-so son of So-and-so, I take it and draw it to love So-and-so son of So-and-so, and I burn it with fire in the same way that these names burn. Obey, O servant spirits of these names, in what I command you, hajya, alwaā, by the right of these names:

The fourth is for Wednesday, you will say: “Take care, O spirits servants of these magical names and signs (qalfaÐriyyāt) to deposit love and affection in the heart of So-and-so son of So-and-so, and let his spirituality be moved to the love of So-and-so son of So-and-so, without separating from him either night or day, without offending him with words or contradicting him in anything. By the right of these names and the respect they impose on you.

The fifth is for Thursday, you will say: “Obey, O servant spirits of these names, by the right of the angel whose command you obey obediently”:

Fig. 254

The sixth is for Friday: “Take care, O servant spirits of these names, to attract and lead the heart of So-and-so son of So-and-so to the love of So-and-so son of So-and-so, and bring sympathy and
affection between them, by the right of these names”:

The seventh is for the Sabbath: “Obey, O spirit servants of these blessed names, and provoke the spirituality of love, union and affection between So-and-so son of So-and-so, with full and eternal love. By the right that these names exercise over you and the obedience that you owe to them:

Fig. 252

Fig. 253

Fig. 255

Fig. 256

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His saying, praise and praise be to Him!: ﴾ He is the One Who created you from a single being, giving you a settlement and a deposit. We have made the signs clear for those who understand ﴿1. If you trace this
noble verse on a clean scroll and carry it with you with a person’s name, then that person
cannot be separated from you while the scroll is with you. And this is the way it will be written:

Fig. 257

Tomake the escaped slave return, even if he is chained and shackled, you will write this square that we will show below. Then you will take a male or female beetle, tie it in the middle of the circle with a thin thread, drive a nail into the axis of the circle and tie the beetle to it, because every time the beetle goes around the circle trying to free itself, in the same way the fugitive will turn, returning to the place where this talisman is. And even if he is in chains, God will make it possible for him to return with the blessing of this talisman. This is what you will write as you see. Try to understand and you will reach your goal, God willing, exalted be He!

Fig. 258

1 Cor. VI:99.

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When you want to make anyone fall asleep, such as a sick person, a person in pain, or someone else, draw these names for him and put them under his pillow, for he will really fall asleep instantly, and will not wake up until you remove the names from under his head. These names are helpful for young children who cry a lot, and here’s what you’ll write:

Fig. 259

﴾ They had been in their cave for three hundred years and nine more ﴿1, ﴾ It would have seemed to you that they were awake, yet they were asleep. We changed their position, to the right and to the left ﴿2, ﴾ Do you perceive any of them or do you hear any murmuring from them? ﴿ 3.

A PARTADO: when you want to attract to yourself someone who is absent or that you love, write what we will show you below on a copper plate, in ray¬ānī script and with ink, saffron and rose water
. It is to be written on the day and the first hour of Venus. If the person is far away, he hides
the plate under a weak fire, and if he is near, under a fire that is neither weak nor strong. His spell is that of the quarter (£aqūfa) of the season of the year in which you are, and also make the servants of the quarter obey you, for it will be better for your work, safer and faster. This will bring before you the person who is three months’ journey from your place. Try to understand that and you will reach your goal,
God willing, exalted be He! And this is what you will write:

Fig. 260

1 Cor. XVIII:25. 2 Cor. XVIII:18. 3 Cor. XIX:99.

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“By the right of these names, Hajja, alwaā, al’ajal, al-sā’a, obedience to Him, to His Messenger and to His Names. I am a created being and you are created beings. We owe only obedience to God and His Names. By the right of him who said to heaven and earth ﴾ Come to Me willingly or by force; they said, “We come to You obediently” ﴿1. Alwa¬ā, al’ajal, alsā’a, make So-and-so son of So-and-so or So-and-so daughter of So-and-so appear.”

[ONTHE TALISMAN THAT WAS ON THE STAFF OF MŪSÀ]

You must know, brother, may God help us to understand the secrets of His Names and to obey Him, that one day I was sitting in front of the šayj ‘Abd Allāh al-Andalusī, God be pleased with him, when suddenly a man approached the šayj and greeted him. The šayj returned the greeting in the best possible way, and then the man came to him and spoke privately about some matter that concerned them. The šayj did not give him any answer, so the man insisted with his words, and when he stopped insisting, the šayj raised his face to him and said, “If you want that, fast for three weeks during which you will not eat anything at any time, and then I will grant you what you ask for.” The man accepted and left. After the aforementioned time, he came to the šayj and said, “My lord, I did as you commanded me.” Then the šayj said to him: “Go away, complete forty more days of fasting, come before me and I will grant you what you ask for.” The man went and completed the period of fasting. Then he came to the šayj and said, “My lord, I have completed the forty days of fasting.” Then the šayj said to him: “Now you are worthy of the distinction (alfaÅīla).” Then the šayj retired alone, and when he came out he carried with him a patch (ruq’a). He opened it, looked at it for a long time, kissed it, shook his head in shock and handed it to the man. Then he gave him a series of orders that the man obeyed, kissed the šayj’s hand and left.

When the man had gone away from us, I went to the šayj, kissed his hand, and said, “My lord, what was that paper that you gave to that man?” And he said to me: “Amad, in him is the secret of God that is revealed to no one except the few whom God wants to favor.” I said, “My lord, will you make it known to me?” and he made no reply. I made an effort to do so by asking the šayj a second time. I persisted in it for several days and asked him about it, but he did not tell me, and I did not stop reminding him for a year without him giving me any answer. A year later, the šayj said to me without me having asked him: “A¬mad, what do you wish to ask me?” And he said to him: “My teacher, I wish you to make known to me these blessed names and the way to operate with them. Then the jayj said to me: “O Aṣmad, if you wish that, fast forty days when you do not eat or drink anything. If you do that, I will inform you of what concerns them.” I obeyed and began the fast. With the help of Allah, exalted be He, I completed the forty days, and went to al-Šayj, kissed his hand, and told him. Then he said to me, “Now you have the right to the distinction (alfaīla).” Then he retired alone and was absent for a long time. Finally he came out carrying a patch (ruq’a). He kissed it and said, “O Amad, do you know what is in it?” I said, “I don’t know.” Then he said, “You must know that these names were

1 Cor. XLI:10.

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written on the staff of Mūsà and on the staff of Šu’ayb1, peace be upon them both!; they were stamped on Yūsuf’s robe and engraved on the sword of Dāniyāl. They were with Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) when he was thrown into the fire, and they were with ‘Isà (peace be upon him), and he made them known to the apostles, the last of whom was Šim’ūn the Apostle (al-awārī),2 and he called upon Allah, the exalted be He, so that he cured with them all diseases and diseases. Its bearer is respected by beasts and by all creatures, he is protected from the wickedness of jinn and men, tongues are knotted before him and iron cannot harm him, so that even if he is in battle fighting among a multitude, no one will be able to cause him any harm, and armies and enemies flee before him.

Anyone who has a medical condition, such as a headache, ophthalmia, or any illness, should write these names on a bird or gazelle parchment and wear them on them. You shall write3 the Fatia, the Surah of the Cult and the two protective Surahs in a crystal bowl with musk sukk, saffron and rose water, for God will indeed cure you of all that harms you.

And whoever writes them as we have mentioned, hangs them and goes to see with them a ruler, a minister or some authority, and says to himself at the moment of entering before him: “My God, I ask you by the right of these names to tie the tongue of So-and-so son of So-and-so.” Thou shalt say, “Let the faces be deformed!” three times, and all the faces shall humble themselves before the Living One, the Subsisting One, and he who bears injustice shall have lost ﴿4. You will spit three times in the way that is most convenient for you, and you will enter before him, for you will really be safe from his evil and solve all your problems. And the bearer of these names will be well regarded by all the people and respected by all who see him.”

And they have many more virtues that we have summarized for fear of dragging on too long, and that they will fall into the hands of those who are not worthy of them and do not know their true value. These are the Names:

1 One of the prophets of Islam, mentioned in Cor. vii:83; xii:8395, etc., and to which some miracles are attributed.

2 Apparently referring to the apostle St. Peter, originally called Simeon bar Jonah. 3 In the original “thou shalt recite.”
4 Cor. xx:108.

486

Fig. 261

A SECTION in which I will mention the names that were on the staff of Mūsà, peace be upon him, and with those who performed miracles and wonders.

One of its peculiar virtues is that if they are written at the height of the sun or Jupiter with myrtle water, mastranzo water (¬abaq nahrī), maidenhair water from well, salix Aegyptia water, rose water […] and fresh saffron, on a gazelle parchment, you will perfume it when you write it with a pleasant aroma, You shall pierce the staff and insert the names into it, and seal it with wax from the wedding candle of a virgin girl. And if thou art in a place that inspires fear, and robbers and highwaymen appear before thee, or some dangerous and ferocious beast appears before thee, for strike the stick on the ground three times and say: “My God, I ask thee by the blessing of these lofty names that they may be

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They were found in the staff of Mūsà b. ‘Imrān, peace be upon him!, and with which he struck the sea ﴾ and opened, and each side was like a huge mountain ﴿1. [I ask you] to take such and such a thing away from us,” and you will mention whatever you want concerning stopping people, beasts, etc. And after your words, you shall say: “Stop them, for they are going to be asked,” 2, for they will certainly stop at the command of Allah, exalted be He, and they will not harm you or harm you, God willing, exalted be He!

Here’s what you’ll write:

Fig. 262

There is no power or strength except in God, the Most High, the Sublime. May God bless and save our Lord Muhammad, his family and companions.

When my teacher the šayj Abū ‘Abd Allāh alSabtī 3 passed away and was stripped of his clothes, I found in his muraqqa’a 4 a folded patch (ruq’a). I took it and when the šayj was buried I
opened that paper and found in it some sublime names that I myself had already asked the šayj for in life. He
refused and said, “Mama, don’t be upset, for you will surely get to know them without any effort or fatigue.” When I looked at them at that moment, I remembered the words of the šayj, prayed to God for his soul, and
said to myself: These are the last breaths of sincere people who are with
God, exalted be He! And his words really said, “After my death you will get them without questions or effort.” Then I looked at them carefully, and behold, I said: “Let the person in whose hand
these names are found know that he must hide them from one who is not worthy to know them, because they went down with Ādam, peace be upon him, and every day I watched them and said: Praise be to you! How sublime is Your essence, and how powerful Your authority!”

And he mentioned many other of his virtues that, if he revealed them to you, you could walk on water without sinking your feet, and if you wanted to fly through the air from one place to another, you would do so thanks to the blessing of
these noble names. With them the Men of the Invisible (rijāl algayb)5 hide themselves from the eyes of the creatures and fly; and if you recite them and say, “O servant spirits of these names, take me to Makkah,” then they will take you and bring you back in a single hour, so it is excellent for the journey
and the return. They have many other virtues, but if there were no fear of divulging the secret and they would fall into

1 Cor. XXVI:63.
2 Cor. xxxvii:24.
3 This could be Abūl’Abbās alSabtī, a saint who died in Marrakesh in 1205 AD (see above, p. 209).
4 A tattered costume typical of the Sufis, so called because of its numerous patches and patches.
5 By this nickname are known in Sufi doctrines some men and spiritual beings who are counted

among the favored friends of God, and who have the capacity to be invisible to the rest of creatures (NURBAKHSH, Sufi Symbolism, iii, p. 2234).

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hands of those who are not worthy of them, miracles and wonders would be exposed. So be very cautious and don’t reveal them to anyone who isn’t worthy of them. The noble names are like this:

“In the Name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. My God, I beseech Thee, by the breaths of the mysteries of the light of Thy Names and the light of the brightness of the splendor of the perfection of Thy Throne; by the glory of the mysteries of Your Names which You deposited in the Tablet Preserved with You; for that which Thou didst inspire Ādam, the father of men, and declared with Thy enlightening words, that they descended upon Thy purest beloved. ﴾ And he taught Ādam all the names ﴿1. I beseech Thee, by Thy holy Majesty, by the beauty of the perfection of the splendor of the light of Thy sublime, noble, radiant, and most holy countenance, by Thy mysteries and Thy lights which Thou didst deposit in the heart of the sun and moon, and by the right of these noble, sublime, and glorious names

Fig. 263

ÆÆÆ,HHH,DDD,HuwaHuwaHuwa,YāhYāh,﴾ Our Lord! We trust you, we turn to you and we must return to you ﴿2. ﴾ Our Lord! Do not turn our hearts away after you have led us, and grant us mercy from you. Verily, Thou art the Bountiful ﴿3.

APARTADO about the names that were written on the robe of our lord Yūsuf, peace be upon him, when he went to see the ‘Azīz4 in Egypt. They serve to gain respect, acceptance, and affection, and to go before kings, ministers, and important people; try to understand that. And the names are as follows, try to understand and you will reach your goal, God willing, for Allah, praise and exalted be He, speaks the truth and shows the way.

Fig. 264

1 Cor. II:30.
2 Cor. lx:4.
3 Cor. III:8.
4 This is the biblical Potiphar, mentioned in the Qur’an (xii:30, 51), where he appears as a person with power,

being responsible for the granaries of the Egyptian kingdom.

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APART IN WHICH I WILL MENTION A MAGNIFICENT BLESSING (FĀ’IDA): A

I once entered a mosque to pray, when I met one of my brothers with whom I had been gathered with our teacher Abū ‘Abd Allāh el šayj ‘Abd al©aqq al Sabtī, and with whom I had studied. When I saw him that day in the mosque and went to him to greet him, I found him facing the qibla and looking up at the sky and then at the palms of his hands repeatedly. Then I came up and heard him say, “My God, O Who hears prayers, O Who solves needs, O Who relieves worries above seven heavens. O Who opens the treasures of generous gifts, O Who solves the problems of those who pray and His ear hears the voices. O Who forgets faults, O Who forgives errors, O Merciful in rebuke. O Who brings down blessings, O Who embraces all with His knowledge. I ask you. My God, may you bless and save our Lord Muhammad and his family, and may you solve my problem, which is such and such. By the right of these names: Hā Hā, Hà Hà, Huwa Huwa, Yāh Yāh, Āh Āh. Glorious (Sabbū¬), Most Pure (Qaddūs), Lord of angels and the Spirit. I ask You, O Lord, by the names found in this patch (ruq’a) and the blessings that reside in these invocations, to solve my need.”

And he had hardly finished his prayer when his problem was already solved. Then he turned and saw me, came up to me and greeted me. Then he excused himself and said: “I was begging God to solve a problem for me, and my Lord attended to me and granted me His favor.” I said, “Brother, I’ve heard your prayer, but I also noticed that you looked at that patch, what’s in it?” Then he said to me, “I will tell you what is in it: I have been in the service of our teacher, with whom you and I have been studying, for a long time. Once he said to me: do you need anything? I said yes and he asked me what it was. I said, “I want you to teach me a prayer that I can pray to God for my most important matters and attend to me.” And he replied: “Okay. You are already worthy of it for the service you have given us for so long.” Then he gave me this prayer and these names, and whenever I pray to God with them he attends to me immediately.”

Then he gave me that patch, and on it were these noble names, which are as you can see. Try to understand and you will thrive:

Fig. 265

So go to this invocation, brethren, and do not forget it in your most important matters, for it is very swift in its answer; and do not invoke with it except for the works of good, otherwise you will not be cared for.

﴾ And we answered him and freed him from anguish. This is how we save believers ﴿1.

1 Cor. XXI:87.

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CHAPTER TWENTY
SON THE SURAH AND Ā’SĪN AND THE PRAYERS ANSWERED WITH IT.

Know, may God help us to obey Him and understand the secrets of His Names, that among the peculiar virtues of Surah Yā’Sīn, according to Anas b. Mālik, the Messenger of Allah said, God bless and save Him!: “Everything has a heart (qalb), and the heart of the Qur’an is Surah Yā’Sīn.”1 And he said: “Surah Yā’Sīn is called ‘that of the turban’ (almu’ammama).2 They said to him: O Messenger of Allah, what is almu’ammama? And he said: “Extend (‘amma) the good in this life and in the Hereafter to the one who recites it. And she is called “the defender” (aldāfi’a) and “the solicitous” (alqāÅiya), because she defends those who recite her from all evil, solves all their needs, makes them bear all hardship in this life and spares them the torments of the Other”3.

And with a correct chain of transmission, it is narrated according to Abu Bakr and Ibn ‘Abbās that [the Prophet] said: “Whoever recites Surah Yā’Sīn as far as it says – Call their attention by the example of the inhabitants of the city – 4 and then beg Allah for something, he is surely listened to.”5 It is proven and has proven to be true on numerous occasions.

Whoever writes Surah Yā’Sīn and drinks it, a thousand medicines, a thousand lights, a thousand blessings, a thousand wisdoms, and a thousand clemencies enter into it, and all sickness and disease disappear from him. And [for spleen disease] it will be written on a gazelle’s parchment, on Thursday in the hour of Jupiter and with the crescent moon, and it will be hung over the left arm, thus being safe from the spleen disease.

And it is said that when someone recites Surah Yā’Sīn in cemeteries, Allah alleviates the suffering of those who died on that day, and he is counted as many good deeds (asanāt) as there are people buried in them. And that whoever recites it in the afternoon, does not stop being happy until dawn, and vice versa.

Whoever recites it next to a Muslim over whom death looms, God causes as many angels to descend as the numerical value of each letter of it, appearing in rows in front of him, coming before him, asking for his forgiveness, celebrating his funeral and witnessing his burial.

Any Muslim who recites it in front of what he needs, is granted. And if he recites it when he is frightened, he is safe; if he is hungry, he is satisfied; and if he is thirsty, quench his thirst.

Any Muslim who recites Surah Yā’Sīn is in agony, for the angel of death does not grasp his spirit until he sees the guardian angel of Paradise and incites him to love him.

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “In the Qur’an there is a surah which is called “the precious (al’azīza) with God”, and its follower (1⁄2ā¬ib) is called “the distinguished (alšarīf) with God”.

1 AlTirmi2ī, no. 2812; AlDārimī, no 3282.

2 The term mu’ammam means “dressed in a turban,” and hence it also designates a chief or lord invested with the power to command over people, and to whom his subjects turn to settle their affairs.

3 We do not find this admine in any of the collections cited. 4 Cor. xxxvi:12.
5 We do not find this saying in the collections cited.

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Allah” intercedes on the Day of Resurrection for the one who recites it to a greater extent than for the Rabbis and Muḥar1. And it is Surah Yā’Sīn, the final part of the Surah of Meeting 2 and the two protective Surahs 3.”

And he said, peace and blessings be upon him: “In the Qur’an there is a surah that intercedes for the one who recites it and gives forgiveness to the one who hears it. It is Surah Yā’Sīn, and whoever recites it on Friday wakes up forgiven.”4

And according to al-asan©[alBa1⁄2rī] said the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and save him: “Whoever recites Yā’Sīn and Surah of Smoke5 on Friday night in faith and seeking the reward of Allah, his past sins are forgiven.”6

and

For combat and other situations, the formula of return (alistirŷā’) will be recited three times: “We are from God and to Him we return,” and Surah Yā’Sīn. And whoever is found a prisoner, frightened, lost, absent from his place, or in debt, let him recite Surah Yā’Sīn three times, and he will be freed, safe, guided, returned to his place, and his debt settled.

In the same way for all important matters, for fear or misdirection, the Surah Yā’Sīn shall be recited seventy times and after each time you shall recite this invocation seven times: “O spirits servant and obedient to this blessed Surah, by the right of the prophets of God and of His saints, by the right of your Creator: Make my words influential, heard, and accepted. Satisfy my main needs promptly, provide for me and help me in all general and concrete matters. By the right of ﴾ He is of Sulayman, and He is In the Name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful ﴿ 7. Alwa¬ā, al’ajal, alsā’a. He is indeed capable of what He desires and it is His own to answer.”

For the wicked adversary: whoever has an enemy who has caused him some harm and wishes to destroy him, let him take a mud brick and put it in front of him on the edge of a stream of water or a pond. He will be oriented towards the qibla, and he will recite Surah Yā’Sīn forty-one times, each time drawing a line in the adobe. When the recitation is over, he will recite the funeral oration on the adobe, mold it into the form of his enemy, and then throw him into the river or the pond, for the person will really perish quickly. This is a protection that should not be used except after having suffered severe damage and great evil. Have respect for Allah, praise and exalted be He, have mercy on His servant and be afraid that God may take vengeance on you.

To make affliction disappear and […], a certain Gnostic mentioned that when a person is distressed, he will recite Surah Yā’Sīn, and when he finishes he will recite this blessed prayer: “[Praise be to Him] Who comforts everyone who is afflicted. Praise be to Him who relieves everyone who is in debt. Praise be to Him Who frees all who are prisoners, Whose treasures reside in His Omnipotence

1 Name given to two important groups of tribes in the north of pre-Islamic Arabia.
2 Cor. lix.
3 Cor. CXIII, CXIV. We do not find this addition in the aforementioned collections.
4 Nor do I find this adiend, although I do find a very similar version in which the surah of the Smoke is spoken of (Cor.

xliv), to be recited on Friday night, in alDārimī, no. 32867. 5 Cor. xliv.

6 Not found in the aforementioned collections. 7 Cor. XXVII:30.

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Between the kāf and the nūn of ﴾ Really when He wants something His command is only to say to him: Be, and it is. Praise be to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all things and to Whom you shall return! O Who relieves anguish, relieves my anguish.” You will recite it three times.

Another of the peculiar virtues of this noble surah, for protection (al¬ifÞ),2 who writes Surah Yā’Sīn with rose water and saffron, writing it for seven days in a row every day once, remembers everything he hears, overcomes the one who disputes with him, and magnifies himself in the eyes of the people.

And another of its peculiar virtues is that it will be drunk for diuresis. And whoever gives it to a woman who is nursing a baby to drink, then there will be wholesome food for the baby and full health, God willing, praise and praise be to him!

And whoever writes it and hangs it around his neck is safe from evil beings, from jinn, from reptiles and from pains.

Among the peculiar virtues of this noble surah in avoiding the evil person, he mentioned to the d Kalbī that a man had killed by mistake, and a relative of the deceased accused him of having killed him deliberately, so he sought him to kill him. Then a certain devotee said to him: “If you really
tell the truth, recite Surah Yā’Sīn before you leave your house and go out to him, for by God he will not see you,
for that person is treating you unjustly.” And that man recited it before leaving his house, his
house, without seeing on his way who was looking for him.

And it is true that our lord the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and save him, recited the beginning of the surah as he left for Qurayš, when they had planned to kill him, and he went out before them without them seeing him and put dirt in their eyes.

and

And a certain virtuous man said, God have mercy on him for his words!, “From among those who distinguish it and account for its blessing, whoever is frightened by a despotic governor, or is reproached without reason or […] or his mount is lost, let him recite Surah Yā’Sīn and then say: “In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. In the Name of God, Who is no god but Him, the Living, the Subsistent. In the Name of God, Who is no god but Him, Lord of Majesty and Generosity. In the Name of God, the One who, by the mention of His Name, can cause no harm on earth or in heaven, He is the Hearer, the All-Knowing. My God, I seek refuge in You from the wickedness of So-and-so, son of So-and-so.” And it will really avoid that.

And you must know that if the heavens covered the earth and the world were to burn in flames from the revolts (alfitan), and then the servant turned inwardly obedient to his Lord and sincerely sought His refuge, God would save him to the extent of his sincerity.

As for His saying, exalted be He!: ﴾ Peace: Word of a Merciful Lord ﴿1, it will be recited to solve needs and avoid worries 1499 times, obtaining what is desired, God willing, exalted be He!

1 Cor. xxxvi:8182.
2 Also “for memorization or retention”.

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To protect himself from misfortune and epidemic, he who writes – Peace: Word of a Merciful Lord – five times and carries it hanging, is safe from the misfortunes of the night and day. And whoever recites it twenty-eight times on the days of the epidemic will be safe from the ravages of the epidemic.

‘Aðā’ b. Abī Rabā¬ said: “I heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and save him, said: “Whoever recites Surah Yā’Sīn solves his needs”, al-Dārimī 2 is recorded as a Mursal 3 tradition. And the Prophet (may Allah bless him and save him) said: “Whoever recites Yā’Sīn by night or by day, does not

he will be offended in that day.”
And he said, God bless you and save you!: “Praise be to God, Who honored me and my community

with the surah Yā’Sīn, with the verse of the Throne and the surah of the Cult” 4.

Sahl b. ‘Abd Allāh alTustarī said: A man came before Ibrāhīm b. Adham and asked him: What do you say about Surah Yā’Sīn? And he said to him: In Yā’Sīn there is a name that whoever knows it and prays to God with it, is heeded, whether pious or ungodly, if he prays for that which is proper to that name.

The man said to him, “Do you think, God guide you, that I could be of any use if I recite the whole surah?” And he answered, “Not until you call on God with that very Name that is specific to what you pray for.” If you went to the pharmacist’s pharmacy with a disease, knowing that your medication is in it but without knowing what it is specifically, and you took everything in the pharmacy and drank it, do you think that would benefit you until you could know that specific medication and use it properly? Just as God created the disease, He also created the remedy that is His own; and in the same way for each of the Names of God there is a specific matter for which to pray with it, and with which it is attended5.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless and save him) said: “Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Yā’Sīn.” 6 This is enough for you to understand its excellence and the greatness of the Names it contains, for Allah, exalted be He, made them the heart of the Qur’an, and the noblest of the organs of the body of the living being is the heart. And the virtue that amalgamates in the heart is the noblest of virtues, since it gives life to the body and generates vitality, encouragement and natural warmth. Therefore the heart is to the body of man as the sun is to the world, whose life is sustained by it, for when its light is diffused [on the earth, it quickens all that is in it and sets it in motion, but if its light departs from it]7 the horizon is darkened, and every living thing is silent and sleeps.

These two forces are similar to the two puffs with which the angel Isrāfīl, peace be upon him, will blow the horn8. And in the sun resides the life of all that grows on earth and in the air, the light of the moon and the splendor of the sky.

1 Cor. xxxvi:57.
2 Al-Dārimī, no. 3284, where the Prophet says: “Whoever recites Surah Yā’Sīn at dawn, solves his needs.” 3 That tradition whose chain of transmission goes back to the second generation after the Prophet.
4 These last two traditions are not found in the collections cited.
5 Cf. supra, p. 132, n. 6.
6 AlTirmi2ī, no. 2812; AlDārimī, no 3282.
7 We fill in the gap by translating Pilar Garrido’s work, Study, edition and translation of the work of

Ibn Masarra, pp. 1256. 8 Cor. xxxix:6566.

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Everyone who recites Surah Yā’Sīn and prays to Allah with it, if he is worried Allah relieves his anguish, if he is drowning Allah saves him from drowning, if he is a prisoner he is freed, if he is hungry he is satisfied, if he is thirsty quenches his thirst, if he is frightened he finds safety, and if he is recited over a dead man God lightens his storm. All this is due to the excellence of the Name that is found in it1.

It is said that in Yā’Sīn there is one of the Names of God, praise and praise be to Him!, that whoever discovers it with the mystery of letters, writes it, erases it with clean water oriented towards the qiblah, and drinks it for the same number of days as the numerical value of the names, God grants him the faculty of speaking with Wisdom, and reveals to him clearly the mystery of the worlds. It is located towards the middle of the surah and there are five words that bring together sixteen letters, of which four have diacritical points, two have them below and two above, and that is because of the secret of the natural world, that of combination and that of the quaternary2. In the same way, if you multiply four by itself you get sixteen, which is the total result of the names, that is, the sum of their letters.

By means of this secret the Names in heaven, on earth, the footstool, and Paradise (Firdaws) are made manifest, and by means of it it is possible to verify the soul in the world of the sensible. Through it the mystery is propagated in the world of the higher angelic realm. By means of it the essential form that resides in consciousness is ennobled. And that secret is not to be found in Æā’Sīn, since the meaning of Æā’Sīn is connected with that of the letter sīn, which is not so in Yā’Sīn, because the yā’ is present in the occult sense. And this is what I can summarize from the doctrines of Gnostic3.

To thwart the enemy’s plans, His saying ﴾ We will really put rings around their necks as far as it says they will not be able to see ﴿4. These verses serve to avoid the traps of enemies, to return their damage, to destroy them, to divert their faces, to blind their eyes and to sow discord among them. Whoever writes them on a shield, or engraves them on a copper or gold sheet and nails it to the hilt of the shield, and meets with him the enemies and the adversaries of religion, for they will see their plans frustrated and their snare will be turned against them.

Whoever recites them when they get into bed, is safe that night from thieves and the corrupt. And whoever recites them during the dispute of two people, dissuades the person of both who is unjust.

To be free from fear is His saying, Exalted be He!, ﴾ Peace: Word of a Merciful Lord ﴿5. This is a verse of enormous power, for in it resides the Supreme Name of God. If it is arranged harmoniously in a literal square of 4 x 4, it gives protection to anyone who is afraid. It will be arranged as follows:

1 Cf. PILAR GARRIDO, loc. cit.

2 It refers to the quaternary associations of the four elements and the four natural qualities that are combined in them, among others.

3 He probably continues to quote al-Tustarī, although I do not find these latter ideas in his Risālat al©urūf. 4 Cor. xxxvi:78.
5 Cor. xxxvi:57.

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Fig. 266

And this noble verse, which is • Peace: Word of a Merciful Lord • is a glorious verse in which the Supreme Name of God resides. Its numerical value is 820, and if it is arranged harmoniously in
a square, it gives confidence to everyone who is frightened. I myself have tried it on several occasions, and
I have not seen any work that is more prosperous than this.

It has also been said that a man came before Ibrāhīm b. Adham and asked him: What do you say about Surah Yā’Sīn? And he said to him: In Yā’Sīn there are names that whoever knows them and prays to God with them, does not ask God for anything that is not granted to him.

And this is the way in which the verse will be arranged:

Fig. 267

And it is said that there are fourteen letters that he who arranges them in a sixfold square engraved on a seal of pure gold (al2ahab ala-mar), at the moment of exaltation of the sun and with the crescent moon, because their bearer will see by the effect of God’s gift that which will increase his religious conviction and will obtain everything
he asks. And if it is written with its eight accessory letters and carried with it, God, exalted be He, grants
its bearer power, leadership, glory and enriches him during his poverty.

Its properties are numerous, and if it is engraved on a ring by anyone who suffers pain or has been stung by a scorpion or bitten by a snake, he is immediately restored by the command of God, exalted be He! Its properties are valid for everything you ask for related to relieving a worry, seeking sustenance, acceptance, respect and everything you desire, God willing, exalted be He!

And this is the way in which it will be arranged:

Ra¬īm min Rabb Qawlan Salām

132 136 295 257

296 260 129 135

134 130 259 297

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m ī ¬ r b r n m lā ū q m lā s m n lā r ū b q r m ¬ lā ī s m r q m b ¬ ū lā r ī lā s n m m r lā ī ū lā ¬ s b n m q m r b s n ¬ m lā m ū q ī m lā r r

ū m q lā ī m m ¬ ¬ m lā m n ī r lā lā r s ī q n r m

lā n r s r b s q r m b ū m lā b m ū ¬ m s ū r ¬ lā

m r m n lā q b ī ī
b m q s lā ū n r m ¬ r lā m

n ū r lā m s ¬ q r m lā b m ī q ¬ r s m m m lā lā b r m ū ī n lā lā b m r m m s ū r ī ¬ n q s m ū m r r ī m ¬ b n lā q lā

Fig. 268

One of the masters of the spiritual disposition said: Whoever writes this noble verse sixty times in a glass vessel in the first hour of the first Monday of the month, erases it with rainwater and drinks it for the purpose of whatever he wishes to erase from his mind, for God plucks that thing from his heart, it makes him forget it, it dissuades him from thinking about it, it opens his chest, it grants him what he desires and makes what he has placed his hope in come true.

And know that this sublime Name and glorious secret has a square of magnificent essence which is to be composed by the secret of harmonious fit, Venus being in her exaltation or in her mansion, at the first or eighth hour of Friday. Its bearer will see by the work of God that which cannot be described, so be careful with it, for it is one of the hidden secrets. If you wish, you will write instead of the 136 His Name ‘the Faithful’ (alMu’min),1 for it is one of the most proper attributes of the Prophet our Lord Muhammad, God bless him and save him! And if you wish, write instead of 135 His Name, exalted be He!, ‘Who facilitates’ (Musahhil), instead of 129 His Name, exalted be He!, ‘Subtle’ (LaÐīf), and instead of 130 His Name, exalted be He!, ‘One who seeks good’ (Munīl), which is one of the most characteristic attributes of Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him!

And this is the way in which it will be arranged:

1 This refers to the place occupied by the number 136 in the previous square of this verse (fig. 267), and which can be replaced by the name Mu’min as it is equivalent to this number.

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Fig. 269

Know, brother, may God help us to obey Him and to understand the secrets of His Names, that Surah Yā’Sīn is a sublime Surah that has innumerable peculiar virtues, because it is
the heart of the sublime Qur’an, and the heart of this Surah is Peace Peace: Word of a Merciful Lord
We have already mentioned some of its virtues. Below I will mention some of its properties and some of the things that have to do with it, may God benefit us with it!

Tosubdue hearts and unite those who hate each other, you will write it as I will explain on a piece of paper with musk, saffron and rose water sukk. It must be written in an hour of good omen, and whoever wants to carry it with him, with the name of whoever wants and the name of his mother. He will recite the noble surah seven times and say, “O spirit servants of this noble surah!” seven times, and then he will say, “Be concerned, O spirit servants of this noble surah, to draw and bring the heart of So-and-so son of So-and-so closer to the love of So-and-so son of So-and-so.” Then he will take the leaf with him and see the amazing love and perpetual affection between the two people, God willing, exalted be He!

In the same way, to free the prisoner the noble surah and the Names of God, exalted be He, are written in it on a clean garment. It is to be recited three times, and at the end of the recitation he will say: “Take care, O spirits servants of this noble surah, to attract so-and-so son of so-and-so, by the right that the noble surah exercises over you and by the obedience that you owe it.” Then a clean garment such as a cloth (fūÐa) shall be covered with the earth, the earth shall be spread out and the prisoner shall pray on it two rak’ats, the first with the Fāti¬a once and the surah of the Cult fourteen times. And after pronouncing the taslīma he will say: “My God, I ask you, O Allāh, O High One, O Lord of seven heavens.” And he will say: “Praise be to Him who relieves everyone who is sorrowful! Praise be to Him Who comforts everyone who is in prison! Praise be to the Knower of all that is hidden! Praise be to Him Whose Decree lies between kāf and nūn! Praise be to Him who when He desires something, it is enough for Him to say “Be!”, and it is! Praise be to Him in Whose hand is the Dominion of all things, and to Whom ye shall return!” Then that earth will be hidden in a place where it cannot be trodden on, because the prisoner will be freed quickly, God willing, exalted be he!

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Another of its virtues is to cure diseases and ailments: Write the noble surah and the names it contains in a glass container with musk sukk, saffron and rose water. It will be dissolved with rainwater and will be drunk by those who suffer from sickness, saying when drinking: “I seek healing by the sublime verses of God and His sacred Names”, for Allah, exalted be He, will cure and restore him from that disease and infirmity, God willing, praise and exalted be He! In the same way, it is beneficial for heart palpitations and shock from a blow or grief, being done as we mentioned.

On the other hand: one of its peculiar virtues is to prevent the effects of evil magic (si-r), harmful acts, what is feared and what may result from it. When one wants to be protected from that, write the noble surah and the Names it contains in a glass container with a myrtle calamus, and the ink with a little rose water, sweet pomegranate water, myrtle water, jasmine water, grape water, and a little rain water and carrot leaf water. taking of each thing in small quantities. It shall be written, the writing shall be dissolved with rainwater, and he shall be washed with it by anyone who is bewitched (mas¬ūr) or who fears being affected by evil magic, by a stream of water or by a ditch whose water runs in the direction of the qibla, rubbing with it his whole body except the private parts and the backside. which at no time will he touch with his hands. And he will recite while washing: ﴾ Mūsà said: What you have brought is magic, and God will make it disappear. God does not put good in the action of those who corrupt ﴿1. My God, I ask You by the right of the noble Surah Yā’Sīn, to remove from me the magic of sorcerers (alsa¬ara) and the evil of intriguers. For a thousand alif, there is no power or strength except in God, the Most High, the Sublime.” And God will indeed cause that which he fears and distrusts to be removed from him, if He wills, exalted be He!

A PARTADO: one of its virtues is to memorize the Koran and the rest of the religious sciences, if you write the noble surah and the Names that it includes in a glass container with musk sukk, saffron and rose water. Then it will be exposed under the stars and drunk on an empty stomach, doing so for seven days in a row in which it will avoid eating acidic or salty foods. And after drinking it he will say: “My God, I ask You, O Allah, by the blessing of this noble surah and these blessed and exalted Names, to make me memorize the Qur’an and the noble Science and all that You taught to Your beloved. Put me among them and teach me all that you taught them, O Allāh, O All-Knowing, O Wise”; for God will really teach him the Qur’an and whatever he desires of the sciences, if He wills, exalt Him!

Another of its virtues is that whoever wants to obtain the respect of kings, ministers, and rulers, let him write the noble surah and the names it contains in a glass vessel with lily oil, jasmine oil, eglantine oil, and balsam oil; and if there is no oil, well, with its water and a little oil from Palestine. And in addition to the surah, ﴾ When they saw it, they were amazed and cut their hands without realizing it. They said, “God bless us!” This is not a human being but a noble angel ﴿2; and His saying ﴾ He had a position of great esteem before God ﴿1, the verse

1 Cor. x:81. 2 Cor. XII:31.

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of the Throne2, the Surah of Help, the Surah of the Cult and the two Protective Surahs3. Then put the writing [after dissolving it in water] in a jar (qārūra), and when you want to go to a king, a ruler or a minister to ask for something, then anoint your face with a little of the oil that will be in the jar, recite Surah Yā’Sīn and the Surahs and Verses that you wrote, and then go to the ruler of your choice, for you will actually obtain in his presence great dignity, respect, and solemnity, so that he will settle all your affairs and everything you ask for without any effort, God willing, exalted be He!

APARTADO: Another of the virtues of this noble verse is that it will be recited aloud to increase provisions and goods. If someone who is thirsty recites it, quench their thirst; and if he is scared, he finds safety and security. Another of his virtues is that made known by a certain righteous person, who had many sheep, and every night he drew a circle around the sheep and recited Surah Yā’Sīn. Then the thieves would come to steal some sheep but they would find an iron wall around them, so they would become frustrated. Thus, one night he recited Surah Yā’Sīn but did not finish it, and when the robbers arrived they found an open door in the wall, so they had the option of seizing the flock. The next morning the man looked at the sheep and noticed the lack of a few, so he thought he had fallen asleep without completing the recitation of the noble sura. From then on the man persevered in his recitation and nothing bad ever happened to him again.

And another of its virtues is that if you are afraid of some ruler or authority and want to be safe from his wickedness, recite the noble surah and every time you come to where it says “Obvious” (Mubīn)4, you will say:
“My God, I ask you, O God of the heavens and the earths, God of Mūsà, ‘Isà and Ibrāhīm alJalīl, by the right of Allāh, the Glorious Lord, to appease the wrath against me of this king or ruler. By the right of the blessed and noble Surah Yā’Sīn.” And you will say: “Take care, O servants spirits of this surah, to
annul its tongue with regard to me.” If you know his name and his mother’s name, mention them, otherwise
you will say “this ruler,” for God will indeed by His favor and His generosity calm his anger and quench his ardor, so that He will be able to procure for you nothing but good, God willing, praise and exalted
be He!

The virtues of this surah are countless. I have been concise about them for fear of going on too long. Ponder what we have omitted considering what has already been mentioned, and you will be right, God willing, exalted be He!

1 Cor. xxxiii:69.
2 Cor. II:254.
3 Cor. CX, XCII, and CXIIICXIV.
4 A word that appears at the end of verses 11, 23, 46, 59, 68, 76 of Surah Yā’Sīn.

Another of its peculiar virtues is that if a person is traveling and goes off the path for fear of getting lost in the desert, he will recite the noble surah Yā’Sīn, and will say at the end of the recitation: “O spirit servants of this noble surah, guide me to the path” and will name the place he wants to reach, because God will really send him someone to show him the way to his destination.

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NOBLE PLEGARIA [from the surah and Ā’SĪN]

“In the Name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. My God, I beseech You and seek refuge in You, O Allāh, You are Allāh, there is no god but You, only You without an associate. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Sovereign, the Manifest Truth. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Fixed One in existence. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Known of Bounty. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Visible One who is not seen. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Hidden One who does not hide. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Shaper, the Inventor. O Allāh, You are Allāh, Light of the heavens and the earth. O Allāh, You are Allāh, Light of this world and of the Hereafter. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the One, the One. O Allāh, Thou art Allāh, the Living, the Subsistent. O Allāh, Thou art Allāh, the Mighty, the Compassionate. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the One in Eternity. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Most High, the Benefactor. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Manifest in His words. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the One Free from all blemish. O Allāh, You are Allāh, Who has neither begotten nor been begotten, and there is none like Him. O Allāh, Thou art Allāh, Who has neither contrary nor equal. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the First without limit. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Last without end. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the timeless Eternal. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Unrestricted Permanent. O Allāh, Thou art Allāh, the Living, the Subsistent, Who never dies. O Allāh, You are Allāh, the Perpetual, the Worshipped One. O Allāh, Thou art Allāh, the Revered, the Complaid. O Allāh, You are Allāh, My Lord, Lord of Majesty and Generosity.

My Allah, I ask You for the sanctity of Surah Yā’Sīn and the sanctity of this blessed prayer to make me see Your shrine (aram)1 for Your generosity and to allow me to visit the grave of Your Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and save him! That you make every difficult situation easy for me, and that you subordinate to me the spirits who are servants of this noble surah, so that they may be of help to me for all the good that I desire. My God, make Your creatures and Your sustenance available to me. My God, unite the hearts of Your servants, male and female, free and slave, small and great, in love, affection and affection for me. Grant me immense fortune and impose on the hearts of Your servants pity and mercy towards me. Grant me a free (alāl) and good sustenance, and be to me a support and a help for the good I desire. My God, make Your creatures and Your sustenance available to me. My God, unite the hearts of Your servants, male and female, and be for me a Guardian, a Helper, and a Protector. Praise be to the One who relieves those who are in debt. Praise be to Him who comforts the one who is sorrowful. Praise be to Him who possesses the treasures of His sovereignty between the kāf and the nūn. Praise be to Him who when He decrees something, He only says, “Be!” and it is. O One Who comforts seven times. O One Who solves needs, O One Who hears prayers, make every difficulty easy for me, by the blessing of Surah Yā’Sīn.

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. ﴾ Yā’Sīn By the wise Qur’an! ﴿3 you shall say it seven times, and you shall say ﴾ I entrust my matter to Allah, verily Allah sees the servants ﴿ 4 You shall repeat it seven times and pray for the Prophet, Allah bless him and save him, ten times, and you shall recite ﴾ You are one of the

1 A word that designates the sacred territory of Mecca.
2 The term designates that which is acquired legally or free of charge. 3 Cor. xxxvi:1.
4 Cor. XL:44.

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sent on a straight path. Revelation that the Mighty, the Merciful, has sent down, that you may warn a people whose fathers were not warned and are careless. The word dictated against the majority has come true and they do not believe. Verily, We will put rings around their necks that will reach to their chins, and they will not be able to move.”1 And you will say ﴾ I entrust my matter to God, it is true that God sees the servants ﴿ you will repeat it seven times and you will pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him!, ten times, and you will say ﴾ We have put a barrier in front of them and another behind and we have veiled them, they cannot see. It is the same for them whether you warn them or whether you do not warn them, they will not believe. The warning is accepted only by those who follow the Remembrance and fear the Merciful even though they do not see Him. Announce forgiveness and a generous reward ﴿2. And you will say ﴾ I entrust my matter to God, it is true that God sees the servants ﴿ you will repeat it seven times and you will pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save!, ten times, and you will say ﴾ Truly We give life to the dead and write down the works that they have done and the footprints they have left. We collect everything in a clear register ﴿3. And you will say ﴾ I entrust my affair to God, it is true that God sees the servants ﴿ you will repeat it seven times and you will pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him, ten times, and you will say Praise be to Him who relieves those who are in debt. Praise be to Him who comforts the one who is sorrowful. Praise be to the One who deposits His treasures between the kāf and the nūn. Praise be to Him who when He decrees something, He only says, “Be!” and it is. O One Who comforts seven times, and thou shalt pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him, ten times, and thou shalt say, O One Who solves the necessities, O One Who hears prayers, subordinates to me the servants of this noble surah so that they may obey me and obey my command, provide me to visit the grave of Thy Prophet Muhammad, God bless and save you! Make every difficulty easy for me. My God, unite the hearts of all Your servants in love for me, free and slave, small and great, male and female. He inclines his hearts to me in love, affection and affection. Grant me immense fortune and a long life. Open before me the doors of Your Mercy. Open to me the hearts of all Your creatures in goodness, compassion and mercy. Give me a free sustenance, and be to me a helper, an assistant, a guardian, a helper, and a protector.

My Allah, I ask Thee, O God of the first and the last, to submit to me all Thy creatures in love, affection and affection, as Thou didst subdue the sea to Mūsà b. ‘Imrān, peace be upon him, and soften for me their hearts, their spirits, their minds, their limbs and their limbs, as you softened the iron for Dāwūd, peace be upon him! For they speak not save by Thy decree, their locks are in Thy fist and their hearts in Thy hand. Exalted be Thy praise! Hallowed Be Thy Names! There is no god but You, no one is worshipped but You. O most Gracious of the merciful, I ask Thee by the right of this noble surah to draw me closer to my sustenance and to draw the hearts of Thy servants into love, affection, and sympathy for me, just as the magnet attracts iron. My God, bow down to me their spirits, their bodies, and all their members, by Thy right, by the right of Thy dignity, and the light of Thy face. By the right of Your Prophets, the Messengers and the angels who are near. By the right of surah ﴾ Yā’Sīn By the wise Qur’an! ﴿4. For the right of ﴾ AlifLāmMīm.

1 Cor. xxxvi:27. 2 Cor. xxxvi:810. 3 Cor. XXXVI:11.
4 Cor. xxxvi:1.

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That Book, without a doubt, contains a guide for the fearful ﴿1. For the right of ﴾ AlifLāmMīm. Allāh, there is no god but Him, the Living One, the Subsisting One ﴿2. By the right of ﴾ AlifLāmMīnSād ﴿, ﴾ AlifLām MīmRā’ ﴿, ﴾ KāfHā’Yā”Ayn1⁄4ād ﴿, ﴾ ©āMīm’AynSīnQāf ﴿, and ﴾ ©āMīm By the Clarifying Book! ﴿ 3. By the right of ﴾ 1⁄4ād. By the Qur’an that contains the Remembrance! ﴿4, by the right of ﴾ Qāf. By the glorious Qur’an ﴿5, by the right of ﴾ By the Mountain! By a Book written on an unrolled parchment! By the house visited! By the high roof! By the overflowing sea! ﴿6, by the right of ﴾ Nūn. By the calamus and what they write! ﴿7, and by the right of the entire noble Qur’an, sublime and eternal, healing for the believers and manifest light, just as you said, and you are the most truthful of the speakers: ﴾ By the Qur’an we send down a cure and a mercy for the believers ﴿8. By Thy most beautiful, sublime, holy, pure, and illuminating Names, by the right of the Throne, the Footstool, the Tablet, and the Calamo, by the right of Ŷabrā’īl e Mīkā’īl, by the right of Isrāfīl and ‘Azrā’īl, the bearers of the Throne and the angels near. For the sanctity of the heavens, the earths and the planets, ﴾ For the sky that has the constellations! For the promised day! By a witness and a witness! ﴿9, and ﴾ By the sky and the one who comes by night! And how do you know what it is that comes by night? It is the dazzling star. And every soul has a protector ﴿10. For the right of ﴾ For the dawn! For ten nights! By the odd and the even! At night when it happens! ﴿11. For the right of ﴾ For the fruit of the fig tree and the olive tree! On Mount Sīnīn! For this safe land! That we truly create man in perfect harmony ﴿12. For the sanctity of the Ka’aba and of Jerusalem, and for the sanctity of Your Prophets, Your chosen ones and Your devoted servants.

O Lord of the worlds, O the Best of Helpers, O Who attends to those who ask, O Who solves needs, O Who answers prayers, O Who forgives faults, O Benefactor, O Who avoids misfortunes, O Who forgives offenses, O Who removes anxieties. Let me see Your sanctuary (aram) with Your generosity allow me to visit the grave of Your Prophet Muhammad, God bless him and save him! Make your creatures submit to me and soften their hearts and spirits with love, affection and sympathy for me. Make my sustenance available to me and make every difficulty easy for me, for the sake of the sanctity of ﴾ Yā’Sīn By the wise Qur’an! ﴿; deliver me from my debts, relieve my anguish, regale me with Your immense treasures; When you want something Your command is only to say “Be!”, and it is. By the right of Surah Yā’Sīn you shall repeat it seven times, and you shall say ﴾ I entrust my matter to God, verily Allah sees the servants ﴿ you shall repeat it seven times and pray for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and save him, ten times, and you shall say ﴾ Call their attention by the example of the inhabitants of the city,

1 Cor. II:1.
2 Cor. III:1.
3 Cor. XLIII:1; XLIV:1. 4 Cor. xxxviii:1.
5 Cor. L:1.
6 Cor. Lii:15.
7 Cor. LXVIII:1.
8 Cor. XVII:82.
9 Cor. LXXXV:13.
10 Cor. LXXXVI:14. 11 Cor. LXXXIX:14. 12 Cor. xcv:14.

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When the messengers arrived ﴿1 you shall repeat it seven times and say ﴾ I entrust my matter to God, verily God sees the servants ﴿ you shall repeat it seven times and pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him, ten times, and you shall say ﴾ When We sent two and they denied them; and then We reinforced them with a third and they said: We have been sent to you. They said: You are but human beings like us, and the Merciful One has not brought anything down, you are only lying. They said: Our Lord knows well that we have been sent to you, but it is only for us to make the message clear ﴿2.

My Allah, praise be to the One Who relieves the one who is in debt and comforts the one who is distressed, [I ask Thee] to give me a gift through Thy treasures, O Allāh, O Who comforts, O God of the first and the last. Make my sustenance available to me, facilitate my affairs, smooth out my difficulties, and make the difficult easy for me. Infuse love into all Thy creatures and incline their hearts, their spirits, and their gaze toward me. O Lord of the worlds, O One Who comforts seven times, and you will say ﴾ I entrust my matter to God, verily God sees the servants ﴿ you will repeat it seven times and pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him, ten times, and you will say ﴾ They said, We really have a bad omen from you, and if you do not desist, We will stone you and you will receive a painful punishment from us. They said, “Let your omen be unto you.” Are you not going to reconsider? But no, you are people who go too far. And from the end of the city came a man running and said, “My people! Follow the envoys! Follow those who ask you for nothing in return and are guided! How could I not worship Him Who created me and to Whom you are to return? Will you take gods besides Him, whose intercession would be of no avail to me if the Merciful One wanted to cause me some harm, and who could not save me? If I did, I would be clearly lost. I truly believe in your Lord, listen to me so ﴿3.

O Allah, I beseech Thee, O God of the first and the last, O Allāh, I ask Thee to make all Thy creatures available to me, to relieve all who are in debt, to comfort all who are grieving, to make it easy for me to deal with all Thy creatures, and to make every difficult situation easy for me. And you will say ﴾ I entrust my matter to God, it is true that God sees the servants ﴿ seven times and you will pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him!, ten times, and you will say ﴾ I truly believe in your Lord, listen to me then. He said to himself, “Go into the Garden!” He said: Woe to my people! If they knew that my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among those whom He has honored. And we do not send against them after him any army that came down from heaven, nor have we ever commanded it. A single cry was enough and they were annihilated. What a pity for servants! There was no messenger that came to them that they did not mock. Do they not see how many generations, who will never return, we have destroyed before them? They are to be brought before us. They have a sign in the dead earth which We give life to and cause seeds to sprout from which you eat. In it we have put gardens of palm trees and vines, and we have caused springs to be born. So that they might eat of its fruit and of the labor of its hands. Are they not going to be grateful? Glory to Him who created all kinds, those of the earth, themselves and others they do not know. And they have a sign at night, when we make the daylight disappear and they are dark. And

1 Cor. xxxvi:12.
2 Cor. xxxvi:1316. 3 Cor. xxxvi:1724.

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the sun, which runs towards a resting place that it has. That is the Decree of the Mighty, the Wise. And we have fixed mansions to the moon, until it becomes like an old palm branch. It is not fitting that the sun should reach the moon, nor that the night should be ahead of the day. Each one goes in an orbit. And there is a sign for them in how we put their progenitors on the swollen ship. And We have created for them other similar ships on which they embark. And if we want we can make them drown without having anyone to help them or be saved. Except for a mercy on Our part and to grant them enjoyment for a while. And when it is said to them, ‘Fear what is after you and what is to come,’ that you may be shown mercy.” There is no sign of the signs of your Lord that comes to them, from which they do not depart. And when it is said to them, ‘Spend of the provision that God has given you,’ those who refuse to believe say to the believers, ‘Shall we feed whom God, if He willed, would feed?’ You are only in a clear loss ﴿1.

My God, I ask You, O God of the first and the last, I ask You to cover my debts and to relieve my worries and anxieties, to fill me with Your treasures. O Who relieves, place
my sustenance at my disposal, relieve me of every difficulty, fill the hearts of Your servants with compassion
for me, and soften their hearts and minds in the same way that You softened the iron for Dāwūd,
peace be upon him! My God, place at my service the servant spirits of this noble surah so that they may solve my problems, [and I ask Thee] to provide the means to visit the grave of Thy Prophet Muhammad,
God bless and save him! And you will say ﴾ And they say: When will this promise be fulfilled if what
you say is true? They expect nothing but a single cry that will surprise them while they argue. And they will not be able to make a will or return to their family. It shall be blown on the horn, and then they shall come out of the graves quickly, going to their Lord. They will say: Woe to us! Who has raised us from our beds?
This is what the Merciful had promised, the messengers spoke the truth. There will be but a
single cry and all will appear before Us. On that day no one will be treated unjustly in anything. You will only be paid for what you did. Truly the companions of the Garden will be, on that day, absorbed in what
occupies them, delighting in themselves. They and their wives will be in the shade and their beds will lie down. In it they will have
fruit and everything they ask for. Peace: Word of a Merciful Lord ﴿2 you shall repeat the verse sixteen times.

My Lord, Peace with You from me, You are my Master, in Your hand are my ear, my sight and my heart, You possess my whole being, You ennoble my humility, You exalt my mention and You elevate my capacity. Blessed are You, O Light of Lights, O One Who Grants lives, Your Exaltation is above the attributes of innovations (almu£ģāt) and Your dignity rises above defects and harms.
To this the earth and the heavens are witnesses, to Thee belongs the highest Glory, the most immense Excellence, and the most impregnable Power. Most pure, Most Holy, Lord of angels and the Spirit, Illuminator of the dark […] and dark nights, Savior of those who drown in the seas of destruction and terror. I take refuge in You from the evil of the night when it becomes dark and from the envious when it envies and waits3. My lord, I confide in You the humiliated servant, the one who knows You hear and expects You to answer. I am the one who asks standing up and hopeful, for I cannot find

1 Cor. xxxvi:2446. 2 Cor. xxxvi:4657. 3 Cf. Cor. CXIII:35.

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more Protector than You. My God, I pray of Thee by the Name by which Thou spreadest good things, by which Thou sends down blessings, by which Thou hast brought [Thy servants] out of darkness, and by which Thou wilt bring forth reward with abundant goods. I ask You to bless and save our Lord Muṣṣṇd and the family of our Lord Muṣṣṇd, and to spread upon me the linings of Thy lights that will restore the wickedness of the eyes of the envious and the wickedness of their hands. Make my fortune an irradiation of light that illuminates for me all that is hidden and reveals before me all secrets. O Light of all things, all light proceeds from Thy Light. O Who discovers all that is veiled, all things depend on Thee, evils are avoided by Thee, O Living One, O Subsistent, O most Gracious of the merciful, in Thy Mercy I seek help and by it I ask Thee to preserve me from Thy punishment. My God, I seek refuge in You from their iniquities and cast You around their necks, ﴾ If We wished, We would send down upon them a sign from heaven, and their necks would be humiliated before Him ﴿1.

My God, O Who brings down the clouds and Who defeats the allies (ala¬zāb), defeats my enemies, their armies and their followers, grant me victory over them and soften their hearts and spirits before me. My God, let me see Your sanctuary (aram) with Your generosity and cause me to visit the grave of Your Prophet Muhammad, God bless and save him! Submit to me all Thy creatures and soften their hearts and spirits by love and affection for me. Be for me a Helper, a Custodian, a Helper, and a Protector. My God, make every difficulty easy for me and make every difficult situation easy for me. My God, help me with a mighty help, grant me a manifest victory, and provide me with a free and good sustenance. By the sanctity of “Yā’Sīn, by the wise Qur’an!” O Lord of the worlds, ﴾ Peace: Word of a Merciful Lord ﴿ you will repeat it seven times and say ﴾I entrust my matter to God, it is true that God sees the servants ﴿ seven times and you will pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him!, ten times, and you will say ﴾ But you who have done evil depart today. Did I not make a covenant with you, O sons of Adam, that you would not worship the Šayİān? He is really an avowed enemy to you ﴿ 2.

My Allah, O God of the first and the last, O Who comforts, O Allāh, pay my debt, relieve me of my anguish, fill me with Your treasures, soften before me all Your creatures, relieve me of every difficulty, and make the difficult easy for me, for it is indeed easy for You to smooth out all difficulties.
And you will say ﴾ I entrust my matter to God, it is true that God sees the servants ﴿ seven times and you will pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him!, ten times, and you will say ﴾ And that you worship me. This is a straight path.
He has led many of your communities astray. Will you not understand? This is Jahannam, the one who
was promised to you. Enter it today because you have refused to believe. Today we will seal their mouths and it will be their
hands that speak to us and it will be their feet that bear witness to what they have earned ﴿3. And you will say ﴾I entrust my matter to God, it is true that God sees the servants repeating it seven times, and you will pray for the Prophet, God bless him and save him!, ten times, and you will say ﴾ [If we wanted to, we would wipe out their eyes and even if they went on the road, how would they see? And if we wanted to, we would leave them paralyzed in the place and they could neither move forward nor backward.] To whom we give a long life we diminish in his constitution. ¿No

1 Cor. XXVI:3.
2 Cor. xxxvi:5859. 3 Cor. xxxvi:6064.

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Shams Part 10

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