Alhamdulillah Khanqah Ehsaniyyah organised its first Salawat Retreat held from 7th – 9th February 2025 at Pulai Spring Springs Resorts, Johor Bahru. We were provided the opportunity to perform a short but much needed khalwa, a temporary seclusion from the distractions of the busy dunya, and immerse ourselves in remembrance and salawat. Throughout the retreat, we were equipped with precious gems of knowledge on the importance and power of salawat. Salawat is the act of sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ and is a means of seeking intercession, gaining closeness to the Prophet ﷺ, and illuminating our hearts with divine light. Prophet ﷺ is the best of creation, and through salawat, we attach ourselves to his prophetic presence.
It is a command in the Quran for believers to send blessings upon him ﷺ :
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا
“Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:56)
Every night we gather for qiyam where we performed our solat Taubah and Khwaja Ehsanullah Shah guided us on how we can arrange our daily activities with salawat to be in the prophetic presence. We then recited 100 Istighfar and 100 Salawat, shifting our focus from seeking worldly benefits to making salawat with the intention of the hereafter. We recited 100 Chistiyyah Salawat, keeping in our hearts one intention at a time.
Examples:
“Ya Allah, allow these Salawats to manifest as a ladder for me to climb up from my grave to Your Heavens.”
“Ya Allah, allow these Salawats to be Nur so that my Ruh would be placed in it when it leaves my earthly body.”
Stepping Forth on the Path to the Divine Presence
The first topic that was shared was how we can be stepping forth on the path toward the divine presence. However, the journey does not begin until we remove the veils of ego and surrender ourselves to Allah.
“Only when we have taken out our ego, then our journey begins.”
The first step in the journey of the soul is the annihilation of the self (fana’). The ego stands as the greatest barrier between the servant and divine proximity. By sending continuous salawat, one begins to detach from the self and attach to Prophet ﷺ experiencing the state of fana’ fil Rasul—annihilation in the love and presence of the Prophet ﷺ. Khwaja Ehsanullah Shah emphasises how iman and islam are the foundations upon which this journey is built. As we traverse this path, we recognize that we are not merely journeying towards Allah alone but we are walking in the footsteps of those whom Allah has favored (An-Amta Alaihim). The presence of the Prophet ﷺ is the reality of iman itself, and by sending salawat, we invite his presence into our hearts.
Salawat is not just a means of remembrance; it is a means of bringing Prophet ﷺ presence into our hearts. His presence is the reason why everything in existence was created. Jannah itself was created for and from the light of Rasulullah. By increasing our salawat, we increase our connection to this divine reality. Through salawat, we engage in tawassul—seeking nearness to Allah through the Prophet’s ﷺ intercession. Islam encompasses iman, and salawat encompasses Islam. It is only through this practice that we safeguard our faith and journey towards wilayah (spiritual guardianship).
The City of Knowledge
The second topic covered was the city of knowledge detailing the prophetic tradition that describes the intimate connection between Prophet ﷺ and Sayyidina Ali. The Prophet ﷺ stated:
“I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate.”
This illustrates that the wisdom of the Prophet ﷺ is accessible through those closest to him. Before the physical world was brought into existence, the light of Prophet ﷺ was already flowing. This primordial reality affirms that Prophet ﷺ is the central axis around which all of creation revolves.
Sayyidina Ali’s connection to Prophet ﷺ was evident from birth:
- He was born inside the Kaabah, a divine indication of his spiritual stature.
- He did not open his eyes until Rasulullah came to him, showing his deep attachment to the Prophet.
- He did not suckle from his mother until the Prophet ﷺ granted permission, further solidifying his connection.
Through wilayah, one gains proximity to the prophetic presence, and Sayyidina Ali serves as a model of how devotion to the Prophet ﷺ leads to divine wisdom.
The Light of Creation
Lastly, Khwaja Ehsanullah Shah reinforced the teaching that the entire creation stems from the nur of Prophet ﷺ . This divine light is the essence from which everything was manifested. By increasing our salawat, we enhance the nur within our hearts, bringing us closer to the source of all light.
Prophet ﷺ is the root of all spiritual existence. Just as a tree draws sustenance from its roots, our faith is nourished through our attachment to him. Through salawat, we cleanse our hearts and allow this divine light to flow within us. Allah bestows nur, and Prophet ﷺ distributes it. The more we engage in salawat, the more we open ourselves to receiving this divine illumination. It is only through consistent remembrance and devotion that we bring forth this light within us.
As the retreat concluded, participants reflected on the true essence of salawat. As important it is that we understand the methodology of salawat, the true connection to Prophet ﷺ is only established through the guidance of a Murshid. Without a Murshid, one may struggle to access the depth of its reality. We are but humble servants of Allah in need of guidance. It is through our Murshid that we are able to truly attach ourselves to Prophet ﷺ . By holding the hand of our Murshid, we ensure that our salawat is not merely an outward utterance but a means of true connection. May we continuously seek to embody the love, presence, and teachings of Prophet ﷺ in our daily lives.
Lessons Learned
- A Reminder of the Value of Salawat – Too often, we take salawat lightly, reciting it without truly understanding its significance.
- Beyond Quantity, Focus on Quality – Many engage in salawat purely for numerical achievements, forgetting that sincerity and presence matter more.
- The Immense Power of Salawat – Through salawat, we can reach the state of fana’ fillah, complete annihilation in the divine presence.
- Utilizing Every Opportunity for Salawat – Every moment is an opportunity to fill our lips with salawat, drawing ourselves closer to Rasulullah and the divine reality.
May this retreat serve as a catalyst for deeper devotion, increased remembrance, and a stronger attachment to the presence of Prophet ﷺ . May our hearts be illuminated, and may we always be among those whose lips are never void of salawat. Ameen.
Reflection by Brother Yaakub
- What motivated you to join the retreat?
There was always a desire in my heart to know more about Salawat, as i was following up with the 40 Days Salawat challenge and those reminders and sharing made there, makes me more inclined towards joining this retreat.
- What were your takeaways from the retreat?
I understood the importance of Salawat and how it plays a big part in our life, by doing Salawat we start to realise the presence of Sayyidinah Muhammad s.a.w, and went we feel his presence everything will fall into place because if its not for him s.a.w nothing would have been created. When the Murshid mention that the Awliya Allah doesn’t feel fear or grieve that is because Sayyidinah Muhammad s.a.w is with them. When the prophet s.a.w is with us there is no reason to fear or grieve. The Awliya Allah way is to attach themselves to salawat, the path of Salawat is the door to Allah and through that door Allah open his mercy and blessings to us.
- How has the retreat impacted your daily life?
This retreat has played a big part, i am grateful that i am able to attend it and do it at least once in my lifetime, because this retreat was entirely focused on the afterlife and we begin doing our salawat by focusing our intention on the hereafter. This has impacted me in a way that i am more aware of the intention making before salawat.
- How has this retreat changed your viewpoint about Salawat?
In short, Salawat is everything. To have iman is to do Salawat upon Sayyidinah Muhammad s.a.w and knowing that he s.a.w doesn’t needs it and the only one that is benefitting is the person who is doing it, the biggest gift that Allah has given is Sayyidinah Muhammad s.a.w and by doing the Salawat we get the opportunity to be close to Allah and his beloved.
- Who do you think would benefit from future similar retreats and why?
This retreat would be beneficial for any muslim regardless their age but i would say that it would benefit the upcoming Younger generation alot, in a modern world where we are made to think that the Messenger s.a.w has only came here to deliver the message and its over. The modern society has failed to realise that He s.a.w is beyond than just a historical figure. He s.a.w is close to us and by connecting to him we become believers whom Allah is pleased with, but the challenge is how do we connect to Him s.a.w and that we can learn it from retreat like this and from the people who have connected themselves to Sayyidinah Muhammad s.a.w.