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Muḥammad al-Jazūlī

Savant

Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Jazūlī was born in the Sous region of southern Morocco and died in 869 AH (1465). He belonged to the Berber tribe of Jazūla. Training He studied in Fez, where he learned by heart major texts of Mālikite fiqh. He then followed the Shādhilite spiritual path and became a highly respected master. His teaching gave birth to Jazūliyya, which had considerable influence in Morocco. Dalāʾil al-khayrāt According to a famous tradition, al-Jazūlī, finding no water for his ablutions, saw a young girl raise water from a well by her simple prayer; she explained to him that she owed it to the abundance of her prayers on the Prophet ﷺ. He then composed Dalāʾil al-khayrāt (“The Proofs of Benefits”), a collection of formulas of blessings and greetings on the Prophet ﷺ, divided into sections for daily reading. The book spread from West Africa to Southeast Asia. His manuscripts, often decorated with representations of Mecca and Medina, are among the most beautiful books of Islamic art. Memory His body was transferred to Marrakech in the 16th century. He is one of the Sabʿatu Rijāl, the seven patron saints of the city. Photo: pages from a manuscript by Dalāʾil al-khayrāt representing Mecca and Medina.