The distinctive feature of this incomparable treasure is that it has salawaat (blessings) and salaams (salutations) on our beloved Prophet Sayyidina wa Mawlana Hadrat Muhammad al-Mustafa Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, spiritually strengthened with three mighty fortresses. These are:

1. Asma u’l Husna, the Most Beautiful Names of Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta'ala
2. Asma u’n Nabi, the blessed names of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, with his attributes of praise
3. Asma Ahl Badr, the blessed names of his 313 companions or sahaba, Rady Allahu 'Anhum who fought together with him against the 1000 mushrikeen (polytheists) of Makkah in the Battle of Badr.

The awliya (saints) and the saleheen (the pious) who write these books of salawaat on the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam inevitably include Asma Allah u’l Husna in their salawaat as they are very near and dear to them. And why not? Asma u'l Husna surely lead us to paradise as we learn from the following blessed Hadith Shareef:

Hadrat Abu Hurairah Rady Allahu 'Anhu reported the Beloved Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam as saying: "Allah Most High has ninety nine names. He who retains them in his memory will enter paradise". (Tirmidhi and Bayhaqi)

At this juncture, let us make the niyyah (intention) of memorizing the Asma Allah u'l Husna if we have not already done so.

Each of the Asma Allah u’l Husna in the kitab is to be recited three times except Yaa Allah (O Allah, 100 times), Yaa Latif (O The Most Gentle, 21 times), Yaa Wadud (O The Loving One, 22 times) and Yaa Sabur (O The Patient One, 7 times).

Asma Allah u’l Husna have both Jamaal (Majestic Beauty) and Jalaal (Awe-inspiring Majesty) but Asma Ahl Badr are very jalaali while salawaat are pure jamaal so the Jalaal (Awe-inspiring Majesty) of Asma Ahl Badr is cooled off with the Jamaal (Majestic Beauty) of salawaat on the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam.

And the title of the kitab is fitting. The blessed Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam and his sahaba (companions) were a community with meagre means ( Jaaliya tu’l Akdaar ) but they wielded the sword that cut ( Wa’s Sayf u’l Battaar ) against an army three times larger and many times better equipped, because they had the help of Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta'ala.

The kitab begins with As-Salaatu Ibrahimiyyah. Then come the most Beautiful Names of Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta'ala. Yaa Allah (O Allah) is to be recited 100 times, followed by Yaa Rahman (O Most Beneficent One), Yaa Raheem (O Most Merciful), and Yaa Malik (O Sovereign Lord), each to be recited 3 times. As-Salaatu Ibrahimiyyah is repeated, followed by invoking Allah with His Most Beautiful Names of Yaa Quddus (O Most Holy One), Yaa Salaam (O Bestower of peace), Yaa Mu’min (O The Granter of Security) and Yaa Muhaymin (O The Protector). Then start the names of the sahaba (companions) who fought in the battle of Badr, in alphabetical order. First are mentioned all the sahaba whose names start with the letter alif. These are interspersed with Asma Allah u’l Husna and 29 salawaat (blessings), each of which begins with " Wa bi Fadlillahumma Salli wa Sallim wa Baarik 'Alaa Sayyidina Muhammad " (And with the Grace of Allah's blessings, peace and favours on Sayyidina Muhammad). The kitab ends with du'a (invocation) for maghfira (forgiveness of sins) and eternal bliss in paradise.

The Khulafa ar-Raashideen al-Mahdiyyeen, the four rightly-guided Khalifas of the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam, that is, Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddiq Rady Allahu 'Anhu , Sayyidina 'Umar Farooq Rady Allahu 'Anhu, Sayyidina ' Uthman Dhu'n-Nurain Rady Allahu 'Anhu and Sayyidina ' Ali al-Murtada Rady Allahu 'Anhu are all mentioned. Among the other great sahaba mentioned are Hadrat Talha ibn ' Ubaidillah Rady Allahu Anhu, Hadrat Zubair ibn ' Awwaam Rady Allahu 'Anhu, Hadrat ' Abdirrahman ibn ' Awf Rady Allahu 'Anhu, Hadrat Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas Rady Allahu 'Anhu, Hadrat Sa'eed ibn Zaid Rady Allahu 'Anhu and Hadrat Abi ' Ubaida ' Aamir ibn al-Jarraah Rady Allahu 'Anhu. Together with the four Khulafa ar-Rashideen, they are called the Asharatu’l Mubash-shara, the ten who were given glad tidings of paradise by the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam.

It is true that Sayyidina ' Uthman Rady Allahu 'Anhu was not physically present in the Battle of Badr but even so, Mawlana al-Baghdadi has included his name because the beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alayhi wa Sallam had himself instructed him to remain behind to take care of his wife Sayyidatina Ruqayya, who was the daughter of the beloved Prophet himself, as she was seriously ill in Madina. Her condition was indeed so serious that immediately after the Muslims returned from Badr, she passed away.

According to Mawlana Diya ud-Deen Khalid al-Baghdadi, the letters kaaf, haa, yaa, 'ain, saad in the first verse of Surah Maryam refer to the sifaat (attributes) of Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta'ala or of Sayyidina Muhammad-e-'Arabi, Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam as captured in one of the salawaat in the kitab as follows:

Wa bi Fadlillaahumma Salli wa Sallim Wa Baarik
'Alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-i
Nilladhee huwa Saahibu’l Burhaani
Wa’s sababu fee wujudi kulli insaanin
Kaafu karami’l kifaayati
Haa-u’l Uluhiyyati wa’r-Ri'aayati
Wa yaa u’l yaqazati wa’l hidaayati
'Ainul 'ismati wa’l 'inaayati
Wa saadus siraati’l manshuri
Siraatillaahilladhee lahu maa fissamaawaati wa maa fi'l ardi
'Alaa Ilallaahi taseeru'l umur
Salaatan tusbilu
Allahumma (Yaa 'Azeezu Yaa Jabbaaru Yaa Mutakabbiru Yaa Khaaliqu) [3]
Bihaa 'alayya’s sitra’l jameela
Wa atawassalu ilayka bihaqqi 'abdika
Al-Arqam ibni Abi’l Arqam
Maula Rasulillahi Sallallahu Ta'ala 'alaihi wa Sallam
As'ad ibni Yazeed, Anas ibni Mu'aadh, Unays ibni Qatadah,
Anas-ata maula Rasulillahi Sallallahu Ta'ala 'alaihi wa Sallam
Aws ibni Thabit, Aws ibni Khawliyy, Iyaas ibni Aws, Iyaas ibni’l Bukayr
Rady Allahu Ta'ala 'Anhum.

And with the Grace of Allah's blessings, peace and favours
on Sayyidina Muhammad who is a personality with a clear proof,
and the cause of the existence of all humans.
The letter kaaf stands for the Prophet's unbounded generosity,
the letter haa is for Allah's Divine Power and Loving Care,
the letter yaa denotes the Prophet's wakefulness and guidance,
the letter 'ain stands for his sinlessness and loving care,
and the letter saad denotes a wide-open straight path;
"The path of Allah to Whom belongs
whatever is in the heavens and the earth.
Behold (how) all affairs return to Allah" (42:53).
A salaat (on the Holy Prophet) that pours like mercy:
For the sake of this salaat,
O Allah (O The Mighty, O The Compeller,
O The One Supreme in Greatness, O The Creator) [recited 3 times]
hide my shame with a beautiful covering,
and I beg of You in the name of Your servant
al-Arqam ibni Abi'l Arqam, the slave emancipated by Rasulullah,
blessings and peace of Allah the Exalted be upon him;
As'ad ibni Yazeed, Anas ibni Mu'aadh, Unays ibni Qatadah,
Anas, the slave emancipated by Rasulullah, Sallallahu Ta'ala 'alaihi wa Sallam;
Aws ibni Thaabit, Aws ibni Khawliyy, Iyaas ibni Aws and Iyaas ibni'l Bukayr,
may Allah the Exalted be pleased with them all.

We notice that the salawaat in Jaaliya tu'l Akdaar have a standard, yet very rich format. Each salaat is followed by:

1. Asma u’n Nabi and praise of the noble Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam coupled with a verse from the Holy Qur'an in his honour
2. A description of the salaat (In this instance; Salaatan tusbilu: An invocation of blessing that pours like mercy)
3. Asma u’l Husna, in the order in which they are universally known
4. Du'a (invocation)
5. Asma Ahl Badr, in alphabetical order

We also notice that each salaat (blessing) in this kitab is simultaneously a du'a which uses three different types of wasila (means of approach to Allah); first, Asma u’l Husna; second, the salaat on the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam; and third, Asma Ahl Badr, Rady Allahu 'Anhum.

The salaat that preceded the one quoted earlier contains the names of two more companions whose names begin with the letter "alif". These are: Ubayy ibn Ka'b Rady Allahu 'Anhu and al-Akhnas ibn Kubayb, Rady Allahu 'Anhu.

The salaat that follows the one quoted earlier, contains the names of the sahaba (companions) whose names begin with the letter "baa".

The next salaat has the names of the sahaba whose names begin with the letter "taa". In this way Asma Ahl Badr are presented alphabetically in the salawaat.

Waqf Ikhlas of Istanbul, Turkey has done a great service to Muslims to have this book published. They have prepared it with the love and care it truly deserves. Allah's Names have been printed in green, salawaat on the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam in black, and the names of the sahaba in red, with a beautiful flower painting on the borders on each page. It has to be seen to be believed!

May Allah Sub’hanahu wa Ta'ala fill us with His love, the love of His Prophet Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam and the love of the sahaba, Rady Allahu 'Anhum, Aameen Yaa Rabbal 'Aalameen.